
Ask HN: The best university degree(s) for a budding entrepreneur/engineer? - tae
I'll be finishing high school in a few months and I've been struggling to choose a degree that will best prepare me to start a company in the future, in addition to networking with smart/driven people who I can work with to get there.<p>I've been following the "start-up" scene on and off for a little under a year, and I seem to have an affinity for "entregineers", people who not only understand advanced scientific/engineering concepts, but also help bring them to the world (Elon Musk, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison).<p>I'm a high achieving student, so entry for most degrees isn't a problem for me.<p>I have been leaning towards double degrees which have a Commerce/Law component and some form of engineering (Mechatronics/Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical). I'm unsure as to which one to choose though.<p>As "Hacker News" is a haven for start-up founders, many with engineering or business degrees (or both), I thought of no better cohort to pose this question to.<p>What degree (or degrees) would you choose to best prepare one to become an "entregineer"?
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corruption
I would do electronics, computer science & mathematical statistics, but then
get some deep subject knowledge in a soft domain that really interests you
(e.g. med, biochem, genetics, pharmacology, neuroscience etc).

There are soooo many problems out there just waiting to be solved by skilled
engineers/mathematicians/statisticians, but the sad thing is that most of
these people have no subject matter knowledge, and therefore are ignorant of
the opportunities. Likewise the subject matter experts without the
statistical/engineering background are unable to grasp what could be done, so
never even contemplate the questions. Even "top" researchers in some of my
fields are completely unaware of the possibilities. They are ignorant and
unaware of it, and sadly even collaborations do not seem to help.

There's gold in the intersections of disciplines.

Edit: But, this is only one approach, and assumes that you want to break new
scientific ground as well as make money.

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tae
I totally agree with your statement that "There's gold in the intersections of
disciplines.", and I've put it down on my list of things to become (a
polymath).

I've quite seriously looked at the medical sector as one that lacks
technological innovation, and both this answer, in addition to makerman's
answer seem to validate that opinion.

Look where things lack innovation seems to be the best way to go.

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mitrocc
MIT- arguably best engineering curricula, more focus on applicability/hands-on
ability than Stanford (supposedly- I have not attended both), and Boston area
is prime for start-ups.

Also they have a very strong culture of entrepreneurship with the 100K,
E-club, venture mentoring, etc.

As for specific degree combination- as previously commented- it doesn't matter
that much imo.

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sajithw
At the end of the day degrees are just pieces of paper. Don't fall into the
trap of going into college thinking you are going to double major in X, Y and
get a minor in Z. It isn't high school anymore, so take classes you are
interested in or you think will add some value to your life and adapt to the
structure of a degree program over time. College admissions committees reward
the biggest tools (I would know) but now that you've made it, don't waste
absurd amounts of time with course work/resume filler bullshit and focus on
passion projects, building relationships, etc. -- more important stuff.

Also, organic startups have a much better chance of succeeding so building a
rich knowledge base in a subject that interests you is your best path to
success rather than picking the degree path that may be most relevant to
entrepreneurship. That being said, it may be helpful to ask people what their
undergraduate education experience was like (classes/books that really
influenced them, projects they worked on, etc.) and pick up a few ideas
regarding where to begin?

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samratjp
Don't worry about the specific degree so much - you will realize someday that
there are more important things like how talking to people and actually share
their viewpoint can help you figure out what people want. Translation: get a
feel for the school by visiting the campus. It's great you are a good student,
but there's much more to entrepreneurship than sheer smarts - it helps if you
go to a school where you can meet a lot of non-engineer/management type folks.
In the real world, these are the people who will most likely be using the
product and it helps to hear what they have to say.

That said, just pick a degree you like and take loads of math classes (if you
don't, at least take stats), some C.S classes (take ones with C, scheme).
Actually, read Cal Newport's blog -
<http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/11/20/a-study-hacks-primer/>

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makeramen
If you're looking for breadth and entrepreneurship, I recommend University of
Wisconsin - Madison's Biomedical Engineering (BME) program (or similar). I'll
be graduating from the program in December. It is also relatively prestigious
as it's the only engineering major on campus with a formal application
process, and engineering majors on campus are already the hardest.

