Let me start this blog by stating that I am by no means a tech person. I enjoy the benefits that technology provides, but I have never given much consideration to the people behind the tech products and features we use every day. I heard about an elective called Tech Trek during my application process to BC and never really gave it much thought. However, after arriving on campus and hearing some second year MBAs touting this class as the highlight of their MBA experience, I knew that I had to sign up.
The course is taught by Professor John Gallaugher, who is one of the most passionate teachers I have had in my life. It includes a few classroom sessions and a field study out in Seattle, Palo Alto, and San Francisco, where we visit 20 companies over five days. Each student is assigned a company to cover and is responsible for briefing the rest of the class on the company’s latest products and news. I was assigned to cover Starbucks with an emphasis on their social media campaigns through various outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. I can honestly say that I had underestimated the power of social media until I took a deeper look into what Starbucks was doing. We received a fantastic session with Alex Wheeler, Starbucks’ head of digital strategy, and Brady Brewer, the VP of brand loyalty and the Starbucks card.
Other companies we visited include Facebook, Microsoft, Apple (we got to see Phil Schiller’s iPad 2 before the release), Google, EA Games, Cisco, Intel, Intuit, Yahoo, WePay, Adobe, Zynga, Social Text, Amazon, and Smule. We also met with Highland Capital Partners and Tallwood Venture Capital, two firms with a tremendous record of backing great companies. At times the trip felt like a forced march through Silicon Valley, but the excitement of experiencing these firms first hand was more than enough to keep us going. We battled a few hiccups along the journey, including a bus that broke down on our way to Apple, but the trip was a major success.
Although every company was impressive in its own way, my favorites were the two venture capital firms. As I was currently studying about the evolution of a company from inception to IPO in my Finance class, it was fascinating to hear the thoughts and experiences first hand from some of the major players in the venture business today.
I am sure you are wondering how a boutique MBA program like BC is able to connect at all of these great firms. The answer is the BC alumni network. BC has placed both undergraduate and graduate students in companies around the globe and most BC alumni are more than willing to share their experiences and give advice to fellow BC students. I experienced this network first hand and it is impressive. So to those who matriculate next fall to the MBA program on Chestnut Hill, I highly recommend you consider Tech Trek. It could be a trip that changes your MBA experience or your career aspirations.
