Entrepreneur

No.

Yes for some. No for some. Depends on the university, the individual and what you plan to do with it.

MBAs do have value, but the question is: why would you spend 3-4 years learning instead of doing? MBAs don’t guarantee success- no formal or informal teaching does.

The things you mention that you want to learn about can be obtained by watching videos on YouTube, reading books, and networking.

You need to learn, execute., fail- repeat.

In most cases, I believe you’d be better off reading the books and actually getting out in the world and doing it.

I’m in the minority I think, but I’d say yes.

​

I went back to school for the MBA, best thing I ever did. There are so many elements of business to understand, learn about , get exposed to. So many people with different experiences that you work with in a structured environment. Plus there is, you know, actual research that you learn about. I’m sure there’s been more since I did my degree, but everything from organizational behavior, activity-based-accounting, use of stats….

​

is it everything you need to be an entrepreneur? No.

​

but it’s really solid for someone with lots of experience in a different field to get into business.

Not unless work pays for it.

No. I have one, it teaches no more than a community College level understanding of running a business. Read Joshua Kauffman's book, The Personal MBA first. THEN: Take a biz or Entrepreneurship certificate.

UNLESS you want to be a NON-OWNERSHIP corporate executive. That's when it's useful NOT for specific knowledge, which again is superficial, but for clout. You don't even learn about employment law for managing employees in a legal way, you don't learn how to get financing, you don't learn anything you can't get out of a business certificate class

In my local region an MBA is the equivalent of a bachelor's in business and a bachelor's is just a piece of paper to most employers. I worked pretty hard to get my bachelor's in business admin and had The HARDEST time finding anything!! Seriously felt like my bachelor's was just considered to be a high school diploma to every place I applied. I even applied to a position in hr at a place to get called in for an interview only to find out they were interviewing me for an entry level warehouse position because I had no experience (can't get hr or any useful experience in an entry level warehouse position either) they offered me less pay than I was already getting. Needless to say I was not nice to the interview, but still professional.
My advice on an MBA would be to really look into it and your goals. If you live in a state with a high education level like me then I'd plan on moving somewhere else after you get your MBA. I've seen countless positions here looking for an MBA and or 5+years in the exact position while obviously offering 40k or less salary.

No.

Get social skills and network.

If its free or one/paycheck, which i doubt if you are in US then you have nothing to loose. But otherwise, you have better chances in mingling in business circles and try to copy your idols

MBAs specifically teach knowledge which is not applicable to starting a new business. Empirical research is done on scaled businesses by definition so they often learn how to scale things once a bunch of foundations have already been set. Hence why a lot of people end up employed at big corporations—they can’t apply their skillsets to something much smaller.

But you can also learn about scaling by getting a position as a middle manager or lead in development and your knowledge would be more applicable.

If your goal is to start something but you don’t feel ready to just jump in (which I think you should do), you would get more value out of a program focused on designing a product which meets a demand like “Design Innovation” or industrial design. Not only for the applicable practice with your engineering skills but for the network.

To be clear: not saying you should do this. I would just start the thing. There are tons of incubators that can bridge the gap for you.

It depends on your college and alumni. Go for a college where students come from across the globe.

Also moving from a tech role to management and business needs a different mindset. So be prepared for the roller coaster.

If you are a networking kind of person - you will enjoy.

Get an eMBA from a T25 and try to get your employer to pay for it. Otherwise, I would not leave a good SWE job for it. Something to be aware of: engineering managers often don't get MBAs. That area of management prefers technical experience. So you likely won't need one if that's what you're aiming for.

I finished my MBA in 2014 and I would say it's absolutely not worth it, even tho I'm now an executive at med/large size company. I don't really think the MBA played a factor in achieving that position. I was fortunate that a past employer paid for it. If I was in a position today without it I wouldn't waste my time.

Ps this answer is assuming you're not talking about an ivy League MBA, in that case id say I don't know.

