5 ms·
Article is pretty skimpy on details and plays fast and loose with facts. Apple has hardly any MBAs, but it does have some, notably Tim Cook, who many claim sing
by c2 16y ago
Article is pretty skimpy on details and plays fast and loose with facts. Apple has hardly any MBAs, but it does have some, notably Tim Cook, who many claim singlehandedly turned Apple around. Also telling is that the dollar figures for salaries exclude bonuses. I know several executives who have base salaries less then some engineers, doesn't really mean anything without the bonus figures.
The value of an MBA will be what you yourself put into it. It was never the case that you could just sign a check for tuition and get a high dollar figure salary.
The fact is, that short of a start up with traction, getting an MBA is the best way to get exposed to a wide variety of business challenges, from operations to sales to organizational behavior, and yes, even finance for entrepreneurs and fund raising.
MBAs aren't going anywhere, and they have been evolving with the business climate over the past 100 years. They certainly aren't for everyone, but I don't think this article does much to accurately paint the pros and cons to help someone decide if it's right for them.
- hugh3 16y agoThey certainly aren't for everyone, but I don't think this article does much to accurately paint the pros and cons to help someone decide if it's right for them. Well, in its proper context, the article is a counterpoint to The Economist's entire "Which MBA?" section and/or issue (http://www.economist.com/whichmba/ http://www.economist.com/whichmba/). In the context of an entire section devoted to helping you decide which MBA you should do, this brief argument against doing an MBA at all is a helpful piece of contrarianness. Presented out of context on HN where "MBAs suck" is conventional wisdom rather than contrarian iconoclasticism, though, it loses much of its effect. (In my opinion, as someone with a PhD and 5/32nds of an MBA, the answer to "should I do an MBA" is "Do you want to do an MBA?".)