Category: 2021

2021 Program students and posts.

This summer I had the pleasure of being a part of the Duke in Silicon Valley program offered by Duke’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) department. The course is unlike anything else I’ve taken at Duke. I wanted to reflect on the experience, and share some of my key takeaways with other students, who might be deciding on how to tailor their I&E experience at Duke or deciding if they are interested in entrepreneurship in the first place.

Duke in Silicon Valley was a very interactive experience. Class sessions consist of a mix of lectures and guest speakers. The lectures cover a broad range of topics but focus mainly on the process of design thinking and concepts that are adjacent to it. The guest speakers are from a diverse set of backgrounds and allow students to peek into a wide variety of career paths. Both lectures and speaker panels are largely driven by students; discussions are a key component of Duke in Silicon Valley. Whether during a practice negotiation, speaker Q&A, or group work session, there is always an underlying focus on the importance of effective dialogue. Communication has always been something I am working on and Duke in Silicon Valley provided me with ample opportunity to do so. Looking back at the earlier presentations in the course, I can now see how much I improved within the span of just four weeks.

As students, our main task during Duke in Silicon Valley involved applying design thinking principles to create solutions for the workplace of the future. We went through the process of interviewing people to find pain points, brainstorming to come up with ideas, and refining our ideas to reach a feasible solution. This all culminated in the final presentation, where each group had to condense their work over four weeks into a ten-minute pitch for their vision of the workplace of the future to the Google REWS (Real Estate & Workplace Services) team. Going from finding problems about the workplace all the way to delivering a pitch for our solution was a wonderful way to apply everything we learned throughout the program. The lessons learned in this practical design thinking exercise were many, but two, in particular, kept appearing while we worked on our solution. First of all, we needed to always maintain a focus on the problems we were solving and not on solutions that we liked. While this might seem obvious at first, it is really easy to get stuck on an “innovative” idea and not really think about how the innovation solves the identified problems. Second, coming up with an innovative idea is messy and requires a lot of thinking and brainstorming to refine it into a feasible solution. Being able to navigate the mess and steer towards a solid direction is what makes good entrepreneurs.

To summarize my key takeaways from the experience; I would recommend anyone who wants an engaging introduction to entrepreneurship and design thinking to be a part of the Duke in Silicon Valley program. The program was a unique and valuable experience and allowed me to connect with an excellent group of peers, who I look forward to meeting in person this fall.

Baran is a senior from Ankara, Turkey pursuing a major in electrical and computer engineering. He is interested in emerging technologies in machine learning infrastructure. He chose to participate in the program to explore different parts of the innovation culture in Silicon Valley. Having worked previously with a large tech company in Silicon Valley, Baran is excited for the program to provide him with entrepreneurial exposure to startups and early-stage ventures. In his spare time, Baran enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Duke in Silicon Valley: Behemoth of Learning and Networking Opportunities

By Kevin Hoch

On June 2, 2021

In 2021

Duke in Silicon Valley has been a behemoth of learning and networking opportunities. Filled with design thinking modules, erudite speaker sessions, and intense collaborative projects, this class has been a true simulation of what it takes to “build a successful enterprise”. This course is spearheaded by our distinguished Professor Kathie Amato, who has acquainted us with an array of avenues that we have used to foster our entrepreneurial proclivities. Just 3 weeks into this course, I can proudly say that my 4 Cs, namely Confidence, Competence, Character, and Collaboration, have blossomed beyond expectations.

The Summer 2021 course has been structured in an interesting format despite the obstructions caused by the pandemic: we spend a portion of our class time learning key concepts viz. the lean start-up, corporate design thinking practices, prioritization methods, negotiation tactics, psychological safety, etc. while the remainder is filled with speaker and/or networking sessions that cover an assortment of fields, from AI ethics to product management, and companies, from FAAG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Google) to late-stage start-ups. This process occurs in tandem with completing individual and team-based assignments (via the Mural platform, online videos, or content from the Harvard Business Coursepack) and developing materials for our final class project: designing the Workplace of Future. We have undertaken this project for Google in consultation with its REWS (Real Estate & Workplace Services) team.

Throughout this course, we learned several soft skills such as psychological safety, clarity, and ostentatious listening not only because Professor Amato taught them in class but also because she implemented them by initiating every class meeting with a strong, relevant quote, a high-spirited welcome, and a clearly-devised plan for the rest of the day. The first day began with a bang where we were introduced to the schedule for the summer semester, to the point of contact from Google’s REWS team Ms. Betsy Rives, and to our teams whom we would collaborate with on different tasks. We also analysed some insightful cases such as IDEO’s shopping cart problem and learned key concepts that would be revisited in class such as “the jobs to be done” that day. Mr. Greg Victory from the Duke Career Center led a session on mind maps and empathy maps the next day, which we frequently use to map what our clients feel, say, do, and think. Mr. Ron and Mrs. Carrie Ludwig, who generously endowed this program, dropped in the next day. Their energy and excitement to learn were fascinating. It was fun to listen to their youthful anecdotes and learn alongside them in class. Google’s Project Aristotle and team interaction routines were some interesting things covered in depth that day.

