MBET Blog
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Un-freaking-believable
So I read USA Today this morning as I ate breakfast. Not one drop of ink devoted to the Canadian election. Lots of stuff on the handover of power in Iraq though. That's important, sure, but a couple of column-inches on the US' biggest trading partner? Is that too much to ask?
So I read USA Today this morning as I ate breakfast. Not one drop of ink devoted to the Canadian election. Lots of stuff on the handover of power in Iraq though. That's important, sure, but a couple of column-inches on the US' biggest trading partner? Is that too much to ask?
Monday, June 28, 2004
Hello, San Francisco!
Greetings from JavaOne.
Someone asked what I'm speaking about... I'm actually an "alternate" speaker which means I only get to present in person if someone else doesn't show up. I do get to record my words of wisdom though and I'll be archived with all the other non-alternative speakers. I hate flying more each time I do it - so boring. Air Canada played a film about a dwarf who moves into an abandoned train station. Really - who chooses this stuff? On the up side, I get to jog in the hilliest city I know of which should make for a good workout.
My session is TS-1401, "Bridging The J2EE[tm] Performance Gaps". Sound exciting? Oh, you hardly even know how much so. It's about planning your performance tuning strategy to make sure that you get the data you need to make effective changes in your J2EE apps. Shivers up the spine. That kind of stuff.
The job hunt continues apace although I don't have anything yet. Resume mailouts continue this week. 603 and 604 presentations need to get finished. I am nearly out of money... my stash has lasted exactly the amount of time required. Changes loom large.
Greetings from JavaOne.
Someone asked what I'm speaking about... I'm actually an "alternate" speaker which means I only get to present in person if someone else doesn't show up. I do get to record my words of wisdom though and I'll be archived with all the other non-alternative speakers. I hate flying more each time I do it - so boring. Air Canada played a film about a dwarf who moves into an abandoned train station. Really - who chooses this stuff? On the up side, I get to jog in the hilliest city I know of which should make for a good workout.
My session is TS-1401, "Bridging The J2EE[tm] Performance Gaps". Sound exciting? Oh, you hardly even know how much so. It's about planning your performance tuning strategy to make sure that you get the data you need to make effective changes in your J2EE apps. Shivers up the spine. That kind of stuff.
The job hunt continues apace although I don't have anything yet. Resume mailouts continue this week. 603 and 604 presentations need to get finished. I am nearly out of money... my stash has lasted exactly the amount of time required. Changes loom large.
Friday, June 25, 2004
Screwing the Pooch
I am going to cut class all next week. Go me.
I have a good reason though - I'm presenting at JavaOne as an "alternate" speaker. Which means I have to write a talk but only get to give it if someone else doesn't show up. But I get to see the sessions and netowrk and hopefully find some job leads.
I am going to cut class all next week. Go me.
I have a good reason though - I'm presenting at JavaOne as an "alternate" speaker. Which means I have to write a talk but only get to give it if someone else doesn't show up. But I get to see the sessions and netowrk and hopefully find some job leads.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Daylilies. I don;t know whether this is new (where "new" for me is within the last 15 years) but there are a lot of daylilies planted on campus and they;re all about to come into bloom. I'll try to take a real picture of them when they pop open in the next week or so.
Posted by Hello
Strategy Test
So, for the strategy test, we have th play Diplomacy for three hours. The winner gets an A and everyone else gets a C.
That might actually be more fun than reality, which is a three-hour case-based strategic audit. Not only is it open book, but we get to use the internet as well providing we don't chat with each other online. I take this as the ultimate sign that there is nothing that can help me on this test.
Speaking of ultimate, we then have an ultimate frisbee game at 5 PM sharp, which is exactly when our test ends. More of a tactics and execution test there.
Finally, today Howard and his son (who is a prof at Laurier) took on all comers at squash today and soundly trounced everyone. Tim was the only MBET student to have the gumption to show up but Howard shut down a total of seven students. The students didn't quite get the required nine points to win a game between the lot of them apparently. Howard was only prevented from entering some sort of national squash tournament this year (again) because he fell off his roof in the fall. Apparently a 30-foot fall can take the wind out of you. So next year's squash sharks, watch out.
So, for the strategy test, we have th play Diplomacy for three hours. The winner gets an A and everyone else gets a C.
That might actually be more fun than reality, which is a three-hour case-based strategic audit. Not only is it open book, but we get to use the internet as well providing we don't chat with each other online. I take this as the ultimate sign that there is nothing that can help me on this test.
Speaking of ultimate, we then have an ultimate frisbee game at 5 PM sharp, which is exactly when our test ends. More of a tactics and execution test there.
