Learning to Do Hard Things
For Peter Memon ‘89 choosing Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was never about prestige. It was about substance. He knew he wanted to become an engineer, and he wanted to be trained somewhere that took that goal seriously. RPI’s reputation for rigor mattered. So did its expectation that students show up, work hard, and figure things out.
Coming to Troy from New York City, Peter arrived as the first in his family to attend a university like RPI. There was no playbook at home for navigating college life or long-term career decisions. What he did bring was a strong work ethic and a willingness to put in the time, even when things felt uncomfortable or unclear. Those habits, reinforced daily at RPI, shaped the way he would later approach leadership and responsibility.
Adjusting to the Weight of Expectations
Peter expected RPI to be academically demanding. What surprised him was how much adjustment it required beyond the classroom. He suddenly found himself surrounded by students from all over the country, many with backgrounds very different from his own. The pace was faster. The expectations were higher. There was nowhere to hide.
At times, it was overwhelming. It also forced growth. RPI taught him how to stay with problems that did not resolve quickly, and how to keep working when answers were not obvious. Over time, he became comfortable sitting with uncertainty instead of rushing toward easy conclusions.
Years later, a manager would tell him that he approached problems from more angles than anyone else on the team. Peter did not see that as a coincidence. He saw it as a direct result of spending years at RPI learning how to think carefully, patiently, and thoroughly.
Leadership Before the Job Title
Peter’s first real leadership moment did not come with a promotion or a formal role. It came early in his career, when he joined a small software company during a period when both the organization and the industry were still taking shape. There was little structure and very little hand-holding.
Responsibility came quickly. So did pressure. Two years into the job, Peter was sent to South Africa to work with senior executives at a major bank. Sitting in meetings with leaders decades older than him, he realized something had changed. People were no longer telling him what to do. They were asking for his opinion.
That experience stayed with him. Leadership, he learned, does not arrive all at once. It develops when others start to rely on your judgment. From that point forward, Peter intentionally put himself in situations where decisions mattered and mistakes had consequences. That was how he learned.
Mentorship That Built Confidence
When Peter talks about the mentors who influenced him most, he always comes back to trust. Not pressure. Not fear. Trust.
Early in his career, a manager named Sam gave him room to operate. Peter was allowed to take on complex work, make real decisions, and occasionally get things wrong. When mistakes happened, the focus was on fixing the problem and moving forward, not assigning blame.
That approach changed how Peter saw himself. It made him more confident, more careful, and more willing to take responsibility. Over time, it also built resilience. Knowing that setbacks would be handled constructively made it easier to stay engaged when work became difficult. That lesson continues to shape how Peter leads others today.
Learning the Hard Way
Peter’s career has included setbacks he did not plan for. He lived through major industry disruptions, including the collapse of Lehman Brothers. He was laid off more than once, sometimes through no fault of his own. One of those moments came shortly after the birth of his second child.
Those experiences were hard. They were also instructive. Being forced to reassess, adapt, and move forward under pressure changed how he thought about success. Within weeks of one particularly difficult layoff, he found a new role that put his career on a stronger path than before.
Looking back, Peter sees those moments as essential. They taught him to keep learning, to stay grounded, and to focus on the long view. For him, resilience is not about powering through everything. It is about taking the hit, adjusting, and continuing with purpose.
Staying Connected to RPI and Lally
Peter’s relationship with RPI did not end at graduation. Years later, he was invited to serve on advisory boards connected to Lally’s programs. He found the work rewarding, especially the opportunity to speak with students and share what life after graduation really looks like.
He stays involved because he believes in the institution. He believes in RPI’s mission and in the direction Lally is headed. Having seen the School through both challenging and successful periods, he understands how important consistent alumni engagement can be. It strengthens programs, supports students, and helps the institution keep moving forward.
Advice for Today’s Students
If Peter could speak directly to his younger self, or to current RPI students, his advice would be simple. Slow down. Focus. Do fewer things, but do them well.
Leadership takes time. Careers are rarely straightforward. The ability to stay steady through uncertainty matters more than early wins. The habits built at RPI, careful thinking, persistence, and adaptability, last far beyond graduation.
Today, Peter measures success less by titles and more by whether he is still doing what motivates him. Solving difficult problems. Continuing to learn. Helping others grow. Those values, shaped during his time at RPI, continue to guide him.