I could really enhance my learning edges the next week when Mr. Robert Chesnut, former Chief Ethics Officer of Airbnb, and Mrs. Jillian Manus, Managing Partner of the Silicon Valley VC firm Structure Capital, came to meet us. The meeting was more productive since we had written an essay on Rob’s notable book “Intentional Integrity” the day before and, thus, went in knowing what we wanted to discuss. “Practice Ikigai in corporate life”, “Be proactive, not reactive when solving a problem”, and “Values=Trust” are some of the many insightful takeaways I had from that session. The following day, we dove into technical models such as the strategic sweet spot, the business model canvas, and the invention cycle when Mr. Tom Byers (Founder of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program), Mr. Blake Byers (Google Ventures Member and the First Investor in the trading platform Robinhood), and Ms. Marty Byers came to speak. The pulse of the valley was eloquently laid out for us as we unearthed the mindset of entrepreneurs who excel. The next checkpoint was ticked for us when Mr. Clay Maxwell, Managing Partner of Peer Insight + PX Venture Studio, came to class the next day and led a practical design-thinking exercise with us on the Miro platform. We used Nike’s subscription-based shoe model case for this session and subsequently learned about business prototyping.

Ms. Mackenzie Drazan, CEO and Co-Founder of the mental health start-up MiResource, came to talk to us the next day. In addition to the space of mental health, we also learned some key business lessons from Mackenzie’s journey: ask as many questions as possible in university since everyone is willing to provide free advice, and use bootstrapping wherever possible to prevent engaging with external fundraising. That interesting session was followed by a presentation to the Google REWS representatives on the next day. Through an extensive collaborative process, our teams presented the top three problems we felt were paramount to be solved for the workplace of the future. We received productive, critical feedback from those presentations that we are now using to build our final solutions. At the end of that presentation, we played host to a panel of product managers from Splunk, Uber, Amazon, Walmart, and GitHub where we learned the ins and outs of PM roles at corporate companies. From not micromanaging to ruthlessly prioritizing work, we had some great takeaways from that session.

The third week of the course began with a blast as we had current and ex-Facebook employees come in to speak with us. The first talk was given by Ms. Deb Liu, CEO of Ancestry and former Vice President of Facebook App Commerce and of Facebook Marketplace. Having been at the company for eleven years, among other things, she delved deep into work culture, luck, dynamism, and the distinction between an entrepreneur and a CEO in her talk. We were fortunate to connect with her and with the subsequent panel comprising a product manager, product marketing analyst, product growth analyst, product designer, and sports partnership team programmer. The next day, we transitioned from that “social network” to the field of AI and Ethics as Ms. Milena Pribic from IBM led an interactive session on designing ethical AI using models such as dichotomy mapping and stakeholder maps. Before calling on our next speaker for the day, we learned about important designing thinking scrutiny metrics to better prepare us for our Google REWS project. The next speaker of the day was Mr. Eddy Cue, who is the Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services at Apple. It was an honour to welcome him to DSV and to embrace his teachings. He broke down for us not only the recipes of Apple’s successful business model but also the intricacies of its disruptive innovations. This series of great talks were followed by a session on Technology Policy the next day. Ms. Kate Tummarello, who runs a non-profit in this space in Washington D.C., led a discussion that interlaced technology and public policy. Through a series of voting-based games, I got to learn a lot about components of this field viz. Section 230, Copyright Infringement Policies, IPC, etc. This session was followed by a deft panel from the Wikimedia Foundation, LinkTree, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association who further explained the topic to us.

As we head into the fourth week of the course, learning essential negotiation skills like BATNA and Integrative Principled Communication, I am excited to see all that this program has yet to offer. Although we could not visit Silicon Valley in person this time, we got a rich exposure to its people and practices. Through the abundant learning experiences we have garnered in this course, I am confident in our ability to go out there and build bridges that better our world!

