Hi everyone, welcome to this episode of Tiger Sisters.
In this episode we're going to be talking about how we spent
half $1,000,000 in total on our education getting our MBA S Was
it worth it? So we've gotten a lot of
questions about this topic, actually multiple mailbag
entries, so I'll start with reading just one of them.
Vinod asks. As someone who hasn't been to a
Business School for an MBA, I'm curious to know what are some
things that change for you as a person before and after MBA,
personally for you both. This is something I think we'll
dive into a little bit more, but just to tee it up, was Business
School worth it? For me, Business School was a
very like meaningful life experience.
And just like when I talked to you on the phone with some of my
like best friends who didn't go to Business School with me,
they're like, wow, I can really hear in your voice like how
grounded you are. You just sound so different
before Business School and after Business School.
And like, I can feel it in myself a little bit, but I think
just getting a third party to be able to say that, like I talked
to one of my best friends before Business School and we hadn't
spoken in a long time. And she's like, Oh my God.
I can kind of tell in this conversation you just like sound
way more confident, way more self assured and just like way
more confident in who you are and what you want to do.
And I was like, yeah, I feel very aligned coming out of
Business School now, having done that reflection and spent the
time, like, figuring out what I want to do, what's important to
me. I know I'm not alone in this.
I've also talked to other classmates of mine who when they
talk to their like former bosses, their bosses are just
like wow you sound. Different.
And is that because of the classes?
Is that because of the people you meet?
Like is it because of what you're learning?
Like why specifically do you think that is?
I think it's a mix of all of those things.
It was just like the life experience of two years.
Like I feel way more confident now that I've taken those
classes. Like the wide variety of like
finance, like econ, entertainment, accounting.
That's true. Like I have such a wider breadth
of knowledge and topic areas that I can speak to.
Like I just feel more confident and knowledgeable as a person
and I feel very grounded at GSP. There is so much emphasis on
like, who are you and what do you care about and how do you
want to leave your impression in this world?
So that I spent two years basically like figuring that out
so that I could, you know, once I was released in June, go out,
go forth and and do. Yeah.
I think what a lot of people say about Business School, or like a
common phrase is they say that you learn enough to be dangerous
in every field, right? So that's like something where I
think about like accounting. Am I ever going to be an
accountant? No.
Am I ever going to myself, like apply the skills of accounting,
like pen to paper? Hopefully not.
But I do feel like because I took accounting in Business
School, I know enough to know if something is going to be like
totally off. I know if something is going to
be totally wrong. And I think it's true for just
like a lot of fields, like for you, I know you would never for
example, like you took a real estate class, right?
That was very eye opening for you because you had never had
any sort of an exposure. To a real estate?
Not at all. It was real estate investing,
talking about commercial real estate.
Right. And you're only investing
experience was in venture capital which is super early
stage and usually you know like pixels like a lot of it is zeros
and ones as opposed to like hard assets, which is like commercial
real estate is like the total opposite of that.
Complete 180 and it was fascinating because commercial
real estate or I just real estate in its in it of itself is
just like a vertical that's so different from any other type of
investing. And like the vocabulary used,
like how you go about a deal, how people make money from real
estate is just like so different from like software, which I've
been, you know, in the world of for over 5.
Years exactly and I think you touched on a really good point
there. You literally just said the word
the vocabulary used cuz like think about it, if you know the
vocabulary of a certain field or an industry like you're already
light years ahead of someone who has never like been expert.
Of the term. Yeah, never been exposed to it.
So that way, like let's say Sheree goes to, you know, she
has a meeting where somehow like real estate is a relevant topic.
Or like let's say we're building our company and we end up
wanting to do something with like a commercial footprint.
Like that's already somewhere where like you're going to go
into that meeting knowing the terms, right?
Like what are some of the terms that people would say?
Totally. Or like for example, let's say
Jean and I open up like a cafe or something and it's like.
Let's say we open up a retail spot.
Let's say we open up a retail spot like a cafe that would be
like an amazing, like dream of mine.
But like, what do you need to ask?
And like, who are your competitors?
And like, for example, if our cafe were like within a mall
versus within like a strip mall, like, or, you know, on just like
a really busy St. What are the different things to
consider? Like what is the, is it near a
hotel? Like is there a lot of foot
traffic there? What are the vacancy rates?
Like is this a happening spot? How close is the airport?
Like, whoa, all this stuff that I've never even thought about.
And that's not to say that we wouldn't work with like a, you
know, commercial real estate lawyer or like an Asian or
someone who's an actual like expert who does a day in and day
out. But once again, like, we know
enough to be dangerous. Like we go into those
conversations having some base level of understanding and
feeling, I guess, unafraid. Like unafraid, well equipped and
like just knowing what are the right things to ask so that like
if there are people who we're working with who are like trying
to pull one over us or like, I don't know, take advantage
because like, and we're, I don't know, whatever.