Finally, today Howard and his son (who is a prof at Laurier) took on all comers at squash today and soundly trounced everyone. Tim was the only MBET student to have the gumption to show up but Howard shut down a total of seven students. The students didn't quite get the required nine points to win a game between the lot of them apparently. Howard was only prevented from entering some sort of national squash tournament this year (again) because he fell off his roof in the fall. Apparently a 30-foot fall can take the wind out of you. So next year's squash sharks, watch out.
Friday, June 18, 2004
Seven Reasons Why the API War is Not Lost After All
Seven Reasons Why the API War is Not Lost After All
So if I blogged Joel's article, then I should blog the rebuttal as well.
Seven Reasons Why the API War is Not Lost After All
So if I blogged Joel's article, then I should blog the rebuttal as well.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Joel on Software - How Microsoft Lost the API War
Another great article from Joel. This one, however, is really apropos because it's really about Microsoft's strategic management of its technology.
Also, it reiterates something I've been going on about for years - that garbage collection is a good thing. No - it's better than that. It's just about the second coming. To quote, "in almost every case, automatic memory management is superior to manual memory management and results in far greater programmer productivity."
This is why Java took off - not because people love Sun or because they hate Microsoft or anything irrelevant like that. They love Java because it's a productive tool. Microsoft's CLR/managed code architecture that underlies C#, VB.NET and everything else .NET uses garbage collection and it seems like people inside MS are loving it. Well, at least they're using it.
Another great article from Joel. This one, however, is really apropos because it's really about Microsoft's strategic management of its technology.
Also, it reiterates something I've been going on about for years - that garbage collection is a good thing. No - it's better than that. It's just about the second coming. To quote, "in almost every case, automatic memory management is superior to manual memory management and results in far greater programmer productivity."
This is why Java took off - not because people love Sun or because they hate Microsoft or anything irrelevant like that. They love Java because it's a productive tool. Microsoft's CLR/managed code architecture that underlies C#, VB.NET and everything else .NET uses garbage collection and it seems like people inside MS are loving it. Well, at least they're using it.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
BTW
BTW, the "stop asking me questions" bit was rhetorical - I really like readers asking me question because it helps me find things to say that I might not have thought of. I just don't have answers to some questions.
BTW, the "stop asking me questions" bit was rhetorical - I really like readers asking me question because it helps me find things to say that I might not have thought of. I just don't have answers to some questions.
Tough like blade steak
So I got a tough question today here on the ol' blog...
I really should have a good answer to that. I'm not sure if I do. So instead you get the non-good answer.
(Aside: in annual reports they often refer to "other than temporary decline in value" which I've discovered is a euphemism for "our investements have gone into the shitter".)
Has MBET opened more opportunities... hm. Maybe? Opportunities are where you make them. I have not had VC firms harassing me to join them as an analyst or to give me money. No one has called me to give me a PM job. I think I'll do a better job as a PM when and if I get a job but that remains to be seen.
Honestly, if you want a job guarantee, go to Queen's. Sorry CBET, but it's true - UW's career services department is 105% oriented towards pimping out 3rd and 4th year CS & engineering students. They deal with 1st and 2nd year students because they have to and they have a canned process that they can punch out. They deal with other types of students because they have to. But it's not like the placement office of a mature b-school which has employers lined up and a lot of tools to help you figure out what you should do with your life. MBET is new so maybe this is just the way it goes but anyone coming here should understand that this isn't Queen's, Ivey or even Mac. It's Waterloo and it's different.
Has it added value? I hope so. I really don't know. I know a guy who worked in Microsoft Research for a while who said he never used anything he learned in undergrad (computer engineering). Personally I don't think he's right, but it's tough to draw a straight line from the classroom to the boardroom.
So sorry if this doesn't come off as glowing. I'm pretty close to landing a job but it's a job that's 75% the same as my previous job. So why am I here? Hm. Stop asking me all these damn questions.
So I got a tough question today here on the ol' blog...
Hey, On your 02/22/04 blog you mentioned that you worked as Product Manager at a software company. Considering your significant experience prior to Waterloo, do you feel like MBET has opened up more opportunities, or added more value to your career?
I really should have a good answer to that. I'm not sure if I do. So instead you get the non-good answer.
(Aside: in annual reports they often refer to "other than temporary decline in value" which I've discovered is a euphemism for "our investements have gone into the shitter".)
Has MBET opened more opportunities... hm. Maybe? Opportunities are where you make them. I have not had VC firms harassing me to join them as an analyst or to give me money. No one has called me to give me a PM job. I think I'll do a better job as a PM when and if I get a job but that remains to be seen.
Honestly, if you want a job guarantee, go to Queen's. Sorry CBET, but it's true - UW's career services department is 105% oriented towards pimping out 3rd and 4th year CS & engineering students. They deal with 1st and 2nd year students because they have to and they have a canned process that they can punch out. They deal with other types of students because they have to. But it's not like the placement office of a mature b-school which has employers lined up and a lot of tools to help you figure out what you should do with your life. MBET is new so maybe this is just the way it goes but anyone coming here should understand that this isn't Queen's, Ivey or even Mac. It's Waterloo and it's different.
