Stanford Pocket Dictionary

10x engineer

Better than you. A 10xer is a coder worth 10 “average” coders—although nowadays some influential Silicon Valley thinkers have argued (and paid) for the concept of 1000x engineers.

Anti-signal

The tech-bro way of saying something looks bad.

B2B

business-to-business, or a company that sells directly to other companies, not consumers. Often coupled with a software-as-a-service strategy, aka “B2B SaaS,” and generally lucrative but dull.

Bay to Breakers

a race across San Francisco that takes place each spring. Stanford students get up and get drunk at 5:00 a.m. while wearing absurd outfits, then take the train into the city together and participate in the race.

Builders

What you want to be. Generally refers to those at the forefront of innovation, creating for the sake of it. Also a title assumed by many pretenders.

Coupa Circuit

The intermeshed network of students, investors, scouts, and others who hang around all day at Coupa Café.

CS107

The computer science weeder course, known for its grueling final assignments, “Binary Bomb” and “Heap Allocator.”

Directionally correct

Pesky facts aside, you nailed it!

Duck Syndrome

When you look fine on the surface, but your legs are paddling like crazy just to keep afloat.

Effective altruism

This was the most popular Silicon Valley philosophy when I arrived—basically just rebranded utilitarianism. After Sam Bankman-Fried’s fall from grace, this floundered.

Eurotrash

Stanford’s traditional first party of the year. It was canceled.

Fear the Tree

A rallying cry Stanford students shout at sports events.

Fizz

An anonymous social media app started by Stanford students and only accessible by members of the community. Full of vitriol, rampant falsehood, and abuse; raised $41.5 million despite no apparent revenue.

Friends and Family

A Builders’ society of sorts, where Stanford insiders congregate. Funded by VCs.

Full Moon on the Quad

A Stanford tradition where students go to Main Quad and all kiss each other under the full moon. Except now it’s the bureaucratic version.

Gift authorship

The shady, albeit normalized, practice of researchers adding their names to papers they had little to do with. Generally done by those with seniority.

Hangers-On

Those bloodthirsty adults who are always on campus, always looking for teenagers they can exploit.

High-agency

Greater than the rest, these Übermenschen have superseded the need for normal “rules” and inhibitions.

Hoover Institution

The influential conservative think tank housed at Stanford; home to iconic Hoover Tower, the tallest building on campus; led by former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

Lean LaunchPad

The most famous, most established startup class, teaching agile methodology.

Marriage Pact

The Stanford student matchmaking service that algorithmically pairs people once a year; has raised millions with no demonstrated ability to generate revenue.

Nerd Nation

Stanford’s own self-description. They put it on our T-shirts.

NGMI

Not gonna make it, applied to those who don’t have the hustle.

No Filter

An insider club bringing CEOs to have confidential conversations with Stanford students.

Party Review Committee/PRC

The manifestation of Stanford’s borderline authoritarian approach to student life.

Pre-idea funding

Who needs an idea to start a company these days? That’s so passé! All you need is smart people and cash.

Pre-revenue

You’re making no money. But it’s a good thing! Better to have no revenue but the potential for radical growth than a meager yet consistent profit.

Pset

Problem set. The basic unit of measurement for any STEM class at Stanford, usually assigned once a week, some requiring dozens of hours each.

PubPeer

The pseudonymous website where scientists scrutinize published research.

Reality-distortion field

The ability to redefine the world as you please through sheer will and insistence, facts be damned.

Rollout

To be rolled out is to be torn from your bed at an early hour as initiation to a competitive club.

Rule

How all insiders refer to How to Rule the World, the most secretive—and exclusive—hub for the Stanford inside Stanford.

S.H.I.T./ The Stanford Highly Incompetent Team

a group of car aficionados who built a race team in an underground garage with no budget.

SLE/ The Structured Liberal Education

a first-year program whose students live together and study Great Books

Swe

Someone who has received a Software Engineering internship for the summer might say this

Technical

A judgment on your worth as a person.

The Big Three

Science, Nature, and Cell, the three journals that can make or break your career.

The Plucked

Stanford students who are found early and drafted to a parallel track with so much excess and access that is kept inaccessible to the hoi polloi.

TreeHacks

A hackathon, but also a gathering point for ambitious future entrepreneurs. Brilliant and saturated with money.

The Turkey Drop

When all those freshman long-distance relationships break up, usually around Thanksgiving.

Unicorn

A company that has achieved a valuation greater than $1 billion. Status symbol.

Wantapreneur

Derogatory term describing those who want to be CEOs not because they want to innovate, but because they desire all the associated perks and status.

War on Fun

Stanford’s bureaucratic crackdown on all facets of student experience. Not limited to parties.