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I'm an MBA & startup founder, and I don't think it's fair to suggest this is an MBA-only thing. Talk to any startup co-founder or early-stage employee, and tell

by bmpafa 10y ago

I'm an MBA & startup founder, and I don't think it's fair to suggest this is an MBA-only thing. Talk to any startup co-founder or early-stage employee, and tell him/her that Lean Startup principles are wrong, or that VC $ is never worth it, or that Tim Ferriss (PBUH) should work longer hours--I'm certain they'd get just as dogmatic as you suggest MBAs are about capitalism. MBA teachings are useful in the same way that any guru's lessons find a following: they offer a general framework for tackling large, ambiguous problems that would otherwise feel intractable.

alphonsegaston 10y ago
I agree entirely that this phenomenon is by no means exclusive to MBAs. It's deeply embedded into the context/psyche of our economy. You can just as easily be a tent preacher with your business podcast as a Jesuit with your MBA. But the mysticism pervades.
krmmalik 10y ago
Do you mind if i ask why you used the "(PBUH)"? Was it sarcasm? (I know what it stands for, but im confused about the usage)
- krallja 10y ago
  I read it as a joke, where Ferriss is the prophet of some modern religion.
- FreedomToCreate 10y ago
  Its a joke about how Tim Ferris followers can be very protective and dogmatic about his teachings, which parallel the way followers react to a certain prophet of a certain religion we all know.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
dasil003 10y ago
I get that you're feeling stereotyped as an MBA, but you're doing the same. I happen to have been a co-founder and early employee several times, and the issues you cite are anything but the dog whistle you imagine them to be. For instance, saying "VC $ is never worth it" is a far more dogmatic position than what most startup people I know believe: namely that it's a major decision with serious pros and cons that can make a huge difference in your potential benefit and control of your business. WRT to Tim Ferriss, it's even more bizarre to imagine that there is some kind of startup party line in support of his methodology. The guy is a self-help guru with a cool brand. Far be it from me to proclaim what he should or should not do, and I think most startup people would agree that the main relevance he has to startup life is brand-building. Lean Startup is the only one where I think you are on the mark, but even there, most of that stuff is just common sense table stakes that you pick up a few months into your first startup. If you want to make an argument against it, it's not like I couldn't be swayed in a variety of specific circumstances.

by bmpafa 10y ago

alphonsegaston 10y ago

I agree entirely that this phenomenon is by no means exclusive to MBAs. It's deeply embedded into the context/psyche of our economy. You can just as easily be a tent preacher with your business podcast as a Jesuit with your MBA. But the mysticism pervades.

krmmalik 10y ago

Do you mind if i ask why you used the "(PBUH)"? Was it sarcasm? (I know what it stands for, but im confused about the usage)

krallja 10y ago
I read it as a joke, where Ferriss is the prophet of some modern religion.
FreedomToCreate 10y ago
Its a joke about how Tim Ferris followers can be very protective and dogmatic about his teachings, which parallel the way followers react to a certain prophet of a certain religion we all know.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

dasil003 10y ago

I get that you're feeling stereotyped as an MBA, but you're doing the same. I happen to have been a co-founder and early employee several times, and the issues you cite are anything but the dog whistle you imagine them to be. For instance, saying "VC $ is never worth it" is a far more dogmatic position than what most startup people I know believe: namely that it's a major decision with serious pros and cons that can make a huge difference in your potential benefit and control of your business. WRT to Tim Ferriss, it's even more bizarre to imagine that there is some kind of startup party line in support of his methodology. The guy is a self-help guru with a cool brand. Far be it from me to proclaim what he should or should not do, and I think most startup people would agree that the main relevance he has to startup life is brand-building. Lean Startup is the only one where I think you are on the mark, but even there, most of that stuff is just common sense table stakes that you pick up a few months into your first startup. If you want to make an argument against it, it's not like I couldn't be swayed in a variety of specific circumstances.