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Besides talent, clientele, and profits, the IT companies in India are famous for one more thing-beautiful campuses.<br />
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The campuses of Indian IT companies are no less than architectural marvels and each and every building of different companies is designed keeping the company’s ethos in mind.<br />
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Companies such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, etc go into minute details while designing their offices, which also keep the feel of the city, they are in, in their mind.<br />
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One of the best examples of brilliant offices is Infosys. Infosys has been killing it with designing its campuses. The one in Pune has become a major attraction because of its spaceship like structure.<br />
<br /> Infosys’s Pune campus in Hinjewadi is modern, smart and sustainable. The Pune campus houses 35,000 employees, known as Infoscions, making <keyword id="4118831" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="infosys-pune">Infosys Pune</keyword> the largest private sector employer in Maharashtra.<br />
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You can call the campus as second home as the office is a good example of work-life balance.<br />
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It has also bagged Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Buildings Certification.<br />
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Here’s a sneak peek into the massive Infosys’ Pune campus

This is how Infosys’ Pune campus looks from the inside

<ul><li>Flipkart launches new avatar of ‘India Ka Fashion Capital’ campaign as India’s go-to lifestyle destination.</li><li>The campaign aims to encourage lifestyle enthusiasts across the country to look no further and browse from the endless selection of fashion and beauty products.</li></ul>Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, launched the 9th edition of the ‘India Ka Fashion Capital’ campaign in a new avatar, with a focus on being a complete lifestyle destination. Featuring Bollywood’s favorite couple Ranbir Kapoor and <keyword id="6354526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alia-bhatt" source="Orion">Alia Bhatt</keyword>, the campaign encourages customers to upgrade not only their fashion wardrobes but everything else that encapsulates their daily lifestyle from beauty &amp; personal care to home furnishing &amp; decor.<br /><br /><div type="Youtube" id="QWbOcbAgl5o" title="Free Shipping + Free from Tension with limitless Fashion" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QWbOcbAgl5o/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />Close on the heels of the wedding season, the new campaign showcases the latest influencer-inspired ethnic fashion along with exotic choices for home furnishing and decor, targeting aspirational customers who may be fence-sitters when it comes to making a purchase online. Conceptualized in collaboration with McCann World group, the campaign truly captures the essence of Flipkart being India’s Fashion Capital that is delivering on an unparalleled range, quality, price, and access to the widest range of brands.<br /><div type="Youtube" id="gJbzoDXrCXs" title="Grab the spotlight with Thousands of Influencer Looks!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gJbzoDXrCXs/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />Speaking about the campaign, Prasanth Naidu - Director, Marketing, Flipkart, said, “Flipkart has a strong understanding of customer needs, which has helped us provide them with best-in-class offerings over the years. Today’s shoppers prefer to live a fashionable lifestyle that is both accessible and value-driven. With this campaign, our aim is to establish Flipkart as a value lifestyle destination that caters to various needs and appeals to a diverse demographic across the country. We are sure that <keyword id="6632829" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranbir-and-alia" source="Orion">Ranbir and Alia</keyword> will create a unique connection with our target audience and inspire them to look at Flipkart as a one-stop-shop for all their lifestyle needs.”<br /><br />The campaign is live on television and digital platforms for a period of 14 weeks. Set on a college campus, these TVCs are aimed at the youth whose aspirations for high-quality fashion are ever evolving but their doubts at times, come in the way of their desires. The TVCs feature characters portrayed by Ranbir and Alia as college friends, showcasing their fun relationship with their quirky professor.

Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt encourage consumers to upgrade their lifestyle in a new campaign for Flipkart

<ul><li><strong>Every week, Business Insider India picks up all the new releases across theatres and different OTT platforms in India for the readers. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>This week you can watch Hostel Daze on Prime Video. <br /></strong></li><li><strong>Visit Business Insider India for more stories.<br /></strong></li></ul>Every week, Business Insider India picks all the new releases across theatres and different OTT platforms in India for its readers. This week you can binge on Kingdom of the Wild Wolf on Hotstar, Hostel Daze on Prime Video and Abdominal on <keyword id="163880" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple-TV">Apple TV</keyword>. <br /><br />Here’s what you can watch this weekend: <br /><strong><br /></strong><strong>Kingdom of the Wild Wolf on Hotstar<br />
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</strong><br /><strong>Stars: Ronan <keyword id="319135" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donovan">Donovan</keyword> <br /><keyword id="256908" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imdb">IMDb</keyword>: 8.2/10<br />Description: </strong>National Geographic’s <keyword id="6360144" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="wildlife">wildlife</keyword> enthusiast, Ronan Donovan explores Ellesmere Island in the High <keyword id="59606" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="arctic">Arctic</keyword> and some other uninhibited places in search of a white wolf. Donovan captures how white wolves hunt, howl and raise their cubs. Animal experts believe that wild wolves are fearless as they have never been hunted by humans. <br /><strong><br />What critics say:  </strong>“The series provides an unprecedented look into the lives of some extraordinary animals, as Donovan gets up close and personal with a species integral to the Arctic’s complex ecosystem, and also one that is misunderstood, or perhaps not understood enough,” wrote Kevin Yeoman from Screenrant. <br /><br /><strong>The Aeronauts on Prime Videos <strong><br />
  <div type="image" title="the_aeronauts_-_publicity_still_-_h_2019_" msid="72904170" hostid="261"></div>



</strong><br /></strong><strong>Director: Tom Harper<br />Stars: Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne, <keyword id="1481146" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himesh-Patel">Himesh Patel</keyword> <br />IMDb: 6.6/10 </strong><br /><strong>Description: </strong>During the 1860s, a balloon pilot and a meteorologist come together to explore the extent to which humans can fly. And, they are successful too. However, the duo end up in a place which has seen no human existence where they fight to survive against the odds. <br /><br /><strong>What critics say: </strong>“Reuniting Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones for the first time on screen since The Theory of Everything, The Aeronauts is also a film about human ambition, although it is being sneakily retrofitted as a feminist fable might be morally questionable to some,” said Rohan Naahar from <keyword id="6518498" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindustan-times">Hindustan Times</keyword>.<br /><br /><strong>Hostel Daze on Prime Videos <br /></strong><br />
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<br /><strong>Director: Saurabh Khanna<br />Stars: Nikhil Vijay, Adarsh Gourav, Shubham Gaur <br />IMDb: 9.1/10 <br />Description: </strong>The TVF web series is sure to take you back to your college days. It follows the adventures of three freshers at an engineering college who become roommates. From the initial days of college to the end with the semester exams, the series captures the life of students beautifully.<br /><strong>What critics say: </strong>“Hostel Daze, is sharp, observant and immensely entertaining as a new-age campus show. The young cast – including the few actors inherited from Kota Factory (Ahsaas Channa, Ranjan Raj) – is on point. The texture is anecdotal,” wrote Rahul Desai from Film Companion. <br /><br /><br /><strong>Abominable on Apple TV<br /><strong><br />
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</strong><br />Director: Jill Culton<br />IMDb: 7/10 <br />Description: </strong>Yi and her friends discover Yeti, the mysterious beast, on Yi’s rooftop. Soon, Yi becomes friends with the Yeti and decides to reunite him with his family. To do so, she has to face a powerful wealthy family which wants to capture it for their selfish purposes. <br /><strong>What critics say: </strong>“Here's a defanged, declawed yeti in an animation whose every beat, character and narrative component feels as if it has been algorithmically tested for commercial safety by a computer programme” wrote Peter Bradshaw from the Guardian.<br /><br /><br /><strong><keyword id="2776930" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rogue-One">Rogue One</keyword>: A Star Wars Story on Jio <strong><br />
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</strong><br />Director: Gareth Edwards (V)<br />Stars: <br />IMDb: 7.8/10 <br />Description: </strong>Jin’s father was abducted to complete the ultimate weapon of destruction known as “Death Star”. When Jin grows up, she joins a team of heroes who aim to steal the blueprint of the death star. <strong><br />What critics say: </strong>“Rogue One is largely free of the weight of myth and expectation that were borne by The Force Awakens, and this turns out to be both a good and a bad thing,” said Christopher Orr from The Atlantic.<br />

