Jobs In Startups

How Will You Measure Your Life?

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 by Brandon Russell

Success is measured differently by each person. The school you attended, the company for which you work, the balance in your bank account, among other criteria, are all yardsticks by which people measure personal success.

I was recently handed an article by my CEO, asked to read it and share my thoughts.

The article came from the Harvard Business Review, and was authored by Clayton M. Christensen (Yes, the Clay Christensen who penned The Innovator's Dilemma - the penultimate authority on disruptive technology, and a great read for anyone interested in technology and how it interacts with and impacts society.)

The article, titled, "How Will You Measure Your Life," discusses the common pitfalls college and graduate school students experience when plotting their futures - and puts forth a simple, yet poignant truth - success is defined by how you, not others, measure your value and merit.

A Harvard Business School professor, Christensen's theories on management, disruptive technology, and leadership serve as the foundation of his lectures as he empowers his students to dissect real-life organizations and understand how decisions and practices, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can have a major impact on an organization.

That's all great, but I know those of you who have bothered to continue reading are wondering, "How does this relate to me? Why is this relevant to the Orr Fellowship, and why do they let you write these blogs, Brandon?"

I was getting to that. But first I had to lay some groundwork. On the last day of class each semester, Christensen asks his students to turn these theoretical lenses on themselves. How have their decisions, even small ones, impacted their lives, and eventually led them to where they are today?

He asks them to study themselves, and find answers to 3 simple questions:

How can I be sure I'll be happy in my career?

How can I be sure my relationships with my friends and family become an enduring source of happiness?

How can I stay out of jail?

Okay, the third question is a little odd, but Christensen was classmates with former Enron President and current resident of the Englewood, Colorado Correctional Facility, Jeffrey Skilling - so it's relevant.

After reading the article, I turned these lenses on myself and the decisions I've made that have led me to where I am, and have reached out to others in the Orr Fellowship to do the same here's what I've found:

1) How can I be sure I'll be happy in my career?

This was big for me. Like many other Orr Fellows, and I'm sure many Orr Fellowship candidates - I had offers for distinguished post grad jobs from companies whose names have serious brand equity, companies where my entry-level paycheck would have allowed me to purchase many leather-bound books and housing that smells of rich mahogany, but with me, as with the other Orr Fellows I included in my little experiment - it isn't all about the money, the title, or the bravado that comes from saying, "I work for Company X."

We joined the Orr Fellowship and took positions at high-growth startups because of the opportunity the program offers. The opportunity to network with professionals and leaders in the community, to grow personally and professionally, and the opportunity to create strategies for our lives. What the Orr Fellowship lacked in glamour, our clout, it has made up in spades through the opportunities we've been afforded.

Orr Fellowship companies are some of the best places to work in Indiana, and the entrepreneurial spirit in each organization, and the dedication to the personal and individual success of each employee is something you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere but a high-growth startup.

2) How can I be sure my relationships with my friends and family become an enduring source of happiness?

I know. This is a blog about work, and business, and technology, not the Dr. Phil Show. But, It's time to get personal. Plus, let's face it - to be productive at work, you need to be happy outside of work, and vice-versa. Relating this to my, and others' time in the Orr Fellowship, the common thread was the relationships I've developed within the program ARE an enduring source of happiness for me. Digging deeper, it's not just the relationships with other Fellows that add value to our experiences, it's our relationships with our non-Fellow co-workers, our executive sponsors, and the people who speak at our Business Leader Meetings, who augment our experiences.

Yes, as Orr Fellows we spend a lot of time together and get to know each other on a personal level. But our culture as an organization, goes beyond that. We develop common bonds. We become friends. And these interactions, both positive and negative, ensure we continually grow as professionals and as people.

3) How can I stay out of jail?

I don't really need to go into much detail on this one - it's pretty self explanatory. Just don't do anything illegal. One Fellow went a philosophical on us and asked, "Why does jail have to mean prison?" He continued, "I think sometimes people build jails for themselves as a result of the choices they make, so I would challenge everyone to not only stay away from the illegal, but go one step further and stay away from the immoral, the ill-advised, and the unjust, as well. I'd challenge us to live lives of which we can be proud, not just try to stay out of jail - because a lot of guilty people aren't in prison."

At the end of his article, Christensen offered one extremely sage piece of advice, and that's how I'll end this post.

"Choose the right yardstick."

Only you know what's best for you. Do not measure your success by how others measure you. Choose the path that will allow you to be happy in your career, happy in your relationships and interactions with others, and keep you out of jail.

If you've read this far, I applaud, and thank you. I can be a bit long-winded. If you'd like to read Clay Christensen's full article, and turn this lens on yourself (I'd recommend it), Click Here.

