Varughese Urges NYU Stern MS Graduates to Embrace Career Failure

Abie Varughese | NYU Stern MS Convocation, Class of 2025 — NYU Stern

NYU Stern

Graduates must spend the next decade taking aggressive risks because executive success demands bold failure rather than safe choices constrained by social media scrutiny and bruised pride.

AI-assisted summary of Abie Varughese | NYU Stern MS Convocation, Class of 2025 — original source. Check the original for full context.

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Key ideas

  • Abie Varughese addresses the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, reflecting on overcoming impostor syndrome and navigating rigorous coursework with the support of faculty and family. (0:01)
  • Varughese delivers his central charge to graduates—to 'go out and fail'—arguing that remarkable achievements require accepting strategic risks rather than fearing judgment. (1:44)
  • Highlighting executive lessons from Stern faculty, Varughese reminds peers that the worst outcomes of failure are minor compared to the regret of untaken risks. (1:44)
  • The convocation address concludes with personal pledges of solidarity to classmates, birthday wishes for their cohort leader, and a playful tribute to the New York Knicks. (4:05)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by the NYU Stern channel on September 22, 2026, this video captures graduate Abie Varughese (MS ’25) delivering his convocation address to Stern's MS Class of 2025 on May 14, 2025.

## TL;DR Addressing his graduating peers, Abie Varughese reflects on their collective journey through rigorous coursework and expresses gratitude toward supportive mentors, faculty, and family. Recalling the impostor syndrome he experienced during orientation, he urges the class to overcome the fear of judgment and embrace a mandate to "go out and fail" in order to achieve greatness. He reminds graduates that their Stern training has prepared them to manage risk and bet on themselves. The address concludes with affectionate cohort inside jokes, an open offer of lifelong support, and a spirited shout-out to the New York Knicks.

## Atmosphere & style The address strikes an engaging, self-deprecating, and heartfelt tone, balancing collegiate humor with genuine emotional sincerity. Varughese effortlessly transitions from relatable jokes about parental expectations and rigorous classes to earnest, motivational life advice about overcoming fear. The delivery feels warm and celebratory, culminating in lively cohort banter and high-energy New York pride that unites the room.

## Bulletin - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Abie Varughese addresses the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, reflecting on overcoming impostor syndrome and navigating rigorous coursework with the support of faculty and family. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Varughese delivers his central charge to graduates—to 'go out and fail'—arguing that remarkable achievements require accepting strategic risks rather than fearing judgment. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Highlighting executive lessons from Stern faculty, Varughese reminds peers that the worst outcomes of failure are minor compared to the regret of untaken risks. - [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) The convocation address concludes with personal pledges of solidarity to classmates, birthday wishes for their cohort leader, and a playful tribute to the New York Knicks.

## Key takeaways - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Abie Varughese congratulates the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025 after an introduction by fellow graduate Weirong Li. - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Varughese thanks faculty, friends, and families for their relentless support through demanding academic programs. - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Personal gratitude is extended to Northwell Health mentors Maureen Early and Dr. Michael Gitman, along with Varughese's parents. - [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Varughese shares a humorous cultural anecdote about his mother suggesting he could still become a doctor despite finishing his master's degree. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Recalling orientation day, Varughese describes experiencing severe impostor syndrome while seated behind professors Alex Dontoh and Melanie. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Instruction under professors Dhananjay Gode and Frank Simeone taught Varughese that striving for greatness mandates accepting the possibility of failure. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Varughese's core advice to the graduating class is to actively embrace failure rather than avoiding it out of fear of social media scrutiny. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Michael Jordan's famous quote on repeated failure driving ultimate success is cited as an inspiration to tackle seemingly impossible goals. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Referencing Professor Simeone, Varughese notes that executive leadership fundamentally centers on risk management. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) The practical stakes of failure, such as a bruised ego or moving back into a parents' basement, are framed as insignificant compared to the cost of inaction. - [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) Varughese asserts that the grueling curriculum and sleepless nights at Stern fully prepared graduates to venture into the unknown. - [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) The speech includes a lighthearted birthday shoutout to cohort leader Emily, playfully urging her to favor Microsoft PowerPoint over Google Slides. - [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) Varughese offers lasting camaraderie to his peers, assuring them he will always be just a phone call away. - [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) The convocation speech concludes with a spirited cheer for Jalen Brunson and a rallying chant of 'Knicks in five.'