Has it added value? I hope so. I really don't know. I know a guy who worked in Microsoft Research for a while who said he never used anything he learned in undergrad (computer engineering). Personally I don't think he's right, but it's tough to draw a straight line from the classroom to the boardroom.
So sorry if this doesn't come off as glowing. I'm pretty close to landing a job but it's a job that's 75% the same as my previous job. So why am I here? Hm. Stop asking me all these damn questions.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
CareerLeader-Home
CareerLeader
In case you have no clue what you want to do after you graduate, you could check out CareerLeader and it'll help you asses which sort of MBA-type jobs you'd be good at. Apparently lots of major US B-schools use it.
CareerLeader
In case you have no clue what you want to do after you graduate, you could check out CareerLeader and it'll help you asses which sort of MBA-type jobs you'd be good at. Apparently lots of major US B-schools use it.
Friday, June 11, 2004
Busy
I haven't posted much lately except somewhat excessively corporate-sounding stuff about the program and school. I need a bit of a head-break between writing assignment though so here I am.
I'm busy. I spent the last few weekends hanging out with my family so I was kind of behind. I'm getting caught up now. There are two assignments due next week and one the week after that and they're all mor ethan enough work.
The job hunt is going well. I had a second interview on Wednesday and I get "the call" sometime today. We'll see. It seems like an interesting place to work. It fits my experience and abilities pretty well I think. I worry about the salary thing but I expect it will work out. Pragmatic Marketing runs a salary survey for PMs every year and if I make the average for Canadian PMs that'll be fine by me. Here's to hoping my future employer isn't reading that. If you are, I deserve to make more than average.
School is wierd because of its very time-delineated nature. You lose some steam in the third term because you know it's coming to an end. I mean, I could work my ass off but it's still going to end. So why kill yourself? And if you've slacked off in the first part it's unlikely you're going to start going all-out now.
Anyhow, back to biodiesel, tradeshow tactical marketing plans and maybe a little bit of Aether analysis.
I haven't posted much lately except somewhat excessively corporate-sounding stuff about the program and school. I need a bit of a head-break between writing assignment though so here I am.
I'm busy. I spent the last few weekends hanging out with my family so I was kind of behind. I'm getting caught up now. There are two assignments due next week and one the week after that and they're all mor ethan enough work.
The job hunt is going well. I had a second interview on Wednesday and I get "the call" sometime today. We'll see. It seems like an interesting place to work. It fits my experience and abilities pretty well I think. I worry about the salary thing but I expect it will work out. Pragmatic Marketing runs a salary survey for PMs every year and if I make the average for Canadian PMs that'll be fine by me. Here's to hoping my future employer isn't reading that. If you are, I deserve to make more than average.
School is wierd because of its very time-delineated nature. You lose some steam in the third term because you know it's coming to an end. I mean, I could work my ass off but it's still going to end. So why kill yourself? And if you've slacked off in the first part it's unlikely you're going to start going all-out now.
Anyhow, back to biodiesel, tradeshow tactical marketing plans and maybe a little bit of Aether analysis.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Peter Drucker and Innovation
Peter Drucker and Innovation
A summary of Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker which Prof Fader is talking about in strategy class right now...
Peter Drucker and Innovation
A summary of Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker which Prof Fader is talking about in strategy class right now...
Monday, June 07, 2004
Second place is a set of steak knives
Starting today we have a three-part, ten-hour sales course. It's good stuff - much of it is basic best practices but as the old joke goes "common sense" isn't that common. The course is being run by Market Access. Neat stuff.
Starting today we have a three-part, ten-hour sales course. It's good stuff - much of it is basic best practices but as the old joke goes "common sense" isn't that common. The course is being run by Market Access. Neat stuff.
Home Sweet Home
So another question popped up:
So, by this I assume that some people coming next year have never been to Waterloo before. You might want to check UW's Housing & Residence site. It has info on both on- and off-campus housing. If you're coming from out of province (or another country!) I think you might be better off trying to land a residence spot. The best bet would be to go for the grad-student-only residences like Columbia Lake or Minota Hagey. Residences are a bit more expensive but they're convienent and your landlord will never show up drunk or forget to turn the furnace on. Neither of these residences provide food services so I assume you can cook for yourself. Don't expect to eat on campus for a year here... Food Serivces tries hard, but I wouldn't eat it more then once or twice a week.
