
AI Marketing: Full Course Lecture Slides
Lecture slides for the full Leland+ AI in Marketing Course

How to Break Into YC: Advice from Alumnus
Getting into Y Combinator is a dream for many founders—but the application, pitch, and selection process can feel opaque and daunting. In this session, join Nick V., co-founder & former COO of Relay (a YC-backed startup) and top-rated Leland coach, as he pulls back the curtain on what makes a YC application stand out. Nick will walk you through what YC looks for, how to frame your idea and progress, and what mistakes most founders make (and how to avoid them). You’ll leave this session with sharper clarity and concrete steps to strengthen your candidacy.

Columbia Business School: Brand and Culture
An overview of Columbia Business School's brand and culture.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch
Why use an elevator pitch? What are the key elements to introducing yourself and making a good first impression? How do you use an elevator pitch? Career Coach Connie Ma will guide you through creating a self-introduction or elevator pitch which you can use in any social or professional situation to leave a good first impression. We will discuss how to talk about yourself, how to talk about tricky parts of your past employment history, and how to adjust your self-introduction to suit any situation you may find yourself in. Come work with us on your self-introduction, practice with others, and become more confident in representing yourself!

Your Problem Statement: The Most Significant Issue You Care About Solving In Your Career
Identify the problem or opportunity that most motivates you and articulate how it connects to your long-term goals.
Your Problem Statement: The Most Significant Issue You Care About Solving In Your Career
Identify the problem or opportunity that most motivates you and articulate how it connects to your long-term goals.

Introduction to MBA Narrative Brainstorming
Learn to uncover and articulate your personal and professional story—clarifying what drives you, what you’ve done, and where you want to go—to form the foundation for your MBA applications.

Your Narrative Arc: Current Path vs Dream Career vs Disconnect
Map your current trajectory, envision your dream career, and identify the gap that an MBA can help bridge.
Your Narrative Arc: Current Path vs Dream Career vs Disconnect
Map your current trajectory, envision your dream career, and identify the gap that an MBA can help bridge.

Crafting Your Throughline
Distill your story into a central theme or “throughline” that ties together your experiences and goals.
Crafting Your Throughline
Distill your story into a central theme or “throughline” that ties together your experiences and goals.

Connecting Your Personal and Professional Experiences
Learn how to weave together your personal motivations and professional experiences into a cohesive, authentic story.
Connecting Your Personal and Professional Experiences
Learn how to weave together your personal motivations and professional experiences into a cohesive, authentic story.
Conclusion of Module 1
Review your progress and refine your brainstorm to prepare for essay drafting.

Intro to MBA Essay Writing
Translate your narrative into compelling MBA essays that demonstrate clarity of purpose, authenticity, and school fit.
Intro to MBA Essay Writing
Translate your narrative into compelling MBA essays that demonstrate clarity of purpose, authenticity, and school fit.
Writing the “Why MBA?” Essay
Learn to clearly articulate why you need an MBA now, why each school fits, and how it connects to your long-term vision.

Writing the STARR Essay
Master the STARR (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection) framework to highlight your leadership, impact, and growth.
Writing the STARR Essay
Master the STARR (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection) framework to highlight your leadership, impact, and growth.

Tailoring Your Story for Different Schools
Adapt your core story for different MBA programs while maintaining consistency and authenticity.