HanYue Yin

Classically trained as a violinist during her childhood in China, HanYue Yin learned and brought two important lessons with her to Stanford GSB.

“Music is always something you spend a lot of time working on before you present it on stage,” says Yin, who got a bachelor of laws degree from Peking University and intends to pursue a career in entrepreneurship after graduating from GSB. “I learned to be patient and persistent. Good things are created with a lot of perseverance and tenacity.”

She also says she learned authenticity. “On stage, I can’t fake if I’m feeling happy or sad if I want the audience to feel the same way. I have to actually feel it, so there’s a drive to continue discovering my authentic self and values because of that training.”

What was the most challenging cultural adjustment for you when you moved to the U.S.?

Food. I miss the food in China a lot, and you’ll find me searching the streets for Chinese food if I haven’t had it for a week or so.

Speaking of food, your experience at DoorDash had a profound impact on your career ambitions. Tell us why.

I joined DoorDash during Covid, and it was growing very fast. What I loved about DoorDash transferred to my enthusiasm for the entrepreneurship world. At DoorDash, there were always opportunities to do something new.

I was first responsible for the North American restaurant businesses, but during my tenure I got to touch a lot of things, including international markets. Then I got into our non-restaurant businesses, which include grocery deliveries and ads sales. DoorDash was a startup born out of the GSB, and the leadership group is amazing. The culture there has a very strong bias to action with thoughtful decision-making. They’re always trying to build the best products for users.

What was your last role there?

I was the associate manager for sales strategy and operations, working with our enterprise sales departments for domestic and international markets. We were trying to figure out on-the-ground sales operations, such as who we were selling to and what products we were selling them. We were constantly trying to find ways to serve our merchant partners the best way possible.

Was your decision to co-found Aha.Inc an outgrowth of your experience with DoorDash?

Yes.

We found that in a lot of growing organizations there’s inefficiency with how sales teams and product teams talk to each other. The sales team gets on-the-ground information every day, but the product team and technical teams don’t have access to the same information. So we were trying to build software that would streamline operations for both teams and enable collective problem solving and better communication.

What did you learn from that experience?

There was a lot of self-discovery. I love the entrepreneurship world. I love rolling up my sleeves and getting things done. I get energized by trying to think of a problem to solve, and I loved working as a team with my co-founder. I love the art of getting to the heart of what people really need and finding the best solutions to meet those needs. A lot of times we’d start our interview by asking, “What’s your problem and how can we solve it?” The customer may put the problem in very different words, so there’s joy in discovering what would be really helpful to them.

What was the most significant thing you learned while working as an investor at Peterson Ventures?

My interest in venture investing was rooted in my interest in entrepreneurship itself. At Peterson, I got to see entrepreneurship from the other side of the table. I also gained admiration for founders and their tenacity, because building something from ground zero is difficult and it is an intense emotional journey as well. The founders we saw were super-impressive and found success because they were not afraid of the curve balls that may get thrown. They persisted through all of those challenges. And of course, I learned a ton about venture investing as well. Good things are created with tenacity.

You volunteered with the San Francisco Beacon Initiative, which works to improve public schools. What drew you to that opportunity?

San Francisco Beacon Initiatives supports after-school activities centers in public schools. I had the luxury of good educational opportunities when I was growing up, especially when it comes to after-school activities. I got to pick up the violin. Learning music in many ways shaped my values and personality. I was also new to San Francisco and getting involved gave me a chance to become part of the community.

Any especially helpful mentors you’ve found along the way?

According to Confucius, “In a group of three, there must be one who can be my teacher.” I feel that way a lot, especially at the GSB. I have one good friend who is creating a company to make egg-freezing more affordable, and another friend who used to be a professional concert violinist who is going to be a great business leader, and another who is running for Congress because he cares about climate policy. I’m inspired by people around me, and there’s always one aspect of them that makes me go “Wow!” I draw lots of positive energy from many of them all the time.

Do you plan to stay involved with the GSB after you graduate?

I hope so. I’m an Arbuckle Fellow, and through that experience I found that I enjoy developing and coaching others. I hope to give back to the GSB by using those skills and others that I developed while in school.

Any particularly influential classes, professors, or experiences you’ve had at GSB?

The Interpersonal Dynamics class and my Arbuckle Leadership experiences made a huge impact on me. Another class I learned a lot from is called I’m Just a Bill, taught by Keith Hennessey. It’s a class that really pushed me to become a more empathetic leader. In a world full of polarized perspectives, it’s very helpful to develop the skills to appreciate other perspectives. I believe those skills will help me become a better leader.

Photos by Elena Zhukova