I don’t want to shit on MBAs because I do believe they have some value. But if your goal is to learn about business (running, scaling, raising money, etc.) then you’d do really well to start reading books about that stuff first. There’s TONS of threads on Reddit about book recommendations so you’ll have a field day doing that. After you’ve read a couple books I’d say to try it out yourself in the most risk-free way possible. There’s about a million ways to start a business, but one I’m doing now is building a brand on social media and getting customers and creating the product after I’ve found my market. It’s allowing me to fail completely and utterly without losing a dime (I mean I paid for Canva, but I wanted to learn that anyway so it’s an investment to me).

You’ll learn a lot by doing because doing is so different from the books. The books aren’t wrong, they’re just focused on different parts and make certain assumptions that aren’t always true early on. If I can give advice from a now 3 time failure and all time learner, business only comes down to one, not so simple thing, the customer. If you can crack the customer code (understanding your audience and giving them what they want, not what you want them to want) you’ll do well. I’m working on solving that for myself right now. I get a little closer each time.

Best of luck to you, mate!

An MBA in STEM yes, everything else is useless.

MBA is business studies, if you plan to start your corporate or entrepreneurship that is good for you. If you like to grow your career then you will do a master's in your professional degree.

How much will an MBA cost ?

From my perspective, an MBA remains a valuable investment, particularly for entrepreneurs, as it equips individuals with a multifaceted skill set essential for navigating the complex landscape of business. When I attended a Jesuit institution in the late 1980s, the "ethical" MBA program was a great mix, featuring a blend of Toyota Production System, financial and managerial accounting, statistics, and marketing — and reflects the robust foundation crucial for effective business leadership.

Firstly, an MBA imparts strategic thinking and decision-making skills. Entrepreneurs often face unpredictable challenges, and the analytical abilities honed during an MBA can guide informed choices, fostering sustainable business growth.

Moreover, an MBA offers a holistic understanding of business operations. Exposure to Toyota Production System exemplifies the practical knowledge gained, enabling entrepreneurs to optimize processes and enhance operational efficiency. This proficiency is pivotal for startups aiming to scale effectively.

Financial acumen, a core aspect of the MBA, is indispensable for entrepreneurial success. Entrepreneurs must navigate budgeting, resource allocation, and investment decisions. An MBA equips individuals with the financial literacy crucial for prudent financial management.

As others have said, networking is another invaluable asset of an MBA. The connections formed during the program provide entrepreneurs with a diverse and influential network, offering mentorship, collaboration opportunities, and potential investors crucial for business success.

In the dynamic landscape of entrepreneurship, adaptability is key. For me, exposure to various business disciplines in my MBA program ensured a versatile skill set. Entrepreneurs need to wear multiple hats, and an MBA prepares individuals to seamlessly transition between roles — not only theoretical knowledge but also practical tools that can significantly contribute to entrepreneurial ventures.

It can be worthwhile when the full funding & basic living expenses are provided without going into debt and the accredited mba programme is taught at a very prestigeous academic institution with gold star networking opportunities.

Not for entrepreneurs. I have one and wouldn’t do it again.

I have an MBA from a top 30 school with a major in entrepreneurship. At the time, I was surrounded with people who weren’t going anywhere in life and I thought this was the best way to immerse myself with like minded people who wanted to get ahead in life.

I did make great connections and I now owe $170k in student loans. I think the better route would have been a hub or pod of other entrepreneurs in some of those collaboration spaces I have seen.

I certainly didn’t learn enough at college to justify the $170k, but the networking aspect was great. However, a collab space would have been even more valuable. Hands on is the best way to learn in my opinion, and going to an office everyday and seeing other entrepreneurs all working on their own ventures would be very exciting.

I now own my own media company and we are closing out year one with an expected $750k in revenue so I suppose it worked out either way.

Based on my observations of friends/family and colleagues with MBA’s (I don’t have one), the ones who graduated from top schools like Cornell landed high-paying roles upon graduation. Everyone else is doing fine, but their career paths didn’t seem different from someone with just a 4-yr degree. With a lot of colleagues, their business acumen doesn’t seem stronger than those without the MBA. I think as others mentioned the networking is a big plus if you can capitalize on it. You really have to weigh the costs and decide if it’s necessary for your path.

I'm a college dropout and I make more and have more personal freedom/time flexibility than pretty much every MBA I know.

It's not usless, it just depends on what you are trying to do.

