As a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright scholarship, Octavio Gzain combines his passion for technology and software with business, music, and more. He is expanding his innovative career in Argentina, Switzerland, and the US by now pursuing a Master of Technology Management at UC Santa Barbara. We spoke to Octavio to learn more about his background and spotlight his experience in the Master’s program.
Find Octavio at his LinkedIn here!
Q: Can you introduce yourself and provide us with a bit of your background?
A: My name is Octavio, [and] I'm an international student from Argentina and a Fulbright scholar. I have a background in software engineering, and I’m here at UCSB to study my Master in Technology Management, which I’m currently in the middle of. I’m really enjoying being here!
Q: Besides software engineering or technology management, what are some of your interests, skills, or hobbies?
A: I really like technology–that's why I study software engineering. I like to build prototypes and play around with my computer. But, besides that, I really love music: I’ve played guitar since [I was] 13 years old, and I still do nowadays. I also DJ, so I really enjoy playing and listening to music as well. And I also love sports–like playing soccer. Being from Argentina (you know, Messi).
Q: Is there any overlap between your interest in music and technology?
A: That’s an interesting question, because that's the idea we are working on with our New Venture Competition team–combining music and technology to provide a better experience to music listeners.
Q: What drew you to the Department of Technology Management? Why were you interested in applying here?
A: I always wanted to study a master’s degree in the U.S., especially after doing a two month exchange program here back in 2018, and I really wanted come back and do a full program, particularly the MTM. The campus [at UCSB] is amazing, and it's in California where all the technological innovation happens, where all people want to create and innovate, and there's a very diverse environment people coming from all over the world. That was a very strong point for me to come here and be in this culture. Technology Management, I think, was a very logical step for me, because it provides with the soft skills I needed as an engineer to thrive in big organizations and lead other people.
Q: What was your background prior to joining the MTM?
A: I got my degree in Software Engineering in Argentina in 2019. Then, I had a professional career of seven years in the industry. The first company I worked for was a Swiss company in the home automation space. I then moved to a local startup in Argentina, a construction materials marketplace. I was the first technical hire there, and saw the organization grow from being very little to a bigger team of engineers, which was very interesting–a lot of learning there. Then, I started working for Compass, which is a real estate company here from the US as an engineer. After that, I decided that I wanted to take the next step in my career. I was comfortable working from Argentina remotely for this US company, but I really wanted to look for that “discomfort” again. I decided to quit the job and come here to study the Master in Technology Management.
Q: What are you focused on this quarter in MTM program and what projects are you most excited about?
A: The MTM program is very intense, but very fulfilling. Currently, I'm working on several projects with different teams and people within those teams. One of the projects is a field project, which is working with the CNSI (California Nanoscience Institute), which operates in the biotech space. We are trying to understand how the biotech industry works, and what are the needs and the skills for the future workforce. We have courses like Data Science, for example, where we are learning how to use data to make better business decisions. I'm also working on Technology Strategy, which gives you an overview on how big firms make decisions and what are the tradeoffs of those decisions. Also a very important [course] of this quarter is Communication, which is about how ideas can be communicated more effectively and in parallel to the coursework and groups I'm working with.
Q: Tell me about your involvement in the New Venture Competition. How is that experience going, and what problem are you trying to solve?
A: The New Venture Competition is an excellent place for anyone that wants to develop their entrepreneurial side, because you learn the formula or the steps required to launch your own business, and you get feedback constantly from mentors on your idea. These mentors, which are people in the Santa Barbara community, and [some of them] have worked in the industry for 20+ years for big companies like Apple, Appfolio, and Amazon. Getting feedback from these mentors, plus the theory and learning the formula to develop your own idea, is a very nice experience and I'm definitely learning a lot.
The idea I'm working on is called DaJent, and it's a platform for people who play music, like DJs, for example. We all see that [DJing] is fun, but it has a preparation process which is very long. It takes time, it's inconvenient. So, we are developing a platform to streamline that process so DJs can save time and make more money doing more gigs.
Q: How is your experience as a software engineer and techie shape how you approach the MTM program?
A: One of the things I like most about the MTM is that you have people that have a lot of experience, like cohort members, andI have my own [experience] as well. Every time I learn a new theory about communication or leadership, I try to think about past experiences I have had as a leading team in the startup I worked for in Argentina, in the Swiss company, or even here working for the US. Every time a professor tries to explain a concept,I try to map it to a past experience, and I think that changes my perspective of those experiences I had in the past, and I think of ways on how I could have done better in that situation. I think my experience really shaped the perspective I have on the topics I learn in MTM.
Q: What has been the hardest part of transitioning from a purely technical career to a program that is focused on tech management and business?
A: Being a very technical person, the MTM pushes you constantly out of your comfort zone. You are discussing all the time with other people in class, which is something that we are not that used to doing as engineers. You know in engineering that there is a formula, and there is [a] correct answer. In business, it's not like that. You have to prove your arguments, go back and forth with people who don't think the same way as you do. That's something I was not used to, and I'm really learning a lot out of that process.
Q: You mentioned you're a Fulbright scholar. Can you tell us what the Fulbright program is and what it meant for you to receive that scholarship?
A: Fulbright is the flagship international student program for the US. It’s backed by the US government, and works with several countries across the world and the idea is that they promote international students to come and study at US universities and the other way around. It is a program that been around for 80 years, and it allows people like me to be here. Without Fulbright, I couldn't be studying here. It’s a very competitive program as well–in Argentina, around 400 to 500 students apply every year, and only 10 of them get the scholarship. So for me, it's a huge honor to be a Fulbright scholar and I really appreciate it because it took a lot of effort and I had to be very resilient on applying again and again. I got it on the third time!
Q: How would you describe your experience in our department?
A: All of the staff have been very supportive with me and with all students. The professors are very open to have Office Hours, or to just have a conversation with you. I would say it's a very welcoming department, and the experience has been excellent so far. And on the professional side, everything is very well-prepared, well scheduled, and [there is] a level of challenge that is addressable. It requires a lot of work, but at the same time, it's compatible with other activities you might want to do outside the university.
Q: Are there any skills you've learned that you've been able to put to use in either previous roles, or outside your work life, like personal projects?
A: Definitely the soft skills–I'm learning about them and putting them to practice, like how to negotiate or how to try to persuade someone (in a good way, of course). These soft skills, [like] communication, for example, are very useful in general, not only for business or for this program. Also, learning how to think strategically about technology and business is something that is very useful. Try[ing] to analyze AI, and what impact that will have in our lives in the future, for example.
Q: Did you have any specific goals when you entered the department of technology management and if so have they stayed the same?
A: My goals [involve] trying to be a better leader, trying to better communicate my ideas, and trying to increase my network and know more people or other students. I think those were my initial goals and I have to say they are being met right now and we are halfway through the program. By the end of it, those [goals] will be more than fulfilled.
Q: What is your goal for when you complete the program? What do you want to go on to do?
A: After the program, my goal is to work in the intersection of technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence and business. That can be being part of a big organization or also preparing myself to be the owner of my own business.