casadellibro.com

This is likely to be the final Information Systems related entry into this blog. I sincerely hope that I can continue updating this blog as frequently now that the Info Systems course is coming to an end......Anyway , Casa Del Libro awaits...

casadellibro.com is an online book retailing division of the Spainsh group, Planeta. The case is set in 2002. Basically, the company has invested a large amount on a Unix based online platform on the basis of optimistic growth projections. However, the platform is very complex and cannot be integrated to support operations under it's current design. In addition to this, the dot com bubble has just burst and projections have decreased dramatically. Now the question we face as incoming CEOs is: "Would you stick to the previously developed UNIX platform, or switch to a new, cheaper but less scalable Microsoft Solution?"

I would stick to the scalable Unix offering and initiate the required redesign of the platform. The criteria for my decision are:

• Long Term profitability. While the Microsoft solution would save costs in the short term, the platform would need to be redesigned to enable large scale growth in the long term. Hence, I think it would be better to implement a complete solution that would not be a barrier to growth once the market picks up.

• The recession is temporary. All recessions are temporary. Once the recession begins to fade, we need to be in the best position to take full advantage of resurging consumer demand. Our best chance of doing so is by having a platform that will be a catalyst for exponential growth, not a platform that could be hinderance to exponential growth.

• Demand is limited during the recession and investors expect company performance to decrease. The unix platform needs to be re-designed and the best time to initiate this re-deisgn is during a recession as the demand for online services will be limited. In addition to this, while the re-design of the unix server is an expensive exercise, I think it is best to swallow this bitter pill early on. Rather than wait for growth to return to re-design the Microsoft server, I think it is best to re-design the Unix server early in anticipation of growth once the recession is past.

So, till next time - adios.

The Tesco's Competitve Advantage

So here we go again, another Information Systems blog. This time we have been asked to examine the competitive advantage that Tesco has gained through IT.

Tesco has a history of using technology and innovation to gain market share and achieve growth. However, does Tesco have a sustainable competitive advantage delivered by IT?

The success of the Clubcard program, introduced in 1995, was the catalyst that catapulted Tesco to the top of it's industry in terms of market share. Through the Clubcard, Tesco was the first UK retailer to implement a technology based loyalty program. The success of this loyalty program was driven by Tesco's ability to gain insight on customer profiles and preferences and to deliver an offering that was catered to multiple consumer segments.

Tesco did not stop innovating despite the success of the Clubcard program. Tesco has made an aggressive foray into the online retailing space by making strategic acquisitions. This has opened up a new, highly profitable division for Tesco but this new division also has it's fair share of competitors. While the online business is lucrative for Tesco, it only accounts for a small portion of it's revenue. Tesco now has to discover a method of growing it's online business while not cannibalizing on it's traiditional retail business.

IT innovation has definitely been a key factor behind Tesco's escalation in the UK retail market space. However, the innovation that it has done so far will not be able to sustain it's growth in the long term and the key for continued long term growth will be continued innovation. For example, Tesco could incorporate technologies like FourSquare into it's loyalty program. This would enable Tesco to continue to gather information on it's customers as the concept of a loyalty card becomes obsolete in the eyes of Generation Y.

In conclusion, while IT innovation has been key in enabling Tesco to gain a Competitive Advantage, the only way to keep this advantage is to continue to innovate in a way that adds value to customers.

The ERP Quandry

The Information Systems blogs are flowing thick and fast !! This time we've been summoned to write on:

• Should companies adapt to ERP or should it be the other way around ?

The basic purpose of ERP is to have a central system that co-ordinates resource planning for the entire organization. In addition to handling resource allocation issues, this system can also be used for reporting purposes. That is, the finance and accounting department can use the system to calculate exact labour costs and the management of the company can use the reporting functions to monitor company performance and make accurate forecasts. However, quite often these systems have been quite expensive and difficult to use and they have also been accused of not delivering tangible value to the organization.

So who should be the one adapting ? Well, I think the key issue lies in choosing the right system for the organization. If the CIO and his team make the correct decision on the ERP system, there shouldn't be too much adapting required from either side. However, I also believe that what adapting there is to do in this case should be done by the software vendors and the people customizing it.

