Leland+ Content Library

Cracking the FAANG Bar: What Sets Strong Candidates Apart

Breaking into FAANG-level companies is one of the toughest challenges in tech—and the interview process is designed to separate good candidates from truly exceptional ones. Drawing on 8 years of experience at Amazon and Google, in this session Shifu X. will uncover the patterns that consistently set top candidates apart and help you understand what it really takes to clear the bar. ​You’ll learn practical strategies to strengthen your technical problem-solving, communicate effectively under pressure, and demonstrate the leadership qualities these companies value most. We’ll also cover how to avoid common pitfalls that even strong engineers make, and how to build habits now that will prepare you for success in interviews and beyond. Whether you’re actively recruiting or planning for the future, you’ll leave with actionable insights to grow into the kind of engineer who thrives at FAANG.

Get Your MBA Questions Answered: Ask Admissions Experts [6/4/2026] (Recording)

GIVEAWAY DURING THE EVENT: Join live for the chance to win a free coaching session! MBA admissions can feel confusing when every applicant seems to be getting different advice about what actually matters. This session is for candidates who want direct answers to the most common and important questions about the MBA application process. You’ll learn how admissions teams evaluate applicants, what successful candidates tend to do differently, and how to approach key parts of the process like school selection, essays, and interviews. Join live to ask your own questions and hear directly from admissions experts with M7 admissions experience. The panelists have worked closely with applicants across top MBA programs and will share the patterns they see across strong applications and common mistakes. Expect candid, practical insights similar to what’s discussed in 1:1 admissions coaching conversations.

Consortium Core Sample Essay #1: Healthcare & Leadership

A successful MBA essay for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management detailing goals as a corporate strategist in mission-driven healthcare and later a health foundation CEO, driven by professional experience and MBA aspirations.

The BCG Interview Process

Learn about the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) interview process, including the different types of interviews you can expect, the qualities they are looking for, and how to prepare for both the case and behavioral portions.

Personal Project Timeline: From Idea to Impact

This example timeline shows how a student can deliver a self driven project over time, from early ideation to meaningful outcomes, and why colleges care. Thoughtful, independent work demonstrates initiative, depth of interest, and leadership.

AI News Digest Skill

"/ai-news" pulls and summarizes the latest AI news, tools, and research into a structured digest. To install, run this in your terminal after downloading the file: unzip ~/Downloads/ai-news-skill.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

AI Evals for PMs - The GenAI PM's Secret Weapon [6/25/2026] (Recording)

Transitioning to GenAI product management can feel like learning a whole new language. But here is the truth: the best GenAI PMs aren't just throwing features at the wall to see what sticks. They are building rigorous evaluation systems. Join us for an exclusive, 30-minute session designed for senior PMs to help you cut through the noise. We’ll start with a high-level look at the core skills you need to thrive in GenAI, then dive deep into the one practice that separates a "cool demo" from a "reliable product": AI Evaluation. Led by a GenAI PM Lead from Meta, you will walk away with real-world examples and tools to help you: Define and measure AI output quality with precision. Improve and iterate on your GenAI products systematically. Move beyond the prototype phase to build systems that actually work at scale. If you are ready to stop guessing and start building with confidence, join us!

Your Senior Summer Blueprint: What Top College Admits Do Differently

Are you ready to make the most of your senior summer and set yourself apart in the college admissions process? Join me for a practical session on crafting your Senior Summer Blueprint. As someone who has guided students to some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, including all eight Ivy League schools and Stanford, I know what it takes to stand out. And I know that the summer months before senior year can make all the difference. In this session, I'll share my recommendations for how to structure your summer—what to do and when—so you can head into fall feeling organized, confident, and ahead of the curve. In other words: less overwhelm, stronger applications.

Build Your Professional Portfolio Site with Claude + Lovable: Live Demo [4/28/2026] (Recording)

Most professionals have no digital home base — just a LinkedIn profile they update when they're desperate. In this demo, we're building a real, published professional portfolio site using Claude to craft your content and Lovable to build the site. No code or design skills needed, just your story and 60 minutes. Outcome for attendees: A live, published portfolio site with a professional bio and narrative built during the session and yours to keep, customize, and grow. Session pre-requisites: Claude account & Lovable account — free is fine 🙂 You might also want to read https://www.businessinsider.com/hiring-managers-arent-reading-resumes-slop-2026-3! on why skills are more important than a resume now!

Fix Your GMAT Mistakes: Study Smarter, Score Higher

If you’re stuck at a plateau, constantly making the same mistakes, or unsure how to study more strategically, this workshop will show you how to turn things around. Jennifer P. D.—a leading GMAT expert in Europe with 11 years of teaching experience and a 770 personal score—will break down how to diagnose your errors, rethink your study habits, and apply targeted techniques to boost your performance. With a perfect 51 Verbal score, deep knowledge of GMAC’s adaptive scoring logic, and years of experience preparing candidates worldwide, Jennifer brings a uniquely expert, personalized approach to GMAT mastery. You’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, create a smarter prep plan, and walk into test day with clarity and confidence.

