Michelle Jang

Today, I had my first company meeting at HP Tech Ventures where I had the pleasure to speak with Mitchell Weinstock, who is a Venture Partner at HP. This conversation brought back memories from my minor in Technology and Information Management taught by Dr. Subhas Desa at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In all of Dr. Subhas Desa's classes, I spent a lot of time brainstorming on new ideas whether it was for a new feature for a product already available or a brand new product entering a new market. My question to Mitchell Weinstock was, how much brainstorming do we need to do to know that this is "the product" and to know in our gut feeling this is it? This was the summary of his reply. Concentrate on the 4Ps, and if we can satisfy all these then you know the product can meet the market needs. I enjoyed listening to your meeting today, and I want to thank @Michael Guerrero for providing me with this opportunity to talk more about funding and venture capital with Mitchell Weinstock. As a new grad and entering the job market, this has been a great way to reflect back on what I have learned and how to apply my learnings. #HPTechVentures #VentureCapital #Funding #4Ps #Branding #Networking #NewGrad #SupplyChain

20

4 Comments

If you want to learn how to make your own games on Godot, sign up for this course! It’s a bargain and the deadline is tomorrow so do it quick! https://lnkd.in/g_UW8YaC. #videogames #gamedevelopment #godot

2

Harvard is often seen as a pinnacle of academic excellence, but for those seeking an environment that truly celebrates diversity of thought, culture, and experience, institutions like Howard University and other HBCUs have long been the top choice. Howard, in particular, embodies what a rich educational experience should be: one that fosters intellectual rigor while embracing the complexities of identity, history, and systemic challenges. The recent drop in Black student enrollment at Harvard underscores an important distinction. While Harvard may be prestigious, HBCUs have always prioritized access, opportunity, and the cultivation of diverse perspectives, and hold their own prestige. At schools like Howard, students are not just attending classes—they’re immersed in a legacy of empowerment. They are surrounded by peers and faculty who share a mission of dismantling barriers and creating spaces for marginalized voices to thrive. The importance of this cannot be overstated. These institutions consistently produce trailblazers who reshape industries, communities, and entire cultural landscapes. In fact, applications to Howard are at an all-time high, a clear reflection of its rising status as a premier destination for students who value not just academic achievement, but a culturally rich, intellectually stimulating environment. Perhaps those who don’t get into Howard can consider Harvard as their second choice. As someone who grew up in the affluent town of Westport, CT, I graduated in the top 10% of my high school class with absolutely zero interest in attending Harvard. My heart was set on Howard where I graduated Magna Cum Laude and went on to law school. Howard was the place that recognized my potential and nurtured my intellect and my purpose. That choice made all the difference in my life. Howard University, and other HBCUs like it, provide more than just an education—they offer a community, a legacy, and an environment where students are truly seen and valued. These institutions foster the kind of thought leadership that drives cultural, political, and social change. As we continue to advocate for equitable policies in education, and otherwise, we must remember that institutions like Howard, where diversity is deeply ingrained in the fabric of the institution, will always lead the way in nurturing transformative potential. The real challenge lies in ensuring that this kind of diversity and opportunity isn’t stifled elsewhere. We must create environments where every student—regardless of their background—has access to the same opportunities to learn, grow, and break through systemic barriers. SNM

12

2 Comments

I think that over 90% of technologists are still having serious problems thinking about AI and other digital tools as socio-technical systems. Just saying there is a "human in the loop" or they're using "responsible AI" approaches is more often than not just outright ethics washing or the path to failure. But hey, keep hiring only technologists and sooner or later they'll learn when things fall apart. While I'm happy to see the interest in QA labs for healthcare AI and have plans in the works to create one, issues like fairness are more ethico-political and your fairness application in MLOps is a start but not the final answer. Happy to see a CEO recognize that thinking beyond the code is every bit as important as good code. Bravo. https://lnkd.in/eiyzM8gy