Weekend Watchlist: Here's what you can binge on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty/Justin Sullivan</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple will <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2017/01/27FY-17-First-Quarter-Results-Conference-Call.html">announce</a> its fiscal first quarter earnings on Monday afternoon. </p><p>Here's what you need to know, starting with Wall Street expectations, compiled from analyst estimates by Bloomberg: </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Revenue</strong>: $77.4 billion, up slightly from $74.9 in the year-ago quarter.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Adjusted EPS</strong>: $3.22, down slightly from $3.28 in the year-ago quarter. </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Gross margin</strong>: 38.39%, down from 40.1% in the year-ago quarter. </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>iPhones sold</strong>: 76 million, up from 75 million in the year-ago quarter. </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>iPhone average selling price</strong>: $688, down from $691 in the year-ago quarter. </p><p>The big story is that Apple has faced three consecutive quarters of overall year-on-year declines in revenue, which is expected to rebound this quarter if the iPhone - which accounts for two-thirds of Apple's revenue - and other Apple products had a big holiday season. The holiday quarter is Apple's biggest quarter.</p><p>Investors will also look closely at Apple's future guidance to see if there's soft demand for the iPhone 7 ahead of Apple's newest iPhone, which is expected to go on sale this fall. </p><p>But besides the numbers, there's one big thing that investors will be looking at from Apple's earnings: whether its services business, which includes the App Store, Apple Music, and Applecare warranties, is becoming Apple's second firehose of profit after hardware sales.</p><h2>Services with a smile</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Nintendo/Apple</span></p><p class="caption">Super Mario Run was a big Apple-exclusive game that launched during the quarter.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Last year, as part of its fiscal first quarter earnings, Apple disclosed new supplemental data points to help investors and analysts gauge the size of its services business.</p><p>"I do think that the assets that we have in [services] are huge, and I do think that it's probably something that the investment community would want to and should focus more on," Apple CEO Tim Cook <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-wants-to-be-a-services-company-2016-1">said last year</a>. </p><p>But in the three quarters since then, Apple has not provided the same data points. It's possible that metrics that allow investors to break out Apple's services revenue into components like AppleCare and App Store may return this quarter. </p><p>Some of the best analysis on Apple's services business comes from Ben Schachter at Macquarie Capital. His takeaway? "The bottom line is that we think investors need to understand the dynamics behind how Services and the App Store impact the Apple model.," he wrote in a note distributed to clients in January. </p><p>"The oft underestimated and misunderstood Services segment has the potential to drive ~100 bps [=1%] of overall gross margin expansion per year for Apple," he wrote. "However, if one believes that iPhone units can grow with iPhone 8 and then be roughly stable going forward, we believe Services and Apps will become the growth engine for Apple." </p><p>Analysts expect Apple's gross margins will be down this quarter. But in the long run, here's how Schachter thinks services like the App Store will affect Apple's gross margin - perhaps Apple will provide disclosures again to support this model. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Macquarie Research</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The reason investors need more data on Apple's services business is because some of it, like the App Store is recognized as net revenue - where Apple doesn't set the price and has to pay its suppliers - and some of it is listed as gross revenue, where Apple is only reporting its take (30 cents on a $1 app, for example.)</p><p><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/26/apple-ceo-tim-cook-i-feel-fantastic-about-the-iphone.html">Cook said last year</a> that by 2017, Apple's services business could be the size of a Fortune 100 company. It's already bigger than the average S&amp;P500 company, according to Macquarie's research. In fact, if you count App Store gross, it's already bigger than Twitter, Facebook, and Amazon Web Services.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Macquarie Research</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Apple is likely to emphasize this story, especially if iPhone sales come in under expectations. Credit Suisse analysts point out that Apple is likely to see the App Store grow for the 6th consecutive quarter.</p><h2>Other lingering questions </h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Matthew Roberts/YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">What Apple Campus 2 looked like earlier this month.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple made a few investments during the past quarter that you can expect Wall Street to ask about.</p><p>Some things that Cook and CFO Luca Maestri may give additional information about:</p><ul><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-vision-fund-worlds-largest-tech-investment-fund-wont-focus-on-startups-2017-1">Why did Apple invest $1 billion</a> into the Softbank Vision Fund?</li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-makes-first-major-investment-in-wind-power-2016-12">Why did Apple invest in a partnership</a> with the world's largest wind power turbine maker in China?</li><li>Did the Apple Watch <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/crunch-time-for-apple-watch-2016-11">have a big holiday quarter</a>? </li><li>Is demand for the iPhone softening in China? </li><li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-apple-quarterly-earnings-growth-revenue-decline-2016-10">Does Apple still see India as its next big growth market</a>? Estimates show it only sold 2.5 million iPhones in the entire country last year, and it's been striking deals with the government for special treatment. </li><li>What Apple thinks the impact of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ftc-says-qualcomm-entered-into-anticompetitive-deal-with-apple-2017-1">its lawsuit against Qualcomm</a> will be.</li><li>Apple's next iPhone, expected to launch in the fall, is already garnering a lot of hype, because it's supposed to be redesigned and beautiful. Will Apple offer guidance <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pacific-crest-apple-iphone-7-demand-uninspiring-2016-12">suggesting</a> slumping iPhone sales because of anticipation? </li><li>Is Apple planning to move its workforce into <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-spaceship-campus-january-2017-update-photos-video-2017-1">its new $5 billion campus</a> this quarter?</li><li>How does Cook <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/19/tim-cook-explains-to-apple-employees-why-he-met-with-president-elect-trump/">get along with President</a> Donald Trump <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ceo-tim-cook-dines-with-jared-kushner-ivanka-trump-2017-1">and his family</a>? Does Apple expect a tax cut on overseas cash? </li></ul><p><a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2017/01/27FY-17-First-Quarter-Results-Conference-Call.html">Apple reports earnings at 4:30 E.T. on Monday</a>. Business Insider will cover all the news as it happens live. </p><p class="tagline">Visit Markets Insider for constantly updated market quotes for individual stocks, ETFs, indices, commodities and currencies traded around the world. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/">Go Now!</a></p>

Apple's hidden multi-billion dollar business could be the star of Monday's earnings