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) Welcome, Gratitude, and an Indian Mother's Ambition

Following an introduction from fellow graduate Weirong Li, Abie Varughese steps up to the lectern to address the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025. He opens with warm congratulations to his peers, remarking on the grueling road they traveled together and jokingly acknowledging, "How we passed some of those classes, I guess we'll never know." He expresses profound gratitude on behalf of the graduating class to the faculty, friends, and families whose guidance, continuous support, and relentless encouragement enabled them to persevere through demanding coursework.

Varughese pauses to give personal acknowledgments to mentors Maureen Early and Dr. Michael Gitman of Northwell Health, alongside his parents, Thomas and Minnie Varughese. He draws laughter from the audience by sharing a relatable cultural observation about parental expectations: in his own mind, as an Indian kid earning a master's degree from NYU Stern and delivering a commencement address, he had finally made it. Yet, right on the drive over to the ceremony, his mother turned to him and remarked, "You know, it's not too late to become a doctor."

[01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) The Mandate of Risk: "Go Out and Fail"

Reflecting on his journey, Varughese recalls his very first day during orientation at NYU Stern. Sitting on the front left directly behind Professor Alex Dontoh and Melanie, his heart was racing as impostor syndrome set in, wondering whether he had bitten off more than he could chew among the "best of the best" and whether he would survive the program. However, studying under esteemed faculty like Professor Dhananjay Gode and Professor Frank Simeone shifted his entire perspective on growth. He realized that pursuing truly remarkable achievements requires accepting the mandatory risk of failure; if there is zero chance of stumbling, one simply has not set the bar high enough.

With that lesson in mind, Varughese presents his singular charge to the graduating class: "go out and fail." He recognizes that embracing failure is uniquely difficult in an era dominated by social media scrutiny, where people constantly fear judgment or being laughed at. Citing Michael Jordan's famous mantra—"I have failed over and over and over again. That is why I succeed"—he urges his peers to spend the coming decade attempting the seemingly impossible. Reminding them of Professor Simeone's maxim that "half the job of being an executive is risk management," he notes that the stakes of taking bold chances are far smaller than they seem: - An executive's role inherently centers on calculating and embracing strategic risks. - The worst practical outcomes—a temporary bruise to one's pride or ego, or ending up back in one's parents' basement—pale in comparison to the regret of untaken chances. - After enduring intense rigor and collectively losing years of sleep at Stern, graduates possess the exact toolkit needed to bet on themselves and venture into the unknown.

[04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) Farewell Banter and a New York Sendoff

Varughese closes by renewing his thanks to the faculty for pushing students beyond their perceived limits. He takes a playful detour to wish a happy birthday to their cohort leader and friend, Emily, joking that he hopes she remembers NYU on every future birthday and quipping that he will be praying she finally realizes Microsoft PowerPoint is vastly superior to Google Slides.

Closing on a heartfelt note of solidarity, Varughese emphasizes that he is only ever a phone call away if any classmate ever needs assistance. He leaves the auditorium with blessings for the entire Class of 2025, capped off with spirited local sports fandom: offering a blessing to the "King of New York, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks," followed by a final rallying cry of "Knicks in five."

## Notable quotes > [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) How we passed some of those classes, I guess we'll never know. — Abie Varughese

> [00:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=1s) You know, it's not too late to become a doctor. — Minnie Varughese

> [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) best of the best — Abie Varughese

> [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) go out and fail — Abie Varughese

> [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) I have failed over and over and over again. That is why I succeed — Michael Jordan

> [01:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=104s) half the job of being an executive is risk management — Frank Simeone

> [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) King of New York, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks — Abie Varughese

> [04:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o&t=245s) Knicks in five — Abie Varughese

## Mentioned Abie Varughese, Weirong Li, NYU Stern, Maureen Early, Dr. Michael Gitman, Northwell Health, Thomas Varughese, Minnie Varughese, Professor Alex Dontoh, Melanie, Professor Dhananjay Gode, Professor Frank Simeone, Michael Jordan, Emily, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks

## Video description Abie Varughese (MS ’25) addresses Stern's MS Class of 2025 on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. See additional features here: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/graduation/archive/ms-convocation-class-2025-recap

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ImRfJegB4o)

