What are your biggest takeaways from the Capstone?

My biggest takeaways from the Capstone center around understanding the entire innovation process from start to finish. I learned that successful innovation begins with identifying a real problem and designing a solution that truly meets a need. It’s equally important to ensure there’s a viable market for your idea and to surround yourself with the right people who complement your skills. Throughout the course, I saw firsthand that there’s no clear-cut path to success. You’re bound to hit roadblocks and experience setbacks, but the key is to know when to pivot, adapt quickly, and persist when things change.

The Capstone also showed me that while success often looks like luck from the outside, it’s usually the result of preparation and persistence. By staying curious, testing assumptions, and iterating on feedback, you create the conditions to get “lucky.” I was especially inspired by examples like Supercell’s unconventional team structure and Biobot’s determination to prove their product’s value despite early skepticism—both reminded me that innovation requires challenging norms and believing in your vision even when others doubt it. Overall, the Capstone helped me appreciate that entrepreneurship is as much about resilience and teamwork as it is about creativity and ideas.

How has your understanding of yourself and innovation & entrepreneurship evolved through your capstone experience?

I learned that it is difficult to predict whether a business or idea will be successful. Sometimes I was sure that a company had to make a certain decision to avoid failure, only to see it take an entirely different direction and still succeed. This taught me that there is no single formula for innovation. You cannot confine yourself to thinking inside boxes. It is important to expand your perspective, listen to outside viewpoints, and stay creative.

I also learned that many of the problems startups face do not have one correct answer. Challenges often create new challenges, and the problems can become cyclical. Working through that complexity has helped me become more comfortable with uncertainty and confident in my ability to lead through ambiguity. I discovered that I thrive when solving open-ended challenges that require both technical rigor and creative thinking. The balance between engineering precision and entrepreneurial adaptability is now something I see as central to who I am as an engineer.

How did the program impact your overall learning experience at Duke and how will you apply what you have learned beyond Duke?

The Innovation & Entrepreneurship program was the perfect complement to my engineering studies. It allowed me to step outside the world of STEM and approach problem solving from a different perspective. Instead of focusing on equations or technical precision, I learned to think more qualitatively and creatively. Each class required me to think critically, ask questions, and challenge my own assumptions rather than simply apply or repeat course material.

This experience helped me grow as both a student and a person. It taught me to challenge existing ideas, explore new possibilities, and create solutions that are not only functional but also meaningful. The ability to think independently and approach problems from multiple angles is something I will carry with me beyond Duke. Whether I am working in engineering, research, or business, the mindset of innovation and adaptability that I developed through the I&E program will continue to shape how I learn, lead, and make an impact.

Check out my I&E Story, I&E Coursework, and I&E Experiences pages. 

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