The I&E Capstone course fundamentally shifted how I think about building a venture. Coming into the class, I believed that in the early days of a startup, the most important — and perhaps only — priority was building the product. But through case studies, class discussions, guest speakers, and our final project, I realized that product development is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
The Capstone taught me that to create a successful venture, you have to think holistically. This includes identifying a real market opportunity, conducting TAM analysis, understanding unit economics, and building a business model that scales. It also means being deliberate about team structure — making thoughtful decisions about roles, responsibilities, and equity splits that reflect the unique value each founder brings. And even though early financial projections are rarely accurate, the discipline of creating them is essential — both for internal planning and for signaling to investors that you've done the strategic thinking required to build something that lasts.
As part of the final project, I took on the perspective of a CEO — thinking through what it would mean to lead with clarity, define our vision, and coordinate efforts across design, engineering, and marketing. It gave me the opportunity to step into a leadership mindset and consider the broader strategic elements of building a venture, including product-market fit, user acquisition, and long-term differentiation.
My understanding of both myself and the broader world of innovation has evolved significantly through this experience. I now see entrepreneurship not just as invention, but as iteration — a process that blends creativity, empathy, and disciplined execution. I've learned that I enjoy leading with vision, collaborating across disciplines, and building products that empower people — and that I'm comfortable working in the ambiguity and chaos that early ventures often bring.
The I&E Certificate has been a powerful complement to my majors in Computer Science and Statistics. My technical coursework taught me how to build; the I&E program taught me how to translate those skills into meaningful solutions that people actually want. Together, they've shaped how I think about career opportunities at the intersection of technology and business.
As I graduate from Duke, I feel more equipped than ever to build something new — whether that's launching a venture of my own or driving innovation from within an existing company. I'm deeply grateful for the perspective, tools, and confidence the I&E program has given me, and I'm excited to carry those lessons forward into whatever comes next.