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You clearly have no idea what is being taught in Top 20 MBA programs. Many MBA programs are graduating people that get both heavy technical training in their p

by Vaslo 7y ago

You clearly have no idea what is being taught in Top 20 MBA programs. Many MBA programs are graduating people that get both heavy technical training in their program (stats, data engineering, coding, etc) as well as learning how to properly manage individuals with technical skills.

rswail 7y ago
You clearly have no idea about what I know or don't know about MBA programs or my overall experience or career. I'm not saying that the skills taught are not useful, what I'm saying is that the concept of a generalized "business administration" course that somehow qualifies you to run any and all businesses is basically flawed. Management is a skill or craft, not a profession. Harvard's model of case studies is a useful skill training technique, but anecdata doesn't make a science.
- aswanson 7y ago
  HBS is also a trailer in terms of what is on the horizon and is an indicator of what not to do. There are studies done showing that most of the grads chase the worst fad at the worst time. In 1989 they were all chasing Japanese manufacturing consultancies, in 1999, all internet ceo jobs, etc. They're never predictive, just chasing what seems hot.
- vo2maxer 7y ago
  When I applied for an MBA, Harvard was known for a strong general management program as distinct from Wharton’s more quantitative and finance oriented. I chose the latter precisely because of this emphasis. I entered with years of experience in the medical field, and much older than most students (I did the full time program). Did it help me later with anything? Not really, other than the prestige associated with it and getting the top C-level job at a large medical group. Would I do it again? No. I wish I’d had the foresight to go for CS (early 90s), which I’m furiously self-teaching now. I’ve (mildly) encouraged my kids to stay away from the MBA fluff, even from Medicine, and go for hard science, mathematics, and computer science.
  - drharby 7y ago
    Hows your selflearning going?
MiroF 7y ago
> You clearly have no idea what is being taught in Top 20 MBA programs. Many MBA programs are graduating people that get both heavy technical training in their program (stats, data engineering, coding, etc) as well as learning how to properly manage individuals with technical skills. Blatantly false - and I say that as someone with experience with multiple HBS classes. This might be the case for a small minority at those schools, but in no way is it the prevailing wind.
- gringoDan 7y ago
  Yeah this sounds like a combined MBA/MS CS. You can easily go through an entire MBA program and concentrate in something like Marketing where the most technical class you'll take is Stat 102.
bitL 7y ago
C'mon. My Top 10 CS school expected me to put in 60h/week and was pushing me beyond my limits most of the time. My "quant-heavy" MBA required me once to spend 8h/week. If you find MBA difficult, you are probably doing something wrong. Old-school MBA is about networking (basically drinking buddies for life), new trends are about connecting tech people with VCs to use each other to build something new and profitable. MBA is useful to get overall picture of individual areas from 10,000ft so that you don't need to re-invent everything and have some semi-automated way to process things that are thrown at you while building/managing some organization. You should walk away with knowledge about what financial instruments are at your disposal, how not to completely mess up your organization with one's stupidity or lack of leadership, how to recognize phase of a company you are in etc. This is important when you get under permanent stress while running a company when quality information will be scarce and obfuscated, people's motives will be a mixed bag, and only subjects you mastered and networking circle you built will be with you.
- bluedevilzn 7y ago
  Did you find your MBA valuable?
  - bitL 7y ago
    Helps to build contacts and commands respect in some circles, you aren't BSed so often for being just "an engineer", but I will see in a few years if it's worth anything.
iamasoftwaredev 7y ago
It's a 2 year program and you're also supposed to be learning business administration. I know they like to select the smart people who have lots of extra money, but when in the program is all this stuff taught? Being managed by someone with shallow technical skills and bunch of book knowledge about how to manage doesn't like a good time.
- MiroF 7y ago
  > Being managed by someone with shallow technical skills and bunch of book knowledge about how to manage doesn't like a good time. Tell this to anyone in C-suite please.

by Vaslo 7y ago

rswail 7y ago

You clearly have no idea about what I know or don't know about MBA programs or my overall experience or career. I'm not saying that the skills taught are not useful, what I'm saying is that the concept of a generalized "business administration" course that somehow qualifies you to run any and all businesses is basically flawed. Management is a skill or craft, not a profession. Harvard's model of case studies is a useful skill training technique, but anecdata doesn't make a science.

aswanson 7y ago
HBS is also a trailer in terms of what is on the horizon and is an indicator of what not to do. There are studies done showing that most of the grads chase the worst fad at the worst time. In 1989 they were all chasing Japanese manufacturing consultancies, in 1999, all internet ceo jobs, etc. They're never predictive, just chasing what seems hot.
vo2maxer 7y ago
When I applied for an MBA, Harvard was known for a strong general management program as distinct from Wharton’s more quantitative and finance oriented. I chose the latter precisely because of this emphasis. I entered with years of experience in the medical field, and much older than most students (I did the full time program). Did it help me later with anything? Not really, other than the prestige associated with it and getting the top C-level job at a large medical group. Would I do it again? No. I wish I’d had the foresight to go for CS (early 90s), which I’m furiously self-teaching now. I’ve (mildly) encouraged my kids to stay away from the MBA fluff, even from Medicine, and go for hard science, mathematics, and computer science.
- drharby 7y ago
  Hows your selflearning going?

MiroF 7y ago

> You clearly have no idea what is being taught in Top 20 MBA programs. Many MBA programs are graduating people that get both heavy technical training in their program (stats, data engineering, coding, etc) as well as learning how to properly manage individuals with technical skills. Blatantly false - and I say that as someone with experience with multiple HBS classes. This might be the case for a small minority at those schools, but in no way is it the prevailing wind.

gringoDan 7y ago
Yeah this sounds like a combined MBA/MS CS. You can easily go through an entire MBA program and concentrate in something like Marketing where the most technical class you'll take is Stat 102.

bitL 7y ago

C'mon. My Top 10 CS school expected me to put in 60h/week and was pushing me beyond my limits most of the time. My "quant-heavy" MBA required me once to spend 8h/week. If you find MBA difficult, you are probably doing something wrong. Old-school MBA is about networking (basically drinking buddies for life), new trends are about connecting tech people with VCs to use each other to build something new and profitable. MBA is useful to get overall picture of individual areas from 10,000ft so that you don't need to re-invent everything and have some semi-automated way to process things that are thrown at you while building/managing some organization. You should walk away with knowledge about what financial instruments are at your disposal, how not to completely mess up your organization with one's stupidity or lack of leadership, how to recognize phase of a company you are in etc. This is important when you get under permanent stress while running a company when quality information will be scarce and obfuscated, people's motives will be a mixed bag, and only subjects you mastered and networking circle you built will be with you.

bluedevilzn 7y ago
Did you find your MBA valuable?
- bitL 7y ago
  Helps to build contacts and commands respect in some circles, you aren't BSed so often for being just "an engineer", but I will see in a few years if it's worth anything.

iamasoftwaredev 7y ago

It's a 2 year program and you're also supposed to be learning business administration. I know they like to select the smart people who have lots of extra money, but when in the program is all this stuff taught? Being managed by someone with shallow technical skills and bunch of book knowledge about how to manage doesn't like a good time.

MiroF 7y ago
> Being managed by someone with shallow technical skills and bunch of book knowledge about how to manage doesn't like a good time. Tell this to anyone in C-suite please.