I do not believe in the "one-size-fits-all" type of ERPs. All organizations are different and choosing the ERP system that best fits your organization is a critical business decision that needs to be taken by the CIO. It is critical for the CIO to choose a system that will enhance the efficiency and productivity of the organization. If there do happen to be deficiencies in the solution, I think it is up to the CIO and the software vendor to enhance the system such that it meets the needs of the business and delivers value.

In conclusion, I think it is the ERP systems that should be made to adapt to organizations.

Till next time - caio.

Dell Hell.....

This week our Information Systems assignment is on Dell Hell. Basically, in July 2005, a blogger named Jeff Jarvis caused serious damage to Dell's reputation by blogging about his negative experiences. Basically, he bought a Dell computer which turned out to be a "lemon". Jeff had also purchased 4 years of premium support, but his experience with Dell's customer service was quite terrible.

Our assignment is to blog about what we would do if we were acting as the CEO of Dell.

The Dell business model is centered around keeping a low inventory and manufacturing personal computers (just in time) after the order for the computer has been made. Dell has also been very focused on giving the customer what they want. This has been through the product customization methodology which has enabled customers to customize a solution for their needs.

However, through the blogs of Jeff Jarvis, it has become evident that the company has not been placing sufficient resources on satisfying it's customers through quality customer service. As the average consumer replaces their personal computer every 3 years or so, customer service is critical in generating brand loyalty. Brand loyalty is essential in retaining customers and retaining customers is essential in sustaining sales over the long run.

In addition to this, negative publicity has driven negative market sentiment about the Dell stock and this has lead to a significant decline in the stock price.

Hence, my plan for resolving the situation would involve the following 3 components:

• Enhance the company strategy to ensure that the customer is not forgotten after the product has been delivered.

• Engage with customers using Web 2.0 technologies.

• Attempt to hire Jeff Jarvis as a Public Relations Officer.

I think it is critical that when such public relations disasters occur, the company under the spotlight reflects upon itself and makes the necessary changes to it's business. In this instance, it is quite clear that the customer service provided by Dell was not up to the mark. Hence I would attempt to try and make the mid-level managers and customer service professionals believe that long lasting customer service is indeed crucial for the long term sales of the business. I would attempt to do this by making a series of speeches that would be sent to our employees through the company's intranet. In addition to this, I would also make these speeches available on You Tube as this would show the world that we are changing.

Secondly, I would hire an IT service provider to deliver a system that would enable Dell to engage it's customers through Web 2.0 technologies. By that I mean that I would implement an online platform where users would be able to provide their thoughts on Dell and would be able to interact with other customers on their thoughts and experiences. They would also be most welcome to provide any ideas and solutions that they might have. In addition to this, I would also have a constant update on this platform mentioning how Dell is improving it's focus on customer service. I would also encourage my employees to blog about their experiences at Dell and I would encourage them to link their blogs to the new platform.

Finally, I would also attempt to hire Jeff Jarvis. Jeff has been hugely critical about Dell and he has also made some elementary suggestions. At one point he made a comment in jest where he said that he would provide additional services for a fee. I would take him up on this offer. I would also encourage him to continue blogging about Dell. As an employee, it would be his responsibility to improve the customer service of the company. Jeff's blog already has a lot of visibility and using his blog as a communication channel to send out positive messages about the company would definitely improve the image of the company in the eyes of the skeptics. I also think it would be in Jeff's best interest to blog positively about the changes in the company as this would make him appear to his followers as the "hero" who turned Dell around.

So, that is what I would do if I were running Dell during Dell Hell.......till next time, Caio.

MyFace and SpaceBoook

So here is another Information Systems related post, this time on where we think FaceBook will be in 2 years. For our last Information Systems class, we had the country head of Google Spain, Portugal and Turkey come into class and we had a very engaging discussion on Google, it's business model, strategy and challenges. The guest speaker was brilliant and very well spoken. For our next class, we have the country manager of FaceBook coming into class and hence we need to articulate our thoughts on where we think FaceBook will be in 2 years time.

The two issues that I have chosen to discuss are probably not overly surprising:

1. FaceBook's privacy issues and how they will be dealt with.
2. FaceBook's acceptance in conservative countries.

Lately, there has been an uproar in the online community about the privacy of information on FaceBook. After receiving a torrent of complaints over the last few months, FaceBook finally decided to change it's security settings page to enable users greater control over the privacy of the information they post on the site. Now the question is how this knee-jerk response will affect the business of FaceBook in the short and long run.