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Shireen Nagdive worked as a software engineer in India when she applied for a master's in the US.</li><li>She told Business Insider it was a big risk taking out a $59,000 loan for her studies.</li></ul><p><em>This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 29-year-old Shireen Nagdive from Kalyan, India, about her experience moving to the US and working for Salesforce. The following has been edited for length and clarity.</em></p><p>I grew up in a very small town in India called Kalyan, near Mumbai. I've been interested in computers since I was a child and wanted to pursue a career in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/computer-science-job-market-was-tougher-than-i-expected-2023-12">computer science</a> since the eighth grade.</p><p>I did my bachelor's degree in computer science at Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/indians-leaving-big-tech-to-launch-startups-back-home-2024-9">India</a> from 2012 to 2016. In the last year of my course, I got an offer as a software engineer for a multinational company in India.</p><p>I'm the first woman in my family to graduate from college and work for a big corporation.</p><h2 id="a8a22fef-ba92-45d4-8510-b66557966d2f"><strong>I applied for a master's in the US</strong></h2><p>I moved in with some roommates from work. They were all sitting the graduate record examination, which can help with admissions to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/graduate-school-masters-mba-college-regret-2024-7">business schools in the US</a>.</p><p>I'd never heard of it. No one close to me had pursued a career outside our hometown, let alone in the US.</p><p>At 23, I knew I wanted to spend my whole career in tech, and it seemed like a good time to study for a couple of years in the US. I wanted to deepen my understanding of computer science and work on more complex projects. I decided to do the exam and see what happened. Every day after my 9-to-5, I'd study for the exam.</p><p>I sat the exam and got decent marks, so I applied for several master's degrees in computer science in the US in 2017. I had a rough idea of how expensive they were, but I didn't know how I'd pay for them. I got into the computer science master's program at Stony Brook College in New York to start in 2018.</p><h2 id="e52405e2-72cb-4d22-aabd-529d38764bc3"><strong>I took a big risk taking out a loan</strong></h2><p>I'd funded my examination and college application fees through my job, but I had no idea how I would finance a master's degree in America.</p><p>The course fees were $59,000. That is a lot of money, which my family didn't have.</p><p>I'd have to take on a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/professor-student-loan-debt-suddenly-forgiven-2024-8">lot of debt</a>. One option was to take out a collateral loan on our family home. The bank would be able to take the property as collateral if I didn't make my payments. My dad and I discussed this, but we didn't want our only house to be an asset on the loan.</p><p>I decided to take out a non-collateral loan to cover the fee cost, which has a higher interest rate.</p><p>Relatives asked me why I was taking on so much debt for my education instead of buying a house in India, building my own company, or making an investment. My dad, who had paid for my bachelor's degree, was worried, but my mom encouraged him to trust me.</p><p>I questioned whether it was worth it, but I wanted to invest in myself. I thought: "If I don't take this risk now, I will regret it for the rest of my life."</p><p>To counteract my doubts, I developed a calculated risk framework. What would be the worst thing that could happen, and how I would resolve it?</p><p>The worst-case scenario was that I didn't get a job in the US, and it would take me a lot longer to repay my debt, including more interest. My solution was to return to India, where I knew I could get work. It might take me a decade to repay my debt, but at least I'd have no regrets.</p><h2 id="2e018fd4-9e86-4790-b36d-30a1edca9c44"><strong>I focused on what I could control</strong></h2><p>I'd never been to the US before, but my debts scared me more than moving to a new country. Stony Brook is in New York. I visualized skyscrapers like in movies, but the college was actually in Long Island. My room was cramped. I initially wondered why I had come, but I made friends and adjusted to the city.</p><p>Two weeks after I started, my friend and I wanted to try out salsa classes. That day, I heard from my roommates that someone on the course had already landed an internship with Microsoft. I hadn't even started preparing to apply to internships. I ditched the salsa and told myself I'd focus solely on my applications to tech jobs and interview preparation.</p><p>Landing an internship could help my résumé and could be converted into a full-time offer. I worked day and night at college and gave my 100%. Working so hard on application alongside my course and assignments was pretty stressful. All the computer science students worked and lived on the same campus – it felt competitive, but also motivating.</p><p>I was often homesick and called my parents daily. I liked hearing about what they had for lunch and dinner, just the basic things.</p><h2 id="af48b5f8-1d58-4940-a393-2a3efa2f747a"><strong>I landed a job with Salesforce</strong></h2><p>I got an internship with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/salesforce-ping-pong-work-flexible-2024-7">Salesforce</a> in the summer of 2019 while doing my master's. It was in Washington state. I got to work on a project. I realized it was a great place for engineering and innovation and I really liked the culture. It helped me figure out I wanted to work on the backend side of things, on large scale systems.</p><p>My manager was a great mentor and when I finished the project, I was offered a full-time role on the technical team that aligned with my interests. It was based in the Bay Area.</p><p>I felt so relieved, and happy that my hard work had finally paid off. Not only could I repay my debt, but I could contribute to a great tech product at Salesforce.</p><h2 id="8a98083b-2e92-4cf4-85d8-b5f826c379d4"><strong>I moved to Silicon Valley</strong></h2><p>I moved to the Bay Area in February 2020. I realized how much <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-new-york-london-tech-where-to-live-2024-8">tech innovation is happening in the area</a> and how many opportunities there were to build relationships with people in the industry. But I was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-to-us-from-india-big-tech-changed-me-2024-7">homesick</a> because I couldn't travel home to India during the pandemic.</p><p>I managed to pay back my loan in 2020.</p><p>I've been here for four years, with Salesforce sponsoring my visa. I'm enjoying life in the US and haven't got plans to return to India. I'll figure that out in a couple of years.</p><p>I'm so grateful I get to work with smart engineers on my team on a daily basis. I've seen an improvement in my problem-solving and communication skills in engineering.</p><p>Last year, I was able to bring my parents to the US for a holiday. It was a dream for me to show them around all the beautiful places in California. I've grown so much over the last few years both as a software engineer and as a person. Starting from scratch in a new country makes you tough. I'm so glad I invested in myself.</p><p>For other students who don't have a family background where they know how to figure all this out, if I can achieve my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-american-dream-gen-zers-flexibility-freedom-individualism-2023-5">American dream</a>, you can too.</p><p><em>If you've taken a significant career risk and would like to share your story, email </em><a target="_blank" href="mailto:ehopkins@businessinsider.com"><em>ehopkins@businessinsider.com</em></a><em>.</em></p>

I moved to the US from India and took out a $59K loan to follow my dream of landing a job in Big Tech. My risk paid off. 