Fellows + Community

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 by Abbey Wilson

Tomorrow is certain be a gloomy day. In addition to the fact that local meteorologists are predicting rain and stoms, it also happens to be the day DePauw University begins classes for the 2011-2012 (wait, 2012!?) school year. While many friends (including my younger sister) enter the historic halls of Abury and the bright, welcoming rooms of Julian, I'll be at my desk weeping silently for the past 4 years that passed all too quickly and have left me counting PTO days for the rest of my life.

Perhaps I'm being too dramatic. Because alas, after graduating and being placed at a high-growth startup, I have something many of my DPU peers do not: The Orr Fellowship. This past weekend 40 of us "roughed it" in the deep woods of Martinsville, gathering to solve important issues with exercises such as capture the flag and campus golf. Oh, we had bonfires and smores, too.

I got to know many of the Fellows better during our stay in the middle of nowhere (no disrespect), and I continue to admire and appreciate each Fellow's unique talents and experiences. Each Fellow is so unlike the next, yet the group of us shares many key characteristics that defines our interest in high-growth Indianapolis companies, entrepreneurship careers and post-graduate networking.

This weekend showcased an ever-present human element to the Fellowship: accomplished, smart people with great ideas who also happen to be friends that get along, dance and cook together very well. Hearing this Fellowship community existed sold me on applying last Fall and now I'm experiencing it first-hand.

We can't wait to meet new faces interested in technology and business jobs in Indianapolis, because we're partners with some of the best places to work in Indiana, and because we're looking for more fun people to do fun things with :-)

Email me at abbey.wilson@orrfellowship.org or follow me on Twitter if you want to know more!

Are you practicing safe tweeting?

Thursday, January 20, 2011 by Zac Workman

As an Orr Fellow, I feel the topic of social media is an important issue to address and one we often overlook. Many of us use Facebook and Twitter, but do we actually consider what we are saying and how it might affect our brand? Social media is a big part of the tech and start-up community in Indiana, and our brands (personal and professional) can be affected.

If you are one of the nearly 200 million people who already use or are thinking of using Twitter, then you probably have heard or been a part of some tweeting debacles. Here are some tips to keep you out of trouble.

5 tips for you to consider when tweeting:

1) No redos on Twitter. Consider what you are posting before you take the dive and send out your 140 character short story about how upset you are by @soandso and remember there is no effective means of recalling public tweets. Once they are out there, they are part of the public domain and sure to be scrutinized and reflect upon you and your brand.

2) Your tweets are owned by you. Once tweeted, your posts are public domain and indexed for searches and linked back to you. Don’t share anything you don’t want to be public information. Save this for direct messages if absolutely necessary but remember that even direct messages can be retweeted.

3) Tweet what is relevant to your brand. As an individual you represent a brand and that brand can be YOU, your employer, your cause or any other number of things. Make sure to keep this in mind when tweeting and keep your tweets relevant. The last thing you want to do is destroy your personal brand because of what you have decided to tweet in the heat of a twitter war or lapse in judgment.

4) Twitter is not Facebook. Don’t use Twitter like you use Facebook. Twitter is used to connect with people and to follow people of interest so you can stay in the conversation. It is not simply a status update. To be effective you have to use references and acknowledge individuals on a regular basis. This may be a retweet, reply, use of hash tags (#) or simply posting relevant content.

5) Twitter is best utilized via Twitter clients. I personally use HootSuite which allows me to manage multiple accounts from one system while staying connected and engaged. These clients also provide analytics and allow you to shorten URLs and easily schedule your tweets.

Twitter is a highway of information and hopefully this will help you to more effectively consume and contribute to the vast amount of relevant information out there.

Happy and safe tweeting!
@zacworkman

Interested in technology jobs in Indianapolis? Or are you part of a high growth start-up that might be a good fit as a Fellowship host company? Check out www.orrfellowship.org to learn more about what the Orr Fellowship has to offer.

Indianapolis Startup Scene

Saturday, January 8, 2011 by Kate Carrico

A recent article by the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) highlighted multiple events and happenings in the Indianapolis area that point to the ever-growing entrepreneurial community here.

The article discusses Hackers and Founders, a monthly meetup that brings entrepreneurial-minded people together to hear three business pitches for high growth start-ups. Organized by Matt Hunckler, a current Orr Fellow, the monthly gatherings now reach around 200 people! From experienced entrepreneurs like Chris Baggott to young people such as current Orr Fellows and everyone in between, these meetups offer a chance to network, bounce ideas off one another, and learn about running a start up company -- all while enjoying food and drinks! If you're interested in starting a career in entrepreneurship or have an interest in the startup scene, this event is not one to miss.

The article also gave a shout out to the Orr Fellowship for its ability to bring young entrepreneurs to Indianapolis to work entry-level jobs in startup companies. This year, we've grown the Fellowship once again by taking nearly 30 new Fellows working for around 20 companies. By bringing some of the best and brightest recent grads to the Indianapolis area, the Fellowship is doing its part to keep fueling the entrepreneurial fire.

We're excited to see what 2011 has in store for each of us, the Fellowship as a whole, and the Indianapolis entrepreneurial community!

