Ivy App Success

This week I am trying a system of productivity that is based out of simplicity.

1. I use Notepad to list my daily tasks.
– Notepad has no fancy options on text, paragraphs, etc.
2. I list out different sections:

- A. Focused On Now
- B. Week Focus
- C. Top 3 To Dos
- D. Minor tasks
- E. Accomplished today

3. Reasoning:

- A. Focused On Now

– So I focus on only one task at a time

- B. Week Focus

– So I know my goals. I usually have about 4 listed

- C. Top 3 To Dos

– So I get done the most important 3 things of the day (circa 4 Hour Work Week)

- D. Minor tasks

– Emails, etc. that should get done today

- E. Accomplished today

– So I know that I’m actually building my company, moving forward towards my goals, and accomplishing the important things.

4. Summary

It’s only been a week so far but I feel as though the simplicity of my to-do list has increased my overall productivity and focus. And as you can see from this post,
the simplicity of Notepad has also seeped into other parts of my day as well (this blog post was written in Notepad).

“They [champion sales professionals] understand that God gave us two ears and one mouth and that those two organs should be used in that proportion.”

- How to Master the Art of Selling, by Tom Hopkins

During my ASW visit to Tuck, a second year student told me that sales was an under-taught topic at Tuck school of business. How could sales, one of the most important part of business, be not taught? The MBA application process – and MBA academic process – is about selling and marketing you.

When would sales skills be most valuable?

• During the interview process
• In discussions with current students, recommendors, and alum
• When you get accepted and need an internship or job
• At your job
• Throughout the rest of your life

I highly recommend reading How to Master the Art of Selling if you want a basic understanding.

Tuck Admitted School Weekend (ASW)

I just returned from Tuck’s Admitted Student Weekend and these are my takeaways from the Tuck experience:

• Students don’t like Tuck, they love it
• Tuck has a very diverse student body (over 30%)
• The outdoor opportunities are amazing. If you like the outdoors, Tuck should be #1 on your list by a long-shot
• Professors are very accessible during the year to students but take a vacation during ASW
• Alumnae support – in the form of giving and helping current students find jobs – is probably the best of any MBA program. 60% + of the alumnae give back to Tuck, which is #1 in % of giving (Stanford is 2nd)
• The core curriculum is very hard and required in the first year (only 2 electives in your first year)
• Most single students live in the dorms their first year
• The facilities are sooo nice. There are fire places within the buildings

I just finished Rework from the 37Signals guys, and I took a few things from their book about business and MBA applications:

1. Pour yourself into everything you do (essays/product/service/marketing)
   1. For IAS  that means less words and less marketing style copy, simple blogs, action oriented information, and simple # of products
   2. For applicants that means keep it real, write from the heart, and tell adcom your real short and long-term goals
2. Build an audience
   1. For IAS that means writing more blogs about business school and just business
   2. For applicants that means contacting adcom, students, and alum
3. Show behind the scenes and imperfections
   1. For IAS that means talking about our future ideas, our people, where we (or just me) wants to go with my company
   2. For applicants that means talking about your imperfections unapologetically, joking about them in interviews and using them as strengths rather than weaknesses
4. Don’t copy
   1. For IAS that means not doing hourly services (which I don’t like because we want to be a team), it means not writing the same old posts about just applications, and it means building the company in new and cool directions.
   2. For applicants it means not writing a generic essay because you heard it’s the right thing to do, it means not following everything you read on the forums, and it means thinking outside the box to get noticed.