19

7 Comments

Last year, I lived in SF and flew to LA weekly to attend MBA classes at UCLA. I flew back and forth at least 20 times. I am not a morning person by any means, but this required me to have a routine of waking up at 5:00AM on Sunday, Ubering to SFO to catch the earliest flight that would get me to LA before my classes started at 8:00. I would attend class all day Sunday, work remotely Mondays, attend more classes Monday night and then fly back Tuesday morning just in time to get to the office before standup. I am proud to say that I did not miss a single flight or a single class during this period. Last month, I officially graduated from UCLA Anderson. I wore my graduation cap and gown and lived through an event I had been dreaming about for the past 3 years. Now the big question: was it worth all the flights, tuition costs, and time spent studying? Yes, it was absolutely worth it. And here’s a story that encapsulates why. On one my MBA trips, we had a few executives from the Executive MBA program join us on the trip. One of the executives had immigrated to the US over 20 years ago and was nearly a billionaire. He snuck a few of us Chinese speaking MBA students out for a dinner and afterwards we all grabbed beers by the beach. Towards the end of the dinner he told us that we were no different than him. He pointed at each one of us and told us that we could all become successful too as long we just went for it. I’ve heard similar words from guest speakers, but the informal setting of having a mentor tell us this to our faces while enjoying beers near the beach in a foreign country really made me believe that I could do it. To sum up my MBA experience, being able to learn valuable life lessons from classmates, professors, and guest speakers made me confident that I could pursue whatever I put my mind towards. This is the true value of the MBA in my opinion. So what’s next? Before entering UCLA, my goal was to start my own startup and be a "real" founder. I can proudly say that my dream is starting to become a reality. I will be posting more news about this in the future, but my cofounders and I just raised an angel round and are now working full time on a new startup with a mission that we all care deeply about. #mba #uclaanderson #startup #graduation

390

24 Comments

Michelle Kislak from Netflix is looking for a Product Manager! It’s Friday people, so you know what that means there will be a lot of product manager roles posted this afternoon, but you have to learn how to pitch yourself to get an interview beyond sending an “I’m interested” message to the hiring team. Do you want access to the rest of the product manager jobs instead of just getting them one by one, then sign up for our exclusive newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj In addition to sending you a fresh batch of urgent product manager roles each day like hot bread out of the oven, I will also be sending you some LinkedIn templates on how to convert these LinkedIn postings into interviews.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj For whatever reason I have been getting a lot of hate comments about posting this many product manager jobs from real product managers. I have no clue how some people can be that angry considering I am trying to help the community out. You can sign up for the postings in my newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj I am hosting 7 live trainings next week with the intention of helping as many people land a product manager job as possible for FREE. My team is still posting up the meetups on Eventbrite, but I will be sending an invitation to the following trainings over the weekend.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj Real Reason Nobody is Landing Product Manager Jobs in 2024 How to Interview Against Product Managers with More Experience Cold Product Manager LinkedIn Message Templates to Convert Interviews Product Manager Resume Templates for Startups and Big Tech Roles Big Tech Product Manager Case Studies of 2024 Secret Product Manager Job Boards and Referral Network How to Increase Product Manager Job Applications w/ Chat GPT + AI PS Please RESHARE this post for all your colleagues still looking for a job. #productmanagement #productmanagementcareers #productmanagementjobs #speedtolead

1

Establishing clear boundaries not only protects your mental and physical health but also helps you perform better in the long run. Without balance, even the most passionate professionals can find themselves overwhelmed and unfulfilled. Success isn’t just about how much you work—it’s about working smart, staying resilient, and allowing yourself the time to recharge and enjoy life outside of work. Let’s prioritize sustainable growth, both personally and professionally.

3

𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝟭 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗢𝗹𝗱... 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁? After graduating UCSB in 2023, I teamed up with Jesse Brodkin + Lucas Krall to co-found 𝗥𝗲𝘃 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 – a technology enabled delivery service designed around college campuses. This past September, we celebrated Rev’s 1-year anniversary. That same month, we hit another big milestone in our professional journey: our first business acquisition—the Duffl brand, a Series A-funded and Y Combinator graduate with 8+ locations. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼: • We moved to Seattle with the idea to start a hyperlocal delivery company serving the University of Washington community.✈️ • Built our fulfillment technology 👨‍💻 • Leased our first commercial space (in Bruce Lee’s old studio), purchased our first inventory, and started delivering orders to our customers in ten minutes or less, using electric scooters, for a delivery fee of $0.99. 🛴⚡️ • Lived in the back of our warehouse for months (ask about our homemade shower and kitchen setup). 😁 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻: • We’ve scaled to tens of thousands of unique monthly orders and over 100 employees by leveraging: Data-Driven Pricing and Products📊 Grassroots Marketing 🌱 Student Culture👥 • We acquired the Duffl brand– The OG of the hyperlocal delivery space with 20+ million in revenue under their belt. ✴️ 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁? It’s time to grow even more.  We’re enabling other entrepreneurs to open their own Duffl / Rev stores at college campuses. If you (or any aspiring entrepreneur you know) want to explore owning your own 𝟳 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, powered by our tech, data, and experience – then let's talk. ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gkRDAw8a https://duffl.com https://lnkd.in/gKgrFEN3 https://rev.delivery https://lnkd.in/gzBpff4k