No Tree Luggers This Year?!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 by Allison Bowen

Yes folks, you read that right. Unfortunately, the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship is not taking on the challenge of lugging trees. You may think that it's because our new Fellowship class just couldn't cut it. While you might be correct (I'm a second year Fellow, I can say that, right?), the reality is that this wonderful program just didn't fit this year.

With the expansion of our new class, we've begun growing in other ways. For example, our business meetings just keep getting better and better - Gov. Mitch Daniels, Ellen Annala (CEO of the United Way of Central Indiana)... And more! Not to mention, we've all been incredibly busy with each of our high growth start-ups. Your first job is never easy, but since we are all holding a full-time position in such fast-paced and growing companies, our jobs keep up hopping even more.

So you may be wondering, what in the world will you do with your tree this year without Tree Luggers?! Here are a few options that we've been able to locate around the city:

The Indy Parks recycling locations:

http://www.sustainindy.org/press-events.cfm?news_id=356
- This is a list of the recycling locations – individuals wanting to recycle their trees here will need to bring the trees there themselves or find another group/company who is offering a pick-up service.

Pick-up: Simple Mans Tree Service

http://www.smts.us/
- Pick-up is $20. (Yes, we checked and they are highly rated on Angie’s List!)

Thank you to each and every one of you that has chosen to take part in Tree Luggers in the past. We certainly appreciate your generosity and could not have done it without you! Through the years we've been able to make some great donations and help out many worthwhile causes.

Keep an eye out in the future... Just because we're busy with our entrepreneurship careers doesn't mean we won't be taking the time to stop and help others!

Bofo Breakfast

Thursday, December 9, 2010 by Kate Carrico

This morning, I was lucky enough to go to breakfast at Cafe Patachou with three other first-year Fellows and Scott Brenton, the Chair of the Fellowship Board of Directors. While we enjoyed some of the delicious food, we discussed all things Orr Fellowship and the current and future state of the program.

We discussed recruitment, which wrapped up on Friday when our 21 2011 host companies interviewed around 40 finalists and began their difficult decision making process. We're so excited to welcome our new Orr Fellows in the upcoming weeks as they accept jobs at some wonderful entrepreneurial companies in Indianapolis!

We also talked about different initiative areas, such as service and our international trip! Our Fellowship class will be the very first group to get to go on an international trip at the conclusion of our two year commitment. Not only will we get to travel abroad to experience high growth start-ups in the international business community, but we will get to go with 20 of our closest friends! We get to work with our Board of Directors to choose the destination of the trip--who knows where we'll end up going!

The Orr Fellowship has a lot to offer any qualified college graduate. While we're no longer accepting applicants for the 2011 class of Fellows, it will be recruitment season before we know it for the class of 2012!

Orr Fellowship collaboration at its finest

Friday, November 5, 2010 by Lauren Weatherall

I realize I have yet to make a splash on the Orr Fellowship blog (shame on me), but I’m hoping that – after reading this post – this will speak to not my lack of involvement with or enthusiasm for the Orr Fellowship, but quite the opposite.

As I read through the blog posts to date from my fellow Orr Fellows, it’s clear that this entire string highlights one reason after another why you should respect the organization’s goals and obvious deliverables (deliverables? Meaning: the network, connections, friendships, professional experience and education, exposure to executives and high-growth startups, entrepreneurial opportunities, and on and on…) – or even consider applying. It’s a team effort to grow and improve the Fellowship, which says something else about it. We have all either consciously or unconsciously acquired a sense of ownership of the program. Every new class of Orr Fellows has the potential to define the Fellowship further, which is intensely motivating.

In that same vein, one of the biggest themes between the two current classes of Orr Fellows (2009 and 2010) right now is collaboration and, more importantly, the power thereof. Orr Fellows are active and making an impact on the Indianapolis community. Matt Hunckler, with assistance from Jon Corwin and other Orr Fellow alumni, organizes Hackers & Founders, a group for entrepreneurs and developers passionate about startups and new opportunities. Max Yoder decided to help give the group some face time and wrote about it for the Indy S pectator (this tweet shows how the magic happens).

Speaking of Max, he’s also fairly active with his music alongside his job and Orr Fellowship activities. I (Lauren Weatherall) am working with a co-worker of mine in organizing Linking Indy Women, a networking group for women professionals looking to share and be inspired by others’ accomplishments. In short, a lot of great things are happening through collaboration and, often times, connections spurred by the Orr Fellowship serve as the catalysts for this kind of activity.

For brevity's sake, I won’t delve into further examples, but I will express my enthusiasm for the culture we, as Orr Fellows and motivated young professionals, are helping cultivate in Indiana. I'm surprising myself by how much I'm enjoying Indianapolis right now; I think it's partly because I can see and am part of some of the changes happening here. People are helping and connecting each other in the entrepreneurial scene (well, and just in general) and I'm finding myself constantly surrounded by positive energy. I can honestly say I have the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship to thank for that. Wherever you go and whatever you do, never underestimate the value in connecting and collaborating with people. Who you surround yourself with makes all the difference. If there's one thing I could share that I've learned in the past few months, that's it.

