Thursday, October 30, 2008
Cool Resource
I recently stumbled upon a very cool resource for thinking about innovation and social entrepreneurship, Stanford University's Entrepreneurship Corner. A little bit like TED.com, it features video talks from prominent "thought leaders." I like it as an interface between academia and business leaders.
The Liberal Arts Lie
There is a growing trend to view higher education as a value-adding commodity. You go to school and you expect to come out employable, with marketable skills. Surely, education is an investment in human capital, but an overly commodified view has its drawbacks. If you view education as a value-adding transaction, then you tend towards vocational training, which adds value in concrete, measurable ways.
Liberal arts institutions fight this trend, a worthy fight in my humble opinion. Rather than cranking out employees, liberal arts colleges try to nurture thoughtful citizens, armed not with skills but with critical thinking. And this is the liberal arts pitch: at our institution, you will learn how to think, you will learn how to learn, and that is the most transferable skill possible. You will receive a broad-based, holistic education that will enable you to pursue any profession you desire. At our institution, we take a broader view of "value."
This is all nice and dandy. I enjoy learning and thinking, and my Swarthmore education cultivated my curiosity and, cliche as it might sound, a lifelong love of learning. Things get a bit messy, though, when you transition from an institution that fights against the value-added view of education to the job market. In the vagaries of the marketplace, it is unreasonably difficult to translate thoughtfulness into social contribution. I see so many of my classmates--who are smart, thoughtful, motivated and filled with good intentions--struggle to find employment where they are happy and feel as though they are contributing real value to society, or at least on their way to doing so.
I am unemployed right now, and I am sleeping on the couch of a high school friend who studied Business for his undergraduate degree. He is an investment banker taking in a handsome salary, and he just finished reading a book, titled Damn, It Feels Good to be a Banker. The author of this obnoxious book ends the preface with this sentence: "Dad, thanks for not letting me study liberal arts."
I am not complaining. There are things in my life that I value much more highly than a bank statement. And I think the liberal arts pitch is ultimately true. I am merely commenting on the difficulty of the transition from a liberal arts education to a nonacademic pursuit. And I think that it is something of a shame.
Liberal arts institutions fight this trend, a worthy fight in my humble opinion. Rather than cranking out employees, liberal arts colleges try to nurture thoughtful citizens, armed not with skills but with critical thinking. And this is the liberal arts pitch: at our institution, you will learn how to think, you will learn how to learn, and that is the most transferable skill possible. You will receive a broad-based, holistic education that will enable you to pursue any profession you desire. At our institution, we take a broader view of "value."
This is all nice and dandy. I enjoy learning and thinking, and my Swarthmore education cultivated my curiosity and, cliche as it might sound, a lifelong love of learning. Things get a bit messy, though, when you transition from an institution that fights against the value-added view of education to the job market. In the vagaries of the marketplace, it is unreasonably difficult to translate thoughtfulness into social contribution. I see so many of my classmates--who are smart, thoughtful, motivated and filled with good intentions--struggle to find employment where they are happy and feel as though they are contributing real value to society, or at least on their way to doing so.
I am unemployed right now, and I am sleeping on the couch of a high school friend who studied Business for his undergraduate degree. He is an investment banker taking in a handsome salary, and he just finished reading a book, titled Damn, It Feels Good to be a Banker. The author of this obnoxious book ends the preface with this sentence: "Dad, thanks for not letting me study liberal arts."
I am not complaining. There are things in my life that I value much more highly than a bank statement. And I think the liberal arts pitch is ultimately true. I am merely commenting on the difficulty of the transition from a liberal arts education to a nonacademic pursuit. And I think that it is something of a shame.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Behavioral Economics
Taleb gets a shout-out here from NYTimes columnist David Brooks.
I wonder about the legitimacy of behavioral economics in Economics departments across the United States though. So far as I know, undergraduate programs pay it lip service at best. I suppose injecting psychology into the study of economics would detract from the discipline's increasingly mathematical orientation and scientific pretension.
I once expressed to a professor of mine an interest to pursue graduate studies in Economic History. He informed me that economic historians carry just about zero clout and hold just about zero sway over economic policy or the way that economics is taught/studied. Sad reality. The idea of studying models or econometric methodology strikes me as so damned ahistorical, though.
And of course: we should not assume. Because if you assume, then you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me." Take that Econ!
I wonder about the legitimacy of behavioral economics in Economics departments across the United States though. So far as I know, undergraduate programs pay it lip service at best. I suppose injecting psychology into the study of economics would detract from the discipline's increasingly mathematical orientation and scientific pretension.