FaceBook's main source of revenue is online advertisements. Hence, FaceBook's revenue is directly dependent on the amount of traffic it generates and the amount of information people share. As people share more information, ads get more relevant, users increase their click-rate on these ads and FaceBook makes more money as a result. It seems as though the privacy concerns have caused a lot of people to complain about FaceBook but it certainly does not seem to have reduced the number of users on FaceBook. Reports suggest that the number of users on FaceBook is approaching 500 million. 500 million !!! If FaceBook were a country it would be bigger than the United States or Europe !!

So while privacy issues on FaceBook have been discussed heavily in the media, I don't think that they will cause a significant dent to the growth of FaceBook. Especially because I see the major growth of FaceBook happening in emerging economies and developing countries. And that brings me to my next point.

Bangladesh and Pakistan recently banned (and subsequently un-banned) Facebook. The objection in these countries was based around some caricatures drawn of the prophet mohammed. I must admit, out of curiosity I visited the FaceBook page that was causing all this uproar and the content there was so despicable I felt my skin crawl. I am not a muslim and I don't have any strong religious affiliations but I was still shocked to see the level of grime that some individuals are capable of.

Xenophobia should never be tolerated and FaceBook was right in moderating this content for Bangladesh and Pakistan. I feel that such content should be removed from the site and from the internet altogether, however, this does bring up a freedom of speech issue. One of the main drivers for the success of FaceBook is that it gives it's users a voice. Does FaceBook really have the right to control what people say ? If not, how will FaceBook penetrate markets like Pakistan, Bangladesh and of course, China ? For FaceBook to continue it's phenomenal growth rate, is it not essential for it to enter these markets ?

In summary, I think that FaceBook will continue to grow over the next 2 years but I am not convinced that the company will be able to sustain the growth rate of the last 1 year or so. I don't think that privacy issues will have a major curbing force on the growth rate of the company but I think acceptance and penetration in conservative countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and China will be the most critical driver of FaceBook's continued growth.

Finally, here are some personal thoughts on the evolution of social media. People of my generation can still remember life without the internet or even the personal computer. (Just to be clear, I am turning 27 this year, so Im no old prune....:)). People of the generation after me will not know what life is like without the internet. Perhaps, in the generation after that, people won't know what life without social network. The new trend of today, is likely to become the new normal very very soon......

Just Google it........

As promised, a post on Google this time. Essentially, our Information Systems professor has asked us to blog on the 3 main issues one would consider if they were going to invest in Google. Google has had quite a journey over the last 11 years, it has gone from being an internet start-up to being possibly the world's most information-rich organisation to being the center of a political row between two of the world's biggest economies. However, in my opinion, the 3 most pertinent business related issues for Google are:

• The data privacy and censorship problems faced by Google. In the past, these problems have directly translated into relationship issues with governments.

• Google's battle with Apple. In the past, titanic battles such as this one have shaped the structure of the technology universe.

• Google's ability to continue with it's creative culture as it matures.

Over the past few years, every so often, Google has run into issues with governments and government bodies regarding it's data privacy and censorship policies. I believe how Google handles these conflicts and how it adapts its products to appease the fears of various governments will be one of the keys of Google's continues success. More fiascos such as the "China-gate" in Jan 2010 will certainly be detrimental to the long term profitability of the company as it will begin to restrict Google's market share in various economies. Over the last week, Google has gotten itself into some hot soup......firstly it admitted that it has snooped information transmitted over unencrypted networks for a period of 3 years and then it refused to return sensitive information it collected using Street View to the German Authorities. It will be interesting to see how Google deals with these problems as it may be a pre-curser for how google is going to handle data privacy and censorship issues in the future....

Over the last year or so, two technology behemoths have been preparing for battle. In August last year, Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO, resigned from the Apple Board. A few months later Google launched the Nexus One Google phone, a product that is in direct competition with Apple's flagship product, the iPhone. In return Apple has made some strategic acquisitions (e.g. Quattro Wireless) aimed at claiming a share of the advertising pie. The two technology sub-sectors with the greatest appeal appear to be the smart-phone and the advertising market. If Google can conquer the Smart-Phone market, or if Apple can conquer the advertising market, Google or Apple could become the undisputed champion of the technology domain. So the stage is set for a gladiatorial fist-fight and I think the technology world is watching in anticipation.

