Tag: Apple

We continued our second week by visiting YouTube’s main offices in San Bruno. YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing website founded in 2005. YouTube innovated quickly and grew larger than even Google’s own video streaming service, so Google acquired the company in 2006. Under Google, the company has been growing continuously and is now being used by millions of people worldwide. It was very inspiring to have a glimpse into how YouTube delivers their service and innovates on new products.

After a tour of the offices, we met and talked with a panel of Duke alumni working in a variety of roles in YouTube, ranging from product management to data science. I found the journey of Tom Price (’06), a product manager for YouTube’s growth platform, to be particularly interesting. Unlike most Duke graduates we met so far working in the tech industry in Silicon Valley, Tom did not graduate college with a technical background. Instead, he studied French at Duke and worked as a paralegal in Paris for a few years after college. He then worked at an advertising company that was eventually acquired by Google, where he stayed since. I found Tom’s story to be inspiring, as it shows an unconventional career path in the tech industry. There is no single, prescriptive path to technology or innovation; instead, we should all seek to forge our own unique paths. As students, we should always try to keep an open mind, and seek out the opportunities that are most interesting to us.

Next, we had the opportunity to visit Apple Park, Apple’s recently built headquarters in Cupertino. After immersing ourselves in the campus’ grand architecture that deeply reflects Apple’s design philosophy of simplicity, we met with Eddy Cue (T ’86). He joined Apple in 1989, and is now Senior VP of Internet Software and Services. He spoke to us regarding how Apple was able to grow and become the successful and innovative company it is today. In particular, he talked about how Apple was always able to focus on quality, not quantity. Unlike most competitors, Apple focuses on delivering the highest quality products, not the highest number of products. That philosophy, combined with Apple’s track record of seizing the right opportunities at the right times, helped propel the company to success.

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After sharing his experiences working at Apple (especially during the period when Steve Jobs was fired and then later brought back as CEO), Eddy also touched upon the importance of leadership. Without the right leaders in place, an organization can quickly become stagnant and fail as incompetence can quickly permeate throughout a company. On the other hand, the best leaders for a company are needed to steer it in the right direction. Lastly, Eddy shared with us his vision for the future: he foresees an increase in wearable devices, and connected services that integrate personal health and consumer technology.

Our last stop of the week was Planet Labs, an Earth imaging company that operates one of the largest constellations of imaging satellites to date. The company is able to capture images of the entire Earth at incredible resolution, once every day. It then sells its data and insights to clients who may use the data to improve land usage, serve humanitarian missions, achieve civil/defense goals, or aid academic research. At Planet Labs, we spoke to Emmanuel Lim, a Duke mechanical engineering graduate who originally planned to go into academia but pivoted into spacecraft design engineering at Planet Labs instead. He introduced us to the idea of agile development in the space industry, which involves bringing the fast-paced nature of software development that is already deeply ingrained in Silicon Valley culture to developing spacecraft. This idea is especially refreshing and innovative in a field that is traditionally dominated by government and immensely expensive, multi-year projects. Seeing the development and testing of satellites in-house was very impressive, and it shows that great ideas can quickly disrupt traditional modes of thinking and drive innovation.

This week has been a great learning experience, as we not only continued to explore companies working at the forefront of their respective industries, but also met with Duke alumni who spoke to us about their own personal experiences and careers. I am looking forward to next week, as we continue to learn and experience all that Silicon Valley has to offer.

Alex Xu is a rising sophomore from Long Island, New York pursuing a major in Electrical and Computer Engineering. In his free time, Alex enjoys traveling, hiking, and outdoor photography. Through Duke in Silicon Valley, Alex is excited to learn more about entrepreneurship and commercialization in the tech industry.

DSV Week Four: Embrace the Impossible

By Brendan Quinlan

On June 19, 2018

In 2018

“It’s not a course. It’s an experience.”

These are the words we see on the screen every day we walk in our class that teaches us how to build and sustain a successful enterprise. These words could not be more true. Since starting Duke In Silicon Valley, I have been introduced and exposed to many things inside and outside of the course that have made attending this program one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I came to Duke in Silicon Valley not really knowing what to expect. I had never been to California. I had never even been on a plane! I was never exposed to tech companies or startups. All I knew is that I was open to seeing any and everything these startups-and San Francisco, I was still a tourist, ya know!- had to offer, and if it would help me find clarity on how I would fit in the tech, entrepreneurial, and business world. Besides the many new experiences it has granted me (I now know the toils of a CALtrain and bus commuter and have tried many new foods that I can not pronounce or spell thanks to my DSV roommate), my favorite part of this program by far has been the lessons and advice I have received from the inspirational individuals who were once in my shoes based on THEIR experiences. Here are some valuable and encouraging themes that have stuck with me from this week.

