4 ms·

I think the more interesting comment is related to hiring an MBA for a startup. Having just graduated with one, and meeting Michael at a lunch where he tried t

I think the more interesting comment is related to hiring an MBA for a startup. Having just graduated with one, and meeting Michael at a lunch where he tried to tell us MBAs why we were bad fits for YC, I actually agree. It’s certainly not a differentiator and while it got me a great job in a very traditional firm, startups need risk takers more than credential seekers (which I’ve come to understand is something I’ve actually become to some extent).

irq11 9y ago
Being a bad fit for a startup doesn’t mean it’s a bad personal decision. When startups want to stop being startups and start being seen as respected companies, you can bet they start hiring MBAs. It makes sense for YC to try to filter out credential seekers, because they’re unlikely to have the right motivation. But if your goal is to have a wildly successful career, and MBA is probably a safer bet than a startup. Most startups - even well-funded YC startups - trundle out of the gate, fall over and die.
- PakG1 9y ago
  Would you rather get on a rocket shop at ground zero or after it's achieved escape velocity? I imagine only founders want to get on it at ground zero. People who get on it after it's reached escape velocity seem to do just fine with all their stock options, especially if they get on there early enough. It would seem to me that MBAs get hired after escape velocity.
  - jcadam 9y ago
    Every large company I've worked at, there's always a few old, crusty engineers who have been with the company forever who say "This used to be a great place to work." And the reason it stopped being great is always some variant of "..and then the MBAs came."
sp527 9y ago
In my mind, a startup is a not a 'business' by any reasonable definition of that word. Steve Blank has the best and probably final take on this: "a startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." And so an MBA can probably only deliver negative value insofar as it calibrates you to operate on well-defined problems in fairly predictable, slow-moving environments with ample resources at your disposal.
baxtr 9y ago
Why do you care what other people tell you’ve become? Just a nice story people try to tell you. Taking risks depends on your life situation. Young graduates going into startups don’t take a risk. A guy who’s made millions going into a new startup is not taking a risk. Best of all: most successful entrepreneurs didn’t ever take a huge risk, but rather go step by step, even if they tell the story differently in hindsight. If you don’t believe that, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5HZW4NqZ-E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5HZW4NqZ-E
jcadam 9y ago
I am a programmer with an MBA. I honestly forget I have it sometimes. Occasionally someone will remind me I have a master's degree (Why did you leave your master's degree off of this form?) and I have to think for a moment. "What?! Oh, yea..." So, getting an MBA has had very little impact on my career/life. In fact, considering the time/effort involved, I'd say it has probably given me negative value.
- philipodonnell 9y ago
  I am in the same boat, but with a bit more charitable view. You may not realize it but an education like that will come across in the language you use and the way you present yourself to executives. It won't help in a startup, because there are no executives, only doers, but in a larger company being able to hold a conversation with executives on thier terms and using thier jargon will make you far more effective than someone who can only talk in programming paradigms.

irq11 9y ago

Being a bad fit for a startup doesn’t mean it’s a bad personal decision. When startups want to stop being startups and start being seen as respected companies, you can bet they start hiring MBAs. It makes sense for YC to try to filter out credential seekers, because they’re unlikely to have the right motivation. But if your goal is to have a wildly successful career, and MBA is probably a safer bet than a startup. Most startups - even well-funded YC startups - trundle out of the gate, fall over and die.

PakG1 9y ago
Would you rather get on a rocket shop at ground zero or after it's achieved escape velocity? I imagine only founders want to get on it at ground zero. People who get on it after it's reached escape velocity seem to do just fine with all their stock options, especially if they get on there early enough. It would seem to me that MBAs get hired after escape velocity.
- jcadam 9y ago
  Every large company I've worked at, there's always a few old, crusty engineers who have been with the company forever who say "This used to be a great place to work." And the reason it stopped being great is always some variant of "..and then the MBAs came."

sp527 9y ago

In my mind, a startup is a not a 'business' by any reasonable definition of that word. Steve Blank has the best and probably final take on this: "a startup is an organization formed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model." And so an MBA can probably only deliver negative value insofar as it calibrates you to operate on well-defined problems in fairly predictable, slow-moving environments with ample resources at your disposal.

baxtr 9y ago

Why do you care what other people tell you’ve become? Just a nice story people try to tell you. Taking risks depends on your life situation. Young graduates going into startups don’t take a risk. A guy who’s made millions going into a new startup is not taking a risk. Best of all: most successful entrepreneurs didn’t ever take a huge risk, but rather go step by step, even if they tell the story differently in hindsight. If you don’t believe that, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5HZW4NqZ-E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5HZW4NqZ-E

jcadam 9y ago

I am a programmer with an MBA. I honestly forget I have it sometimes. Occasionally someone will remind me I have a master's degree (Why did you leave your master's degree off of this form?) and I have to think for a moment. "What?! Oh, yea..." So, getting an MBA has had very little impact on my career/life. In fact, considering the time/effort involved, I'd say it has probably given me negative value.

philipodonnell 9y ago
I am in the same boat, but with a bit more charitable view. You may not realize it but an education like that will come across in the language you use and the way you present yourself to executives. It won't help in a startup, because there are no executives, only doers, but in a larger company being able to hold a conversation with executives on thier terms and using thier jargon will make you far more effective than someone who can only talk in programming paradigms.