Most technology companies are known to have flamboyant cultures, but I think in this regard, Google really stands out. Unlike the employees at Apple or Microsoft, Googlers have a free reign to pursue their passions in the company. It is this culture that enables Google to continue to attract top talent. Everyone knows about Google's 20% personal project initiative (employees can spend 20% of their time pursuing their own projects / interest). One other organizational trait that I find fascinating is that at Google, employees often interview their prospective manager !! Another fantastic organizational innovation is that at Google, technical employees can move up the ladder and can be compensated as well as (or better than) their business focused counterparts. This is a great structure as this prevents the technically gifted employees from being drawn to the business side. However, I have heard from my friends at google that there are people in the organization that are taking advantage of Google's laxness and the company culture is slowly changing as a result. Continued innovation is key to the continued success of Google and Google has to be able to foster innovation even with the new culture that is emerging in the company.

In summary I find Google a fascinating company but I would very carefully examine and contemplate the 3 issues above before I invest into the organization. (With a long term investment outlook).

Till next time - Caio.

I used the following sources for research:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10172146.stm

http://www.google.com/finance?q=NASDAQ:GOOG&fstype=ii

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8460129.stm

http://seekingalpha.com/article/207339-the-google-apple-race-can-google-buy-apple-competitiveness-can-apple-be-ad-giant?source=nasdaq20100527152556z_207339_sa&title=the-google--apple-race-can-google-buy-apple-competitiveness-can-apple-be-ad-giant

Brainstorming - Richard Branson style....

I came to IE with the intention of moving into Strategy Consulting and I viewed the Entrepreneurial Management subject as a subject that I had to do. While I am still 100% focused on Consulting (and I will write a post about the Consulting Club elections shortly), the Entrepreneurial Management subject has perhaps become my favourite subject. The idea here is to create a business, the better the business idea and the more realistic the business plan, the better your chances of getting a good grade.

In the MBA, we are divided into workgroups of 6 or 7 people. Each workgroup was given free reign on choosing whatever idea they wished. So we decided that each person in the group would come up with an idea and we would then discuss the merits of each idea and then choose the best one - little did we know this what an explosive cocktail our idea discussing method would be !!!

4 out of the 6 of us (including me) are reasonably similar in terms of personality. We are a bunch ambitious, driven, hard-headed and strong minded guys, and each of us fell in love with their own idea. And discussing the ideas caused a tremendous amount of friction in the team.......and the team meetings seemed to drag on forever as we discussed and re-discussed the merits of our ideas. Finally after about one and a half weeks of intense discussions we came to a semi-forced consensus. Pretty much because we had to. However, a couple of people in the group did not have belief in the idea and each criticism of the idea almost seemed like a personal attack on the idea's champion. This atmosphere of skepticism and lack of belief continued to be detrimental to the workings of the team, until last night........

Last night (Friday night) we decided to have a casual meeting on the topic at the pub "Lateral". We decided that despite the amount of time we have spent discussing/debating about ideas and the amount of time we spent working on the chosen idea the best of our options available was to start again. And this time we decided to come up with an idea "together". In my mind, this session was an outstanding success !!!! I reminded the group that Richard Branson came up with his first idea of the Virgin Business in a pub and wrote it down on a beer mat. Just like we were about to.

It was fascinating to see the group brainstorming about an idea together. I think we came up with some fantastic ideas. One person would mention a thought, someone would add to it, a third person would continue adding to it and eventually we would get the package of a strong idea....!!! We were working as one cohesive unit and we were leveraging on the strengths of each other - it was fascinating. At IE they said we will "Form, Storm, Norm and Perform"....Well we definitely had the Form and Storm.....and now we're Performing ....I'm delighted !!

I have come to view EM as a subject that pretty much ties together the concepts of all the different subjects. (In the 1st term we have 7 of them). We will be using concepts of quantitative analysis for forecasting sales and decision making, accounting for measuring profitability, marketing for understanding and reaching out to our customers, Organisational Systems for group cohesion and efficiency, Information Systems for making us visible and Economics for Market Sizing and testing demand. Im loving this.

