how to hack your education

(c) 2012 David Teten. More at teten.com

David Teten, Partner, ff Venture Capital ffvc.com // teten.com

Sign up for updates at Teten.com and Twitter @dteten

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Hack the University How to Squeeze Maximum Value from Your Education


Don’t Take Notes!

Download these slides and the book and get more free resources at:

teten.com/education

Intro Myths Career Programs Next Steps


Network

•  Introduction

•  Myths

•  Career Planning

•  Network

•  Selective Programs

•  Next Steps



Network

ff Venture Capital (ffvc.com) •  Early-stage technology venture capital fund based in New York •  Founded 1999, with over 160 investments in 55 companies •  Focus on early stage internet companies with disruptive models •  First investments typically $75-$400K at valuations of <$5m pre-money •  50% of fund reserved for follow-on investments •  Prominent investments include:

Cornerstone OnDemand (IPO); Quigo Technologies (sold to AOL for >$340m); Klout, Voxy, 500px



Network

David Teten (teten.com) •  Partner, ff Venture Capital, early-stage technology venture capital fund •  Founder and Chairman, Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Greater New York •  Founder and Chairman, Navon Partners, startup focused on sourcing deals for private

equity funds •  Managing Director, Evalueserve, through September 2008. 2,500-person finance-focused

research and analytics firm. •  Founder and CEO, Circle of Experts (investment research firm), sold to Evalueserve •  Founder and CEO, Teten Executive Recruiting, sold to Accolo, #42 on 2007 Inc. 500 •  Founder and CEO, GoldNames, domain name investment bank, based in Israel •  Technology/Defense Investment Banking, Bear Stearns (#1 group at Bear investment

banking by revenues) •  Lead author, The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and

Closing Deals Online (TheVirtualHandshake.com) •  Harvard MBA 1998, Yale BA, both with honors.



Network

•  NYU Stern

•  Evisors MBA webinar

•  Other student groups

Selected Past Audiences for this Presentation


Intro Myths Career Programs Next Steps Network

•  Introduction

•  Myths


•  Network


•  Next Steps



An elite degree guarantees a reasonable level of competence.

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A degree from a top school guarantees success.

American Psycho (2000)



You should get to know as many people as possible.

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Everyone at school loves and accepts you.

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Your friends in school will be with you for a lifetime.

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People in elite schools care about the less privileged.

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Students are independent thinkers.

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You are going to judge your life by your own metrics, and don’t care what other people think about you.



Right after school is a great time to start a company.

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You should join a startup, any startup.

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•  Introduction

•  Myths


•  Network


•  Next Steps



•  View yourself from your obituary …

•  But think entrepreneurially about your career (see thestartupofyou.com)

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Define your goals



Don’t get caught in the middle

Academy companies

- Technology

- Strategy consulting

- Investment banks

- Investing

Choose your own path

Do something exceptionally well

Join the best of breed groups

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•  Master “Elevator pitch” •  Review the student database •  Contact student clubs

Prepare for School

Character – Competence – Relevance – Strength – Information – Number – Diversity


Intro Myths Career Next Steps Programs Network

•  Introduction

•  Myths


•  Network


•  Next Steps




= D * ∑ (Chn*Con *Rn* Sn*In)

Ch = Character Co = Your Competence R = Relevance of the contact S = Strength of your relationship I = Information N = Number of people D = Diversity

Network Valuation Formula

N

n=1 David Teten and Scott Allen, The Virtual Handshake: Opening Doors and Closing Deals Online (www.TheVirtualHandshake.com)




Average Strength = Minutes Available / Person Number = # People therefore…

Balance of Strength and Numbers

Average Strength * Number = Total Minutes Available

vs.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/downtown/files/2011/07/mcdonalds.png, http://www.m-c-network.org/resource/resmgr/mckinsey.gif




Guard your reputation

•  Listen more than you talk •  Be humble

Mr. Miyagi

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Study skills

•  Touch type

•  Master your productivity tools (MS Office, Asana, etc.)