I once expressed to a professor of mine an interest to pursue graduate studies in Economic History. He informed me that economic historians carry just about zero clout and hold just about zero sway over economic policy or the way that economics is taught/studied. Sad reality. The idea of studying models or econometric methodology strikes me as so damned ahistorical, though.
And of course: we should not assume. Because if you assume, then you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me." Take that Econ!
Monday, October 27, 2008
A One-in-a-Million Plea
Dear John Doerr,
Obviously this e-mail is a long shot. But, as you said in your TED Talk, quoting Thomas Friedman, "If you don't go, you don't know." I am an avid reader of Friedman's books and columns, and his writings have helped convince me of the need for the United States to adopt a Code Green response to today's environmental and economic crises. I want to contribute to the cause.
I am writing to you in particular because I was moved by the passion and emotion with which you spoke during your TED Talk. From everything that I have read about you, you seem to share Friedman's vision of America as a place distinguished by its innovative vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, I would argue that you have largely been the author of this vision during your career at KPCB. But more importantly, you seem to believe in America as a place where a guy like you just might respond to an e-mail from a guy like me.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I graduated from Swarthmore College in 2007 with majors in Economics and English Literature, and after teaching high school English for a year in Ecuador, I now live in San Francisco. I decided to move here because, in Michael Lewis' words, "[The United States] is the capital of innovation," and, "Silicon Valley is to the United States what the United States is to the rest of the world." I moved here with the intention of getting involved in greentech innovation, hoping to offer my skills and work ethic towards the cause which I passionately believe in.
Unfortunately, my decision to move to the bay area has coincided with one of the worst periods for the economy in recent memory. In the six weeks that I have been here, I have submitted application materials to over fifty companies and have repeatedly been told, "Sorry, but we are not hiring right now," or some variation of the same sentiment. I have a degree from a presitigious liberal arts college with a strong record of academic achievement, and I am convinced that I have something to offer to greentech innovation, perhaps not in the vein of technical expertise, but at least in the combination of critical thinking, passion and hard work.
Being young, I am eager to learn and to contribute. But I have not yet been able to find the structure required for me to develop what potential I do possess. When I learned of the Greentech Innovation Network and your leadership role in it, I said to myself, "I want to be involved in that." Obama and McCain both speak of the dignity that comes with earning an honest living. As a young American, I seek the dignity that comes with working towards what one believes in. I worry for our country and for the world when young people with profiles similar to mine struggle so mightily to find meaningful employment. So I am writing to ask you how I might get involved in what you are doing with respect to greentech. Perhaps I can assist in research and analysis, conduct literature reviews, or support administratively. I want to be involved in some capacity such that I can be a part of the bottom-up innovation required to reach some solution to the problems that we face. Any guidance that you could offer would be much appreciated.
I humbly ask that you take the time to read my e-mail and I hope to hear back from you sometime. In any case, I admire the work that you have done on your daughter's behalf.
Sincerely,
Brian Chen
Obviously this e-mail is a long shot. But, as you said in your TED Talk, quoting Thomas Friedman, "If you don't go, you don't know." I am an avid reader of Friedman's books and columns, and his writings have helped convince me of the need for the United States to adopt a Code Green response to today's environmental and economic crises. I want to contribute to the cause.
I am writing to you in particular because I was moved by the passion and emotion with which you spoke during your TED Talk. From everything that I have read about you, you seem to share Friedman's vision of America as a place distinguished by its innovative vigor and entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, I would argue that you have largely been the author of this vision during your career at KPCB. But more importantly, you seem to believe in America as a place where a guy like you just might respond to an e-mail from a guy like me.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I graduated from Swarthmore College in 2007 with majors in Economics and English Literature, and after teaching high school English for a year in Ecuador, I now live in San Francisco. I decided to move here because, in Michael Lewis' words, "[The United States] is the capital of innovation," and, "Silicon Valley is to the United States what the United States is to the rest of the world." I moved here with the intention of getting involved in greentech innovation, hoping to offer my skills and work ethic towards the cause which I passionately believe in.
Unfortunately, my decision to move to the bay area has coincided with one of the worst periods for the economy in recent memory. In the six weeks that I have been here, I have submitted application materials to over fifty companies and have repeatedly been told, "Sorry, but we are not hiring right now," or some variation of the same sentiment. I have a degree from a presitigious liberal arts college with a strong record of academic achievement, and I am convinced that I have something to offer to greentech innovation, perhaps not in the vein of technical expertise, but at least in the combination of critical thinking, passion and hard work.