I was extremely excited when I came home and I could not stop telling my housemate about what a fantastic session we had just had !!! Our pitch is due in less than a week - so I will let you know how our feasibility report and pitch presentation turns out.......but now its time to get back to the crunch...

By the way our next Information Systems assignment is to write a blog on Google, so you will be hearing for me pretty soon.

Till next time....

Hi, Im a PC......

Fasten your seatbelts, we're about to be taking off again..... This time we've been summoned to wax eloquently about the technology behemoth that is Microsoft by our charismatic Information Systems professor. By the way, we were requested to write this report without doing any specific research. So, here goes:

One of the most common phrases in today's business lexicon is "Change is the only constant in the world". Well, I think our friends at Microsoft would know all about that. A few years ago, from an outsider's point of view, it seemed as though Microsoft could do no wrong. The company and it's business environment seemed to be setup perfectly.

• In the operating systems space, the next competitor seemed lightyears behind. The windows juggernaut seemed to have conquered almost the entire market. Mac's OSX seemed to be reserved for freaks and the Linux / Unix Operating Systems seemed reserved for the nerds.

• Aside from the Operating Systems space, Microsoft's Internet Explorer was also by far the most utilized web browser on the planet.

• The Window's Mobile Operating System seemed to be on the cusp of becoming the next great technology invention. It seemed certain that we would all be carrying smart phones around that were powered by the big M.

• Of course, Microsoft's CEO was the richest person on earth and probably the most recognizable business tycoon in the world.

So, what happened ? How did this company, having attained the mystical throne of being the world's greatest technology company reach where it is today ? And where exactly is it today ?

In the cut-throat universe of technology, the moment you think about slowing down, the world around you changes so much that you're hardly able to recognize it. It seems to me as though Microsoft is a company that is finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of innovation set by it's rivals. Its rivals seem to be rapidly eating away it's lead in the various markets and in the eyes of the general public Microsoft now seems to be a slow moving organization wrapped up in red-tape.

I think Microsoft's road to here has been defined by the following:

• I believe that Apple has done a sensational job in catching up with Microsoft in the last 10 years or so. It appears that Apple was galvanized by the success of it's iPod and that it passed on this success to the other arms of it's business. In the student laptop market, my elementary research at IE shows that there are about as many Macs as there are PCs

• I also believe that Microsoft over-promised and under-delivered with Windows XP and that Windows Vista was a complete disaster for the business. The repeated delays in the release of Vista and the abundant issues in the final product desecrated the reputation of Microsoft.

• The appearance that Microsoft has been trying to emulate Apple in it's user interface has further damaged the reputation of the company.

So, where to from here ? Well, I think Microsoft might do well to take a look at the turnaround of another technology giant, IBM. Through the vision and leadership of a former McKinsey Consultant, Lou Grestner, IBM came back from near bankruptcy to once again being a revered global technology firm. To my knowledge IBM basically transitioned from being a company that sold servers and hardware to being one of the world's pre-eminent IT Services company. I certainly don't mean to say the state of Microsoft is anywhere near the state of IBM in the early 1990s, but perhaps Microsoft can take a leaf or two out of IBM's reinvention story.

On that note, I might love you and leave you but before I do, I am going to cave into temptation and post my favourite Mac vs PC ad:

Look me in the eyes

To me, this video is a constant source of inspiration:

"Square Square Square Square".......

Last weekend I was in Paris for the MBA Olympics and I have a few fantastic stories from that weekend that I would really like to blog about but before that I have a compelling urge to create a blog about four square and it's business model. (Ok - I admit, I need to write this blog as part of my Information Systems class).

For those that are not quite at the forefront of technological trends, four square is a new start-up technology company that enables users to "check-in" to locations and write reviews about locations. The locations can be restaurants, shops, bars, clubs or just general places of interest. The idea is that once a place has been checked-in and reviewed, people interested in viewing a review of a place can use four square to do so. People can use the application on mobile devices, hence people are able to view reviews for locations that are close to their current positions.

Four Square is typically a mobile application used on devices such as iPhones, Blackberrys, etc. However, the reviews generated from Check-Ins can be view online through the four square website. There are trends emerging that compensate frequent users with discounts in stores, bars and restaurants.