Recruitment Season Half-Way Point

Thursday, November 4, 2010 by Kate Carrico

Orr Fellowship recruitment season is about halfway through! We've reviewed thousands of resumes, interviewed around 200 candidates, and selected the candidates to move on to the Reception on the Circle (ROTC) coming up on Thursday at the Mavris. All this work to bring some of the best and brightest minds from Indiana to some of the most exciting high growth start-ups! We're very excited about the talent of the candidates that we have continuing through our selection process.

So what's next for those looking for jobs with entrepreneurial companies in Indianapolis? ROTC is an event where candidates get a chance to meet all of the current Fellows, Fellowship directors, and host company directors. Various members of the Fellowship share stories about their experiences and hopes for the future direction of the Fellowship. After ROTC, candidates will move to Finalists' Day in which candidates interview with the executives of the high-growth Indianapolis companies. Each candidate will interview with four to five host companies and will know within the week whether they have been extended an offer.

We're looking forward to welcoming the next class of Orr Fellows!

Indianapolis Living

Thursday, October 14, 2010 by Kate Carrico

If your friends are anything like mine were senior year of college, a bunch of them are talking about getting out of Indiana after school is over and heading to a big city like Chicago. You could even be one of those people that thinks Indiana is only made up of corn and basketball and can't wait to leave after graduation...

But don't discount Indiana that fast! As the commercials for Indiana Beach say, there's more than corn in Indiana! Indianapolis is home to one phenomenal football team, a huge number of conferences and sporting events, multiple cultural districts, museums, art galleries, and a symphony orchestra. There is always something going on around town and it's a breeze to get involved. Also, there are many great neighborhoods to live in, the commute times are short, and the city is easy to navigate!

If you're interested in high growth start-ups or technology jobs, Indianapolis could also be for you! There is a great small business community as well as a phenomenal network of high tech start-ups throughout the city.

The Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship is a two-year commitment for new college grads that takes advantage of the business culture in Indianapolis and looks to keep it booming by bringing incredible young talent to promising companies. From industry leaders such as ExactTarget to up and coming companies such as BlueLock, the Orr Fellowship partners with the outstanding business community to provide a phenomenal experience for both host companies and Orr Fellows.

If you're a college senior looking for jobs, check out the Orr Fellowship today!

Orr Recruiting Off to a Great Start

Tuesday, September 14, 2010 by Brant Howell

Recently, Bob Reish, Matt Barloh and I attended the first career fair of the season! We traveled north to our Alma mater, The University of Notre Dame, and after spending the morning promoting the Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship in front of several classes, we moved to the fair to further spread the word about this amazing program.

We met some great candidates and had a ton of fun getting to know many of the good prospects for the Orr Fellowship Class of 2011. We had conversations with people we had asked to come see us, and also a surprising number of folks who sought us out after they had heard of our program from friends.

Many candidates were not specifically looking for entrepreneurial companies or technology jobs in Indianapolis, but when we began discussing the fantastic networking opportunities in Indianapolis, and the high growth start-ups we work with, we could see their interest begin to swell. Of course, many of our best candidates had serious offers from big companies and other prestigious post-graduate programs, so with this strong competition it was even more incredible to see the how their eyes would light up when we discussed the opportunities at the Orr Fellowship. Obviously the advantages the three of us saw in the Orr Fellowship resonate with other people.

The recruiting season is off to a great start but there is still much to do. It is obvious already however that the word is spreading about this great opportunity. With a little luck this recruiting season will be the best yet.

Maximize The Alpha

Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by Trey Buck

In the financial world, the term "alpha" is meant to signify a measure of performance that is adjusted for risk. But how do we measure risk in the real world? Are some entry-level jobs in start-ups more or less risky than others? How can we know when we've found a winner, that coveted "diamond in the ruff"?

Some may say that it is nearly impossible to assess the risks of any new venture considering the volatility of markets, the unpredictable nature of competition, and the influence of shear luck and ingenuity. While some of that may be true, there are certainly places that have been historically more successful than others: the Silicon Valley specifically. But for the last decade or more, the Valley has seen stiff competition, with distinguished post-grad jobs popping up across the nation (and the world).

I would argue that Indiana is one of the places most suited for companies hiring new grads to establish their roots: our cost of living is significantly lower than other states; our central location within the US places almost any major city within a day's drive; and Indiana has managed to keep its state and local government budgets contained while others have moved even closer to bankruptcy.

