Personally Speaking

Lessons that last beyond Stanford

In our final episode, we reflect on the biggest lessons Stanford taught us - not just in academics, but in building real connections that keep us growing as young professionals. From turning a simple book club into this podcast, to leaning on our network for career pivots and support during remote work, we’ve learned that staying curious and connected is key to thriving in any stage of life.

Stanford gave us grit, confidence, and a community that’s helped us tackle challenges long after graduation. While personal finance wasn’t on the curriculum (that’s why we made this podcast!), everything else - from teamwork to lifelong learning - prepared us for whatever comes next. Thanks for being part of the journey, and we can’t wait to keep sharing what really matters.

Mastering the Art of “Me Time” at Stanford

Graduate school was a whirlwind, juggling classes, clubs, and everything in between, but one of the biggest lessons we learned was how to actually value our own time. In this episode, we share how we carved out moments for fun and self-care amidst the chaos. From late-night chicken wing feasts to surprising hobby classes, those small escapes helped keep us sane and thriving in the Stanford bubble.

Ever wanted to hit snooze on life but somehow rolled out of bed and kept going?

Today, we’re diving into grit - those moments at Stanford when we had to push through self-doubt, sleepless hackathons, and all the chaos in between just to get results. We’ll share our stories of feeling overwhelmed, wrestling with imposter syndrome, and how those tough experiences ended up teaching us what grit really means.

Ever wondered why some group projects feel like a sprint and others a marathon?

At Stanford, we quickly learned that grad school wasn’t a solo game. It was all about teaming up. In this episode, we dive into our first encounters with group projects, the ups and downs of collaboration, and how working with classmates from wildly different backgrounds pushed us out of our comfort zones.

From startup simulations to late-night study sessions, we share stories of synergy, struggle, and the surprising ways teamwork made us better learners and doers.

Feeling like a fraud at Stanford

Imposter syndrome hit us hard at Stanford, from the moment we got accepted to juggling tough classes surrounded by brilliant peers. In this episode, we share how we battled self-doubt, found strength in asking for help, and learned that everyone’s journey looks different.

Join us as we unpack this common struggle and how it shaped our growth - both on campus and beyond.

Stanford’s secret sauce: the people

At Stanford, the real education came from the people, not the lectures. In this episode, we share how our peers pushed us to take risks, explore new paths, and build things we never thought possible (like this podcast)!

From late-night hackathons to bold career pivots, we reflect on the power of being surrounded by motivated, curious, and courageous classmates - and how those everyday conversations became the real turning points.

Lecture? That’s just the starting point.

At Stanford, lectures were only the beginning. The real magic happened outside the classroom. In this episode, we unpack how we learned just as much (if not more!) from office hours, group study sessions, hackathons, and late-night problem set battles.

From Valentine's Day spent debugging at a hackathon to building second “degrees” from YouTube and peer networks, we share all the unconventional ways we leveled up - even when the lectures didn’t quite click. We also reflect on how being surrounded by scrappy, resourceful people changed the way we approach learning, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Whether you’re in school, starting your career, or figuring out how to learn on your own, this episode is a reminder that the best lessons often come after class ends.

Why is everyone in the Bay Area building a startup?!

At Stanford, it wasn’t weird to pitch a startup idea over coffee, meet a VC person at a class dinner, or join a group project that turned into a real company. In this episode, we reflect on the energy of being surrounded by builders - classmates, professors, and even strangers at the next table in Palo Alto - and how that culture shaped the way we think about ideas, execution, and taking risks.

We talk about our favorite entrepreneurial classes, fellowships, and wild opportunities that could only happen in the Bay Area, like casually grabbing lunch with a Fortune 500 exec or presenting a startup pitch to real investors. Whether you're dreaming up your next project or just love hearing how others build things, this one’s for you.

Is "interdisciplinary" just a buzzword? Not at Stanford.

This is episode 2 of our 10-part series on the lessons Stanford taught us - and today we're diving into what it actually means to take interdisciplinary classes at a place like Stanford.

From engineering and business to ballet, public speaking, and design thinking, we each share how we explored wildly different subjects during our time in the MS&E program - and how that freedom shaped both our grad school experience and our personal growth. We also talk about what drew us to Stanford, how flexible the program really is, and why some of us rushed through in a year while others stayed to soak it all in.

Turns out, a dance class might teach you just as much as a data science one.

Ever wondered how to give your manager feedback?

In this episode we talk about the concept of 'managing up'—a crucial skill to foster career growth. We discuss personal experiences with manager changes and strategies for adapting to different communication styles, as well as tactical advice like staying organized, using structured agendas for one-on-ones, and regularly seeking feedback.

Shownotes:

00:00 Introduction and Hosts

00:32 Understanding 'Managing Up'

02:11 Personal Stories of Manager Changes

04:43 Tips for Effective Communication with Managers

13:17 Career Check-ins and Self-Advocacy

24:46 Navigating Team and Company Culture

34:32 Final Thoughts and Additional Tips