There are lots of off-campus housing options and they get easier to find as the year progresses. Fall is the toughest term as Waterloo has the most students on-campus then. In the winter you can find a sublet easily and in the summer you can get a room as cheap as $400 for the whole term. Even though many Waterloo students rotate through campus every four months most landlords make people sign 12-month leases. There are lots of rooms within walking distance from campus so you probably won't need a car. You might want a car but with gas at about 90 cents a litre you may not want to drive anyway. Walking to school during the winter term is pretty miserable but contrary to the news reports winter in Canada does not, in fact, last forever.
I, personally, live with my mother-in-law when I'm here during the week. Insert smiley here. Obviously this solution isn't for everyone. I lived in residence and off-campus as an undergrad and there are pros and cons to each. In Waterloo, however, each is pretty good and as long as the place is clean you should be happy.
So another question popped up:
Any suggestions on living arrangments for future students? On-campus or off-campus? Are off-campus apartments walking distance, cheaper? Will I need a car if I live off-campus?
So, by this I assume that some people coming next year have never been to Waterloo before. You might want to check UW's Housing & Residence site. It has info on both on- and off-campus housing. If you're coming from out of province (or another country!) I think you might be better off trying to land a residence spot. The best bet would be to go for the grad-student-only residences like Columbia Lake or Minota Hagey. Residences are a bit more expensive but they're convienent and your landlord will never show up drunk or forget to turn the furnace on. Neither of these residences provide food services so I assume you can cook for yourself. Don't expect to eat on campus for a year here... Food Serivces tries hard, but I wouldn't eat it more then once or twice a week.
There are lots of off-campus housing options and they get easier to find as the year progresses. Fall is the toughest term as Waterloo has the most students on-campus then. In the winter you can find a sublet easily and in the summer you can get a room as cheap as $400 for the whole term. Even though many Waterloo students rotate through campus every four months most landlords make people sign 12-month leases. There are lots of rooms within walking distance from campus so you probably won't need a car. You might want a car but with gas at about 90 cents a litre you may not want to drive anyway. Walking to school during the winter term is pretty miserable but contrary to the news reports winter in Canada does not, in fact, last forever.
I, personally, live with my mother-in-law when I'm here during the week. Insert smiley here. Obviously this solution isn't for everyone. I lived in residence and off-campus as an undergrad and there are pros and cons to each. In Waterloo, however, each is pretty good and as long as the place is clean you should be happy.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Interesting stuff on applying Ries & Trout's "22 Laws" to the software industry.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing
Interesting stuff on applying Ries & Trout's "22 Laws" to the software industry.
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Questions, meet Answers. Answers, Questions.
The preceding photo was taken by the graphics people here at UW for use in promotional materials. So I hope my blog counts as promotional material insofar as it keeps me from getting sued.
Yet another question appeared...
So, first, the schedule. We've had Fridays all three terms. There have occasionally been things scheduled on Fridays but not often. This term (term 3) we also have most (but not all) Tuesdays free. Where free means that you go do more work but there's no scheduled classes. We start roughly at 9AM most days and end anywhere from lunch to 5PM. It varies. There is a lot of work to do so the time is not wasted by any means. Plus there usually still enough time to head to the gym or squeeze in a game of ultimate.
As for English, it's my first language I think that most of the foreign students here have had enought time to improve their English... I think they speak a little better than at the beginning of the year at least. I think there are clubs for non-native English speakers to practice as there are certainly lots of foreign students at UW in general. There was a guy in my swim training class yesterday who's on exchange from Switzerland.
So, my general comment is that the schedule this year has been busy but not too busy to squeeze a few other things in here and there.
The preceding photo was taken by the graphics people here at UW for use in promotional materials. So I hope my blog counts as promotional material insofar as it keeps me from getting sued.
Yet another question appeared...
Thank you Ethan. It's a relief to hear your comments. Before I go, please let me ask you something else. Can you give me an idea on how is the MBET classes schedule during the day?. Only mornings?. From 9am to 4pm all days?. It would depend on the term aims?.
I will be coming from South America and I am thinking in taking some classes in parallel to improve my English. Do you think MBET would provide me some room to do it?.
So, first, the schedule. We've had Fridays all three terms. There have occasionally been things scheduled on Fridays but not often. This term (term 3) we also have most (but not all) Tuesdays free. Where free means that you go do more work but there's no scheduled classes. We start roughly at 9AM most days and end anywhere from lunch to 5PM. It varies. There is a lot of work to do so the time is not wasted by any means. Plus there usually still enough time to head to the gym or squeeze in a game of ultimate.
As for English, it's my first language I think that most of the foreign students here have had enought time to improve their English... I think they speak a little better than at the beginning of the year at least. I think there are clubs for non-native English speakers to practice as there are certainly lots of foreign students at UW in general. There was a guy in my swim training class yesterday who's on exchange from Switzerland.
So, my general comment is that the schedule this year has been busy but not too busy to squeeze a few other things in here and there.