And these advantages have not gone unnoticed by the entrepreneurial community: Start-Up Indiana is focused on developing high-growth start-ups in the region; Indianapolis now has its own start-up newsletter, Startup Digest, a free service helping entrepreneurs find events that might peak their interests; and the Orr Fellowship which is aimed at finding and growing tomorrows business leaders through placement in entry-level positions in entrepreneurial companies. All of these initiatives are great examples of organizations driving jobs and opportunity within Indiana and sewing the seeds of growth and fortune.

So when thinking about how to evaluate job opportunities, remember to find those places that minimize the risk of failure and maximize the chances of success. Look to the local community and their support for up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Ask questions. Seek guidance. And most importantly, do all you can to maximize the alpha in your life and career.

Start of a New Chapter (In more ways than one)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010 by Skip Tokar

So here I am writing my first ever blog, something that I never imagined I would ever do, and a million thoughts about a possible topic are running through my head. Throughout the next two years and roughly 24 posts I plan to blow all my readers minds and expose them to the world of Skip Tokar and his time in the Orr Fellowship. I will cover a myriad of topics including The Orr Fellowship, Brightpoint (my company), Indianapolis, sports, and any other thing that might pop into my brain. This will be such a ground breaking source of information and wealth of knowledge that you will literally be counting down the days until the first of every month (or thereabouts) when my blog is posted. And while I may not have the supreme blogging abilities of people like my good friend Matt Hudson: http://blogs.wabash.edu/matthudson2010/ or http://en.wordpress.com/tag/matt-hudson/, I give will give a valiant effort in my writing and, with any luck, by the end of my two years I will be somewhat competent in my blogging ability (Note the last sentence, along with pretty much this whole paragraph should be read with a sarcastic undertone... just saying).

Anyways, back to my original line of thinking for the blog. Since this is my first blog, I was pondering about all the other "firsts" that myself and all my other Orr Fellows (not to mention many of my recently graduated college friends) are experiencing this summer. Last year at this time I was worrying about finding a job. I was looking for high growth start-ups, Indianapolis job opportunities, specifically looking at the "best places to work in Indiana list", various leadership development/ rotational positions, and even some consulting and investment banking positions. I was lucky enough to find the Orr Fellowship, make my way through their recruiting process, and eventually receive an offer from Brightpoint. After evaluating all my options, I realized that the Orr Fellowship and Brightpoint offered a tremendous opportunity (more on this in a later post, that was a teaser by the way).

Flash forward to today. I am now in my first real job after college, writing my first blog, and am now in one of the fastest growing Business Fellowships in the country. I am excited to start this new chapter of my life and am glad that I get to muddle my way through these next few "adult" years with over 25 other Orr Fellows who are in the same boat as myself.

So I hope you liked my first blog and I apologize in advance for any mistakes that I might have made (I blame my editor). I suggest that you keep track of my progress through the Orr Fellowship by marking you calenders for October 1st when my next blog hits the streets.

What Do Orr Fellows Really Do? - A Day in the Life

Monday, August 30, 2010 by Bryan Povlinski

With school now back in session we're quickly approaching the fall recruiting season. It's an exciting (and somewhat stressful) time for college seniors as they look to secure jobs after graduation. It's also an exciting time for Orr Fellows because we'll be back on campus over the next couple months trying to bring some of the best and brightest in Indiana into our program.

The biggest question that I had through the entire recruiting process when I was looking for entrepreneurial job opportunities in Indiana was - What will I be doing on a daily basis? What kinds of responsibilities will I have and what kinds of things will I need to get done?

8:15-9:00 - Check web analytics
I manage all of the marketing analytics for our corporate web site as well as the 2 ecommerce sites that we run. When I get in on Monday morning I check through the stats from the past week and make a note of any major events or abnormalities. For our corporate site I take a look at all of the networks that Google Analytics has listed as accessing our site and parse those down to actual prospects for our sales team.

9:00-9:30 Make changes to pay-per-click campaign
Through the analytics I can see how our pay-per-click campaigns have been performing for our ecommerce sites. We just recently started a new campaign and it needs to be constantly monitored and improved. Today I tweaked a few of the under-performing ads to see if we can improve our campaigns and drive more targeted visitors to our site.

9:30 - 11:00 Begin drafting requirements for enhancements in new software release
Fifth Gear provides services to companies who sell goods online - so order fulfillment, ecommerce software, and marketing services are our specialty. A big part of that is constantly improving our ecommerce/order management software. All of our clients run their businesses on this software, as well as our warehouse so it is important that we keep it updated. I am a quasi project manager that acts as a facilitator between our software development team in India and our warehouse and operations team in Missouri. I spent some time this morning writing out the requirements for 2 new enhancements in our software platform

11:00 - 11:30 Send emails to our development team in India
To make sure everyone is on the same page I'm often communicating with our team in India to see if they need any additional information to complete their software development work and also to check on the status of projects in motion to see when we can schedule our next meeting to discuss new enhancements

11:30 - 1:00 Lunch with a local business owner
Although this particular lunch had more to do with my own personal networking than the Orr Fellowship many Orr Fellows will set up lunch meetings with others involved in the program or other business people in the community. It's a great way to expand your network and to find more growth opportunities

1:00 - 2:00 Continue drafting requirements documents
Spent some more time getting the requirements finished up. We're working on incorporating an exchange rate API into our software with the addition of an international client and also working on simplifying our order import process.