中文简报

Varughese敦促NYU Stern硕士毕业生勇于面对职业失败 毕业生在未来十年必须敢于承担巨大风险，因为高管层面的成功需要大胆试错，而非在社交媒体审视与自尊受挫的顾虑下做出稳妥选择。 在面向同届毕业生的发言中，Abie Varughese回顾了大家共同度过严苛课程的历程，并向给予支持的导师、教职员工和家人表达了感谢。回忆起迎新期间经历的“冒充者综合征”，他敦促全体同学克服对他人评判的恐惧，接受“去走出去并经历失败”的使命，以成就卓越。他提醒毕业生，在Stern接受的训练已让他们做好管理风险和押注自身的准备。演讲最后以温馨的同届内部梗、终身支持的开放承诺，以及对New York Knicks的热情致意圆满结束。 Abie Varughese向NYU Stern 2025届硕士毕业生发表讲话，回顾了克服冒充者综合征的过程，以及在教职员工和家人支持下完成严苛课程的经历。 (0:01) Varughese向毕业生传达了他的核心寄语——“去走出去并经历失败”，他认为卓越的成就需要承担战略风险，而非畏惧评判。 (1:44) Varughese强调了来自Stern教职员工的高管课程启示，提醒同窗失败的最坏结果与未敢冒险带来的遗憾相比微不足道。 (1:44) 毕业典礼致辞在向同窗许下休戚与共的个人承诺、对班级负责人的生日祝福，以及对New York Knicks的幽默致意中落下帷幕。 (4:05)

Reading summary

Addressing the NYU Stern MS Class of 2025, graduate Abie Varughese urged his peers to actively embrace the risk of failure, framing strategic risk-taking as an indispensable tool for executive leadership and meaningful achievement. Academic Demands, Mentorship, and Parental Expectations (0:01) Varughese opened his address by recognizing the intense academic rigor experienced by the graduating cohort, thanking the faculty, families, and friends who helped students navigate the demanding curriculum. He highlighted the personal impact of mentors Maureen Early and Dr. Michael Gitman of Northwell Health, as well as his parents, Thomas and Minnie Varughese. Reflecting on the cultural pressures of achievement, Varughese noted humorously that despite earning a master's degree from NYU Stern and delivering the convocation address, his mother reminded him on the drive to the ceremony that it was still not too late to pursue a medical degree. Embracing Failure as Essential Executive Risk (1:44) Recalling initial feelings of impostor syndrome during orientation behind Professor Alex Dontoh and Melanie, Varughese credited professors like Dhananjay Gode and Frank Simeone with reframing his understanding of personal and professional growth. He argued that setting goals without any possibility of failure indicates the bar was set too low, prompting his core charge to the class: 'go out and fail.' Varughese pointed out that contemporary professionals often avoid ambitious attempts due to fear of social media scrutiny and judgment. Citing Michael Jordan's philosophy on failure driving success and Professor Simeone's principle that risk management comprises half an executive's job, he argued that the tangible risks—such as temporary embarrassment or having to move home—are negligible compared to the cost of inaction. Cohort Solidarity and Mutual Support (4:05) Varughese concluded by affirming that the cohort's rigorous training at Stern equipped them to take bold professional risks. Emphasizing community, he pledged that he would remain accessible to any classmate requiring help and offered a supportive sendoff to the graduating class. Varughese's address centers on translating academic resilience into career-long risk tolerance, arguing that Stern graduates possess the requisite preparation to absorb short-term setbacks in pursuit of ambitious executive goals.

Source quotes

[0:01] Abie Varughese: How we passed some of those classes, I guess we'll never know. [0:01] Minnie Varughese: You know, it's not too late to become a doctor. [1:44] Abie Varughese: best of the best [1:44] Abie Varughese: go out and fail [1:44] Michael Jordan: I have failed over and over and over again. That is why I succeed [1:44] Frank Simeone: half the job of being an executive is risk management [4:05] Abie Varughese: King of New York, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks [4:05] Abie Varughese: Knicks in five

