I apologize for how long it has been since my last post-- promise to update more regularly!
I know I haven't posted for the first two months of the program, but I think that should kind of be reflective of what the workload is like here. A typical week looks something like working 14-16 hours a day, learning how to code on Codeacademy when you can spare an hour, preparing for seemingly constant networking events, getting ready for intense classes, and of course finding time to keep updated on world news, tech acquisitions... you see where I'm going.
The Hardest Part
To be honest, the hardest part about the Next 36 isn't even the workload (we type A personalities thrive in this type of environment anyway). The most challenging part of the Next 36 is starting a company with 2-3 people you never knew existed. The Next 36 takes 36 strangers, puts them in teams of 3-4, and says GO! Yikes, at least buy me a drink first. But seriously, it feels like marrying someone (till death or bankruptcy do us part) without ever having met them. If you don't work together you will die; that's all there is to it.
What I'm learning
I have never been so far out of my comfort zone, and I LOVE it! I definitely would not have called myself an Early Adopter pre-n36, but I've become so immersed in tech that I find myself reading about it everyday (TechCrunch, I salute you!), learning how to code, and signing myself up for technology conferences that demo flying cars and sentient robots! It's a change in myself that I'm so thankful for.
In the n36 you're also exposed to a whole new level of peers. Instead of spending Friday nights drinking, our cohort has Lighting Talks after we have dinner together every Friday. During these talks we each take turns speaking for 5 minutes about a topic we find really interesting or simply ridiculous and have 5-10 minutes of questions afterward; topics have ranged from Bitcoins and Excel sensitivity analyses to why Windsor is Canada's best kept secret or how to write a blog (how am I doing Joshua Liu?)
Can't escape academics
There is an academic portion to the program, my favourite of which is the Economics of Entrepreneurship class taught by Reza Satchu. Each week we do a case study where we must be prepared to eat or get eaten. We're purposely put against each other in order to facilitate debate and encouraged to disagree with each other. Each week there is an incredible guest speaker (many CEOs of Fortune 500s and even we've heard rumours that Kevin O'Leary will be on deck shortly) and at the end of class the speaker choses 3 people who can pitch their business and the speaker will spend one hour with that team. (Our team finally earned a chance to pitch and was awarded some time with Jeff Speak!) Eat or get eaten.
I have so much more I want to say-- but I'll save it for next time.