Basically, the major stakeholders involved in the four square's business sphere are:

1. End Users: This refers to the consumers that use the mobile four square application on their portable devices.
2. Customers: This will be the segment of the market that compensates four square for the services they provide. This is unlikely to be the end users. Once users are required to pay four square for using their services, the number of four square users is likely to decline.

At the moment, the value proposition provided to each of these groups is as follows:

Value for end users:

• End users are able to access customized information about places of interest close to their current location. If an end user wants to view the reviews of restaurants around a certain area, the user is able to do so while being on the move.
• Through the points structure currently setup on Four Square, users that gain a lot of points are awarded titles that implicitly give them bragging rights over their friends and peers. This is an incentive for users to continue using the application and "Checking In" at every possibility.
• A new trend has emerged where retailers, bar owners and restaurant owners are giving end users a direct financial benefit for their presence on four square. That is, a consumer with a four square title of "Mayor" is able to walk into a number of bars and is able to receive a first drink free, or a discount of some other kind.

Value for businesses:

• Business that provide goods and services to the end users of four square are able to benefit from the application by being able to gain data on their own customers. This data can be valuable for Goods and Services providers in making critical strategic decisions.
• Although not currently available, it is expected that four square will enable businesses to post customized advertisements on the mobile application. This will enable businesses to post specific advertisements to consumers through four square depending on the current location of the consumer.

Thus, it can be seen that four square can add value to two separate groups. However, the value that the application provides to end users does not seem to be compelling enough to justify a charge for using the application. If end users are forced to pay for using the application it is quite likely that they will seek to avoid using the application. However, since four square could help businesses increase their own revenue, it seems reasonable to charge the businesses.

At the moment, four square is still running on it's start up money, there are no major sources of revenue. However, four square might eventually be able to generate revenue from some of the following methods:

1. Four Square could charge businesses for placing advertisements on it's application. This is the most obvious method of generating revenue and this method is currently utilized by several applications designed for the iPhone.
2. Four Square could also charge businesses on a cost-per-checkin basis. This would be quite a unique charging model. In this model, an increase in the number of check-ins will increase the online visibility of the businesses. An increase in the online visibility of a business is likely to bring in a greater number of customers and this will also compensate four square accordingly.

Now, is four square the new golden child of the internet ? Well, that is a multi-million dollar question now, isn't it ? Personally I believe that four square needs to re-position it's offering in such a way that value delivered to end users is more compelling. At the moment, the odd free beer and some bragging rights do not seem enough of an incentive for the vast majority of people. While I feel that the localized search on places of interest is useful, four square is hardly the first application that tries to do this.

On the other hand, customized data on consumers is something that businesses in general would love to attain. In fact, I think they would be willing to pay good money to attain this data.

In conclusion, I feel that if four square is able to overcome some of it's early teething problems, it could very well be an extremely successful online business.

The download dilemma....

We were having a discussion in class about moral validity of MP3 downloads and it's impact on the music industry in general. There were a couple of people from the music industry in the class so we did get a bit of a "industry view". Essentially, there were 2 points of view:

1. Downloading of music from Peer to Peer networks is akin to stealing. Producers and artists should be compensated for their work. The general public, downloading music and other content from free sources is doing so on unethical and immoral grounds.
2. The current digital music distribution framework has been essential in providing a global voice to artists that would have been otherwise unknown. The large artists seem to be quite financially successful already. The producing companies need to re-invent their business models in order to adapt to the changing needs and usage patterns of the consumer.

Personally, I am in favor of the 2nd point of view. I believe that the producing companies need to adapt their ways of doing business and need to stop throwing their toys from their cots and crying foul. In my view success in business is intrinsically tied to one's ability to adapt to change (& lead the change process). In our time of existence, the rules of the game, whatever game, are constantly changing and they are changing at a faster rate than ever before.

The tactic of using corporate muscle to crush the free exchange of digital music is a knee-jerk reaction that has lasted a decade. I know it is quite cliche for me to post an online blog on the power and necessity for the free transfer of information. But one of my pet-peeves is watching bureaucracy and change-fobia stifle the road of the change agent.

Anyway, if you are still reading, my ramblings must have been somewhat interesting (even if they may be infuriating for some of you).

So till the next time something inspires me or grinds my gears - Caio.