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">"Relationships with classmates, creating lifelong bonds, and having this incredible community of creative, entrepreneurial, and talented people who are all aligned in wanting to change the world - it's so powerful," said Coral Chung, Stanford GSB class of 2011 and the founder and CEO of Senreve.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Hopefully, you go to business school to learn a lot. But that's not everything you should be doing during your time at an MBA program.</li><li>Business Insider spoke with several alumni of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-into-harvard-business-school-according-to-admissions-2019-7">Harvard Business School</a> and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-it-takes-get-accepted-stanford-graduate-school-of-business-2019-8">Stanford Graduate School of Business</a> about the most meaningful things they got out of their degree.</li><li>They mentioned plenty of opportunities outside the classroom that shaped their experience and <keyword id="6354910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="careers">careers</keyword>, such as building a community of peers and mentors, traveling outside the country, and taking on leadership roles in student organizations.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul><p>When you attend an MBA program, you expect to emerge smarter and wiser, brimming with insights on leadership, management, finance, and marketing from your classroom learning. But there's more to the business school experience than just what you absorb from your professors during lectures. </p><p>Business Insider asked graduates from Harvard Business School (HBS) and Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) what they felt was the most important part of going to business school - and exactly what benefits and experiences people should aim to get out of attending an MBA program. Below is what they told us, including insight into how they leveraged things they didn't learn in class to do some impressive things with their careers.</p><h1>Capitalize on the community to make meaningful connections and test out your 'risky' ideas</h1><p>Coral Chung, Stanford GSB class of 2011 and the founder and CEO of the luxury handbag shop <a href="https://www.senreve.com/">Senreve</a>, told Business Insider that while she enjoyed the classes in business school, the learning outside of the classroom "is arguably more valuable," in part because of the long-term, built-in community it creates.</p><p>"Relationships with classmates, creating lifelong bonds, and having this incredible community of creative, entrepreneurial, and talented people who are all aligned in wanting to change the world - it's so powerful," said Chung. "I truly felt that I found my kindred spirits. In fact, our class is so connected that we created an annual reunion hosted in cool cities around the world."</p><p>Dilan Gomih, who received her MBA from Harvard Business School in May 2019, emphasized that MBA students should aim to learn how to take risks, inside and outside the classroom. "You have to trust that going to business school isn't an opportunity cost - it's an investment in opportunity," she said. </p><p>Gomih explained how the general experience of participating in an MBA program helped provide validation of her ideas so that she could start moving toward the full vision she had of her career with more confidence. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Dilan Gomih</span></p><p class="caption">Dilan Gomih.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>"Prior to HBS, I worked in finance and I could have predicted my path with a fair amount of certainty," she said. "However, knowing I had a passion for the wellness and fitness space - at the time I was teaching five to eight [indoor cycling] classes at Flywheel Sports on top of my full-time job in sales and trading - I wasn't unlocking my full potential." </p><p>Gomih realized that her vision for what wellness means for the everyday person, and how accessible it is to people, may not exist yet. "However, HBS gave me the confidence to say, 'Why don't I try to make that happen?'" she said.</p><p>She emphasized that business school students should focus on building supportive, influential relationships. In her case, she met friends and professors not just in class but throughout her HBS experience who affirmed that the "crazy ideas" she had for what she felt passionate about were worth pursuing. </p><p>"From continuing to teach while in grad school to helping implement some of my ideas as HBS' Chief Wellness Officer, every step of the way I had people cheering me on to say, 'You can do this,'" she said.</p><p>With the encouragement she gained throughout the business school experience and notably outside of actual classes, Gomih is currently working at a startup called <a href="https://www.industriousoffice.com/">Industrious</a> as the chief of staff to the CEO, where she can focus on her passion for wellness.</p><h1>Travel - because it's maybe the only time in your life when you'll be able to</h1><p>Another benefit that comes to mind for Chung was the travel opportunities that Stanford offered to its MBA students.</p><p>"When I interviewed for Stanford GSB as part of the application, my interviewer said that her biggest regret during business school was that she didn't take advantage of the amazing travel experiences," recalled Chung. "I took that to heart and went on pretty much every global trip possible, to India, Brazil, [and] Japan, [and] did an internship in Paris and more." </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Coral Chung</span></p><p class="caption">Coral Chung.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chung described these experiences as "an incredible opportunity to get exposed to different cultures and become more of a global citizen." One international adventure, however, was particularly invaluable to her: participating in and leading the "Luxury Trek," in which she and a group of her classmates who were passionate about the luxury goods industry participated in a trip to visit Paris, Milan, and other European destinations to meet with C-level executives of major luxury brands and retailers, ranging from Gucci to Chanel to Hermès. </p><p>The trip was "memorable and impactful," and she emphasized that it was her "direct inspiration" to launch her own luxury handbag company.</p><p>Siqi Mou, who graduated from Stanford GSB in 2016 and is now the CEO and cofounder of <a href="https://www.helloava.co/">HelloAva</a>, an AI-powered recommendation engine for beauty and personal care products, also participated in one of the GSB's treks organized by the Stanford Retail Club.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Siqi Mou</span></p><p class="caption">Siqi Mou.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>She served as CIO for this particular mission and summarized that the trip "ended up being one of the most useful real-world learning experiences." </p><p>"We took a lot of classes in school every day, but a lot of knowledge and instincts cannot be learned in textbooks, and these contacts and connections ended up benefiting me for a long time," she said. </p><p>In fact, like Chung, Mou ultimately founded and now runs a company in the beauty industry, which was in part inspired by what she learned on her trek outside the classroom. Mou advised current MBA students to seize on these types of outside learning and travel opportunities, if their business school offers them, to glean more information about their industry firsthand.</p><h1>Serve in student leadership roles to evaluate your leadership potential</h1><p>While the standard response about business school benefits is the relationships you make, Triston Francis, HBS class of 2019, advised that current MBA students up the ante in the networking arena by taking on a campus leadership position in addition to their required coursework.  </p><p>"I think that the best way to get to know classmates and faculty is by working on a project alongside them, ideally one in an area that [you are] passionate about," said Francis, who is now a consultant at BCG Singapore. "That is precisely what I got to do on a regular basis through my role as student body co-president, and it led to some of the strongest friendships that I will cherish for a lifetime." </p><p>In this role, Francis managed a team of over 70 peers and a budget of $1.3 million. </p><p>"The real learning opportunity came from thinking about how to motivate peers to be excited about giving up precious time in order to give back to the HBS community," said Francis. "Time during an MBA program is particularly precious for students, so this was a large undertaking."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Courtesy of Triston Francis</span></p><p class="caption">Triston Francis.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>What Francis learned from this experience is that when building teams, "focus on designing roles that allow people who are working with you to have a phenomenal experience and get from it what they want," he said. "Then, once they are excited about what they are doing, then you can think through how that fits into the bigger mission of your effort."</p><p>Francis emphasized that you don't need to be given a specific title like "president" in order to make an impact and bring people together. Instead, he advised current MBA students to take the initiative to create leadership experiences outside of the classroom. </p><p>For example, in his first year at HBS, Francis and his roommate would host dinners at which attendees would share the personal statements that they wrote to get into HBS.  </p><p>"What we found was that people were really excited about it as a way of breaking through the ice and getting to know one another," said Francis. "My roommate and I ended up hosting about 100 classmates over the course of our first year to help everyone get to know each other." </p><p>It was at one of these informal dinners that the pair facilitated that Francis met the classmate who he would later serve alongside as student body co-president. Even more importantly, Francis said that this fortuitous meeting resulted in one of his closest friendships. "I know we will stay in touch with one another for a lifetime," he said. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sneaky-ways-credit-card-companies-make-you-spend-more-money-2019-9">Sneaky ways credit card companies get you to spend more money</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Harvard and Stanford MBA grads reveal the most important benefits they got from business school, besides their education