81

10 Comments

Thank you to Shan Wang for inviting me to speak at the University of San Francisco (USF) Data Science program students on one of my favorite topics "Make the Most of Your Internship." Another undergraduate student I mentor (at a different university) took immediate action on the same 3 frameworks I shared and just last month she officially signed her full-time offer at one of the hottest private tech companies. I really enjoy speaking with high school and university students because they always ask thoughtful and peculiar questions that make me reflect. Here are a few takeaways from my chat with the USF students: 1/ Majority of the questions focused on how to stand out and do impactful work (a great sign), how to navigate conflict, how to build long-lasting work relationships / network effectively (including for remote internships), how to communicate and manage up, and things I wish I knew when I was interning. 2/ After our chat, the volume of students who sent thoughtful messages and said "I will close the loop when my internship finishes" is inspiring — I look forward to hearing all the updates. 3/ The mix of pre-submitted questions via live Google Doc and live Zoom questions work. We covered a lot and went deep on specific actionable steps. I also want to thank Jeremy Gu for introducing me to Shan. Jeremy is someone who you can tell is authentically passionate about teaching and is great at connecting the dots and taking action to make things happen. I look forward to our future collaborations. And if you know of high school and/or university faculty/students who want career advice from someone who's pivoted careers + worked at startups and big companies, DM me on LinkedIn.

44

18 Comments

It's been a month since I stepped foot onto the nation's #1 public school for engineering, and here's some things I've learned since: 1. Imposter Syndrome Is SO Real There are so, so many incredibly talented people at the University of California, Berkeley. I get so hype learning about their accomplishments and interests, but it definitely does get me thinking at times about my place at this school. For the first few weeks, adjusting was quite tough because I didn't know if I had even deserved my position at this school, with so many intelligent people around me. I had no idea how hard imposter syndrome would hit me, but in the first month it definitely did. 2. Comparison is the THIEF of joy Yes, the old saying still holds true to this day. At a school with 40,000 people, you see so many cool people on working on a variety of cool things, and it makes you feel like you're not doing enough. I've realized that everyone has their own path: their unique beginnings and unique ends, which ties into #1. Although it's crucial to meet others and learn about their paths, it's equally important to trust yourself enough to know that you will do just fine, and things will always work out in the end. 3. The Smartest People are ALWAYS the Nicest One of my friends brought this up to me while at dinner, and I hadn't fully realized this until now. No smart person will ever laugh at your question nor downgrade your intelligence. There are many different types of people in college, and it's up to you to figure out which ones you want in your circle, and which ones you want out of it. This is definitely a strategy I've used to find the people I want to stay in touch with. 4. This Is Very Much Real Life College is very, very different than high-school. This may be because UC Berkeley is a huge public school, but these 4 years will be what you make of it. There won't be any hand-holding; if you have a question, go ask it. If you need extra support, go sign up for it. You have to learn to navigate the waters, but that doesn't mean you have to do it yourself. I've learned that there's a plethora of resources and support to help you succeed, but you have to take the initiative of finding those. P.S. So so grateful to see this view when I'm walking to class. Go Bears! 🐻

170

12 Comments

Yesterday the Silicon Slopes AI Chapter put on the second annual AI Summit. It was inspiring to hear what leaders in Utah AI are working on. Big thanks to everyone who worked to make it possible and to everyone who came out! I love being part of the growing AI/Tech community in Utah. #utahAI #utahTech

