

Ask HN: Going to MBA for a degree in Entreprenuership - lix2333

I've been going back and forth about this for a while. What are the reasons someone would want to get an MBA if they want to come out of school to join a startup or found their own company?<p>I can only think of a few reasons:<p>1) Connections. Going to a top school will help you meet and get to know many people who are just as well connected and ambitious.<p>2) Professors. They can help guide you and give you tips much like a mentor would.<p>3) Status. It could possibly be easier to get funding and capital if you have a MBA from Stanford on your team.<p>Is this generally it? To me, it doesn't seem like there's much of a reason to get an MBA, even from a top school, if you're planning on doing entrepreneurship / startups.
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joshkaufman
Here's research on business school outcomes, notably compiled by Dr. Jeffrey
Pfeffer of Stanford GSB:
<http://www.aomonline.org/Publications/Articles/BSchools.asp>. The study was
published in 2002, but the costs have skyrocketed and the benefits have
imploded even more severely since publication. Net, if you don't want to work
in investment banking or Fortune 500 management consulting, you don't need to
buy a $150,000+ interview.

If you're planning to start your own company, MBA programs are a waste of time
and money. You're far, far better off saving your money, learning on your own,
and working on your company. It's not that difficult, and
employers/clients/investors care more about results than credentials 99 times
out of 100.

That's pretty much the introduction to my book
(<http://book.personalmba.com>). The book itself is a primer on the most
important things you need to know to get started.

Hope you find this useful. Good luck!

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guyzero
I took a degree program in Entrepreneurship -
<http://www.conrad.uwaterloo.ca/mbet>

You could definitely just go out and start your own company. I'd never say
that's not an option.

The program curriculum covered things like accounting and taxation which are
reasonably important depending on what kind of business you're running. We got
the chance to interact with local VC's and went through mock term sheet
negotiations as well as discussion of what various terms mean in the world of
venture funding. None of these things are un-learnable outside of school, but
it was a positive experience.

We covered some technical things like organization structure and strategy and
technology lifecycle management. We also covered marketing which may or may
not be "technical" depending on your opinion of what marketers do.

You certainly do get connections, etc. Honestly there's a certain category of
jobs that want to see an MBA before they'll hire you but I'm not sure of
actual VCs really care about it.

The final truth is that even from an entrepreneurship program, the majority of
students go on to get regular jobs.