2:00 - 3:00 Systems/Operations team meeting
We have a weekly meeting to discuss all of the different projects going on within our team, and we get updates on what might be coming up next.

3:00 - 4:00 Miscellaneous Planning and Email
I wanted to make sure I kept a few smaller projects moving and that required sending emails and talking with a few people around the office. I scheduled a meeting with a new liquidation client that will be selling goods on one of our ecommerce sites, talked with a manager about next steps in the financial analysis that I prepared on one of our sites, and sent emails to set up a meeting with development team on an upcoming enhancement

4:00-5:30 Write blog post and prepare for career workshop
It's not every day that I spend time working on Orr Fellowship activities, but today I spent the end of my afternoon writing this blog post and preparing for our career planning workshop that I'm organizing in 2 weeks.

So that's my day in a nutshell, and the best part about working for a high growth start-up is that it will likely be completely different tomorrow. I have a few recurring responsibilities, but projects and priorities can change quickly and I always have to be ready for the next thing that might be thrown my way. It's also likely that my day looks almost nothing like some of the other Orr Fellows. Some people might be working in finance or going out on sales calls so our experiences at different companies might be completely different.

For those of you interested in joining the Orr Fellowship I hope that gives you a better idea of some potential day-to-day tasks, but don't be afraid to press any of us to hear different perspectives.

Fertile Times in Silicon Prairie

Monday, August 30, 2010 by Greg Slisz

The complaint, it seems, is a familiar one. "I want to get out of Indianapolis and go to (insert 'cooler' city here)," say graduates at Indiana colleges. Super Bowl-winning Colts notwithstanding, Indiana seems to have gotten somewhat of an unfair reputation as a boring place to live. Young people flee from the state every year, chasing jobs in investment banking in "sexier" cities such as Chicago and New York or tech jobs on the West Coast in cities like Seattle and San Francisco. But in the words of the great Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend!"
Although it may lack the sex appeal of the Big Apple or the Windy City, Indianapolis is a great place to live for new college graduates. And tech companies are no longer just on the west coast. In fact, there are a number of tech high growth startups right in Indianapolis. Orr Fellowship host companies such as Compendium Blogware, Bluelock, Weblink, and my very own ExactTarget are all helping to turn Indianapolis into a hotbed within Silicon Prairie.

In fact, ExactTarget has not only helping to lead these Silicon Prairie efforts, but is also leading the entire email marketing industry. Some of the company's most-recent developments include

-International expansion to offices in London and Australia, as well as stateside offices in San Francisco and Seattle
-An industry-leading one-to-one marketing conference in downtown Indianapolis, featuring guest speaker Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, and Grammy-winning artist Train
-Cutting edge market research that examines the demographics and behaviors of email subscribers, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers.
-And in case that wasn't enough, ET was recently ranked third on a list of the Best places to work in Indianapolis (with break rooms fully-stocked with free snacks and drinks, might I add!).

So much for Indiana being nothing but cornfield. ExactTarget is just one of many Indianapolis success stories that is also a host company in the Orr Fellowship. Click here and check out some of the other outstanding career opportunities that exist with these other fast growing Indianapolis companies.

How Does Time Fly So Quickly?!

Sunday, August 22, 2010 by Amber Mohling

My, my, my ... how quickly a year flies! I'm officially entering my second year in the Orr Fellowship and my position at Compendium. Back in college, I'm not sure I could have imagined myself in a technology job in Indianapolis and working for one of the best high growth start-ups. However, I couldn't feel more blessed to be here!

In addition to my job at Compendium, I love having a network of 30+ twenty year olds going through very similar experiences with me. Not only are the fellows my friends, others are also co-workers, and even one is my roommate (shout out to The Teresa Becker).

If you're a college senior, please be sure to apply to the Orr Fellowship for your opportunity to land a post-graduation job with one of the best places to work in Indiana!

The Orr Fellows meeting Governor Mitch Daniels

From The Punch Guy to The Orr Fellowship and ASI

Saturday, August 21, 2010 by Zac Workman

My name is Zac and I am a recent grad from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Like many of you, I too was beginning to think about where the future would take me about this time last year. With interviews and job offers just around the corner, I had absolutely no idea where I would end up come graduation. But that's not the whole story.

As a sophomore at IU, I decided one day that it might be cool to start my own company. I mean who doesn't like the idea of being your own boss and setting your own hours? I would just start a company and the dollars would start rolling in. It sounded like a great plan at the time so I founded an LLC and began creating Punch Energy Drink. Well turns out that running a company wasn't as easy as I thought once the new wore off and we had to get down to business. Within six months we had signed a contract with Anheuser-Busch and we were on store shelves and receiving plenty of media attention. Things were looking great and I was thinking to myself how easy it was. We had been featured as one of the coolest college start-ups for 2009 by Inc. Magazine, Fox Business Network ran a story, and BevNET had given our product fantastic reviews.

