An HBS Discussion Group Breaks Up

It’s not you. It’s all of us.

Member 1: Hey.

Member 2: Hi.

Member 3: Hello.

Member 4: I’m sorry for being late. I overslept. Should we start with FIN 1 today?

Member 5: Sorry I was also late. I was pitching my AI startup to a VC in London, and the call went over because we were riffing on API infrastructure.

Member 6: Me, too. Not the call part, but the remorse part. I was thinking hard about the best way to put this. Here goes. I can’t come to these anymore.

Member 3: Oh!

Member 4: Oh.

Member 2: Thank goodness. You’ve freed us all. I also can’t make it anymore.

Member 5: Me three.

Member 1: Make that four.

Member 3: Yeah, I’m just so busy.

Member 4: Wait, everyone’s dropping? What if we rescheduled to later in the day?

Member 6: Umm, no.

Member 3: Maybe if I wasn’t on four club boards.

Member 5: Maybe if I wasn’t focused on founding.

Member 1: I just think we’ve gotten the hang of case prep by now.

Member 3: Actually, I take it back. Even if I was on no club boards.

Member 4: You don’t understand! Here is where I shine. Every morning at 8 a.m., my bottom bucket placement at Goldman Sachs takes on a new meaning. With you, I turn into an expert of finance. You trust my numbers. You smile politely through my monologues on “industry practice.” And so I forget the cold stares of my Managing Director. My long nights in the office melt away.

Member 2: You’re the one who doesn’t understand. For the past few weeks, the rest of us have been 

playing an elaborate game of chicken. No one wants to be the first to quit and get labeled an underachieving loner whom no one at HBS should ever refer or fund or invite to any party. Only shame and infamy await them. The second to quit is a proper team player worthy of becoming a leader who makes a difference in the world.

Member 6: Wait, are you saying my social life is over?

Member 2: Never mind that.

Member 4: I can’t believe we’re breaking up.

Member 3: There, there. At least we lasted through midterms. My roommate’s discussion group fell apart after one day.

Member 5: It’s been great getting to know you all.

Member 1: Well, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again. I look forward to saying hello in the hallways. Sometimes.

Member 3: Only if we’re walking right past each other and eye contact is inevitable.

Member 2: Naturally.

Vicky Liu (MBA ’26) grew up in Surrey, Canada. She graduated from Yale University with a double major in Political Science and French. Prior to HBS, Vicky worked in technology M&A at Evercore and technology growth equity at Summit Partners.