10 Takeaways from the 10-Year Reunion at INSEAD

What does life 10 years out of business school look like

Dear subscribers,

Before I left for my 10-year reunion at INSEAD, we published two interesting episodes on Network Capital. One by MIT professor Zeynep Ton and the other by one of my mentors Anoop Prakash who led Harley-Davidson when I interned there during my MBA. You might enjoy watching/listening to them.

I didn’t have too much work experience when I went to business school. My GMAT score and differentiated profile with strong extra-curricular activities helped me get a spot along with some scholarships. Post-MBA life has been good so far. I have enjoyed building a career that is conventional in some ways and fairly unconventional in others. Overall, life is good and INSEAD is part of the reason why. Today’s newsletter isn’t about the merits of a top MBA program. I want to reflect on what life looks like 10 years out. To write this, I will draw upon what I witnessed this weekend in Fontainebleau, a charming town in France where INSEAD is located. It was Napoleon’s home for a while.

Remember this image from our podcast on the ethics of sulking? The image is of Napoleon at Chateau de Fontainebleau.

10 Takeaways | 10 Years

What can happen: Weddings, divorces, children, bankruptcies, unicorns, wealth, , status, character assassination, envy, books, fights, rumors, friendships, career transitions, miscarriages, death, religious awakening, atheism, continental shifts, chronic diseases, isolation, love, sexual transitions, coming out…. The list could go on for pages. Here is a short snapshot based on observation and conversations.