However, the 2009 blues hit us hard and with the economy Punch was beginning to be less viable as a competitor among the cash kings within the industry. We simply couldn't compete at a level that would allow us to grow and stay within our very limited budget. A co-sponsored Indy 500 car and lawsuit later, Punch had seen better days. That was my senior year, but I wasn't ready to give up on Punch or my entrepreneurial spirit just yet.

The Orr Fellowship was the answer I had been looking for and an opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I knew that they could place me within an entrepreneurial company and that I would be at one of the best places to work in Indiana with a network of people just like me. The opportunity to be part of a program that allowed me to network with business leaders in Indiana as well as expand my social network while staying involved with Punch, was all I needed. It was the perfect opportunity for me and it has turned out to be a perfect fit.

Now, as an Orr Fellow, I work full time for Author Solutions Inc. as a Marketing Specialist. I primarily work with our core brands and partners within the online realm of brand awareness and development, but I also work closely with our product development team. This is very similar to what we did with Punch and fits me very well. When we launch new products we have to go through the same process that I did with launching Punch and it is a great opportunity to learn each part of the business. The Fellowship is a great way to take a step into the real world without having to take a dive into the typical corporate America setting as just another number at company XYZ.

Want to impact your net worth? Employ yourself ASAP!

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Felix Lukose

A study that was conducted at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago for the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy has found a positive link between the number of years an individual is self-employed and their likelihood to be self-employed throughout their career. The study, which can be found here, set out to answer some questions as to what sort of things guide an individual to self-employment. They ultimately concluded with some findings that were previously unknown.

They found that those who reported self-employment tend to have parents with higher educational attainment and were more likely to have grown up in a rural area or farm. In addition, early exposure to self-employment increases the likelihood an individual is self-employed in their early and mid-careers. There was an especially strong link between those that indicated self-employment between ages 20-22 with their measure between ages 22-41. The availability of financial resources did impact the probability of self-employment, but by very little. Lastly, every additional year of self-employment increases income and net worth significantly.

So what does all of this mean? Well, if earning potential and entrepreneurship are goals and interests of yours, getting involved early makes a huge difference. The study is basically saying that the more involved with self-employment you are early in your life and career, the more likely it is that you will be self-employed later on, expanding your career opportunities. In addition, you will impact your earning potential more.

We live in an economy that thrives on businesses. There is nothing that stimulates local and national markets more than the success of all businesses, large or small. Our government has called for more entrepreneurial spirit, and those that got involved early will tell you that it's worth it. Most people aspire to work for themselves for a multitude of reasons. Whether you are interested in working your own hours or not having to answer to someone, the allure of self-employment is evident. However, it is not without its challenges.

Many fail in their ventures simply because of a lack of preparation. Having a great idea is one of the most empowering feelings, but there is a huge difference between idea generation and execution. Those that succeed, succeed in execution. A significant portion of that is experience and preparedness. I have gathered from my interaction with entrepreneurs that starting a business is much like trading stocks; you won't learn how to do it well until you get in there and do it yourself. This study seems to punctuate that belief.

How does one get involved early? I know that it wasn't very feasible for me to start my own company. Besides lacking a great idea, I have very little financial means to support an entrepreneurial venture. However, I feel that I have positioned myself to gain experience through the Orr Fellowship. If you are in a similar position as I was, I would suggest exactly the same to you. The path to an entrepreneurship career may begin by taking a job at a small company. Research, and find entrepreneurship opportunities in your local community. Identify some high-growth start-ups and apply for a job there. They may not have a position for you, so get creative and make one! Even offering to serve as an unpaid "apprentice" can get your foot in the door if you have no other options. Working in this environment will be sure to give you an inside look at an entrepreneurial operation.

When you start early, you make mistakes early. Getting those mistakes out of your system and gaining the valuable knowledge that they offer can be the difference between someone who continues down the path of self-employment and someone who has to learn the hard way later on. The earlier you start, the potential number of successful years you have in front of you is greater.

The Question Every College Senior Asks

Monday, August 16, 2010 by Corey Kime

About this time last year, I was winding down my summer job and gearing up for my last year of college at Indiana Wesleyan University. Like most college seniors, one thought came up over and over again in mind:

What am I going to do after I graduate???

Fast-forward twelve months and not only have I settled down in a new job, but I have been exposed to opportunities that I never thought I would be this early out of college. I was able to get this job through the Orr Fellowship, an organization dedicated to the development and retention of Indiana students and natives. The fellowship seeks to match college graduates with high-growth companies in Indiana. I was fortunate enough to be hired on at Compendium, one of many entrepreneurial companies in the Indianapolis area.