9

Week 8 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from my time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 🌶️ 𝗟: I had the privilege of participating in UCLA Anderson’s Net Impact Case Competition (NICC), where teams of students partner with nonprofit organizations to tackle strategic challenges. My team worked with a nonprofit startup accelerator in Latin America, which felt especially meaningful given my startup background and Mexican origin. This experience reminded me of something fundamental: how can I help? It’s easy to get caught up in recruiting and forget that the ultimate goal is finding where I can make the biggest impact. Instead of focusing on whether the team wants me, the reframed mindset is, where can I be the most help? What problems can I help solve? This experience reinforced the importance of using my skills and experiences to create meaningful, lasting impact. Grateful for yet another opportunity to grow! 🍿 𝗜: Our MSBA program includes Improv into the curriculum YES AND I learned so much from the first session YES AND I’ll share one of the major lessons with you. Try this today: tally the times you start a conversation with "No." You might find that it’s a higher tally than you expected. In Improv, this YES AND was one of the activities that we did. We made up a story with a partner (with unwavering eye contact I might add 👀 ) where we built on what the other person said—without negating it. There’s an art to guiding conversations without shutting people down with that instinctively bristling word: “No”. While this wasn’t the activity that pushed us furthest out of our comfort zones, it might be the most practical takeaway to apply today. Try the shift from starting with No to Yes and see what changes. We have a few more improv sessions to come. Will report back again then 🫡 🧩 𝗧: “It’s likely” could spark some serious confusion in the world of statistics. In everyday language, “it’s likely” means something is probably going to happen—like pushing that diet goal for the new year. But in statistics, likelihood isn’t about predicting an outcome; it’s about measuring how well a model explains what we’ve already observed. Imagine trying to fit puzzle pieces together: likelihood tells us how snugly the pieces (data) fit into the frame (model). For example, in logistic regression, the model assigns probabilities to each data point, and likelihood multiplies them to say, “This is how well these coefficients explain the story.” To avoid the math equivalent of drowning in tiny decimals, we take a shortcut: the log-likelihood, which makes the math easier to handle. The ultimate goal? Tweaking the coefficients to maximize this value, ensuring our model is telling the most probable version of the story. #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Technical

10

Week 4 of my LIT series, where I share a 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 & 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 tidbit from time @ UCLA Anderson School of Management 🚑 𝗟:  I went to the ER this week for stitches after a minor case of clumsiness. Before this, I was stressed—midterms were ramping up, and my to-do list felt endless. My first thought when I got hurt was, ‘I don’t have time for this.’ This unexpected accident reminded me how little control we actually have. We can plan every detail and worry about things going our way, only to realize that the one predictable thing about life is its unpredictability. Is it logical then to worry about things in advance? If I can’t even predict the outcome, why not expect the best? What if things turn out even better than I imagined?! That’s my challenge for this week: focus on what I can control (my efforts) and replace worry with hopeful anticipation. 🏠 𝗜: Fundamentals are everything. We had lunch with Professor Hamza Farooq, who emphasized two key points. First, mastering the basics is essential before diving into the "exciting" hot topics. While you can always build on your knowledge, a solid foundation is crucial to make progress. Second, learning never ends. Stay curious and invest in yourself—whether through YouTube, reading, or projects. This was a valuable reminder, especially in technical fields where there is always so much to learn and catch up on. After all, we can’t build a house without laying down the bricks first. 🔮 𝗧: Predictions! While life isn't predictable, data analysis allows us to make informed predictions about potential outcomes. This is one reason there is such a demand for data experts. Businesses need professionals who can apply various models and techniques to sift through the noise and extract meaningful insights. Even in the data world, predictions aren't always accurate. This is where tests and methods come in to assess how reliable, variable, and overall accurate the estimates and predictions are. It's interesting to note that while worrying about life outcomes is often ineffective, using predictions to inform business decisions is critical. #WhyAnderson #BusinessAnalytics #Lesson #Insight #Technical

11

At 16, I wanted to play in the NBA. Today at 20, I’m so proud to announce our $642k first funding round at Hippos Exoskeleton, and become a TechCrunch alumni alongside my best mate Bhavy Metakar. Here’s the story: From the age of 6, basketball was the only thing that mattered to me. I dreamed of being the next Jeremy Lin. When I was 17, I was practically preparing for a career to play NCAA basketball before chasing my National Basketball Association (NBA) dream. But then… I tore my ACL. When I came back after 6 months of rehab with complications, I turned from the best guy on the court to my teammate’s burden. I knew my career-ending moment had come to me before it even got started. It hurt. Emotionally and physically. I wanted to do something about it, but I didn’t know how. 3 years later, I met a tech geek in a UCL lecture hall. He ended a promising cricket career because of injuries. His name is Bhavy. Together we had the idea to invent a new category of exoskeleton technology for mankind to move freely without physical injuries. We start from knee injuries, through the world’s FIRST AI-empowered airbag knee sleeve. We started Hippos with just $1000 of our own savings. Alongside our studies, we spent countless nights on lab floors working on prototypes. We did this without any university support, no incubators, and against our own parents. But eventually we had done it. We’d created a solution to make sure athletes wouldn’t have to go through what I had gone through. To bring our solution to the world, we raised from Possible Ventures, Silicon Roundabout Ventures, and notable industry leaders such as such as Thomas Wolf (Co-Founder, Hugging Face), Amar Shah (Co-Founder, Wayve Self Driving), and James Brown (Medical Director, British Athletics). Thank you Haz Hubble, Leander Maerkisch, Adrien Wald, Chris Hitchen, Francesco Perticarari, Reme Nicole Urubusi, Peter Fedchenkov, Cassius Kiani, Fabian Plato, Wenmiao Yu, Andrew Groves, Mark Hornsby, and many more who placed trust in us and became the best supporting crew we could ever find. Thank you Mike Butcher for writing such an awesome coverage. Thank you Jack Brown for shooting the best portray for us! People have raised far bigger rounds… But as a 20 year old, who set out on this journey because I watched my future slip away from one injury, I feel immensely proud to say that Hippos is going to be making that a thing of the past. “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs To Steve, the person who guided me through the darkest wave, Amen. Full story on TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/dh8pNZ7W

