We are going through tough times. The whole world is in a crisis, financial markets are giving alarming signals, unemployment rate is rising, but life goes on for IMD participants! We are at the end of the first module, preparing for our exams, trying to get used to living with Covid-19, and working on our start-up projects!
With IMD’s start-up projects, we have been assigned into diverse groups with extremely tight deadlines to solve open-ended problems. It is a unique opportunity to gain insights into entrepreneurship. As Team Nucleus, we are working with TestingTime, a Swiss start-up based in Zurich that recruits test users. Our team’s goal is to develop strategic and analytical skills to help the company develop new business decisions.
IMD’s MBA program, and especially the start-up project, highlights the importance of working in diverse groups. Every day, I am intimidated by the intellect and poise of my fellow classmates. Every meeting is about sharing contrasting ideas and assessing the advantages and disadvantages. IMD challenges us to turn diversity into a competitive advantage.
Looking at the past two and a half months of my MBA, I have had time to “reflect” on certain things, especially what I wish I had known before starting my studies at IMD.
First of all, I wish I had known that an IMD MBA is a series of trade-offs. We each get 24 hours in a day (and those hours are certainly not enough for IMD students), and it is up to us how to use those precious hours. You can do anything, as long as you are willing to trade in order to do it.
Furthermore, I wish I had known that nobody has it figured out, and that we need to be ready to adapt. The rules are constantly changing, be it due to a recession or a pandemic. Some of my classmates are worried, and maybe we should all be. But we must remember that the most successful people are not those who have a plan, but those who can roll with the punches and defeat the impediments.
Now that I think of it, I don’t think it is a coincidence that we call ourselves the Mighty90! We needed the additional challenge to deserve the title. As the class of 2020, we will get through this and we will be stronger than ever.
Looking forward to the days we can enjoy sunsets at the local Lacustre bar again!