•  Master homework templates

• Write clean notes

•  Answer the question

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Appear Intelligent

•  Economist, Wall Street Journal •  Initiate (or at least repeat) perceptive

insights •  Provide sources •  Learn active listening •  Avoid uh…, um…

http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/chimps.jpg




Become an effective member of class

•  Plan the first impression

• Multipurpose your work, e.g., submit a school paper for journal publication

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Meet the other people at university

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•  People not in your school

•  Organize student-faculty events




•  Become a club officer •  Play team sports

Work, don’t play, to build a relationship

http://flickr.com/photos/tinou/1333854180/




Be a data hound

Tools for Assimilating Data into Your CRM System

Data source Technology

Business Cards

Cardscan, IRIScan, Neatco, Plustek, ScanBizCards

Emails Contact Capture, eGrabber, Gwabbit Cloud Plaxo, LinkedIn




Join the crowd ; grow the crowd

•  Join multiple clubs •  Become a resume editor

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•  Find mentors •  Internships

Sit with the stranger

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•  Introduction

•  Myths


•  Network


•  Next Steps



Scholarship & Learning Programs

# Openings

Sele

ctiv

ity

The elite: Kauffman Fellows/ Rhodes/ Marshall/

Thiel

Religious Opportunities

Political Opportunities

Minority Programs



More money is waiting for the underrepresented

Greater Scholarship Opportunities

Religion Christian Jewish, Muslim Politics Democrat/Liberal Libertarian

Conservative Republican

Culture American Culture German Academic Liberal Arts Science and Math Ethnic background

Caucasian Everything else



Scholarship Search Sites

•  Fastweb

•  CollegeBoard

•  Student Scholarship Search

•  Mathematical Association of America: Research Experiences for Undergraduates



Internship and Leadership Programs: Tech Programs Focused on Students

•  Bain Capital Ventures Startup Academy

•  HackNY

•  KPCB Fellows

•  Summer@Highland

•  Many universities have their own accelerators for students and alumni

http://www.500px.com/photo/1838182?from=editors



Internship and Leadership Programs: General Interest

•  Goldman Sachs Global Leader Program

•  Global Fellows in Social Enterprise

•  McKinsey Summer Leadership Summit

•  Steamboat Foundation

•  Mountbatten Institute

•  Congressional Internships

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Internship and Leadership Programs: Programs for Minorities

•  INROADS

•  Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s Career Planning & Job Placement Program

•  Sponsors for Educational Opportunity

•  New America Alliance

•  The Executive Leadership Council

•  Robert A. Toigo Foundation



Internship and Leadership Programs: Congressional Internships •  Congressional Youth

Leadership Council

•  Congressional Black Caucus

•  Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation- AAPD Congressional Internship Program

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Internship and Leadership Programs: Christian Programs

•  The Family

•  New Canaan Society

•  The Trinity Forum

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Internship and Leadership Programs: Jewish Programs

•  ROI Community

•  Orthodox Union

•  GoIsrael.org (Aish HaTorah)

•  Ohr Somayach

•  Taglit-Birthright Israel

•  Legacy Heritage Fellowship Program

•  Shapiro Fellowships http://www.macquirelatory.com/Star%20of%20David/jewish_star.png



Internship and Leadership Programs: Muslim Programs

•  Asian Institute of Management

•  Muslim Leaders of Tomorrow

•  Qatar Scholarship Program

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Scholarships for College Seniors to Study Post-Graduation

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• Barry Goldwater Scholarship

• Beinecke Scholarship

• Gates Cambridge Scholarship

• George Mitchell Scholarship

• Harry S. Truman Scholarship

•  J.W. Fullbright Student Program

•  Luce Scholarship

• Marshall Scholarship

• Merage Institute Fellowship

• Rhodes Scholarship

•  Thomas J. Watson Fellowship

• Udall Foundation Scholarship

• Siebel Scholars



Short Term Learning Programs: Math/Science

•  Institute for Advanced Study/ Park City Mathematics Institute

•  Mathematical Association of America: Research Experiences for Undergraduates

•  Santa Fe Institute (Complex Systems Summer School)

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Short Term Programs:

Allegedly Neutral Programs in Politics/Political Philosophy

•  DAAD: German Academic Exchange Service

•  Student Conference at US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, and US Air Force Academy

•  Programs in International Educational Resources (PIER) at Yale University

•  Young America’s Foundation

•  Atlantic Council of the United States

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Short Term Programs:

Libertarian/Classical Liberal Programs •  Action Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty

•  Cato University

•  Independent Institute

•  Intercollegiate Studies Institute

•  Institute for Humane Studies

•  Foundation for Economic Education

•  Ludwig von Mises Institute Ron Paul

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Short Term Programs: Conservative Programs

•  America’s Future Foundation

•  Fund for American Studies

•  Heritage Foundation

•  Intercollegiate Studies Institute

•  Leadership Institute

•  National Journalism Center

•  Young America’s Foundation

•  Young Republicans Mitt Romney

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•  StartingBloc

•  Century Institute

•  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

•  American Constitution Society

•  Center for Progressive Leadership

•  People for the American Way

•  21st Century Democrats

•  Young Democrats of America

Short Term Programs: Left-Leaning Programs

Barack Obama

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Programs for Non-US Students

to Study in the US

•  Adout International

•  GoAbroad.com

•  Center for International Career Development

•  Metro International

•  Yale World Fellows program

•  International Research & Exchanges Board

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•  U.S. Jaycees Ten Outstanding Young Americans

•  Renaissance Weekends

•  The Weekend to be Named Later

•  Weekend Renewing America’s Promise

•  Technology Entertainment Design

•  World Academy of Art and Science

•  U.S.-Southern Africa Emerging Leaders Program

•  One Young World

•  DoLectures

•  Century Institute

Leadership Organizations/Conferences: General Interest



•  Society of International Business Fellows

•  United Nations World Summit of Young Entrepreneurs

•  FLOW retreat

Leadership Organizations/Conferences: Business

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•  American Council of Young Political Leaders

•  Council on Emerging National Security Affairs

•  Council on Foreign Relations

•  Korber-Stiftung

•  White House Project

•  Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy

•  International Institute of Strategic Studies

Leadership Organizations/Conferences: Policy



Short-Duration Programs for Working Professionals •  Aspen Institute Socrates

Seminars

•  Transatlantic Forum

•  Atlantic-Brucke German-American Young Leaders

•  Bucerius Summer School

•  Asia-Europe Young Leaders Symposium

•  Salzburg Seminar

•  Pacific Forum Young Leaders

•  Chautauqua

•  Henry Crown Fellowship Program at the Aspen Institute

•  Eris Society

•  Forum for Young Leaders

•  French American Young Leaders Program

•  German-American Young Leaders Conference



Short-Duration Programs for Working Professionals •  The Global Village for Future Leaders

of Business

•  National Committee on US-China Relations Young Leaders Conference

•  Norfolk Fellowship

•  Reboot Annual Summit

•  Swiss-American young Leaders Conference

•  United States-Japan Leadership Program

•  World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow

•  Sandbox Network

•  Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leaders of Tomorrow

•  Wharton Entrepreneurial Program

•  TiE Leadership Program

•  Singularity University

•  The Feast



•  Robert Bosch Foundation / CDS International Inc.

•  International Affairs Fellowship in Japan

•  Coro Fellows Program

•  Council on Foreign Relations: Next Generation Fellowship

•  White House Fellowships

•  Unreasonable Institute

•  Kauffman Venture Fellowship

•  Presidential Management Fellows Program

•  David Rockefeller Fellows Program

Long-Duration Programs for Working Professionals



•  Introduction

•  Myths


•  Network


•  Next Steps



•  Jobs and internships: ffvc.com/careers

•  Research ideas for current graduate students: ffvc.com/topics

•  How executives can work with private equity and VC funds: teten.com/operating-executives

•  Start an angel group at your university, leveraging the learnings of HBS Alumni Angels (HBSAlumniAngels.com)

•  Host a presentation: teten.com/speaker

How we can work together



Download the slides and read the book at teten.com/education .

More resources at ffvc.com and teten.com

Sign up for updates at Teten.com and Twitter @dteten