MAP Kickoff: MBA1's in the "Real" World

By: Shantanu Verma, MBA 1

Posted: 3/14/05

"So, how was your spring break?" It seems like the class of MBA 1s barely had a chance to recount their experiences from their vacations in the sun (well, for some of us anyways) when they were dropped headfirst into MAP. The descent proved equivalent to freefall out of a plane before one tugs on the parachute cord.

The 8:30 start was late by most standards, after all, my entire first semester consisted of 8:00 am wake-ups on Mondays on Wednesdays for class. However, the first Monday morning back from spring break was different. As I strolled into Hale auditorium (just under the wire, I might add), Dean Dolan was the first to address the Auditorium, which was nearly at capacity, by saying "Welcome to your first day of MAP." I was filled with a sense of déjà vu. Hadn't we gone through this process a short six months ago. The MAP kickoff felt like entering business school all over again. This was it; the real world was starting again. As was made quite clear the rest of the morning, we were about to leave the "idyllic" scenarios of HBS cases behind. As I looked around Hale that morning, I felt many positive emotions such as excitement and anticipation, but most of all I felt a sense of unease.

MAP was one of the main reasons I came to Michigan. The idea of working on a real-life project a world away seemed to be the exclamation point on an education that emphasizes the practicality of the knowledge it imparts. MAP is a "course" that makes Michigan unique. My apprehension stemmed from the fact that our project goals and even the nature of our project were somewhat nebulous. I am out of the zone of comfort that I had nestled myself into over the last few months.

As I write this article, I am aboard a plane bound for Prague in order to develop an operational process flow for a biotech start-up. If successful, the company has the potential to make a significant contribution in the field of vascular medicine. However, since they are a small company, our MAP recommendations will have a significant impact on the future direction of the organization. Heh, no pressure. My feelings on MAP were summed up rather eloquently by a colleague: " Don't worry about the pressure, its just the reputation of the university and the potential for future MAP projects at stake. Have fun, but remember that this is a real-world project."

The first week of MAP can best be described as a puzzle wrapped in a riddle. We are still looking for the problems that need to be solved. Each day, the picture becomes a little clearer, but each day is one less day that we have to solve the problem.

To summarize, this past week has been an exhilarating, enjoyable, and unsettling series of problems. In short, it's been just like the "real" world.