530

136 Comments

Interesting to hear how computer science education is going to change in the future

12

1 Comment

HOYA SAXA!! I'm a day late for #gratiTuesday, but I want to publicly thank Jay Chao, Adriana Estevez, and Afrida Audri for the chance to come back to Georgetown and speak with MBA students about careers in tech. To an extent that might be detrimental to my own career, I enjoy coaching others through the transition - and paying forward something that I didn't really leverage back in 2017. Walking around Hariri brought back a lot of good memories from 2014-2016. The panel hit a range of topics, but here are some key points: 1. The "tech" industry is mostly a misnomer and also not synonymous with product management. There are companies that leverage digital technologies and companies that are slowly going out of business. Walmart, John Deere, and 7-11 are tech companies. You can be a product manager for toothpaste or dog food - and use data and digital tools in your job. 2. The best way to get into product management is by intimately understanding the customer and product. Good product managers have a personal connection with the business. It's very hard to care about the customer experience when you've never been in that industry or wouldn't use the product. This matters more than most other qualifications. 3. Amazon has already identified the traits of good PMs and they're listed in the Leadership Principles: Customer Obsession, Dive Deep, Earn Trust, Think Big, etc. Develop STAR-L stories for each of them. Above all, you must be an effective communicator, so you're going to write a lot.

70

2 Comments

Fans on Reddit are leading the surge in popularity of women's basketball, download the one-sheet to learn more about NBA fans on Reddit!

8

🔔 ByteNite Joins Techstars San Francisco! 🔔 I’m beyond excited to share that ByteNite has been selected to join the Techstars San Francisco Fall 2024 accelerator! 🚀 As a distributed computing startup committed to reshaping the future of #computing, this opportunity to work with Techstars, one of the world’s leading accelerators, marks a pivotal moment for us. We’re thrilled to be part of a cohort of 12 incredible startups from diverse sectors like #AI, #healthcare, and #gaming — each tackling some of today’s biggest challenges. Being accepted into this inaugural SF program means we’ll gain access to top-tier mentorship, resources, and a network that will help us accelerate our growth and scale our vision. A huge thank you to the Techstars SF team—especially Neal Sales-Griffin, Lilliana Robinson, Sylvia Bouloutas, and Chloe Lannert—for believing in our mission to revolutionize distributed computing. We’re excited to refine our strategies, scale operations, and take ByteNite to the next level during this transformative journey. We can’t wait to share updates as we navigate this incredible program and learn alongside some of the brightest minds out there Dominique Harrison-Bentzen, William Stone, Çoruh Şimşek, Filiz Y., Uğur Koç, Barış Ülgen, David T. Scott, Nirat Attri, Talitha Abraham, Florence Ettlin, George Reed, Morgan M. Stanton, Monica R., A. Kirimgeray Kirimli, Kevin S.. Exciting times ahead—stay tuned! Let’s make some waves 🌊 together! #ByteNite #TechstarsSF2024 #Innovation #DistributedComputing #AcceleratorProgram #Entrepreneurship

71

23 Comments

Getting interviewed for this piece was fun. The job market? Not quite so much. In all seriousness: it's been a very strange time in my corner of the economy, but I'm genuinely thankful to everyone who's helped out or had a kind word. It's been interesting, too, to see just how much a big disruption can really shake "normal." In my experience, the past couple years have pretty fundamentally changed hiring behavior, and a lot of the strategies that worked well to *get* hired in the industry don't seem to apply any more. Since I'd be remiss if I didn't shamelessly plug myself: Hi, I'm Henry. I've had a significant amount of experience up and down the data industry, particularly in data engineering and ML. Never been sure if master's degrees still sell well, but I've got one - Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley (go bears). The focus was on machine learning, statistical inference including causal inference and experimental design, and NLP. Currently exploring the freelance world, and happy to talk projects or anything else.

29

2 Comments