CAREER PATH–YOU GOTTA CREATE IT

We started the week off with a visit to Instacart where we talked to four Duke alumni. It was clear that the company had a great culture and took pride in cultivating it. There were posters of the company vision and values on the wall. During this visit, we met Ravi Gupta, CFO. Ravi spoke about learning from his experiences and the importance of not expecting life and your career path to be fully managed or handed to you. You have to put in work for what you want to do and create what you want to do. We all have heard how we should follow our passion, but Ravi talked about it with a different approach. He brought in the reality that some may not be able to follow their passion right out of school if they have other responsibilities, and that is okay. This really related to me, as I am constantly finding conflict between my passions and responsibilities. You can still create your career path and start doing what you are passionate about after putting in the work, and create a path that allows you to do what you are passionate about and also take care of responsibilities.

FIND YOUR STORY

Zume Pizza boxes are sustainably made and can be composted!

This week, I was so inspired by the drive, passion, and focus of the people we talked to and learning what made those companies successful. Take Alex Garden, the CEO of Zume Pizza, for example. Alex was a high school dropout who’s drive allowed him to still secure a Microsoft internship and start multiple companies. Now, he hopes to completely change the food and delivery industry by using robots to make pizza, and ovens that cook the pizza while driving to the delivery locations. When he first came up with the idea, there was a lot of doubt from others in it, and it was difficult even finding someone to make the pizza ovens for him. However, they continued to focus, and not take no for an answer, and they achieved their goal. Now, he is making delicious pizza (my favorite was the buffalo chicken!) with healthier ingredients and eliminating waste with their custom compostable box. The culture of having focus and drive seeps down from him unto every other member of the company we met, even the interns! They all had different backgrounds and majors and were each passionate about the projects they were doing to improve the startup. This really appealed to me. Many of these companies met plenty of “no’s”, which is very common in entrepreneurship. However, their ability to keep persisting and developing has led them to continue to be successful.

Perhaps one of my favorite conversations I have had with any Duke alumni so far was the one with Grant Kelly this week. He is a Global Supply Manager at Apple and has basically allowed his story to shape his passion, and ultimately his career path. As a child he grew up with Dyslexia, and was doubtful that he would be able to learn. He found solace in using a Mac computer which helped show him that he had a great ability to learn. Now he is working in what he considers his dream job at Apple, and studied what he loved and what challenged him; Economics and Music. His advice is simple, but deep: major in what you love and what you feel challenges you, and constantly question yourself on why you like doing what you are doing or why you are attracted to certain opportunities. Eventually, this constant reflection will allow you to articulate your story, figure out how you differentiate yourself from others, and why and how it relates to what careers you want to do.

Before coming to DSV, I was constantly thinking that in order to succeed in the business, tech and entrepreneurial world, I may need to have a tech major or minor. However, both stories from Alex and Grant have motivated me to stay true and confident with who I am, what I am interested in, and what I bring to the table.

BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL- THINK IMPOSSIBLE

“If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” This Henry EO3 Ford quote has been mentioned by many speakers during this entire program. To me, this means people know what problems they want to solve, but it is sometimes impossible for them to fathom doing it in innovative ways. I think this week is where we really got to see the most innovative and seemingly impossible ways people have solved problems. This included seeing the meticulous work put into making TESLA vehicles when taking the TESLA factory tour, and hearing how much it helps the environment. It also included talking to Knightscope CEO, William Santana Li, who has created robots to help with surveillance and security of the United States, an area where little innovation has been done and where the government has not provided much funding. We visted ABB, another startup, that creates robots to improve efficiency in many different industries. All of these companies seem to be doing things before their time, but this innovation is definitely needed for the problems that we endure now. Three speakers this week spoke on how powerful it is to think about the impossible and work to achieve it, versus thinking about what has already been done. A huge part of this is being cognizant of your surroundings and the problems that arise around you, and thinking of different ways to solve those problems. Another question to get you to reflect on ways to be entrepreneurial includes a question that Nicholas Zaldastani’s dad started asking him every night; “What did you learn today that can make tomorrow better?”