Like yeah, no. Because we look weak.
No one kidding. And then on the flip side, you
also took some classes such as like stand up, right?
Then you take improv. You took an improv?
Class Yes, I took a theater class at Stanford.
It was incredible. It was called the Spirit of Play
and it was all about how do you bring play and playfulness and
back into the everyday? How do you bring it into work
and to teams, and how does that make them more productive?
Like, I've never taken a series of improv classes like this
before. And one, it was very fun.
Two, it was just like a way to broaden my horizons and also my
skill set in a way that I wouldn't have done otherwise.
Yeah. And, and one thing I really
admire about you is I think you're an incredible public
speaker and like you can just like speak on anything, like off
the cuff. Extemporaneously.
Extemporaneously so like is this something that you think does
it? Did this improv class, like,
help you or gave you an opportunity to, like, practice
it more? Like, I know you did the class
before your Ted Talk. Yeah, your Ted talk was amazing.
Oh, the Ted Talk was so unlike anything I've ever done in my
life. I was so incredibly hard.
But I just imagine that the fact that you did this improv class
before it like it must have helped.
Yes, I think so more subconsciously than like a one
to one link. But the improv class, like we
just played games every single class and honestly it was a way
for me to do cringe things and then not feel cringe about it.
Like the class, the games were so silly they'd be like.
I need that they'd be like. You would just do weird things
with your body and we'd play it with different scenes and kind
of act, play, act with each other.
But it was just a way for me to get more comfortable with my
body in space and like, using the space around me.
Whereas, like, I didn't realize how uncomfortable I felt before
then, like with my body. Yeah.
If that makes sense. Yes.
I feel like one way I would summarize what you said and one
and what you've told me before is that for you, like Business
School was just a way to really like expand your horizons and
like fill in the gaps of all the different areas where you
thought you could sort of like up level your knowledge, right?
Because like you had a very specific knowledge base going
in. You had been a product manager
at LinkedIn for a long time. So like that was your expertise.
You were an amazing, like really high performing product manager
and you briefly worked in VC investing.
Yeah, but you were like, these are all the other areas.
I guess people say like I want more tools for my tool belt or
something like that. Yeah.
I that's a really good way to summarize it.
I would say also that like Business School, because I was
so intentional going in about it, I was like, these are the
places where I feel that I could really work on.
I could really grow. What were they?
One example, just like this is not even like an interest area
or an academic area. It's like socially, like I
wanted to grow socially and I wanted to.
What does that mean? I applied after the pandemic,
and I was really sad during the pandemic because I was living
with my mom for a year, which was an amazing experience.
But I didn't meet anyone new and I felt really lonely, really
sad. That's why she was making so
many Tik toks and videos online. I was like, these are my
friends, my online friends. Well, so I just felt super mom,
I'm talking to my Internet friend.
I'm talking. To my friend's mom.
So yes. So like the gaps that I had in
my life. Interest area based socially
meeting professors. Like, I don't know how I quite
quantify that, but I identified there were gaps in my life and
it felt like Business School could fill in those gaps and
like add to my tool belt in that way.
Yeah, that is one thing that I do think Business School is very
different from other grad schools is that there is a very
intentional aspect of going in to meet new people, of going in
to learn from your classmates, learn from your professors,
build out like this sort of new community and really grow from
that. The reason why it's different is
because everybody recognizes that going in, everyone going in
knows that that's such a valuable part of your Business
School experience. It's that local aspect.
Yeah, that everyone's really like, bought into it.
As opposed to when I was attending HBS, one of my best
friends was at Harvard Law School at the same time, and
then one of my other best friends was at the Harvard Ed
School at the same time, and like the three of us just had
like such different experiences. Other grad schools are often
much more like academically oriented.
Totally. Well, I mean, there's a reason
why people joke that, like Business School students are
partying all the time. It's like, yeah, we're hanging
out with each other. And it's very normal and
expected that like every night of the week, you're not eating
dinner alone. You're like supposed to eat
dinner with someone else and hang out with other people.
Whereas just like it's the personnel, it's the type of
people it attracts. It's also the vibe.
But like if you're going into like APHD program, for example,
like it's very academic. It's like I'm very research
focused and like it doesn't emphasize the social as much so
it's just different vibes. I mean, to that point, though, I
ate many dinners alone because I felt like after an entire day of
socializing and I and I knew that I would have like a whole
like, evening of socializing, I needed some time to myself.
So I do think if you're thinking about Business School, it's a
good like area of self reflection.