No. I learned everything through networking. Anytime someone said “I own XYZ business” I immediately started picking their brains and of course stating that one day Id like to own a business. And that really gets them talking because they know how hard it was and they want to help and support others. And all the ones Ive talked to, NONE had an MBA. From small construction to large corporation owners.

Yes, with the caveat that you go to a top ~25 school and that you're an intellectually curious person. An MBA is really what you make of it. Many people treat getting an MBA as a 2 year vacation (depending on the workload and rigor of the school), do minimal work, and party too much. Personally, I took as many electives as possible and tried to learn about a variety of topics taught from great professors with real world experience.

Unfortunately, I went to school during Covid, so I didn't meet as many people as I would have liked (many classmates couldn't even come to the city my program was in) and thus, I didn't form as many connections as I wanted to during my time, which is also important during an MBA.

To keep it short, if you get into a good school, take advantage of all the knowledge your professors possess, and try to form relationships with classmates and expand your network, I think it's well worth it! Otherwise, probably not, unless your company is paying and you need an MBA to move up the corporate ladder (and that aligns with your career goals).

I've thought about this a ton bc I've almost gone to B school a couple times.

There are 3 big reasons to go:

1. Network--you want to meet other people on a similar path and be connected with other alum.
2. Knowledge--you don't know anything about business.
3. Credential--this is important at big companies or if you're going for a career change.

But is b school the BEST way for you personally to get these things?

If you get into a top 20 program, 1 and 3 are very strong.

But if you just want the knowledge, here's what I'd do:

Google for the curricula of the top 5 or so MBA schools. Read 3-5 books on each topic, then do some interactive excercises. Boom, you just saved 200k and got the knowledge.

for entrepreneurship, one learns from others who have their own business then mostly by doing. the MBA is good when getting a job working for someone else.

after 15 years running my own business, it collapse. until i can start another business, i am looking for a job to stabilize. the MBA is helpful for this.

in all honesty, i got an MBA because i have always chased approval from my parents (my brother and sister were smarter, got better grades, etc.). i went right out of college for an MBA because my parents only had bachelor's

Your goal is too amorphous for any education program that currently exist at any institution, including Harvard, Wharton, Oxbridge, INSEAD you name it. Keep in mind that University programs are still at University, where the majority of the teaching will have a heavy academic focus, taught often by non-practitioners. I feel like everyone (the students at least) agrees that this shouldn't be the case but literally nobody is doing much to change it.

I am currently attending the Masters of Entrepreneurship at University of Cambridge and have classmates at/from MIT, Harvard, Columbia etc with business related masters or MBAs. These are traditionally "as good" as you can get or on par with any program you can name, at least by reputation.

The general attitude seems to be that these degrees are great for finding jobs or advancing in the corporate sector, especially if your company is paying for it and nearly entirely impractical to get you actually started in Entrepreneurship in reality.

People who get what they want out of the program generally come in with that expectation in mind and want something specific out of the program. We have a VC guy who is literally just looking for other founders to fund and thought this might be a neat way to meet them. We have a Harvard guy with an existing Harvard MBA whos getting it as a part of his long term strategy in the public sector in his home country. Some people need the name recognition for their existing business (me), others are just young people looking to satisfy their parents. If you have something that specific in mind that the program can address, then yes MBA will do that for you.

However, if you actually want the knowledge. Nothing will do better for the time and money then just going out and doing it. Without exaggeration what you will learn spending that 2 years and 200k by doing the business will literally be 100-1000x what you will learn in school. It absolutely sounds like I am exaggerating but I promise you gap is beyond what you can imagine if you haven't done both, and I have.

It’s far more beneficial to get if you’re already in a leadership position. So build your career there first.

Top 25 MBA school grad here, but I completed mine at age 40 after 20 years in business.

IT CHANGED MY LIFE.

Twenty years later, I retired at 60 as CEO with a huge payout for selling a company. I had been paid VERY well and the payout exceeded what I'd earned in my prior 43 years of employment, combined.

I could have NEVER done it without the concentrated download of knowledge I received during those two years. The network was nice, but led to more great friendships than business advantages.