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky<ul class="summary-list"><li>I was born and raised in <keyword id="6432379" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="buffalo">Buffalo</keyword>, and I'm sharing the best things to do, see, and eat <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-things-to-do-brighton-england-according-to-local-2021-6">in the city</a>.</li><li>Tourists should visit Canalside, Martin House, Niagara Falls, and Nietzsche's.</li><li>They should eat at Paula's Donuts, Duff's Famous Wings, and Mississippi Mudds.</li></ul><p>Although the <keyword id="18448" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="city">city</keyword> has become famous for its <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-chicken-wings-pizza-hut-buffalo-wild-millers-ale-house-famous-daves-2019-2">wing sauce</a>, Buffalo has a lot more to offer than that. </p><p>Dubbed the City of Good Neighbors, it offers a wide array of both summer and winter activities, plus an impressive selection of cuisine inspired from around the world.</p><p>I, a born and raised Buffalonian, have <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-things-to-do-philadelphia-pennsylvania-according-to-local-2021-6">compiled a list</a> of must-visit hotels, sites, and eateries from across the city.</p><h2>Things to know before you go</h2><ul><li><strong>COVID-19 PROTOCOL: </strong><a href="https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory">As of June 2021</a>, <keyword id="6355838" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="new-york">New York</keyword> State has lifted its COVID-19 <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> advisory, but both <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html">domestic</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html">international</a> travelers must continue to follow CDC travel requirements. As of July 2021, the <a href="https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid">Canadian border is closed</a> to all visitors (with the exception of those crossing for essential purposes).</li><li><strong>WEATHER: </strong>The weather can change quickly in Buffalo, so pack and dress in layers. This is particularly smart if you know you'll be hanging near the chilly (but pleasant) breezes on the waterfront. Summers are warm, but winters can be severe, with feet of snow and real-feel temperatures often dropping well below zero degrees Fahrenheit.</li><li><strong>CURRENCY: </strong>The area uses US dollars, and many businesses accept credit cards. If you visit Canada while you're in town, consider picking up some Canadian cash. Most banks offer this type of exchange, but there are also currency-exchange services around town and in the <a href="https://www.buffaloairport.com/canadian-info/currency-exchange">Buffalo airport</a>.</li><li><strong>WALKABILITY: </strong>Buffalo has multiple <a href="https://metro.nfta.com/schedules/fares-and-pass-sales">bus lines and a small subway system</a> that operates from the University of Buffalo campus to downtown, but it's not a walkable city. Though there are taxis and ride-hail services, renting a car is likely your best option.</li></ul><h2>Where to stay</h2><h3>The InnBuffalo is housed in a restored Victorian mansion </h3><p>The <a href="https://innbuffalo.com/">InnBuffalo</a> is a refurbished mansion located in the heart of Elmwood Village, a vibrant neighborhood full of restaurants, coffee shops, and local retailers.</p><p>Rates are about $170 to $200 a night, but they vary depending on the time of year.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>This is a small, cozy spot that fills up fast, so be sure to book as early as possible. Additionally, this option is best for solo travelers or couples, as the max capacity for each suite is two people.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of InnBuffalo in buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458880" hostid="261"></div><h3>The Curtiss Hotel is upscale and ornate</h3><p>Chic and stylish, the <a href="https://curtisshotel.com/">Curtiss Hotel</a> is a five-star boutique with high-tech amenities such as digital room-control pads.</p><p>Prices range from $259 to $609 a night, but they're worth it if you want a memorable option for a special occasion or romantic getaway.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Even if you're not a hotel guest, the Curtiss has a rooftop lounge and bar with incredible views of downtown Buffalo that's open year-round.</p><h3>The Hotel at the Lafayette is historic and beautifully designed</h3><p>Head downtown for the historic <a href="https://thehotellafayette.com/">Hotel at the Lafayette</a>, designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first professional female architect in the US.</p><p>With over 57 rooms starting in the $100s a night, the hotel has options for couples and families. </p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Grab a latte from the coffee shop on the ground floor or stop for a bite at the <a href="https://thehotellafayette.com/dining">Lafayette Brewing Company and Pan American Dining Room</a>.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of hotel lafayette in buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458882" hostid="261"></div><h2>Things to do and see</h2><h3>Canalside offers outdoor fun and cool breezes</h3><p>Located on the shore of Lake Erie at the foot of downtown Buffalo, <a href="https://buffalowaterfront.com/canalside">Canalside</a> has some of the best waterside activities in the city.</p><p>Visitors can ride bikes, rent kayaks, take a tour of the famous <a href="https://buffalonavalpark.org/exhibits/uss-little-rock/">USS Little Rock</a> (a former US Navy combat ship), or just soak up the views on the lawn.</p><p>In the summer, the <a href="https://buffalowaterfront.com/concerts">Canalside concert series</a> usually hosts a variety of both big names and local bands.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Parking can sometimes be tough on busy days. Instead of driving in, leave your car farther uptown, hop on the metro rail, and exit at the Erie Canal Harbor station.</p><div type="image" title="shot of a patch of lawn with chairs at canalside in buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458885" hostid="261"></div><h3>See Frank Lloyd Wright's elaborate, turn-of-the-century Martin House</h3><p>For fans of <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-ugliest-most-hated-buildings-in-the-world">famous architecture</a>, <a href="https://martinhouse.org/">Martin House</a> is an exquisite, Prairie-style home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.</p><p>Built between 1903 and 1905, the house features beautiful woodwork and stained glass.</p><p>Tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday, and on Thursdays, the garden is open to the public. Book your tours in advance to ensure placement.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Nearby <a href="https://www.bfloparks.org/parks/delaware-park/">Delaware Park</a> was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of frank lloyd wright martin house buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458887" hostid="261"></div><h3>Architecture tours are a great way to see downtown </h3><p>Buffalo is full of stunning <a href="https://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/architecture-tours/">architectural sights to see</a>, and there are local guides who can show you all the best places.</p><p>See the art-deco details on City Hall, the towering grain elevators at Silo City, or the mansions around town - a reminder of Buffalo's glorious Gilded Age.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Wear comfortable shoes for the tours as they mostly consist of walking. For those interested in "haunted history," there are also ghost walking tours.</p><h3>The theater district makes for a memorable night out</h3><p>You don't have to go to <a href="https://www.insider.com/new-york-city-biggest-misconceptions-2019-8">New York City</a> to catch some of the finest live-theater performances in the state.</p><p>Buffalo's <a href="https://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/businesses/buffalo-theatre-district/">theater district</a> offers world-class venues such as <a href="https://www.sheas.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzamNJ-u72Vj50QksW0HJkes7vMhkNQaH7QysVS-08AZNpQKIdiApnpQaAkuZEALw_wcB">Shea's</a>, <a href="https://irishclassical.com/">Irish Classical</a>, and <a href="https://www.alleyway.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzamzi1kjf_0e721ANU3ZOSCpW3rEajahxgBu1FXVTydQMU46q4Bnhp0aAs3xEALw_wcB">Alleyway</a> that host both <a href="https://www.insider.com/top-broadway-show-the-year-were-born-2018-6">Broadway</a> tours and local productions.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>The theater district itself is on Main Street, but there are also plenty of walkable preshow dining options on Tupper, Pearl, and Allen streets.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of shea's theater buffalo new york" height="2268" width="3023" msid="84458895" hostid="261"></div><h3>Experience the power of Niagara Falls </h3><p>It may seem touristy, but <a href="https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/">Niagara Falls</a> is truly worth the trip.</p><p>Though closed for the moment because of pandemic restrictions, you can even usually walk across the footbridge to <a href="https://www.insider.com/american-who-moved-to-canada-experience-2018-6">Canada</a> (if you have your passport) to view the falls from the other side.</p><p>Most people visit in the summer for a refreshing mist from the roaring waters, but if you find yourself in Buffalo in the colder months, certain portions of the falls will sometimes freeze, creating a magical frozen view.