This Thanksgiving, like many of you, I spent a few minutes contemplating my many blessings. One blessing in particular provoked a surprising flood of gratitude in my heart: I am deeply and profoundly thankful to Barack Obama for his service to our country over the past eight years. No, this is not a back…
“If you were the CEO of an airline, could you be as engaging with the baggage handlers as you are in the boardroom?” – Larry Culp The case method, which is used across all HBS classes, places students in the tough position of the decision maker. Often operating from the perspective of the CEO, students challenge…
The mood on the Harvard Business School campus last week was incredibly somber. The entire institution appeared to be paralyzed. Undoubtedly, some of this was driven by the fear and uncertainty around what a Trump administration will look like. A substantial portion of the underlying despair was, and still is, driven by disbelief. Disbelief that…
In life, we can have many identities. Our environments shape who we are, especially during our two years here at business school. Thank you HBS for helping me discover my-selves. My Aldrich Self Has perfected the art of the confident, all-knowing hand raise Wears dark thick-rimmed glasses to up my scholarly intellectual factor Enjoys doodling…
In honor of figuring out our life purpose … escaping the herd … I mean, recruiting season, we present to you a customer segmentation for our dedicated friends at the Careers and Professional Development (CPD) office. Venture Capitalist Vikram … You see, I just love technology: virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality … Anything…
Last year the column entitled Primary Colors provided a framework for how to think about career choices. The main thesis of the piece was that there were three broad pathways to choose between, and the fundamental choice was deciding which one appealed to you. These pathways were described as operator with CEO being the ultimate…
Since seeing their first concert, I’ve been wanting to sit down with the HBS Band – Three Case Day – to learn more about them and hear what they have in store for their next concert on December 5th. Who makes up the HBS Band, Three Case Day? “There are seven of us and we’re…
As the cold New England wind begins to blow, we can all start to see some changes across campus. The leaves turn beautiful warm colors and begin to fall. The annual HBS plague begins sweeping through classrooms in coughing fits. Those from warm climates rush to buy extra Canada Goose jackets to survive. And things…
On Thursday, October 13th, the Retail and Luxury Goods Club hosted their highly anticipated 9th Annual Charity Fashion Show at Park Plaza Hotel Boston to help raise awareness for a Boston-based charity through the lens of fashion. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and festive music. In attendance were over 800 enthusiastic spectators who were…
Losing sucks, but this election felt markedly different than anything most of us had ever faced. As Americans, we were fighting to define the soul of our country, and the man supported by the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) won the fight. The man that’s been accused of physically assaulting our daughters, mothers and sisters swept…
I saw you in an Aldrich alcove (south side, bottom floor) drinking Peet’s Coffee at 5:30AM last Monday morning. Not many people are up that early. You must’ve been saving the spot for your discussion group. I knew you were a thoughtful soul. I popped by and asked if I could sit down. You said…
![Welcome to My [Type One] Crib](https://harbus.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Gallatin_090810-SC-Gallati-640x360.jpg)
At HBS, on-campus housing is split into two parties: The Dormers and the SFP/OWAers. Some say having an apartment on campus allows you to better extend an olive branch of friendship (or more than friendship) to your fellow classmates here at HBS. All the SFP/OWAers point to their real-world apartment amenities and smugly grin as…
Can we just take a minute to talk about what happened this summer? I was surprised (and disappointed) when Britain voted to leave the European Union. How could more than 17 million people decide to take the risk of quitting the world’s largest common market, potentially compromising their own future? Having lived and studied…
A month into your first year at HBS, you will receive a note from the Student Association in all caps, prompting you to “Order your section fleece today” followed by an endless stream of exclamation points. This email will use all available marketing tactics we have been so well-taught in the Required Curriculum to suck…
RC’s, welcome to HBS! My name is Andrew O’Connor and I’ve been helping coordinate RC orientation week. Look no further to find a guide to highlights of RC Orientation, the week of activities planned by the HBS Student Association to help you get settled on campus, and get to know your section and fellow RC’s….
Brand new RCs and returning ECs – welcome to Harvard Business School! The Student Association (SA) executive team is looking forward to meeting each of you on campus and representing both your voice and our community over the coming academic year. As you settle in on-campus, our team wanted to reach out and provide…
Pokémon is taking the world by storm. For many, it’s been an addictive game that brings back just the right amount of childish nostalgia, but for others, the game is a zombie-inducing virus that’s infected their friends with the mindless obsession to “catch em’ all”. Here at The Harbus, we conducted a woefully non-scientific poll…
The allure of Silicon Valley has grown in the eyes of HBS graduates since the Financial Crisis, and it is not surprising that more and more HBS’ers are leaving school to join start-ups. The MBA curriculum has tilted in the same direction although the shift of FIELD 3 back into EC year may signal a…
“It is like looking for a needle in a haystack” describes Jim Searing with a mild chuckle, when asked to describe the executive search business. The founder and retired CEO of Lochlin Partners, a top notch executive search firm, has spent an impressive 32 years in the “head-hunting” industry. A Marine Corps veteran, he graduated…
As he was driving to meet a schoolmate acquaintance with an intense and deep experience base in politico-military affairs, he wondered what to talk about. They had met a few times, had friends in common, but no deep shared experiences or obvious common interests. Maybe the meeting was about fundraising given the new person’s position….
What do brands like Target, Theranos, UnitedHealth, and Vanderbilt University have in common with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Columbine High School Massacre? All were the subjects of intense press coverage, and in each case the man brought in to weather the media maelstrom was Tom Strickland. A lawyer by training, Strickland served…
The nail in the coffin for “Great” Britain? On June 23rd, the British people will vote in a national referendum and will answer the following question; “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave?” Whilst a seemingly straightforward question, if the British people vote through simple majority to exit the EU (dubbed…
Dispelling the myth that “business leaders don’t need to be technical” It’s easy to imagine a future where nearly all CEOs are technologically literate. As we swiftly integrate technology into our daily lives, more and more “traditional” companies are starting to look a lot like “tech” companies. When the first iPhone was released a mere…
Time Flies! It seems like yesterday when I received my offer of admission to Harvard Business School (HBS) in December 2013. Fast forward two and a half years and here I am, ready to leave. In most regards my experience here has been surreal. As HBS students, we are in a position of extreme…
Ask any current HBS student with a background or interest in venture capital this simple question: “What is the best-performing venture capital fund in the world?” Likely answers include Sequoia, Accel, NEA, Greylock or Andreessen Horowitz – each a smart pick. Yet, a quick look at CB Insights’ list of the top VC funds with…
Ex-Military Physicist creates new HBS dating service. The Harbus heard murmurs of DatingHub, a new HBS-centric dating service, that has been gaining notoriety among the student population. We sent our intrepid reporter, Vipul Chhajer (HBS ’16), to investigate and interview the creator of this service, Asaf Lifshitz (HBS ’16). The following conversation has been edited…
Growing up, I shuffled between the varsity athletes, music heads, and computer nerds, but as I got older, these passions faded. My creativity was crisply ironed out like the suit I wore every day in New York City. I had gone from building computers and producing music to building financial models on Wall Street….
Google the phrase “do the right thing” to see the many ways in which this mantra is intrinsic to American and other healthy cultures. At HBS this message is paramount. It goes without saying that we all want to be successful in life and business, always in ways that are rewarding, legal, honest, and honorable….
According to Harvard Business School’s recruiting statistics, the most sought out industries by HBS graduates are financial services and consulting, together consistently drawing in over half of the school’s graduating classes. The class of 2015 statistics support that narrative, with 31% of graduates entering financial services and 24% joining a consulting firm. Contrast that with…