Spain in Spring

It has been an eternity since I last posted on the blog, so I think its time to get it active once again. I have been in Spain for 2 months now, and the MBA is in full swing. I have had an amazing time so far but I think life is about to get a whole lot tougher....

For my first month or so, the optional Spainsh course provided by IE was the only item on my academic agenda. That automatically translated into a whole lot of fun and "networking" for an entire month. Discovering the nightlife in Madrid was certainly one of the many "culture shocks" I have experienced so far. Wrapping up a party at 5am equates to having an "early night" in Spain, bars dont get going till about 11-12 or so and the clubbing scene only starts at about 4am.

Along with the nightlife though, there was a lot of time spent discovering Madrid, it's snaking alleyways, regal museums and serene parks. Over the Easter holidays some friends and I managed to organise a road trip to the south of Spain. The experience there was stupendous .....Spain is a very Catholic country and festivals such as Easter are celebrated with gusto. Each city or town we visited had an extravagant parade composed of people dressed in what appeared to me as "KKK" costumes. Needless to say, the entire procession was completely peaceful and had no similarity to the aforementioned clan....

The MBA officially started on the 13th of April and by this time I had already been in Spain for a full 6 weeks. I was beginning to feel a great pang of guilt. I had been unproductive for far too long for my liking and I was eager to start challenging myself once again. For the first 2 weeks of the MBA, we had a program called LAUNCH. The LAUNCH program is basically a series of modules that foster Leadership, Teambuilding, Culutral Awareness and Creative Thinking. According to one of the professors at IE, other business schools dont really have a program similar to LAUNCH and LAUNCH is one of the things that differentiates IE. For the most part, I thought LAUNCH was useful, infact some of the classes were fascinating, but there were a couple of times when I could not really see the relevance of the exercise. The schedule for LANUCH though, was quite intense, usually starting at 9am and finishing at 8 or 9pm, and the whole thing made me feel somewhat productive again :).

Well at the moment, LAUNCH is finished and the grind has really begun. Many people who have done the MBA or are nearly finished with the MBA claim that this is the hardest they have ever worked in their life. I cant really make a comment on that right now, its still too early, but I am glad that I am challenging myself once again. I do expect that by the time the MBA is over, I would have redefined what my limits really are.

I am now about to make a resolution and announce it on this semi-public forum. One of the things they have told us here at IE is that if you announce your resolution, you are much more likely to stick to it. So, on that note, I resolve to blog once a week from here on until the end of the MBA....:).

Till next time - adios.

My first week in Madrid

Its been just over a week since I arrived in Madrid. So much has happened in the last week it almost feels like I have been staying here for a month.....

I finally got to meet quite a few of my fellow MBA classmates in person. They seem like a great bunch of people and I am quite hopeful that I will be able to make some very long lasting friendships in my time here....Of course the backgrounds of my classmates are very impressive, and it is quite obvious that many of my classmates are accustomed to working 70-80 hour weeks. However, for the moment everyone is very relaxed. We are currently only taking Spanish classes so my classmates are taking this opportunity to discover Madrid (especially the nightlife)........

I spoke very very basic Spanish before I got here and I have realised that one can actually get around Madrid with a basic knowledge of Spanish. Actually there are a few people here (non-professionals) who have been surviving in Spain for a number of years without actually being able to speak much Spanish...... Its funny how far a little bit of eye contact and some hand gestures can take you...

Of course, I know this is a fantastic opportunity to properly grasp another language and I intend to make every effort to learn Spanish properly.........Somehow I managed to get myself into the more advanced Spanish class.....and its quite an experience :). The teacher is very animated and he speaks almost exclusively in Spanish, and going to his class is a very entertaining experience .........I think my knowledge of Spanish is among the weakest in the class, but Im doing my best to keep up with the rest. I think I will learn a lot more in doing that than if I went to the less advanced class and I had knowledge of more of the material being taught.......However, it does feel like the teacher is moving at a 100 miles per hour so I always have to concentrate 100% (and frequently check my iPhone dictionary) in order to keep up......but its an invigorating experience and Im loving it......

