Joseph Malisov '21 | New York, NY
Major | Computer Science
Minor | Earth & Environmental Science
“I used to be on jets with Elon Musk, now I’m sharpening knives.”
Always follow your passion.
Throughout my time at LSV, I heard time and time again that founders have succeeded by doing what is important to them. Many speakers have explicitly stated that companies will not succeed if their employees are not passionate. Moreover, the passion of the speakers was visible in their time with us.
I have struggled to find my path to where I am today. Often known to be slow to make a decision, I admit that I am unsure about my future. However, many of the speakers, including Maria Yap from Adobe, helped me understand that career paths are often not linear. She said that they should not be thought of as rungs on a ladder but should rather be thought of as an expanding circle. She and other speakers gave me confidence in my uneasiness - it’s okay to be unsure of what’s next, as long as I try to move forward.
Another example of a career path forged by passion was Dave Lyons’. He has had a storied journey as a mechanical engineer, including working as a top engineering and design manager at Tesla, but found solace in a starting the knife sharpening company ‘ReSharp’. As he said, “I used to be on jets with Elon Musk, now I’m sharpening knives.” I hope to emulate his ability to follow personal passions.