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>As a natural wonder, this spot can get packed. Try to get there earlier in the day to avoid bigger crowds. </p><h3>Sports fans will love catching a Sabres hockey game</h3><p>You might hear locals joke that Buffalonians are honorary Canadians thanks to our close relationship with our northern neighbors, and that definitely includes a passion for hockey.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nhl.com/sabres">Buffalo Sabres</a> play at the <a href="https://keybankcenter.com/">KeyBank Center</a> downtown, where games run from October to April. Grab a jersey at the shop, sip on an ice-cold Labatt Blue beer, and enjoy the action.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Similar to Canalside, it's often easier to hitch a ride on the metro rail instead of looking for parking downtown.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of key bamk center in buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458904" hostid="261"></div><h3>Nietzsche's is a prime spot for local music</h3><p>For local music and a relaxed atmosphere, <a href="http://nietzsches.com/">Nietzsche's</a> is a hip dive joint located in Allentown, boasting live performances every night of the week.</p><p>It features all kinds of music, from small jam bands to professional jazz musicians. Buffalo's music scene really comes alive here.</p><p>The mural on the side of the building rightly puts it in the famous philosopher's own words: "Without music, life would be a mistake."</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>For a preshow dinner, there are plenty of options directly on Allen Street or around the corner on Elmwood Avenue.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of nietzches in buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458913" hostid="261"></div><h2>Where to eat and drink</h2><h3>La Divina has the most authentic tacos in town</h3><p>This simple, counter-service restaurant serves up tacos in double-upped tortillas for just a couple of bucks apiece.</p><p><a href="https://la-divina-mexican-store.business.site/">La Divina</a> also has quesadillas and desserts such as flan and churros, as well as a selection of authentic sodas and drinks to wash it all down.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Weekend lunchtimes here can fill up fast, so don't be surprised if you're greeted with a line. Luckily, it typically moves swiftly.</p><div type="image" title="interior shot of the counter at la davina in buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458921" hostid="261"></div><h3>Paula's Donuts has a wide range of doughnuts and pastries</h3><p>At <a href="https://paulasdonuts.com/">Paula's Donuts</a>, you'll find a sweet treat in more flavors than you even thought possible.</p><p>It has the regulars - chocolate, honey dip, jelly-filled - but the really exciting sweets are the <a href="https://www.insider.com/chefs-favorite-doughnuts-2019-8">specialty doughnuts</a>: red velvet, cannoli, maple bacon, and more.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Keep an eye on the specials board. It often has deals such as a free doughnut with the purchase of a dozen, or a free doughnut if you buy a beverage.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of paula's donuts in buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458923" hostid="261"></div><h3>Head to Spot Coffee for your morning joe or afternoon lunch</h3><p>For a good cup of coffee from a locally owned company, <a href="https://www.spotcoffee.com/">Spot Coffee</a> has your fix.</p><p>With a wide selection of espresso, iced drinks, smoothies, and lunch options, it's good for pretty much any time of day. Plus, you can pick up bags of coffee to take home.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>There are multiple locations, so <a href="https://www.spotcoffee.com/store-locator/">look up</a> which one you're closest to.</p><div type="image" title="interior shot of spot coffee buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458927" hostid="261"></div><h3>Caffé Aroma offers coffee by day and cocktails by night</h3><p>Located on Elmwood Avenue - a bustling street with dozens of retail shops, restaurants, and local bars - <a href="https://m.facebook.com/Caffe.Aroma.Buffalo/">Caffé Aroma</a> provides both morning coffee and evening cocktails.</p><p>At night, it also usually features local craft brews alongside light bites and pastries.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>The café itself is relatively small, so consider taking your coffee to go and heading across the street to sit in Bidwell Parkway.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of cafe aroma buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458930" hostid="261"></div><h3>Mississippi Mudds has the perfect warm-weather menu and view</h3><p>Few things scream summer more than a hot dog with the works and an <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-store-ice-cream-the-best-what-doing-wrong-2019-11">ice-cream cone</a> from a local waterfront shack.</p><p><a href="https://www.mississippimuddswny.com/">Mississippi Mudds</a> is a fantastic warm-weather spot for dogs, burgers, fries, specialty sandwiches, and dozens of ice-cream options. Grab a seat at the restaurant or carry your delights across the street for a picnic overlooking the Niagara River.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>If you're feeling especially ravenous, opt for the foot-long <a href="https://www.insider.com/mistakes-when-grilling-hot-dogs-2019-6">hot dog</a> instead of the regular.</p><div type="image" title="hand holding sofe serve cone mississippi mudds buffalo new york" height="2457" width="3276" msid="84458932" hostid="261"></div><h3>Explore more of Buffalo's extensive culinary scene at the West Side Bazaar</h3><p>Buffalo is well-known for its wide array of international-inspired food options.</p><p>At the <a href="https://www.westsidebazaar.com/">West Side Bazaar</a>, you'll find food inspired by a number of cultures, including Burmese, Thai, Ethiopian, and Japanese.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Even if you're not hungry, the bazaar is home to various local retailers selling traditional clothes, jewelry, and other items from expat artists hailing from Rwanda, India, Iraq, and more.</p><h3>For wings, Duff's is an iconic dive </h3><p>It wouldn't really be a trip to Buffalo without an <a href="https://www.insider.com/difference-chicken-nuggets-tenders-2019-3">order of wings</a>.</p><p>There's plenty of debate over what restaurant developed the first Buffalo wings, but one thing is certain, the menu at <a href="http://www.duffswings.com/">Duff's</a> has it all.</p><p>From mild to hot to something called "death sauce," you'll get the full wing experience.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>To soothe your flaming mouth, order a Loganberry, a dark red, non-carbonated beverage beloved by both Buffalonians and Canucks. </p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of duffs buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458934" hostid="261"></div><h3>Betty's boasts an impressive breakfast and brunch menu for all diet options</h3><p>Located in an adorable red building on Virginia Street, <a href="http://www.bettysbuffalo.com/">Betty's</a> breakfast and <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-brunch-dishes-to-order-chefs-say">brunch</a> food has kept customers coming back for years. </p><p>It offers tons of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options as well, so there's something for everyone.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>This is a popular weekend brunch spot, so maybe aim for a weekday morning when it may be less crowded.</p><div type="image" title="exterior shot of betty's buffalo new york" height="2274" width="3024" msid="84458938" hostid="261"></div><h3>Ristorante Lombardo is an excellent choice for date night or special occasions</h3><p>For some upscale Italian cuisine, the family-run <a href="https://www.ristorantelombardo.com/">Ristorante Lombardo</a> on Hertel Avenue provides an elegant dinner menu and a spectacular selection of wine and cocktails. </p><p>The restaurant is only open for dinner, so reservations are suggested.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> If you've got some time before dinner, take a walk down Hertel Avenue to check out some of the local shops or stop in to one of the nearby bars for an aperitif. </p><h3>Condrell's is a must-visit for those with a sweet tooth</h3><p>Not only does the locally owned <a href="http://condrells.com/">Condrell's</a> offer a massive menu of ice-cream sundaes, floats, and shakes, it also doubles as a candy shop, serving everything from fudge to licorice in a retro-style setting.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Try one of Buffalo's signature treats: sponge candy. It's a crunchy, lightly toasted, and airy toffee-flavored candy covered in chocolate.</p><div type="image" title="interior shot of display case at condrells buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458949" hostid="261"></div><h2>Final tips before your trip</h2><div type="image" title="shot of pier at canalside buffalo new york" height="3024" width="4032" msid="84458959" hostid="261"></div><ul><li><strong>If you're looking to avoid crowds and experience mild weather, consider visiting during the fall or spring. </strong>Summer tends to draw more tourists, and winter weather can be wildly unpredictable. </li><li><strong>Enjoy the local nightlife, but be safe.</strong> Locals joke that Buffalo is a drinking town with a sports problem. Feel free to indulge in the fun, but have a plan for getting to and from your accommodations. Uber, Lyft, and taxi services are available.</li><li><strong>Don't be afraid to ask the locals for advice or tips</strong>. Buffalonians are known for being quite friendly, especially when it comes to showing off our city, so feel free to ask what other places they recommend.</li></ul>