On another note, I have found a great flat and I will be sharing it with some fellow IE MBA students. Its a very spacious flat, with 5 bedrooms, of which 3 are currently occupied. My flatmates are a very energetic and enthusiastic bunch.....I think I have made a great choice:)........Shortly there will be a couple of native Spanish speakers arriving and I think that would be a real boon as we will be able to practice our Spanish at home on a daily basis...

Its Saturday morning here, and I am going to be spending most of the weekend getting to know Madrid more intimately......

Till next time - adios.

Two sleeps to go ....

So the time has finally arrived. Two more sleeps before I head off to Madrid and undertake an opportunity of a lifetime !!

I have been on a bit of a sabbatical from work so I have had plenty of time to prepare for my departure. I have had a 3 month holiday, probably the longest holiday I will have for a very, very long time, sure am glad I gave myself such a long break before the MBA. I think I am going to need all the reserves of energy that I have accumulated....

The visa application process was quite tedious but thankfully all that has been sorted. For those of you looking to do your MBA in foreign countries, do remember to allocate plenty of time to the visa application procedure.

Well, my Spanish is not really where I thought it would be at this point. I am still only capable of holding some very very basic conversations. So getting around and getting things done in Madrid should be a nice challenge :). I've also heard that it is snowing in Madrid........You see in Australia one very rarely sees snow outside the ski resorts so the whole concept of snow in your backyard is a bit of novelty for me.

I think the whole experience would be tremendous and I cant wait to get stuck into the adrenalin charged, action packed, sleep deprived, eye-opening, life-changing, ego-building, ego-destroying, friendship forming & opportunity grasping MBA @ IE !!!

Adios.

Why I joined IE

A prospective MBA student asked me about IE recently, and I gave them a bit of a spiel on why I joined IE, etc. Since I have crystallized my thoughts on the matter, I might as well blog about it:

Hi XXX,

Well I am not officially part of the school as yet but I will be starting my MBA in April this year. I will be heading over to Madrid in a couple of weeks to attend the Spanish classes and pre-courses provided by the school.

In regards to the school, I think it would probably be best if I explained my reasons for choosing IE. I have a financial services technology background from Australia, and I've worked closely with a few blue chip companies. Post the MBA I am endeavoring to transition into Management Consulting, hopefully at a top 4 firm.

I decided to choose Europe for an MBA because I thought the perspective provided by the American schools was quite inwardly focused and the European MBAs provided more of a global experience. Also, I thought the return on investment was much better, as the cost, monetary and opportunity cost, was much lower.

In terms of consulting schools in Europe, I thought the best schools to consider were LBS, INSEAD and IE. I thought my 4 years experience was a bit short for IMD so I didnt apply there. I applied in a pretty tough application cycle (09) and I got waitlisted at LBS and INSEAD so I chose IE. I did consider HEC Paris but I decided against it because I thought the school was too French and did not quite have the diversity and the international flavour of IE. I also thought about Oxford / Cambridge but they are better known for fields outside of business, so I didnt apply there either.

In regards to job prospects, the Spanish economy is in a pretty poor state. However, I think the rest of Europe will be on a pretty steady road to recovery this year. I also believe that my best shot at a consulting career is in London, so it is likely I will be there after my MBA. IE has a very strong record of placing students in top consulting firms. When comparing with European schools IE is probably only second to INSEAD in this department.

Of course IE is also very strong in the Entrepreneurial and Corporate Social Responsibility fields.

Anyway, I hope my spiel above was helpful. I would be glad to help by recalling my experience in the INSEAD/LBS/IE interviews.

All the best with your MBA search.

Meeting my classmates online

Ok - so I have been procrastinating this whole blogging business for quite a while now. I thought it was time to get back into it.

I am about 4 weeks away from traveling to Madrid and starting my MBA. I have started talking to a few of my future classmates through Facebook and it has been great. Im looking forward to meeting this amazing group of people shortly.

I am currently reading a book called "Ahead of the curve - two years at Harvard Business School". Its written by an ex-journalist who is describing his time at Harvard. The professional backgrounds of the people I have met so far seem quite similar to the MBA class at Harvard. Probably the biggest difference being that there are less Investment Bankers at IE and a few more people with a general management background. Of course the class at IE is much more diverse than the class at HBS. The book is a great read, I would recommend it to anyone who is considering an MBA or is about to start an MBA - its very insightful.

Alright then, I'll sign off for now - back to the Spanish lessons.

Adios.