“We often judge people based on a single event, assuming that one action defines them. But if someone judged us by our worst moment, that wouldn’t be an accurate reflection of our character either. So, it’s better to give people the benefit of the doubt.”
Between Two Classes is an interview series where we explore the diverse worldviews of our HBS classmates.
This interview is with Mordi Shadpour (MBA ’25). Mordi is originally from Los Angeles, California. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 2020 with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Law. Prior to HBS, Mordi worked in product and sales at Bloomberg in San Francisco.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Shadpour: The best advice I ever got was when I was 13. It was in a religious context, and a rabbi told me to judge people leniently — to always assume the best in others and judge them with the scales in their favor. We often judge people based on a single event, assuming that one action defines them. But if someone judged us by our worst moment, that wouldn’t be an accurate reflection of our character either. So it’s better to give people the benefit of the doubt. This has helped me a lot. First, assuming good intent in others helps maintain relationships. Instead of jumping to conclusions, you give people a chance to clarify their actions. If you assume the worst, they might just say, “screw this guy,” and move on. It’s about giving people the chance to live up to their character.
What impact has your childhood had on the person you are today?
Shadpour: I was born and raised in Los Angeles by immigrant parents, and I’m the youngest of six. When you’re the youngest of six, you have to be really creative and crafty to keep up with your older siblings. They had more experience, were taller, stronger, and had more developed brains. So that made me very crafty and forced me to think outside the box. Also, neither of my parents went to college. That reinforced that outside-the-box thinking, finding a third door to doing things. That was the expectation because they didn’t have the playbook on life to give us advice that, I don’t know, you and [I] might be able to give our kids in the future having been through the system here.
Do you think that way of thinking plays into your entrepreneurial interests now?
Shadpour: For sure. One of the reasons I am drawn to entrepreneurship is that it requires thinking outside the box. In a corporate job, being overly creative or bending the rules isn’t always encouraged. But in entrepreneurship, that kind of thinking is a strength. I also see entrepreneurship as the wild card that offers you the autonomy and freedom to pursue your ideas without boundaries.
What book, movie, or piece of art has had a meaningful impact on you and why?
Shadpour: The first is Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. What I love about it is how Phil Knight shows that his success was built on a thousand failures and setbacks. He doesn’t focus on his triumphs — because we already know those. Instead, he walks us through the struggles and challenges he faced. That was a powerful reminder for me that failure is just part of the process.
The second book is Option B by Sheryl Sandberg. She talks about navigating unexpected setbacks and challenges in life. She talks about losing her husband and how she found ways to move forward. I liked that she didn’t try to invent a silver lining. Instead, she talks about building resilience and pushing forward in the aftermath of hardship. What makes the book really impactful is that it combines her personal experience with Adam Grant’s research on resilience — a combination of Sheryl’s great mind and Adam’s science that backs it up.
I think this theme of resilience resonated with me on a personal level. Life has come with challenges — navigating relationships, processing loss, and overcoming financial setbacks. Those books spoke to that side of things for me.
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
Shadpour: Being meticulous about not relying on my memory. I write everything down — notes, schedules, reminders. It’s not that I have a bad memory, but I’ve found that if I don’t write something down, I might forget it later. This has been especially useful at HBS. With so much information and so many people to keep track of, writing things down takes the mental load off.
Jay Bhandari (MBA ’25) is originally from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 with a degree in Economics. Prior to HBS, Jay served as Chief of Staff at thredUP in San Francisco, and as an Investment Associate in New York at Blackstone.
Sam Berube (MBA ’25) is originally from Dover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brown University in 2019 with a degree in International & Comparative Political Science. Prior to HBS, Sam worked in corporate strategy at McDonald's in Chicago, and for BCG in Boston.
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