A local's ultimate guide to visiting Buffalo, New York

27. Harley-Davidson Rides to Live

The professors filmed themselves having sex with porn stars. Their university was not pleased.

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><ul><li><strong>Meitu is a hot Chinese selfie app maker with hundreds of millions of users - but some believe its global expansion has been plagued by dysfunction.</strong></li><li><strong>Business Insider spoke to more than a dozen former employees, and from some heard allegations of sexism, wild stories of shamings and scathing criticisms in front of other employees, and a tales of a brutal workplace culture.</strong></li><li><strong>Meitu's struggles highlight the challenges in running a global company, and show there's far more to running a tech business than just having a successful app.</strong></li><li><strong>In a statement, the company said that its "cultural values encompass integrity, responsibility, ambition and empathy."</strong></li><li><strong>"Meitu is a shitshow," one former employee said. "I'm embarrassed that Meitu is now on my resumé."</strong></li></ul><p>&#xa0;</p><p>In November 2017, about an hour after employees on Meitu's <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">international</keyword> team read a cheery farewell message from one of their colleagues in a company chatroom, they received an eye-popping follow-up note from the company's head of global operations.</p><p>The manager, Fox Lui, wanted everyone to know that the employee was leaving because he had fired her, and he blasted her for poor execution, not embracing the company's "user-first" values and various other purported faults.</p><p>What's more, he insisted in the chatroom, he was not a "fucking monster" for firing her.</p><p>"Maybe my way of handling this is not the best, but I hope you all understand that in order for us to succeed we have to embrace the Company's value," he wrote. "This is even more important than ability and capability."</p><p>For Meitu's shell-shocked US employees, this bizarre episode was just another day in the office at what might be one of the most dysfunctional workplaces in Silicon Valley.</p><p>Famous over-the-top perks like on-campus massages, ice cream shops and volleyball courts, have earned the American tech industry the reputation for being a worker's paradise -a place where hard work and progressive management combine to form a happy lifestyle. But in the case of Meitu, a Chinese company which has built a $4.4 billion empire by churning out a series of popular selfie-editing apps, the glitzy perks of a Silicon Valley dream job covered up a much harsher reality.&#xa0;</p><p>Business Insider spoke to more than a dozen former Meitu employees involved in the company's overseas expansion. Their tales paint a picture of an almost dystopian version of a Silicon Valley tech gig, including claims of seemingly arbitrary firings, public shamings, and even some behavior some may consider overtly sexist or racist.</p><p>The Chinese company's lofty ambitions to take on global internet superpowers like Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter sparked a frenetic and chaotic expansion into the US and the rest of the world. But the expansion exposed deep cultural rifts that wreaked havoc in the workplace and in Meitu's products, and serve as a reminder that there's more to operating a global business than having a popular app.</p><p>One former employee estimated that more than 80% of employees on the global expansion team were fired or quit in a little over a year. Many left after just two or three months. "Every day felt like it was your last day there," one person recalled. (Sources requested anonymity in order to discuss their experiences at the company.)</p><p>In a lengthy statement provided by Lui on behalf of Meitu, the company said it would not comment on "some personal views from your sources, as it may not reflect the full picture of our company's culture and values," and noted that it was bound by confidentiality agreements with employees and partners.&#xa0;</p><p>With respect to Lui's 2017 comments about the departing employee, the statement reads: "&#xa0;On certain occasions, Fox informed the team of the reasons why the company had to let go of some people and encouraged the team to be more outspoken with the aim of creating a more transparent working environment. In Fox's opinion, this is in line with the company's cultural values."</p><p>But those company values did not translate well in overseas offices like those in the US.</p><p>"Meitu is a shitshow," one former employee said bluntly. "I'm embarrassed that Meitu is now on my resume … I regret that I spent a year there."</p><h2><strong>Bringing the craze to America</strong></h2><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Meitu's US adventure began in classic startup-style, with staff working out of an apartment - usually around the dinner table - in Los Angeles's Venice neighborhood in 2015. Other US offices would later open in Palo Alto and Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley, fleshing out a constellation of other international teams in places like London, Mexico, Sao Paulo, and Mumbai.<p>The goal was to get a feel for local tastes and customs, and then replicate the phenomenal success that Meitu's "selfie" apps have experienced in China, according to the sources who worked in Meitu's US and other overseas offices that Business Insider spoke to.&#xa0;</p><p>Meitu's suite of smartphone apps, which include makeup-simulating apps such as MakeupPlus and BeautyCam, let users share and modify photos and videos.&#xa0;By some estimates, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/18/chinas-selfie-obsession">as many as half of the selfies</a> shared on social media in China have been edited with Meitu.&#xa0;The company even sells its own-brand of smartphones that come with its software baked in.</p><p>The Meitu and BeautyCam apps "have been in the top five in China market for at least the past five years,"&#xa0;said Alex Ng, an analyst at CMB International. "They have a very ... dominant position in this market. A very solid user base focusing on the female user."&#xa0;</p><p>Meitu's apps have gotten some buzz in the US too, with celebrity users like comedian Jimmy Fallon.&#xa0;</p><p>Meitu went public at the start of 2017 in what was&#xa0;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/15/meitu-hong-kong-ipo/">Hong Kong's biggest tech IPO in a decade</a>, closing the day with a $4.8 billion valuation. It still <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-24/selfie-app-loved-by-millions-is-a-big-money-loser-for-investors">has yet to turn a profit</a>.</p><p>Meitu's overseas offices, such as the US outposts, were primarily focused on marketing, data analytics, localization, and local partnerships, with the core app development team at its headquarters in Xiamen, China.</p><p>Many former Meitu employees spoke positively about the perks of the job. The pay was good, often well above market rates, and employees enjoyed a significant amount of freedom. Some spoke positively about the lessons they learned and the friends they made while working there.</p><p>"People went into Meitu, myself included, with some really big, big expectations," one source who spoke favorably of their time at the company said. "We would be able to ... affect change, we would be able to shape and potentially succeed at growing a Chinese company here in the US&#xa0;."</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><h2>"Everyone dreaded going to work"</h2><p>But efforts to parlay its success into the US have not gone smoothly, marked by ever-shifting strategies, directives and a series of management changes.</p><p>Focus would switch from app to app, and goals and targets would change without notice; a partnership might be discussed, then rejected; staffers would be demoted and teams abruptly rearranged.</p><p>Employees in the US offices were often young and inexperienced. The first person to lead Meitu's American operations was a recent college graduate whose previous job was working as an intern at headphone company Beats by Dr. Dre,&#xa0;according to his LinkedIn&#xa0;profile.</p><p>Overseas employees felt expected to stay on top of hundreds of messages on WeChat,&#xa0;the popular Chinese mobile chat app, and work long hours to communicate with China. Sources said that if you weren't seen as active on the app, you weren't viewed as doing your job well. "I still have nightmares about WeChat," one said.&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>WeChat also served as a virtual tribunal where some employees felt publicly judged by their peers throughout the organization. Employees perceived to have done a poor job on a task would be mercilessly flogged in WeChat by their managers, with threats of firings thrown in for good measure, sources said.<p>At the beginning of 2016, Frank Fu, a US-based technology executive who previously worked at Chinese software firm Kingsoft, came on board as the company's new director of global operations. The culture was "hostile," a source recalled of the Fu regime. "Everyone dreaded going to work." Another described management as "authoritative."</p><p>Fu would hold intensive "war room" meetings, they said, going round the team and grilling employees on what they were working on, laying into them if their response was perceived as inadequate. People sometimes broke down in tears.&#xa0;</p><p>Some former employees, however, said that Fu was under unrealistic expectations from China: "He was under immense pressure to move mountains," one said, describing him as a "really savvy businessman."