A very determined individual could get the information by reading the right business books, one a week for two years, but you'd have no one to critique/correct you and smack your ears when your writing/presentation was garbage.

This would be great option for someone determined to always be self-employed, but my MBA degree caused SEVERAL employers to trust me just based on paper.

I'd estimate learning the same thing by on the job failure/learn/correct/repeat would take ten plus years and millions of dollars to cover your mistakes.

I would say you could either do the MBA or team up with a proven entrepreneur on a new venture. The latter has more risk but higher upside.

Side note, you may want to consider data science and machine learning. Seeming like that will be in very high demand for a long time.

Going for an MBA after eight years in software with a CS background makes sense if you're aiming to pivot into business, especially in roles involving running and scaling companies or fundraising. An MBA can provide you with a broader business perspective, networking opportunities, and skills beyond your technical expertise.

However, it's essential to consider the investment of time and money. MBA programs can be costly, and the time spent on the degree could be used to gain practical experience in the business world. Some successful entrepreneurs have reached their goals without an MBA, relying on hands-on experience.

Research specific MBA programs, talk to professionals who've taken a similar path, and weigh the pros and cons based on your long-term career objectives. It's a significant decision, so taking the time to thoroughly evaluate your options is crucial.

Hi. It depends. Getting MBA from a top ranked university will be much more helpful to transition than getting MBA from a not so well known school.

The MBA isn't worth anything if you can't leverage the contacts and relationships you build.

I know plenty of engineers that went to get their MBAs...only to never actually move up or use that MBA for anything more than what they're doing. 100% not worth it for them.

However, another colleague went to get his MBA and rocketed his career 10 fold within the last 3 years jumping from level to level until he's a Senior Director at a consulting company making stupid money.

The MBA isn't the magical answer, that's just good marketing.

I found an MBA gave me a broad understanding of business. I've subsequently started three businesses, and what I learned from the MBA has been very valuable.

You also build a great network of like-minded friends, plus a boost to your resume.

It won’t hurt but I don’t believe you need it.

You already have education, work experience, and skills (analytical, problem solving, etc.)

“My goal is to learn about business, running them, scaling them, raising money, etc.”

Best way to learn about business and running them is to get your hands dirty by becoming a manager trainee and operate a small business (product or service).

You can’t learn how to do this in school.

A small business is best place to learn about financial statements, scheduling, operations management, hiring and training, customer service, safety, payroll, etc.

To scale them, you have to own them. In my industry, it takes $5.0 to $6.0 million to play with the big boys and girls.

Raising money to scale them requires hanging with angel investors, venture capitalists, and private equity firms. You would want to establish a track record before this.

Learn how to manage and operate a business(s). Start up and grow a small business that is scaleable. Use proof of concept to obtain venture capital.

This will take years.

So, I believe MBA would only delay achieving your goal.

Have an MBA from a decent school and another masters degree and did 1 year of law school. Got paid about $25k to get my MBA due to my GI Bill while my peers ended up with about $150k in loans. Having said that, I say yes get your MBA if you can get into a top 10 school. If not, no, not worth your time.

An MBA won’t teach you how to run a business inside the classroom for the most part

Only hands on experience will do that

BUT the right MBA can definitively put you in touch with a lot of people who have experience in starting scaling and funding new ventures

To be fair, any form of learning is great. But, getting an MBA can be costly.

Since you mentioned that you want to learn how to run a business, getting an MBA might be a great fit. But, have you considered getting into other less costly programs first, like business management?

Anyway, here’s a great resource article that might help you decide whether getting an MBA is worth it. It has statistics on the cost vs. ROI of getting an MBA, salary and employment statistics of MBA graduates, and other facts on MBA programs and graduates. You can try checking it out:

https://www.cuppa.so/post/is-an-mba-worth-it

Not all MBA degrees are created equal..

You can find this on some college websites:

"An MBA is only worth the expense, time, and effort when the graduate plans to work in a business-related field, in management, or as a company founder. An MBA may not be useful for those working in other industries unless they are in management or leadership roles."

If you are going to go back to college and/or trade school then get an in demand trade and/or degree plus make sure it's something that you really want to do otherwise it is pointless..

Hope this helps..

Best to you