ISB Interview Experience

Date: 9th of January, 2008

Location: Bangalore (Windsor Manor)

Panel 3, comprising of Mr. Ranga Rao and another senior person called Shiv.

RR: Moto, AV and NSN..Whats common?
Me: Domain is wireless networks, Function R&D

RR: Are wireless networks also telecom companies? Motorola is a handset maker..
Me: Yes, you can classify them like that..Moto also has an infrastructure wing. I proceed to briefly explain about how wireless networks work.

SH: Moto has failed in India..Why?
Me: They are an engg intensive company, less focus on design and usability aspects coupled with poor branding.

RR: Yep, I dont understand their ads..
Me: Yes..The last good ad they made had Maria Sharapova..(All chuckle)

SH: Why do you think CDMA is on the downturn?
Me: Royalty issues, no real evolutionary path like GSM. Operators thus have increased opex and also cannot make concrete business plans..

RR (Has had enough of the telecom talk): Please walk us through your career..(Forms bulk of the interview)
Me:
Moto - Product development processes - mentor interns - learning trajectory was super - managed a work item - wanted more responsibility and was excited about going to a startup - so changed to AV

AV - Nice from a company perspective - R&D work was bad - Did not need much skill - Felt need for further learning - Offer from Siemens to work on a brand new product - Brand new product + established company - Best of both worlds..

NSN - Saw this as an opportunity to establish myself - Delegated to Munich - worked real hard - built rapport with colleagues - came back and setup the project at Bangalore - played multiple project roles - liked it - introduced ideas - merger happened - project scrapped - now serving as TL for I-HSPA.

RR: So why MBA, why ISB?
Me: Innovation facilitation at work - Idea generation and evaluation experience - learned that innovation is not just about creativity - also about processes and strategy - now would like to work on helping companies excel using innovation - so business competencies needed and thus MBA.

ISB - eco-system for corporate innovation is good - WCED, K-Hub, Metamorphosis and PAEV - courses and prof's - will build personal relationships with fellows and prof's.

RR: Please build professional not personal relationships :D (What an idiot i am!)

RR: What companies are you targetin?
Me: Long term is to start an innovation consulting company - Short term google (sound really unsure) or NSN (Yikes) - BCG/BAH have innovation practise.

RR: Any questions?
Me: Want to know more about the WCED activities and how they could help me?

RR: See you can get associated with WCED, do an ELP with a company in your field of interest - Your interest is good from an ISB institute perspective, it should also help the company.

SH: You can get associated with WCED even without getting into ISB (Leaves me stumped, Are they hinting something or is it a plain fact?)

Me: (Nodding my head, the interview was okie till this point)

Me: How do you select teams for contests?
SH: Confidential..(Would never understand this one!)
RR: Selection not election for such contests..smiles.. (Me uncomfortable)

RR: Any other Q's?
Me: Nope..

We shake hands, they both wish me "Best of Luck"! (What is that supposed to convey? Or am I really reading too much!!)

Duration was about 25 min. I think i spoke pretty well but for the last few minutes. The panel hardly sounded interested unlike the experiences i have had with the US schools :( ..
Dont know what to make of their remarks..Now begins the eternal wait for the results..