At ABB Robotics Lab

After this week, I have come to realize the importance of being a self-starter that constantly creates her own path, practicing reflection frequently to help with knowing your story, and constantly being aware of problems around you and thinking of creative ways to solve them, even if they seem far-fetched. Overall, this program has been amazing, and I doubt that I could ever do justice with trying to share all of the once in a lifetime experiences I have had so far. This program has exceeded my expectations. This has truly been a program to remember with so much advice and words of wisdom I will follow for a lifetime!

Ehime Ohue is a native of Santee, South Carolina, but has recently moved to Waldorf, MD. She is a rising junior majoring in Public Policy Studies with an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate.At Duke, She is a DuWELL intern, research assistant and a member of Nakisai African Dance Team, United in Praise Praise Dance Team, Movement of Youth, Every Nation Campus Ministry . She loves to learn new things, sleep, read, and catch up on her latest Netflix show addictions. She is participating in DSV to learn about developing her own venture and to gain exposure to different types of businesses to help her gain clarity on her career choices.

DSV Week Four: Learning the Difference between Management & Leadership

By Brendan Quinlan

On June 18, 2018

In 2018

“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.” – Steve Jobs

Up until Silicon Valley, I always thought of leadership as someone who directs others – who brings them to success. I used to think that everyone at Duke was a leader – I mean that’s a skill we all have on our resumes, right?

Well, to be frank, we shouldn’t. That is, not unless we’ve proven it. Just because we are the President of some organization or are the captain of a Club Sports team does not mean we are a leader. Did we inspire anyone in the process or did we just go through the motions of what we thought a leader should do?

Apple’s new campus in Cupertino

This week we met individuals that are arguably the best examples of extraordinary leaders. Since I began the article with a Steve Jobs quote, I’ll start with our visit to Apple this week. At Apple we met Eddy Cue, who probably doesn’t need an introduction but for those who may not know, Eddy is the senior VP of Internet Software and Services. Eddy has been at Apple for almost 30 years now and stayed there during its earliest days when it was about to go bankrupt (hard to imagine). When asked why he stayed, his answer was immediate and simple: Steve Jobs. Steve was such a great leader that he kept Eddy motivated during a time where he thought the future of Apple was looking very dismal. Eddy explained that Steve pointed out characteristics in him that he never saw in himself and gave him confidence in those newfound skills. That is a great leader – someone who finds a way to inspire others in the darkest of times and to build relationships to constantly make their peers better.

In the beginning of the week we had the pleasure of meeting Ravi Gupta, COO/CFO of Instacart. Ravi has mastered the leadership skill of building relationships and creating a positive work environment. Ravi put together a panel of Duke alumni for us to talk with and the first thing I noticed was their relationship – his employees were making fun of him! Ravi then responded with a great comeback and the banter went back and forth. It really seemed like I was watching an episode of Friends! Ravi established a genuine relationship with his employees and they felt comfortable enough around him to joke around. By building these personal relationships with his employees he has created a work environment in which everyone is free to discuss their thoughts and opinions – even to him. A leader does not instruct or dictate employees, they encourage employees to curate new ideas and to present them with confidence. I could tell that Ravi exemplifies this characteristic – it was extremely noticeable that his employees loved working with him. I say with because Ravi mentioned that he does not consider his employees to be working under him; he considers them his equals.

We also visited Zume Pizza where we met Alex Garden, Chairman and CEO. Zume Pizza is revolutionizing the food industry utilizing robotics. While Alex could not talk to us for a long time since he had to catch a flight, I realized how effective his leadership is by talking to some of the interns. When asked what they liked most about interning at Zume, they all answered, “Alex.” The word I kept hearing over and over was “motivating”. They all agreed that Alex takes the time to give the best feedback possible – he will tell you exactly what you are doing right and wrong and what you can do to improve. They said that Alex forms a true relationship with each person in the company and cares about them deeply. His main goal is to make his employees better – he prioritizes the individuals in his company and not revenue. A leader makes it their mission to challenge their staff to make them better. Alex has gone to the extreme to even focus on establishing relationships with his interns – he is a true leader.

I’ve realized the direct correlation between a company’s success and its leader. These visits and interactions have made me reflect on the type of leader I want to be. I’m extremely lucky to have met these individuals because they now serve as my inspiration.