Since the start of my job two months ago I have been exposed to many different areas within Compendium that a normal entry-level job may not provide. The accessibility to executives within your company and the hands on experience that I've gotten in just two months has been both exciting and a great opportunity to learn.

Not only do you get a great job with one of the fast growing Indianapolis companies when you are in the fellowship, but you get to go through the fellowship with several other recent graduates just like you. I have developed good friendships with several people in the fellowship and it has given me an instant network of recent grads in an area where I would not have had that big of a network without it.

So if you are about to head back to school for your senior year like I was twelve months ago right now wondering how you are going to find a job and what you are going to be doing, be sure to consider the Orr Fellowship. The opportunity to work at high growth start-ups along with the instant network of friends your age is a tough combination to beat.

Between Personal and Mobile is Portable

Monday, February 8, 2010 by Nate Bullock

As you may well know, Apple released it's highly touted iPad in late January of 2010 and has received mixed reviews. While iThings are trendy and slick, performance has been a concern for many (just look at the recent iPhone issues in New York and AT&T network strain). The iPad is no different as the device possesses non-expandable SD inputs, a general lack of multi-task capabilities, no camera and a low battery life (plus MadTV might have some brand name patents that need addressed).

So this was basically another mac product launch whereby brand lovers became more entranced and brand haters...well...could keep hating. However, beyond these Mac-versus-PC-versus-Linux-versus-CMS-versus-Ruby computo-debates, the iPad launch signifies something that every person seeking a technology job in Indianapolis should be conscious of:

The gap between personal and mobile computing is closing and Apple is blazing that trail despite early attempts at entry by the e-readers (Amazon, B&N, etc.). Where the publishing houses tried to provide a mobile reader, Apple flexed its muscle and offered not only a mobile reader, but mobile computing application along with it.

A number of start-ups, most in NYC and SF, support Apple's move into the portable market as there is a trend towards high growth start-ups building applications for the portable user. My favorite is NYC startup SeeClickFix, a location based service that allows you to report non-emergency issues (potholes, prostitution, graffiti) and receive alerts in your neighborhood about the issue. Other BigApps competition winners in NYC were also location based services (SporkNYC, Taxihack, WayFinder NYC).

As the portable computing gap closes, business jobs in Indianapolis will have to adapt. Entrepreneurial Companies in Indianapolis will hire people who can work within the bounds of a new economy (where your library may eventually be comprised of iPads, Kindles and a few printers). How will you adapt? How will your company evolve? The relentless quest for efficiency is squeezing some of the fat out of life, and portable computing is another step in that quest.

Super Bowl Commercials Sacked by Social Media

Thursday, January 28, 2010 by Blaine Cooper-Surma

If you've had a chance to keep up with the news, one of the recent headlines is Pepsi's decision to strategically re-focus its advertising dollars that have typically been budgeted for the NFL Super Bowl. Like Budweiser, Coca Cola, and GoDaddy.com, Pepsi has been known to spend millions of dollars in advertisements during this spectacle that reaches millions of viewers every single year. So where will these dollars be spent this year? As you might have guessed, this year Pepsi is going with Social Media!

According to the Wall Street Journal, Pepsi plans to focus its advertising strategy on a "marketing platform" rather than blitzing viewers with commercials during this single event. So, by using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to reach consumers, Pepsi will be tapping into a virtual world of endless advertising possibilities. On Facebook, for example, Pepsi can issue invitations to its followers to participate in a poll. When someone votes, a message will get posted on their personal Facebook page that says they participated in the poll. This my friends, is what we are referring to when we talk about viral advertising.

According to one report, Facebook is a virtual treasure trove for advertisers wishing to target 18 to 49-year olds. Twitter's numbers are a little lower, but impressive, nonetheless. Social Media Today, however, noted that 19 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have used Twitter or something like it, 20 percent between ages 25 and 34, and 10 percent between ages 35 and 44. These numbers are the reason that Pepsi has reconsidered their advertising strategy.

So how does this relate to the Bob Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship? Well, it just so happens that the majority of our host companies in this entrepreneurial fellowship are start-up technology companies. Thus, Orr Fellows are taking entry level technology jobs in some of the fastest growing Indianapolis companies. So what types of things are some of these host companies doing in the social media world? Well, a 2010 host company, Formspring, has recently reached new heights with their social media application called Formspring.me. This application is a free, simple service that allows you to create anonymous question boxes for all of your social networks.

Pepsi's migration away from televised Super Bowl ads is a trend we can expect other big companies to follow. There is far more bang for the buck in advertising online rather than producing and paying for 30 seconds of airtime during one of the most expensive televised events of the year.

For those that don't know much about the Governor Bob Orr Entrepreneurial Fellowship, it is an Indiana-based non-profit organization that provides jobs for recent graduates in fast growing Indianapolis companies. Whether you're looking to start a marketing career, an entrepreneurship career, or maybe just a career in business, this is one unique fellowship program like no other.