Being young, I am eager to learn and to contribute. But I have not yet been able to find the structure required for me to develop what potential I do possess. When I learned of the Greentech Innovation Network and your leadership role in it, I said to myself, "I want to be involved in that." Obama and McCain both speak of the dignity that comes with earning an honest living. As a young American, I seek the dignity that comes with working towards what one believes in. I worry for our country and for the world when young people with profiles similar to mine struggle so mightily to find meaningful employment. So I am writing to ask you how I might get involved in what you are doing with respect to greentech. Perhaps I can assist in research and analysis, conduct literature reviews, or support administratively. I want to be involved in some capacity such that I can be a part of the bottom-up innovation required to reach some solution to the problems that we face. Any guidance that you could offer would be much appreciated.
I humbly ask that you take the time to read my e-mail and I hope to hear back from you sometime. In any case, I admire the work that you have done on your daughter's behalf.
Sincerely,
Brian Chen
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Where am I?
Earlier this year in July, I was sitting at the international airport in Quito waiting to board my flight to Buenos Aires. Having just cleared security, and with only a backpack and a duffel bag, my first thought after settling into my seat was, "What the hell am I doing going to Argentina?"
No itinerary. No plans. No friends to visit. Not even reservations for a hostel.
Perhaps there was some vague romantic notion of what it means to be a traveler, on the road...
---
Since coming to San Francisco, I've been shuttling between San Francisco and Stanford pretty regularly. A lot of times, I drive along I-280 late at night on my own, and my car is the only one in sight. Outside the driver's window, I can see the lower third of the night sky. On clear nights, the stars and the moon give the hills that surround the freeway a faint outline. On cloudy nights, it's the orange city glow that emanates from San Francisco. Ahead of me, I see only what my headlights illuminate, lines of reflectors extending miles and miles ahead.
At some moments on these drives, I see in my mind's eye a Google satellite map of the road where I am driving. And the map keeps on zooming out and zooming out until it truly is a satellite view, one oblong circle of light moving slowly through surrounding darkness. Myself separated from my parents by the Pacific Ocean and from my two older sisters by hundreds of miles.
In these moments, I think, "How the hell did I get here?"
---
A job interview, at least of the behavioral variety, often turns out to be a lot like storytelling. The interviewer asks you questions about your resume, various decisions that you've made, why you are interested in his/her particular company. And in response to these questions, you are expected to believe one hundred percent in the narrative fallacy. You package yourself, you tell a story about where you have been and why you are where you are at that particular moment. Causality in the stories that you tell about yourself is made out to be simple, fairly straightforward, rational and thought-out. The purpose is to convey passion for where you are going and that you know what you want.
But during the "What the hell?" moments that I am describing, all your defenses collapse. All the energy required to believe in your self-narrative dissipates, reasons evaporate into the air.
---
Rational Choice Theory? Fuck that. Causality can only be assigned retrospectively. Randomness (what we do not know and cannot explain) overwhelms.
No itinerary. No plans. No friends to visit. Not even reservations for a hostel.
Perhaps there was some vague romantic notion of what it means to be a traveler, on the road...
---
Since coming to San Francisco, I've been shuttling between San Francisco and Stanford pretty regularly. A lot of times, I drive along I-280 late at night on my own, and my car is the only one in sight. Outside the driver's window, I can see the lower third of the night sky. On clear nights, the stars and the moon give the hills that surround the freeway a faint outline. On cloudy nights, it's the orange city glow that emanates from San Francisco. Ahead of me, I see only what my headlights illuminate, lines of reflectors extending miles and miles ahead.
At some moments on these drives, I see in my mind's eye a Google satellite map of the road where I am driving. And the map keeps on zooming out and zooming out until it truly is a satellite view, one oblong circle of light moving slowly through surrounding darkness. Myself separated from my parents by the Pacific Ocean and from my two older sisters by hundreds of miles.
In these moments, I think, "How the hell did I get here?"
---
A job interview, at least of the behavioral variety, often turns out to be a lot like storytelling. The interviewer asks you questions about your resume, various decisions that you've made, why you are interested in his/her particular company. And in response to these questions, you are expected to believe one hundred percent in the narrative fallacy. You package yourself, you tell a story about where you have been and why you are where you are at that particular moment. Causality in the stories that you tell about yourself is made out to be simple, fairly straightforward, rational and thought-out. The purpose is to convey passion for where you are going and that you know what you want.