It doesn't prepare you for industry well (because of it's broad focus) but it
really allows you to explore many different engineering fields, perfect for
entrepreneurship imho. Although there might be curriculum reform in the future
to fix the "unpreparedness" for industry, but change comes slow in
Universities.

The program requires you to take introductory classes in biomechanics,
bioinstrumentation, biomaterials... and probably a couple more I'm forgetting.
In the end, you choose one of these "tracks" and your degree basically turns
into one of the other engineering degrees with some bio tacked on, less depth,
and more breadth.

One of the other great things about the BME program is that we're required to
do a design project EVERY semester, which is a really great opportunity and a
pain in the ass (you only get 1 credit for it). But it's a great learning
experience working in small teams all the time.

The problem with poor reception among the industry for BMEs is that if they
want objects built, they'll hire MEs, if they want circuits, the'll hire EEs,
etc. There really isn't any good entry level position fitting for a "well
rounded" degree like UW's BME. But again, if you're looking for
entrepreneurship, you probably don't care for these entry level positions
anyway, but just fair warning.

Conclusion: Look into the details of each program at the schools you're
looking into. My example is unique to my major at my school, I know BME
programs at other schools are very different, and the other engineering
programs here at UW are different from BME. Ask current students students and
recent grads about the specific programs you're looking into.

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LeBlanc
Focus more on the resources at your school than on the degree. You want to
attend a school that has good entrepreneurial resources, such as student
start-up incubators, business plan competitions, mentoring, etc. Regardless of
what degree you have, these are resources that you can use to learn about
entrepreneurship and build a company while still in school.

Stanford, Duke, and University of Texas (Austin) are schools I know of with
good entrepreneurship resources. Since you're about to graduate in a few
months, you may have already picked your school. In that case just make sure
to seek out whatever entrepreneurship resources are at your school.

If your school doesn't have any entrepreneurship resources, go make some!
Start a business plan competition, or a business incubator.

Good luck!

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tae
I have been seriously considering Stanford, as it seems to be right at the
centre of the technology entrepreneur's Mecca of Silicon Valley.

I have yet to find people like myself in my area and I've heard that SA is
choc full of ambitious/intelligent/successful people who are ready to start
new ventures, in addition to all the VCs being located there.

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jaspertheghost
Who you are is a more accurate predictor of entrepreneurship and success. That
being said the two schools that have the best track records are Stanford and
UIUC. Stanford (Google, Yahoo, Sun Microsystems) and UIUC (Netscape, Paypal,
YouTube, Oracle, Yelp, Farmville)

[http://www.quora.com/What-startups-have-come-out-of-
Stanford...](http://www.quora.com/What-startups-have-come-out-of-Stanford-
since-2004) [http://www.quora.com/What-startups-have-come-out-of-
Universi...](http://www.quora.com/What-startups-have-come-out-of-University-
of-Illinois-Urbana-Champaign)

~~~
tae
"Who you are is a more accurate predictor of entrepreneurship and success." is
a wonderfully succinct way to put it, and I hope to become more and more like
those who have succeeded in the future (e.g. solid work ethic/reading about a
variety of subject/talking to more people).

I guess I'll just have to improve myself, and chase the smart people, who seem
to swarm to these universities.

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makeramen
Regardless of where you end up, I highly recommend trying to start or run a
student organization.

Learning to motivate unpaid volunteers to do work for you is one of the most
valuable leadership experiences I've ever had.

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pramit
Read The Success Manual - Summaries of 100+ greatest Business and self help
books of all time <http://thesuccessmanual.bighow.com>

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helveticaman
I went to Stanford thinking it would be the best decision. It turned out to be
a terrible decision, and set me back years. The best-laid plans...

~~~
tae
Why was it a terrible decision?