MBA Interview Series: HBS

The HBS interview is one of the most challenging—and distinctive—parts of the MBA admissions process. In this workshop, Leland coach Geri T., a former HBS Admissions Board member with years of experience evaluating candidates, will break down what makes the HBS interview unique and how you can prepare with confidence. ​Drawing on her time at HBS and her track record coaching applicants into top MBA programs, Geri will share what the admissions team is really looking for, the kinds of questions you should expect, and strategies to present your experiences authentically while staying structured under pressure. With Round 1 interviews approaching, this session will give you the clarity and confidence to stand out when it matters most.

What BYU Admission Officers Actually Want to See From You [5/26/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you'll know exactly how BYU admission officers evaluate applications and where most candidates unknowingly lose ground. We'll cover how to frame your personal statement around BYU's specific values, what the activity and leadership sections actually signal to reviewers, and how to approach the honor code essay in a way that feels authentic rather than performative. Attending live means you can ask how these principles apply to your specific background, grades, or extracurricular history, and hear how the coach thinks through cases that don't fit a clean template. The coach works with BYU applicants regularly and will share the patterns that separate the candidates who get in from those who look similar on paper but don't.

Your AI Co-Worker: Productivity Toolkits That Save Time

AI tools are no longer a “nice-to-have”—they’re becoming essential co-workers. This session is designed to help you harness AI to work faster, reduce busywork, and focus on what actually matters. In this workshop, we’ll explore practical AI productivity toolkits you can start using immediately—from automating repetitive tasks and organizing information to improving writing, research, and decision-making. You’ll learn what tools deliver the biggest time savings and how to avoid common mistakes that limit impact. Whether you’re new to AI or already experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, this session will help you turn AI into a true productivity partner—so you can reclaim hours each week and work more strategically.

Developing a Differentiated Personal Narrative

Standing out in the deferred MBA pool requires more than strong credentials. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to craft a clear, differentiated personal narrative that ties your experiences, goals, and values into a cohesive story that resonates with HSW and M7 admissions committees. Led by Leland coach Angela C., a storytelling expert with a 100% package success rate who specializes in HSW and M7 deferred admissions, this session will break down how top applicants define their core themes, position early-career impact, and avoid the generic narratives that hold many candidates back. You’ll leave with practical frameworks and concrete next steps to start shaping a compelling, authentic story for your deferred MBA applications.

r/AMA: Building products people love from Slack to Discord to Reddit

What does it take to build products that millions of people use every day—and genuinely love? In this AMA, Sri V., a product manager at Reddit who has also worked on community and communication products at Discord, Slack, and Microsoft, will share candid insights from years spent shaping how people connect online. With a background in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a career built on solving meaningful problems rather than just writing code, Sri brings a uniquely human-centered perspective to product development. Come with questions about breaking into PM, building social and community products, navigating big tech careers, or even national parks—Sri has nomaded through nearly all of them.

Networking Your Way Into Private Equity

​In private equity recruiting, your network can be just as important as your resume. In this workshop, Nina M.—a former Growth Equity Investor and Analyst at Goldman Sachs—will share how to strategically build relationships that open doors to top PE firms. ​With over seven years of experience in private equity and more than 100 candidates successfully coached into competitive finance roles, Nina will walk you through how to identify key contacts, craft thoughtful outreach messages, and turn conversations into real opportunities. Whether you’re breaking into the industry or planning your next move, this session will give you the tools and confidence to network effectively and accelerate your private equity career.

October Series - Managing a Job Search (Session 4)

Stop moving in the wrong direction! It’s easy to confuse being busy with making progress. Not all activity is created equal. Many job seekers spend hours applying blindly or scrolling through job boards. But this kind of busywork often leads to burnout and disappointment. The real trap is measuring effort instead of results. (Read that again). What matters is focusing on high-impact activities and tracking meaningful metrics. If you don’t, you risk throwing darts in the wrong direction and wondering why you’re not hitting the board. While you might get lucky with sheer volume and the law of averages, it’s ultimately the quality and direction of your activity that truly counts.

Filling in the Gaps: What Pre-Dentals Need to Know

​The path to dental school is competitive, and even strong candidates often overlook key areas that admissions committees care about most. In this session, we’ll cover the “gaps” that pre-dentals need to address—whether in academics, clinical exposure, extracurriculars, or personal narrative—and how to strategically strengthen your application. You’ll gain clarity on what dental schools are really looking for and how to present a balanced, compelling profile. ​The session will be led by Christian N., a Leland coach who has guided aspiring dentists through every stage of the application process. Drawing from his own experiences and insights, he’ll share actionable advice to help you identify blind spots, build confidence, and maximize your chances of admission.

Getting Started with Deferred MBA Applications

Understand what deferred MBA programs are and who can apply.