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James Tinsley, MBA 2012
James Tinsley

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Highlights this week:
  • Highlight of the week was getting a job offer from my summer employer and accepting it.
  • This week marked the end of my Electric Auto course
  • Ongoing commitment to the Student Association and IT Committee.
  • Finally, this week continued my efforts to connect more deeply with my roommates and friends.
Favorite memories of my first year:
  • Brand Experience and Social Technology - Taught by Jennifer Aaker, and using Design Thinking frameworks, we put together a really interesting project around the Zipcar Brand
  • GSB Show - I was the stage manager and had an absolute blast putting on the biggest production of the GSB year!
Favorite memories of my second year so far:
  • Leadership and Crisis Management - Had to stand in front of a panel of "reporters" and defend Disney's decision to offer equal benefits to same sex couples. Nailed it.
  • I love living off campus and having dinner parties with friends - often we'll stick around chatting until midnight or later!
Sunday

Today's  biggest accomplishment: Not stressing about the job search; getting through email
Today's biggest challenge: Slides for Electric Car Class Presentation
Most fun: Great hike in the woods, and great company of friends.

Tuesday

Today's  biggest accomplishment: Presented final project to Electric Auto class to minimal challenges.
Today's biggest challenge: Hearing and responding to feedback at SA meeting.
Most fun: Discussing Mongol Rally.

Wednesday

Today's  biggest accomplishment: Worked with CMC to create strategy for discussing job offer.
Today's biggest challenge: My Golf game.
Most fun: Great round of golf with a friend and concert in San Francisco.

Friday

Today's  biggest accomplishment: Accepted my job offer from Google.
Today's biggest challenge: Trying to think through the fairest way to allocate rooms in Schwab to incoming students while accounting for all constituencies.
Most fun: A relaxed night in with roommates and friends.

8:30 AM Spent last night camping with 3 non-GSB friends in Big Tree National Park in the foothills of the Sierras, about 3 hours east of campus.

9:00 AM Pop tarts and yogurt around the campfire.

10:00 AM Short hike in the forest admiring the massive redwoods and the carcass of a 300 foot, 1250 year old tree which was felled in the late 1800's.

1:00 PM Drive back to campus with a stop at In-n-Out Burger for lunch (Double Double and a milkshake!).

4:00 PM Get home, unpack, and triage emails. 75 emails in only 24 hours of being off the grid.

Photo: Unpacking after a night of camping in the foothills of the Sierras

Key Tasks:
- Buy plane tickets and reserve car for 4 of us (GSBers) wandering around Europe over Thanksgiving break.

- Respond to several emails regarding Student Association IT Committee issues.

- Reply to parents about Christmas plans.

- Fill out STEP Social Events form for things to do when Chinese Students are here in January.

- Set up meeting with Entrepreneur to interview him about his startup for Formation of New Ventures class.

7:00 PM Catch-up dinner with a friend at NoLa's in downtown Palo Alto to hear about the preschool she founded. Always interesting to hear about founding and growth stories for non-tech companies!

This is always with me, it governs my life!

Photo: This is always with me, it governs my life

Senate agenda emailed out.

Photo: Senate Agenda emailed out

21:30 PM Create slides on the electric car industry in China to send out to my group, respond to yet more emails, check the SA Senate agenda to see if I have to prepare anything for that meeting scheduled for Monday at noon.

Photo: Email triage and building slides for Electric Auto presentation

Debate on Facebook as to whether the Cardinal has a shot at getting to the National Championship football game.

Set up a few dinners for the week with friends.

Late-breaking emails:

- Do I want to join a startup? Probably not tonight...

- Set up next meeting of the IT Committee

- Review the results of the SA Student Survey

7:20 AM Up, quick exercise in my room, shower and off to campus after sending an email to the GSB show directors reminding everyone to wear their show t-shirts to promote tonight's GSB Show meeting.

Photo: Quick morning workout

8:00 AM Drive to campus, gorgeous view down Palm Drive!

Photo: Driving down Palm Drive

8:25 AM Just enough time to grab chai and a croissant from Coupa Cafe.

8:30 AM Phone call with classmate Shaka Bahadu (foreground) and Rahim Fazal, chairman of Involver. We talk to him about the founding of his company for our Formation of New Ventures paper (due next Tuesday).

Phone: Conference with Shaka Bahadu and the founder of Involver

Breakfast while conference calling.

Photo: Breakfast while conference calling

9:30 AM Just enough time to triage email before class, and print my presentation slides and notes for this afternoon's Electric Auto session

Photo: Catching up on email

10:00 AM Formation of New Ventures. Today's focus is on Venture Capital structuring and Angel investment

12:00 Noon-3:00 PM - Final session of Global Electric Auto Industry. My group is presenting on the EV market in China from the perspective of a new entrant.

Today's class will have each of the three groups present on their areas of focus (Europe, US, China), then we'll have a general discussion about the course (this is the final session), and give feedback on improvements for future iterations.

3:00 PM Meeting with group to discuss Mongol Rally - next summer's ridiculous adventure from London to Ulanbataar in Mongolia.

Finally got the Google Offer Letter!!

Photo: Finally got the offer letter from Google!

4:00 PM Catch up on email, key tasks:

- Email CMC to discuss negotiating my summer employer's Full-Time Offer Letter.

- Set up next meeting of Student Association IT Committee.

6:30 PM Social Dinner with MBA1 Clara Siegel at CoHo in the center of campus to check in on how her year is going and offer advice.

Photo: Dinner at CoHo with MBA1 Clara Siegel.

8:00 PM GSB Show EAP event. Get MBA1's excited about the GSB Show.

Photo: GSB Show Show Interest meeting

9:00 PM Meet with GSB Show leadership to discuss promotional material for the Student Activities fair next week

9:30 PM -Stop by MBA2 friend's pass-down house to hang out/catch the end of dinner.

Photo: Dropping by a passdown house to hang out with friends

Finish the night with a quick beer at home with roommate David Lu and friend.

Photo: Quick night-cap with roommate David Lu and friend

 

9:30 AM Overslept and had to sprint to campus for my 10am meeting.

Photo: Overslept

Rushing to campus for a 10 AM meeting.

Photo: Rushing to campus for a 10 AM meeting

10:05 AM Met with Grace Yokoi in the Career Management Center to discuss my job offer from Google and talk about negotiating strategies.

Answering emails over breakfast in the Arbuckle Dining Pavilion.

Photo: Email over breakfast

Student Association meeting.

Photo: Student Association meeting

Playing Golf with Mary Ellen Player.

Photo: Golf with Mary Ellen Player

Tech Club EAP event.

Photo: Tech Club EAP event

Concert in San Francisco at Madrone.

Photo: Concert at SF at Madrone

Breakfast at Starbucks on the way to school.

Photo: Breakfast at Starbucks on the way to school

On the phone with recruiter.

Photo: On the phone with recruiter

Meeting to discuss Schwab housing allocation.

Photo: Meeting to discuss Schwab Housing allocation

Lounging outside of Arbuckle before LPF.

Photo: Lounging outside of Arbuckle before LPF

 

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