brightly colored food

So far my summer internship has been wonderful. The work I see people doing is highly collaborative, with an absence of ego and a good sense of energy. I’m guessing it’s due to a mix of the culture, the layout and proximity in which we work, and the overall focus of business. Whatever the causes, I’m enjoying the effect.

One of the challenges of being a grad student is that professors are overwhelmed with a teaching schedule, research agenda, papers and grants to write, students to advise, and more. Advancing your own career appears to be more important in academia than business (at least with the designers and researchers I’ve met), and while collaboration occurs, there seems to be a stronger focus on self-advancement. As willing as professors may be work with you, they often simply don’t have the time unless your work is important to their work.

Academia, research in business, or product development in business? They’re not such clear categories, but each has a unique set of challenges and rewards. It’s been a nice time to compare and contrast, especially since returning from DUX, which had representation from business and academia (though highly skewed toward business).