Why starting a rural microfinance org is usually a bummer on H/S/W apps–what they really want instead
How does H/S/W treat people with unusual backgrounds such as mine?
Worked in IT company for 3 yrs, before moving on to working full-time for a rural microfinance org, that i founded in 2004, while at engineering school. Simultaneously working with mid-sized family business.
Was interviewed and dinged last year by Stanford. reapplicant at HBS.
Indian, male, age 26 soon, GMAT 710 software engineer
HMMMMM, AS YOUR RESULTS SHOW, THEY TREAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU BADLY. A LOT WOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER ORIG IT JOB WAS W. BLUE CHIP COMPANY, LIKE TATA OR MSFT, IF NOT, YOU WERE IN REAL TROUBLE TO BEGIN WITH B.C. H AND S DONT REALLY LIKE SOFTWARE DUDES. AS TO PART TWO OF YOUR STORY, MOVING ONTO RURAL MICROFINANCE ORG YOU FOUNDED + MID SIZE FAM BIZ—DUNNO, FACT YOU ARE DOING TWO THINGS, AND EACH MIDLY SUSPECT, WAS PROB. THE KILLER. DUNNO HOW TO SAY THIS, AND I HOPE I AM NOT INSULTING YOU, BUT IT SEEMS ABOUT EVERY OTHER KID IN INDIA (AND FEEL FREE TO CALL ME  A JERK FOR ASSUMING YOU ARE INDIAN, BUT MY PT IS ALSO TRUE IF NOT) HAS ‘FOUNDED’ A SCHOOL, CHARITY,OR RURAL MICROFINANCE ORG, AND I SAY, GREAT FOR ALL YOU GUYS, BUT THE PROB. IS, HBS/STAN/WHAR ETC HAS NO REAL WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THAT MEANS, THAT IS WHY THEY LIKE BRAND NAMES ON EVERY SINGLE PART OF YOUR APP. SCHOOLS, EMPLOYERS AND EXTRAS–BRAND NAMES ARE IDEAL. YOU DONT NEED EVERY PART TO HAVE BRAND NAMES, BUT IN YOUR CASE, WE GOT YOU LEAVING AN IT COMPANY TO DO SOMETHIG THAT COULD SOUND SEMI BOGUS TO THEM, HELPING OUT W. FAMILY BIZ. THE ONLY FAM. BIZ THEY LIKE ARE BIG ONES. NOT TO SAY THAT KIDS DONT GET IN FR. MID SIZE FAM BIZ BUT IT IS A NEGATIVE. CAN BE OVERCOME, BUT A NEGATIVE. IF ANY ADCOM SAYS DIFF. TELL THEM SANDY SAYS, ‘LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE.’Â
TO THE EXTENT YOU THINK ABOVE REMARKS DO NOT APPLY TO YOU, E.G. YOUR RURAL MICROFINANCE WASÂ A BIG DEAL, WELL, YOU GOTTA PROVE IT, REALLY PROVE IT W. METRICS AND BOARD MEMBERS AND OUTCOMES.
ALL THAT SAID, REAPP AT HBS SEEMS DIM SINCE NOTHING CHANGED –IF STAN LIKED YOU ENUF TO INTERVIEW LAST YEAR, WELL MAYBE. WHARTON TAKES GUYS LIKE YOU, BUT GPA AND SCHOOLING AND PEDIGREE ALSO COUNT.
