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Talking ‘Ed-Tech’ at Boston University’s TechConnect

February 8, 2016 — by MediaMath    

To many of us, going to school and getting a great education is usually the preliminary part of life, leading to a specific destination as the end result. The true key to success, however, is the inherent desire to continue to want to learn, innovate and integrate education into any stage of life. This holds true to many of the students Vanessa DiSpena and I interacted with at Boston University over the last weekend in January—a profound group of curious lifelong learners. As part of a partnership with Boston University, New Marketing Institute (NMI) sponsors the MS-MBA Association through the Questrom School of Business.

This was an eye-opening day, bringing together an intelligent group of 75 graduate students and working business professionals curious about the future of technology and its visible impact on an ever-changing consumer world. The roster of corporate attendees, including Disney, Priceline and Lyft, touched on the subject of transformation in platform technology and the rise of entrepreneurship from varying business models. With a strong insight into TerminalOne, Vanessa was the perfect spokesperson for NMI, representing MediaMath’s core offering as a part of the Product panel.

After an afternoon filled with questions on platform models, client interactions and cyber security, Vanessa and I had a chance to wind down and reflect on the experience. What struck us both was a quote from an up-and-coming entrepreneur who said, “If you are completely happy with your product when you release it, you’ve released it too late.” Think about it.

What intrigues me the most about that statement is how it applies to more than just technology. As MediaMath’s product is taking on a rapidly changing and competitive market, so too is every individual within the organization. We, as a growing company, and as individuals are never 100 percent ready to face the challenges of the industry and what the real world brings. It was really a turning point in the conversation at TechConnect as the topic of preparedness stood out the most among students and panelists alike. How ready will you ever be to meet the demands of a class, a job, or the market? The value of NMI and what its training content provides was truly felt in that ‘ah-ha’ moment. The willingness to dive in to the unknown, be it new technology or an unpredictable external world will always seem challenging at first, but the value of experience remains immeasurable.