MBA here as well. If you're thinking of an MBA, think really hard about why and if it's necessary to achieve your goals.
For me, I knew what I wanted to get out of it so it turned out well. Knowledge about business is everywhere and you're far better off trying to start a business if you actually want to learn about business.
What I got out of it was:
- Networks: Great friends from many different industries and skill sets
- Communication: Being tech and introverted, I learned how to communicate my ideas better. I've come to since realize that while your ideas might be the best, if you can't communicate it well, it's not going to be adopted. Also, different people require different communication styles.
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence thinking: Lots of group work - teammates might be shitty and don't do anything. Figured out how to identify who's going to do work and who's not and how we're still going to deliver despite being handicapped.
- Strategy, frameworks, theories: Just helps with the thinking process. Helps me understand what executives are thinking about.
- Confidence: Wasn't born with a lot with confidence but going through presentations day in and day out helped me develop that.
I was able to switch from startups to large companies in different industries to get a greater understanding of the differences between the two. From this experience, it's no wonder why startups that try to sell to big companies usually have a tougher time than trying to sell to smaller companies (depending on industry of course).
Do you have any experience with anything similar to Toastmasters? If so, do you think that Toastmasters is a good first step when considering the potential of an MBA? It seems to line up with several of the benefits you mention.
For me, I knew what I wanted to get out of it so it turned out well. Knowledge about business is everywhere and you're far better off trying to start a business if you actually want to learn about business.
What I got out of it was:
- Networks: Great friends from many different industries and skill sets
- Communication: Being tech and introverted, I learned how to communicate my ideas better. I've come to since realize that while your ideas might be the best, if you can't communicate it well, it's not going to be adopted. Also, different people require different communication styles.
- Self-awareness and emotional intelligence thinking: Lots of group work - teammates might be shitty and don't do anything. Figured out how to identify who's going to do work and who's not and how we're still going to deliver despite being handicapped.
- Strategy, frameworks, theories: Just helps with the thinking process. Helps me understand what executives are thinking about.
- Confidence: Wasn't born with a lot with confidence but going through presentations day in and day out helped me develop that.
I was able to switch from startups to large companies in different industries to get a greater understanding of the differences between the two. From this experience, it's no wonder why startups that try to sell to big companies usually have a tougher time than trying to sell to smaller companies (depending on industry of course).