Original transcript

[0:01] Weirong Li: And I'm now delighted [0:06] to welcome to the lectern, [0:08] my fellow graduate, [0:09] Abie Varughese. Abie Varughese: Thank you, [0:19] Weirong and thank you, Dean. [0:21] Good morning, everyone. Good. Good morning. [0:25] My name is Abie Varughese and [0:27] it's an honor to stand before you here today. [0:29] First and foremost, I want to say [0:31] congratulations to the class of 2025. [0:34] It was a tough road, [0:36] but somehow together, [0:37] we were able to make it through. [0:39] How we passed some of those classes, [0:42] I guess we'll never know. [0:46] Today, I want to say thank you, [0:49] not just on my behalf, [0:50] but on behalf of my classmates here today. [0:53] Yes. [0:54] Thank you to our faculty, [0:56] thank you to our friends, [0:58] and thank you to our family. [1:00] While we celebrate [1:01] this achievement here today, [1:03] we know that we didn't get here alone. [1:05] It's because of your guidance, your support, [1:09] and all those moments you pushed us to [1:11] dig a little deeper [1:12] that brought us here today. [1:14] Thank you for being [1:15] there when we needed it the most. [1:17] I would be remiss if I [1:19] didn't give a special thank you [1:20] to Maureen Early and doctor [1:22] Michael Gitman of Northwell, [1:23] as well as my parents, Thomas [1:25] and Minnie Varughese. [1:26] As an Indian kid, in my mind, I've made it. [1:29] I have a master's degree from NYU Stern. [1:32] I'm doing a speech at [1:34] commencement, yet on the way here, [1:36] my mom looks at me and says, [1:38] "You know, it's not [1:39] too late to become a doctor." [1:44] Standing in front of you all today, [1:47] I think back to my first day at [1:49] NYU Stern during orientation. [1:51] I sat in the front, left, [1:53] right behind Professor Dontoh and Melanie. [1:55] My heart was racing and I thought [1:57] to myself, what am I doing here? [2:00] Did I bite off more than I can chew? [2:02] This is NYU Stern, the best of the best. [2:06] Am I going to be [2:07] able to make it through this program? [2:09] Learning from incredible professors like [2:11] Professor Gode and Professor Simeone, [2:14] I realized that if you [2:16] truly want to accomplish something great, [2:18] then the risk of failure is mandatory. [2:22] If there isn't even a small chance [2:25] that you might fail, [2:26] then you have to aim higher [2:28] because you're capable of so much more. [2:31] To all of my fellow graduates, [2:33] I have one and only one ask of all of [2:36] you: go out and fail. [2:40] In today's world, that's not always so easy. [2:44] Social media can make us feel [2:46] like everyone's watching or judging. [2:47] What will they think [2:48] or will they laugh at me? [2:50] I think Michael Jordan said it best: [2:53] "I have failed over and over and over again. [2:57] That is why I succeed." [3:00] Over the next decade of your life, [3:02] go out and do the impossible. [3:05] Take that risk that you're [3:06] scared to even say out loud to yourself. [3:08] As Professor Simeone said, [3:10] "half the job of being an [3:12] executive is risk management." [3:14] At the end of the day, what [3:16] do we really have to lose? [3:17] Maybe our pride takes a hit, [3:20] maybe our ego gets bruised, [3:22] or maybe we end up in our parents' basement. [3:25] But this is the best time to go [3:27] out and bet on ourselves. [3:30] The greatest regrets come [3:32] from the chances we didn't take. [3:34] So I'll say it again. [3:36] Go out and fail. [3:39] Let's remind ourselves that [3:41] we made it through NYU Stern. [3:43] Was it hard? Absolutely. [3:45] Have we collectively lost [3:47] years of sleep? Sure. [3:49] But NYU has given us the tools to [3:52] be bold and take a chance on the unknown. [3:54] Don't let fear paralyze you. [3:57] Instead, step out in [3:58] faith and imagine what your life would be [4:00] like if you aimed a little bit [4:02] higher regardless of what others might say. [4:05] To the faculty of NYU, [4:07] thank you for guiding us, [4:09] thank you for challenging us, [4:10] and thank you for showing us [4:12] what we're truly capable of. [4:13] To our cohort leader and my friend Emily, [4:17] I wish you a happy birthday. [4:19] I hope every year for the rest of [4:21] your life you think of NYU on your birthday. [4:24] I'll be praying for you that one day you'll [4:27] realize that PowerPoint is [4:28] better than Google Slides. [4:31] To the NYU class of 2025, [4:34] I'm so grateful and [4:36] thankful to have met all of you. [4:37] My name is Abie Varughese, [4:39] and if there's ever anything I [4:40] can do and I truly mean that, [4:41] I'm truly just a phone call away. [4:44] I wish you all nothing but the best. [4:46] God bless you all, but more importantly, [4:49] God bless the King of New York, [4:51] Jalen Brunson of [4:52] the New York Knicks. Knicks in five.