Helena Merk
Hey! I'm Helena, a former Duke student and current startup founder. I left Duke half way through my sophomore year to move to the Bay Area and join a startup. Late 2019, I left and started Glimpse with another Duke student (Brian Li). Currently we live together with 5 other founders in 1-month Airbnbs around the California coast.
L's Taken
0
"Thank you for applying but..."
1
Thing I thought I'd finish but never did
99% of my medium articles
0
Everyday L's of life
On the Bright Side
0
Memories I made when I wasn't working/studying
1
Thing I've learned that will still matter in 10 years
Life is too short to spend time on something you do not care about
2
TV shows, movies, and books I've enjoyed
The Kite Runner
Silicon Valley
0
Things I'm proud of that you won't see on my resume
0
Unconventional skills
0
Quirks that make me who I am
5
Small joys in my life
Watching the sunrise every morning
Making pourover coffee
Sharing songs on spotify
Slowly convincing housemates to become vegan
Facetiming my dogs
0
Obstacles I have overcome
1
Thing I've done that pushed me out of my comfort zone
I try to constantly put myself out of my comfort zone. I learnt at Duke that by maximizing discomfort, I could maximize personal growth. For example, I took a comedy class (although I'm terrified of speaking in front of a crowd), and constantly volunteer for speaking opportunities (to get over this said fear).
0
Failures that seemed like the end of the world back then but don't matter in hindsight
2
Leaps of Faith
Dropping out of Duke
Quitting my job to build a startup full-time
1
Life event that has made me stronger
Fracturing my back was more of a mental struggle than physical. It prevented me from doing any of my former stress relievers (running, snowboarding, etc.).