Yeah. I mean, this is a whole nother
topic. Like, how can you survive
Business School if you want to go, but you're also an
introvert? And you totally can.
I have like so many friends who are actually introverts and then
like figure out ways that they can balance their like emotional
capacity and their like, mental capacity to be as social as
possible. For me, going into Business
School, I had a very specific plan.
So the reason that I went to Business School is because I had
always wanted to start a company of my own.
And oh, and also just to preface this, I graduated from Business
School seven years ago, so that means I applied over 10 years
ago. So 10 years ago I was like, I
want to start a company and I just, they didn't really have
like the hutzpah or the balls to just quit my job at the time and
just do it on my own. That felt way too scary for me.
So and at the same time my GMAT score was expiring because I
took my GMAT when I was a senior in undergrad.
So it was five years after that. I had five years of work
experience and it was the last year I could use my GMAT score.
So I was like, you know what, I am just going to apply.
I'll see if I get in. And because I really don't want
to take the GMAT again. And I had always wanted to go to
some grad school of some sort. And so then after I got in, it
kind of just like I was able to sort of form my plan from there
because I was like, if I go to Business School, it basically
gives me these two risk free years where I can actually just
work on my startup on the side. I knew that Harvard in general
had a very strong focus on entrepreneurship.
And it was very much, I think, a reaction to the strength of
Stanford's entrepreneur program. They had this area called the
Harvard Innovation Lab and they were really investing in that.
So I was like, I'm going to go, I'm going to build my startup at
school. If it all goes to plan, then I'm
going to work my full time over the summer, I'm going to get
customers, I'm going to fundraise right as I graduate,
and then I'll be off to the races.
And then the downside case would be, let's say I decide this is
not for me, then I can just graduate and I'll have an HBS
degree. Yeah, that was my intention
going in. So for me it was very much worth
it because I did follow that path.
I worked on the startup a lot during the first year, so other
parts of my experience did suffer, for example, like the
social aspects or you know, I didn't invest in classes as much
as I could have, but that was intentional.
That whole experience helped me realize that you know what, I
actually am very excited about starting company, but this is
not the right company for me. Like this thing that I've been
working on for the last year and a half is not going to be what
I'm spending the next, you know, 5-7, ten years on.
But I've had this experience of entrepreneurship.
I've had this experience of working on my own company full
time and I know kind of what are some things that I need to work
on and what I'm looking for for the next time that I do.
This Yeah. So for you, Business School is
worth it because you were able to try something completely new
that you wouldn't have done otherwise and, like, see if it's
something that you wanted to continue and ultimately you
didn't. But like, you were smarter for
it. And you have another thing in
your tool belt. Yes.
And I was able to do it in this very kind of supportive
atmosphere where there are a lot of different programs at HBS and
many other business schools that are designed to help you build a
company while you're at Business School.
Yeah. I mean, also like you're a part
of, I guess, like a program where it was like a cohort
experience, so that like while you're building your startup,
you could also be with other people who are building as well.
Exactly. And so like, I feel like there
are other places, like other incubator programs that happen
outside of Business School now, like Y Combinator, South Park
Commons. It's amazing that like, you can
do that as well while you're a student.
I would say for me, that's my personal experience.
Like that was why I decided to go.
That was a very intentional sort of like hypothesis of mine that
I wanted to explore and try to see what the results were.
Do you think it was worth $250,000?
Oh, and also don't forget the opportunity cost of the money
that we were making at the time. Yeah, I don't like to think
about it that way. It's just depressing.
Yeah, it's worth it. I think if you believe in
yourself, then you will be able to recoup that money and make it
in the future. Yeah, your life is long.
Your career can be very long, but being in an environment
where your only job is to learn is so special and like.
I love these students. So few times, yeah, in your
life. So like anyone who you know, a
lot of people ask me like people who are like, oh, should I do,
you know, Business School? I almost always say yes.
Yeah, that, that could be another interesting topic next
time, like who shouldn't do Business School that.
Wraps up our episode. Thank you guys for being here.
This is a new format we're trying where we're trying to do
a really short and sweet episode.
This time we didn't have any of our segments, but don't worry,
they're not gone. I know you guys like roses and
Thorns. It's coming back.
If you guys like this episode, Please remember to like,
comment, and subscribe, and we'd so appreciate it if you could
share this episode with someone who might find it helpful.
Thanks, Bye. Maybe we'll save you half
$1,000,000. I've had so many people,
especially my former Co workers, come to me and be like, was it
worth it? I'm like, yeah, I built some
confidence. And they're like, oh,
confidence. Yeah, they're like that doesn't
sound like it's worth half $1,000,000.
Yeah, they're like a quarter $1,000,000 for confidence.
I don't think so.