</p><p>In August 2017, Fu was replaced as the head of the global team by&#xa0;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fox-lui-9353b751/">Fox Lui, a Meitu director</a>. Some viewed Fox Lui more positively, describing him as "charming," though others were still critical. Lui enacted a rule whereby employees who spoke out against their colleagues would be fired, one person noted.</p><p>If employees complained, they said, Lui would question whether they were being sufficiently "loyal" to Meitu. Problems under Fu's leadership, including employee infighting and shifting priorities, continued under his successor, and the size of the overseas team around the world shrank to less than half its size at its peak of more than 100 employees.</p><p>In one notable incident, Meitu laid off a group of employees without notice days before Christmas of 2017, sources said. Lui declined to provide specific numbers on the overseas team, citing Hong Kong listing rules, but said that the staff turnover in on the US team was not significantly higher than the average of Meitu.</p><p>"In fast-growing tech companies like Meitu, it is not uncommon to see new people joining our team, while we had to let go of some employees as their skill-sets and expertise no longer meet with the growing needs of Meitu," the company said in its statement.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><h2>'Everyone has his or her own perspective'</h2><p>Some former employees said they witnessed sexist behaviour at Meitu.</p><p>One ex-employee said she overheard employees discussing her weight and height in Chinese, not realising that she spoke the language. Another claimed to have heard a Meitu executive commenting on the size of a female employee's breasts to that employee. A third acknowledged that he himself had been accused of sexism while at the company, but believed the allegation was baseless and came about as a result of employees' other grievances.</p><p>And multiple sources said Meitu had a pattern of hiring attractive young women.&#xa0;</p><p>Two sources said they felt there were different expectations for men and women's behaviour, with women expected to be "docile" while men "had freedom to act aggressively." Others disputed that men and women were treated differently, though they were still critical of the company. "<span>I don't think [Frank Fu] treated women or men particularly well," one said.</span></p><p>Business Insider reached out to Frank Fu with an initial message outlining some of the concerns of former employees, including sexism allegations. In an early back-and-forth of messages, he acknowledged startup life could be "chaotic."&#xa0;"You would certainly hear negative comments, and there are also a lot positive things to write about," he said. "The question is what is the truth. After all, we must respect people's opinion. Everyone has his or her own perspective."</p><p>In subsequent messages, he suggested that former employees might fabricate stories, and declined to take part in an interview, referring Business Insider to Meitu's PR team. He was then provided with a detailed list of questions, including specific allegations, to which he again responded by referring Business Insider to the company PR team.</p><p>Lui and Meitu said in a lengthy statement in response that the company's "cultural values encompass integrity, responsibility, ambition and empathy." The company said that "each job seeker enjoys equal opportunity to compete with his or her peers."</p><p>After being presented with the allegations outlined above, Meitu expressed an interest in following up. They asked for more information so it could investigate "<span>to ensure that policies are in place and necessary corrections are taken if any such inappropriate conduct did in fact occur." (Business Insider could not share further details without risking revealing sources' identies.)</span></p><h2><strong>Problematic selfie filters</strong></h2><p>The cultural disconnect that strained management also became product and public relations problems.</p><p>In 2017, Meitu tested a new filter for one of its apps that transformed the user into a stereotypical native American, with a painted face and a headdress with a feather. One source described it as "racist," and said it was paired with stereotypical music from India (the Asian nation, not native American culture).</p><p>After concerns were raised internally, Meitu agreed not to launch it in the US - but it still rolled out in other markets around the world, the source said. "There were a lot of filters that would be considered cultural appropriation and 'inappropriate' in the States," said another.</p><p>Multiple former employees say the global team battled with the Chinese team for years over cultural issues relating to its apps.</p><p>The Chinese team was responsible for core app development, and the global team found it difficult to make them make any significant changes to localize the apps, multiple sources said -&#xa0;even running focus groups to try and gather data to get their point across. The attitude seemed to be that Meitu was a huge success in China, so it should be able to replicate that success abroad.</p><p>There was little recognition of the radically different standards of female beauty around the world, some sources said: The ethereal, slim-faced, pointed-chin look that played well in China didn't necessarily appeal in Brazil or Ireland.&#xa0;&#xa0;Similarly, one source said,&#xa0;it was difficult to get the Chinese team to sign off on marketing materials or influencer partnerships with people of colour, or plus-size models.</p><p>Meitu's Lui told Business Insider that the company was constantly at work improving its product development "feedback loop," and that it works with "influencers" of various age, gender and religions in countries around the world.&#xa0;</p><p>The issue exploded in early 2017, when Meitu went viral in the US and was subsequently accused of being racist, lightening the skintones of people of color. Ex-employees said they didn't believe Meitu wasn't being deliberately racist; the company just hadn't listened to the concerns that Western employees had raised before the crisis erupted.</p><p>One potential PR disaster that was averted involved a promotion for a Chinese action movie that featured a face filter to make users look beaten-up, like the film's female character.&#xa0;</p><p>The filter performed well in China, and in 2017, two sources told Business Insider that Frank Fu proposed launching it in Western markets. The problem was that without the context of the Chinese film, the filter arguably would have just made the app's predominantly female users look like victims of domestic violence.</p><p>The global team managed to convince management to reconsider, the two former employees said. One added:&#xa0;"We all unanimously shut this down."&#xa0;</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><h2>The next big thing</h2><p>Whether Meitu manages to become a cultural phenomenon in the US to the same degree it has in China remains to be seen.&#xa0;</p><p>Throughout 2017, Meitu's total monthly active users shrunk slightly -&#xa0;from 450 million monthly active users at the end of 2016 to 415 million a year later, according to its annual report.&#xa0;But its overseas monthly users grew just under 30%,&#xa0;from 86 million to a little under 112 million -&#xa0;suggesting that all the its internal turmoil hasn't necessarily halted its growth.</p><p>Some former employees view Meitu's stumbles as illustrative of the difficulties in transplanting a business across cultural borders.</p><p>One source described Fu as using "a very traditional Chinese business approach … a rather harsh competitive siloing type of business strategy. You're supposed to try and pull resources from other teams, maybe ally with someone, throw them under the bus the next day. It's a highly competitive team culture."</p><p>It's not that there's anything wrong with that approach, per se, they said - it just doesn't translate well into the Western business world.</p><p>Meanwhile, Meitu investor and company chairman Cai Wensheng is eyeing up another potential venture: Bitcoin. Throughout 2017,&#xa0;<a href="https://www.coindesk.com/chinese-angel-investor-amassed-10000-bitcoins-amid-q1-price-slump/">the angel investor bought up the digital currency</a>, and now says he holds 10,000 bitcoin - worth more than $95 million at current prices.</p><p>"Investing in blockchain is like the way people invested in internet in 2000,"&#xa0;<a href="https://cryptona.co/meitu-inc-founder-cai-wensheng-has-10000-btc/">he has been quoted as saying</a>. "Many startups come up but along the way some fall. But if you invest in the right startup there will be rewards at the end."</p><p><em>Do you work at Meitu? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at rprice@businessinsider.com, by Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268, WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at&#xa0;</em><a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice"><em>@robaeprice</em></a><em>. You can also&#xa0;</em><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tip-business-insider-securely-guide-signal-securedrop-2017-6"><em>contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop</em></a><em>.</em></p><div></div><div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-people-get-wrong-about-superfoods-nutrition-health-acai-goji-turmeric-quinoa-2018-6">What people get wrong about superfoods</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div></hr>

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