Quote:
“What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful.” ~ The Dalai Lama
Favorite Moment(s):
Winning the Summer 2007 Purple Cow Derby with a team of awesome Yahoos from all over the company whom I had never worked with before. Watching our New Year’s Eve messaging go live in Times Square, NYC.
What have you done to be a better Yahoo?
I try to think not only from my own group’s perspective, but also from the perspective of the other teams that I work with – and from the perspective of Yahoo! as a whole. I think about what will work best to position us as a stronger, friendlier, more relevant Yahoo!. Sometimes I can bring something new to the table that helps out someone else; sometimes we find ways to work together to make our voice even stronger in communicating to consumers.
Are you able to think big at Yahoo? How?
I am definitely able to think big at Yahoo!, because people here listen and empower each other. If you have an idea that is new and different—and it has the potential to make a difference—people will give you airtime and help you in your quest. I think our Hack Days are a blown-out example of the nurturing, innovative environment we have here. There are also some great managers who will back you up if you have great ideas as well.
What specific Yahoo! project has made the biggest impact on you and why?
My work on network integrations for our
Start Wearing Purple campaign has had a big impact on me because it was a great learning experience and really reinforced the reach of the Yahoo! network. I got to work with so many different business units and teams throughout the company in order to reinforce our “purple” message. I met and developed relationships with over 100 people in my first few weeks at the company, and I watched our network come alive with purple content as placements and features that I had suggested launched in rapid succession. I worked with Search, Mail, Messenger, MyYahoo!, Music, Movies, omg!, TV, Finance, News, Shine, Autos, Sports, Games, Video, Flickr and more. I concepted a mobile WAP site and developed a consumer email. We made a big impression.
What surprised you most about your internship at Yahoo and why?
I think I was most surprised (in a pleasant way) by the significance of the projects I was given (they were meaty and higher-level, not what I would expect for a typical intern assignment). I was also surprised by how open Yahoos were to meeting with me and working with me on my strategy, even though I was in intern whose work had little impact on their day-to-day work activities or business goals. People were very welcoming and supportive and I built a great network in just two months as an intern.
What made you choose Yahoo! as a place to work?
I did my MBA summer internship here and it was an amazing experience. My boss was an excellent mentor and I loved the talent, sense of community and balance that I encountered during my summer. I was excited to come to work in the morning and it was a place where I could envision myself staying for several years.