Elle is a rising junior from Stamford, Connecticut pursuing a major in mechanical engineering and a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship. At Duke, she is an active member of Dukes and Duchesses, Alpha Phi, Duke Engineers for International Development, Club Volleyball, and Duke Admissions Ambassadors. Since coming to Silicon Valley she has realized her passion for entrepreneurship and hopes to find a career in product management. She will be traveling to Australia this fall to study abroad.

Learning Success: The Ultimate Non-Recipe

By Brendan Quinlan

On June 8, 2017

In 2017

The Duke in Silicon Valley program is always busy. From 8:25am bus departures, three-hour classes, site visits, and guest speakers to dinners, Giants games, and hectic rush-hour Caltrain rides, no day is uneventful. Yesterday, however, was even more eventful than usual. The normal morning class at Plug and Play was supplemented with not one but two VC guest speakers and topped off with two site visits, to Apple HQ in Cupertino and 500 Startups in Mountain View.

For a Wednesday, yesterday was pretty fantastic. Class went really well – we came up with ways to innovate around demographic changes like higher online college enrollment and later marriages. The speakers who came afterwards were funny and engaging. I had to contain my geeky excitement at meeting Eddy Cue while simultaneously hiding my Samsung Galaxy deeper and deeper in my pocket. And 500 Startups gave us a look at some cool up-and-coming entrepreneurs and some even cooler ideas. But yesterday also offered us something else: the sought-after answer to a question many of us have wondered for years – “what makes a successful company?”

We’ve all asked ourselves this at one point or another. What makes a Zuckerberg? A Gates? A Jobs? What makes the companies that succeed over the ones that fail? What makes the entrepreneurs that thrive over the ones that go bankrupt and give up? Ultimately, what’s the recipe for success?

Now, success is certainly not in short supply here; everyone we met yesterday was successful in one way or another, whether it be leading VCs to high growth, helping startups scale to an exit, or pioneering innovation at Apple. At the same time, however, we’ve seen a lot of failures – companies that are barely hanging on, or entrepreneurs that needed six tries to get it right. So when these questions were raised yesterday, I anticipated at least some degree of disagreement between speakers. But even I was not prepared for the level of disagreement we saw.

One VC partner told us about the power of social entrepreneurship just an hour before another shot it down as impractical and unsustainable. Eddy Cue talked about a CEO’s influence on culture while a business leader at 500 Startups put more emphasis on ideas. 500 Startups talked about the importance of investing in many companies in the hopes of landing one ‘unicorn’ (worth over $1 billion at exit), while the second VC partner slammed the technique as foolish and akin to hoarding lottery tickets. Eddy talked about the importance of team members gaining specialty in their own exclusive areas, while the VCs talked about the importance of broad knowledge and interdepartmental collaboration. One VC railed against corporate tech and another defended it as a valuable learning experience. 500 Startups advocated for young entrepreneurs while one partner discussed his refusal to invest in younger executives due to inexperience; and 500 Startups had a hands-off approach post-investment whereas that same VC insisted that post-investment mentorship was essential to success.

Even the characteristics of the speakers and companies were different. Eddy Cue has been at Apple for decades, whereas the 500 Startups staff member had been there only a few years. One VC invests an average of $5 million in its startups, while 500 Startups uniformly puts in just $150,000. And while 500 Startups focuses on providing networking tools, that same VC puts more emphasis on regular meetings and acting as a soundboard for ideas.

At this point, our recipe for success wasn’t looking too good; four successful chefs in four different restaurants couldn’t even agree on the core ingredients. But something strange happened. Rather than ending the day with a sense of dissatisfaction, we all felt as if everything from the past two weeks had come together. It was as if we now understood: there is no recipe for success because every successful company, every successful entrepreneur, does it differently. Age, team size, investment size – it all varies from one to another. The best thing we can do, then, is take away some general cooking conventions that contribute to a better end result.

Work in teams effectively. Be a creative problem-solver. Stay convicted but respectful. Value collaboration over secrecy. And lastly, as they all said, get *stuff* done. So now we know – that, combined with a bit of networking, mentorship, randomness, and a hell of a lot of luck, is the ultimate non-recipe for success.

Justin is a rising sophomore from New Jersey double-majoring in Computer Science and Public Policy with a certificate in Markets and Management. He is deeply interested in cybersecurity and technology policy, and in his free time, he loves reading, running, watching movies, and hacking.

Tag: Apple

DSV Week Two: Unconventional Journeys to Disruptive Innovation

DSV Week Four: Embrace the Impossible

DSV Week Four: Learning the Difference between Management & Leadership

Learning Success: The Ultimate Non-Recipe