But during the "What the hell?" moments that I am describing, all your defenses collapse. All the energy required to believe in your self-narrative dissipates, reasons evaporate into the air.
---
Rational Choice Theory? Fuck that. Causality can only be assigned retrospectively. Randomness (what we do not know and cannot explain) overwhelms.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
TED
TED.com is one of the coolest sites and one of the coolest ideas I've seen. Something to get excited about.
Also: I am currently reading The New New Thing by Michael Lewis. It profiles Jim Clark and the Silicon Valley boom of the late 90's. And my mind is energized by all the talk of innovation.
Also: I am currently reading The New New Thing by Michael Lewis. It profiles Jim Clark and the Silicon Valley boom of the late 90's. And my mind is energized by all the talk of innovation.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Ms. McDowell
I read The Last Lecture today, the book that is based on the last lecture given by the Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, who passed away just a couple of months ago from pancreatic cancer.
It is a sentimental book, full of feel-good optimism and, many would say, full of cliches. But I don't think anyone can doubt its sincerity or that it touches a chord in....well, all of us. At some point in our lives, we feel the need to distance ourselves from cliches, from the overly sentimental and what we might call the cheesy. But here are a few words on cliches:
"After all, even on cliched phrases, you could hoist true emotion." (The Inheritance of Loss [Desai] 232)
"So I have gone all the way around Robin Hood's barn to arrive at the old platitudes, which I guess is the process of growing up." (The Caine Mutiny [Wouk] 505)
These quotes, obviously stripped of their context, might not resonate for you the way they do for me. But I like these quotes. What does it matter if something is cliche or cheesy if it is sincere and true?
---
Ms. McDowell, my tenth grade English teacher, has been one of the biggest influences in my life. Like Randy Pausch, however, she got cancer at a young age and passed away some years ago. As a teacher, she imparted to her students a passion for literature, beauty and critical thinking...things that I can't seem to shake from the way that I view life.
After reading The Last Lecture, I tried to remember just a couple of the aphorisms/pieces of advice that she shared with us. For me, these McDowellisms contain infinite wisdom and are guideposts that I have come back to continually in my life. Here are a couple off the top of my head. If you are reading this post, and by any chance had Ms. McDowell, perhaps you can help me grow my collection. Or perhaps you have a collection from a teacher of your own.
1. If she ever sensed that her students were particularly stressed, she would say, "Don't worry. You will live just as long and just as happily."
2. The idealism of a few can change the world.
3. You have to be consciously aware to be a fully-functioning human being.
4. Learn a recipe from your mom, so that you can cook your favorite dish when you are away from home.
5. Write postcards to the people that you care about.
6. Boredom is the shriek of unused capacities.
It is a sentimental book, full of feel-good optimism and, many would say, full of cliches. But I don't think anyone can doubt its sincerity or that it touches a chord in....well, all of us. At some point in our lives, we feel the need to distance ourselves from cliches, from the overly sentimental and what we might call the cheesy. But here are a few words on cliches:
"After all, even on cliched phrases, you could hoist true emotion." (The Inheritance of Loss [Desai] 232)
"So I have gone all the way around Robin Hood's barn to arrive at the old platitudes, which I guess is the process of growing up." (The Caine Mutiny [Wouk] 505)
These quotes, obviously stripped of their context, might not resonate for you the way they do for me. But I like these quotes. What does it matter if something is cliche or cheesy if it is sincere and true?
---
Ms. McDowell, my tenth grade English teacher, has been one of the biggest influences in my life. Like Randy Pausch, however, she got cancer at a young age and passed away some years ago. As a teacher, she imparted to her students a passion for literature, beauty and critical thinking...things that I can't seem to shake from the way that I view life.
After reading The Last Lecture, I tried to remember just a couple of the aphorisms/pieces of advice that she shared with us. For me, these McDowellisms contain infinite wisdom and are guideposts that I have come back to continually in my life. Here are a couple off the top of my head. If you are reading this post, and by any chance had Ms. McDowell, perhaps you can help me grow my collection. Or perhaps you have a collection from a teacher of your own.
1. If she ever sensed that her students were particularly stressed, she would say, "Don't worry. You will live just as long and just as happily."
2. The idealism of a few can change the world.
3. You have to be consciously aware to be a fully-functioning human being.
4. Learn a recipe from your mom, so that you can cook your favorite dish when you are away from home.
5. Write postcards to the people that you care about.
6. Boredom is the shriek of unused capacities.
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