Mark Murphy
Aug 22, 2017 · 1 min read

Hey Josh / Ruochen-

Awesome article — really well done—congrats! Definitely a much needed aggregation of suggestions & resources for budding entrepreneurs at UCB.

Speaking from the perspective of a Haas MBA alum: the problem voiced most ardently among the Haas community — at least during my two years — was how difficult it is/was to connect with developers to further nascent ventures.

My two cents: the best way to go about “sourcing” dev talent (of which there is a tremendous wealth at UCB), is dropping that exact mindset. As a non-technical founder, I found that the most worthwhile and lasting relationships were those borne of genuine curiosity and a desire to give back to the community.

You’ve outlined myriad opportunities that UCB offers, many of which I was fortunate enough to participate in during my time at Berkeley. Undoubtedly, these provide great value and coveted inter-disciplinary interaction.

For what it’s worth: it wasn’t until I began mentoring various undergrad ventures — truly with no agenda — that I began to foster the rapport, trust, and fellowship critical to building and maintaining lasting business (and personal) relationships.

Keep up the great work!

Murph (FTMBA ‘17)

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    Mark Murphy

    Written by

    Co-founder @_playerslounge, @tokendata. Founding venture investor @ContraryCapital.