February 9, 2022
Recently, I was going through my archives and came across this reflection I wrote on the altMBA experience. I wrote it down in October, 2019.
The altMBA experience was epic and stretched me for sure.
As you know, I have a background in Analytics and cybersecurity. However, I recently registered my consulting company, Eikon Labs LLC as a vehicle for my Agile product/project management and web development engagements.
My plan is to build this out and hire linchpins for different areas of the business.
It has the trappings of a distributed company and as such, we will all work remotely.
I have consulted here and there but the altMBA was an inflection point for me as I decided to build it out as an actual business. Through the altMBA program, I got valuable tools to cycle through business models and really get from inception to execution a lot faster.
A came across several altMBA students with location-independent models and this resonated with me.
Consequently, I am looking to move to a similar work model so my life is not built around going into a physical location for my 9 - 5. I am looking at impactful companies that are not satisfied with the status quo and care deeply for those whom they serve.
It was pretty eye-opening for me to see that these companies indeed exist and that the world is teeming with possibilities - if you'll only change your frame.
It was a bit of a realization that I have been making all kinds of silly excuses about constraints and having my own formal business. We all have the fear but dance with that tension and ship anyway.
Would I have come to this realization without the altMBA?
Maybe, eventually.
However, with the tools and techniques learned - not to mention the palpable energy from others making a ruckus, I was able to make ship happen :)
More context on where I am:
Current role: Product Owner - Cyber Security Analytics @ American Express
I am most excited about the prospects of connecting dev teams with business folk and acting as the middle man - speaking to both groups.
I also enjoy digging into data to tell stories.
I get excited about connecting with others and feel pretty satisfied when I help make an impediment go away for a team.
I prefer simplicity to bloated nonsense and really that is the crux of how I like to work to build products and ship.
I am ever curious and enjoy the aspects of my work that allow me to research and find new ways of doing things.
While I am a bit critical of the boxes personality assessments put people in, some are pretty neat. I did a creative type things and was matched with the Visionary.
If you dig that sort of thing, here it is > Visionary