Naman Parikh is a rising sophomore from New Jersey intending to double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science along with a minor in Economics. He also plans on pursuing the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. Naman is extremely passionate about interlacing commerce and community using technology entrepreneurship. This fascination has enabled him to lead 3 tech-enabled social and commercial start-ups. At Duke, Naman is a member of Duke’s premier pre-professional business organization DSP (Delta Sigma Pi), works with mentors on his entrepreneurial ventures under the Student Founders Program, undertakes engineering projects for companies as part of the Duke Applied Machine Learning Group, is a part of the tech team that organizes HackDuke (the largest hackathon for social good), is a business development specialist for DIIG (Duke Impact Investing Group), and is a developer for BlueTech, a division of Duke’s largest run student Business Campus Enterprises. Other than that, Naman enjoys contributing as a member to the Duke Cyber Club, Duke Rotaract, Duke International Relations Association, and Duke Jumpstart (Teach for America). He is a golfer and soccer player and enjoys doing theatre, playing drums, and releasing music on streaming platforms in his free time. Having visited and worked with a Silicon Valley start-up, Naman is keen on using this program to further his dream of building bridges that better our community.

Duke in Silicon Valley: Eye-Opening & Exciting

By Kevin Hoch

On May 21, 2021

In 2021

The first week of the summer 2021 Duke in Silicon Valley has been eye-opening and exciting. From networking with DSV alumni, chatting with representatives of the Duke Career Center and Duke Engineering, to interactive sessions with unique and inspiring speakers, we all have gotten a sneak peek into and gained a foundational understanding of the mindsets, skills, and resilience necessary to be an innovator.

On the first day, we had the opportunity to learn about the role of the REWS team at Google and the kinds of work that they do in developing a better workplace for employees through a presentation by Betsy Rives, a member of the team. During our time with Betsy, we gained insight into the applications of the “job to be done” concept (did you know that we sent rockets to space decades before we had wheels on our luggage?) and truly understood the importance of avoiding assumptions and asking questions when we are trying to grow our empathy and understand the needs and behaviors of the people for whom we are designing. If we don’t encourage people to tell stories and ask questions even when we think we know the answer, we may misunderstand our stakeholders and prevent ourselves from developing accurate empathy. After our second day workshop with Greg Victory, the Fannie Mitchell Executive Director of the Duke Career Center, we learned how valuable it can be to determine our core values and how they can be broken down in ways that create patterns and connections, the process of which is facilitated through mind maps. The following day we had the opportunity to interview, network with, and talk to over twenty DSV alumni who all have fascinating and unique jobs in fields that they are passionate about. For me, it was the moment when I realized that through this program, I can gain so many important skills that will be applicable no matter which career path I choose and that there are endless possibilities for how I can apply my passions.

The following week, we started day four with the amazing opportunity to chat with Robert Chesnut, whose book, Intentional Integrity, we had read, and Jillian Manus, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who also seeks to empower women and help all disenfranchised groups. Through these conversations, we were exposed to new ideas about how integrity in workplaces can shape the future and how values that we each hold can be applied to business. Day five was an exciting day, with three guests coming to speak and work with us. Karis Boyd-Sinkler, the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Duke Engineering, guided us through a case pertaining to how to promote diversity in a company through changes in the recruitment process and company culture. Tom Byers, Faculty Director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, and Blake Byers of Byers Capital spoke to us about what it meant to be a good startup and founder and how investors can determine the potential success of a company. On Wednesday, Clay Maxwell, Managing Partner of Peer Insight PX Venture Studio, walked us through a client case that he had worked on, offering us invaluable insight into the design process of empathizing, brainstorming, testing assumptions, and finally creating a business. On Day 7, Mackenzie Drazan, founder and CEO of MiResource, came to speak to us about the challenges and steps of ideating, creating, and funding, giving us the unique perspective of a recent Duke graduate who has successfully founded her own company.

Throughout all of our classes and readings, we have gained a deeper understanding into the process of innovation, first being able to tease stories out of potential stakeholders and creating general personas then using that data to synthesize the biggest problems to consider for future steps.
Everything that we learn from speakers, readings, and Professor Amato in a way that feels as though we are immersed in the Silicon Valley environment despite being on Zoom gives us amazing insight into the world of innovation. We all want to change the world, and this time in DSV has taken us multiple steps closer to understanding how we can do so.

Dilys is a rising sophomore at Duke University pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Economics. At Duke, she is an investment analyst of the Duke Impact Investing Group, Community Service Director and Vice-President Elect of Duke Rotaract, member and upcoming Membership Chair of Business Oriented Women, highly competitive member of the debate team, and member of Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity. In her free time, Dilys enjoys traveling, volunteering, and playing the piano and saxophone. Working closely with many founders through her role as an analyst has introduced her to the world of entrepreneurship and innovation, an understanding she seeks to develop through her engagement in the Duke in Silicon Valley program. Dilys has always found problem-solving and collaboration to be an amazing basis for Innovation and is excited to gain further insight into how to ideate, launch, and expand a successful venture in Silicon Valley.

Category: 2021

Duke in Silicon Valley: Unlike Anything I’ve Taken at Duke

Duke in Silicon Valley: Behemoth of Learning and Networking Opportunities

Duke in Silicon Valley: Eye-Opening & Exciting