4 ms·

Because the board in older companies usually consists of people with MBAs from expensive schools who just don't get technology (hint: it's not about cutting cos

by tybris 15y ago

Because the board in older companies usually consists of people with MBAs from expensive schools who just don't get technology (hint: it's not about cutting costs, it's about building technology).

pedalpete 15y ago
I think that is a gross generalization, and I think in large corporations like the ones we are referring to, their is room for MBAs. Better there then in start-ups ;) There is no rule that an MBA can't 'get' technology. It isn't about building technology either, it's about proving something people need and want, and getting them to pay for it. Technology is only a component of that.
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  There may not be any codified rule, but it does seem to be the rule.
- tybris 15y ago
  > it's about proving something people need and want, and getting them to pay for it. HP sells more stuff that people want than almost any other company (printers, desktops, etc.). Yet they're failing. Successful technology companies (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Dell, Oracle) have business and technology interwoven like yin and yang. Business fuels technology, technology drives the business. You get there by building your business and your technology hand in hand. If you stop building, you'll fail on both. That's what you don't learn in an MBA.
chollida1 15y ago
> Because the board in older companies usually consists of people with MBAs from expensive schools who just don't get technology ( Is that true? here's your chance to get a data point. Show me which people on HP's board hold MBA's http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-govboard http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-g...
- throw_away 15y ago
  Here's the breakdown: Andreesen - no mba (http://www.nndb.com/people/442/000022376/ http://www.nndb.com/people/442/000022376/) Apotheker - no mba (http://www.nndb.com/people/417/000253655/ http://www.nndb.com/people/417/000253655/) Babbio - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/159/000124784/ http://www.nndb.com/people/159/000124784/) Baldauf - masters in econ (http://www.nndb.com/people/177/000124802/ http://www.nndb.com/people/177/000124802/) Banerji - MBA (http://bx.businessweek.com/kellogg-school-of-management/shumeet-banerji-binging-on-the-booz/9534964054866995264-700335e7ac716de6c75cb211226fdaac/ http://bx.businessweek.com/kellogg-school-of-management/shum...) Gupta - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/889/000168385/ http://www.nndb.com/people/889/000168385/) Hammergreen - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/169/000124794/ http://www.nndb.com/people/169/000124794/) Lane - No MBA (http://www.be.wvu.edu/hall_fame/lane.htm http://www.be.wvu.edu/hall_fame/lane.htm) Livermore - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000128379/ http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000128379/) Renier - MBA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M._Reiner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M._Reiner) Russo - No MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/753/000126375/ http://www.nndb.com/people/753/000126375/) Senequier - No MBA (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html) Thompson - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/187/000118830/ http://www.nndb.com/people/187/000118830/) Whitman - MBA (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html) so, eight of fourteen.
  - PakG1 15y ago
    Lane's the chairman though. Does that count for anything?
  - chollida1 15y ago
    I only count 7, Are you including the masters in econ?
    - throw_away 15y ago
      I count Babbio, Banerji, Gupta, Hammergreen, Livermore, Renier, Thompson and Whitman which make eight.
maukdaddy 15y ago
Thanks for the gross generalization! Some of us are highly technical, began in the technology field, and then got an MBA. Some of us have MBAs and can even code!
- nknight 15y ago
  And how many boards of multinational companies are you on? I read the comment as "an MBA is their only qualification", not "MBAs are inherently incapable of understanding technology".

by tybris 15y ago

Because the board in older companies usually consists of people with MBAs from expensive schools who just don't get technology (hint: it's not about cutting costs, it's about building technology).

pedalpete 15y ago

I think that is a gross generalization, and I think in large corporations like the ones we are referring to, their is room for MBAs. Better there then in start-ups ;) There is no rule that an MBA can't 'get' technology. It isn't about building technology either, it's about proving something people need and want, and getting them to pay for it. Technology is only a component of that.

burgerbrain 15y ago
There may not be any codified rule, but it does seem to be the rule.
tybris 15y ago
> it's about proving something people need and want, and getting them to pay for it. HP sells more stuff that people want than almost any other company (printers, desktops, etc.). Yet they're failing. Successful technology companies (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google, Dell, Oracle) have business and technology interwoven like yin and yang. Business fuels technology, technology drives the business. You get there by building your business and your technology hand in hand. If you stop building, you'll fail on both. That's what you don't learn in an MBA.

chollida1 15y ago

> Because the board in older companies usually consists of people with MBAs from expensive schools who just don't get technology ( Is that true? here's your chance to get a data point. Show me which people on HP's board hold MBA's http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-govboard http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-g...

throw_away 15y ago
Here's the breakdown: Andreesen - no mba (http://www.nndb.com/people/442/000022376/ http://www.nndb.com/people/442/000022376/) Apotheker - no mba (http://www.nndb.com/people/417/000253655/ http://www.nndb.com/people/417/000253655/) Babbio - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/159/000124784/ http://www.nndb.com/people/159/000124784/) Baldauf - masters in econ (http://www.nndb.com/people/177/000124802/ http://www.nndb.com/people/177/000124802/) Banerji - MBA (http://bx.businessweek.com/kellogg-school-of-management/shumeet-banerji-binging-on-the-booz/9534964054866995264-700335e7ac716de6c75cb211226fdaac/ http://bx.businessweek.com/kellogg-school-of-management/shum...) Gupta - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/889/000168385/ http://www.nndb.com/people/889/000168385/) Hammergreen - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/169/000124794/ http://www.nndb.com/people/169/000124794/) Lane - No MBA (http://www.be.wvu.edu/hall_fame/lane.htm http://www.be.wvu.edu/hall_fame/lane.htm) Livermore - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000128379/ http://www.nndb.com/people/763/000128379/) Renier - MBA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M._Reiner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_M._Reiner) Russo - No MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/753/000126375/ http://www.nndb.com/people/753/000126375/) Senequier - No MBA (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html) Thompson - MBA (http://www.nndb.com/people/187/000118830/ http://www.nndb.com/people/187/000118830/) Whitman - MBA (http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/110120xa.html) so, eight of fourteen.
- PakG1 15y ago
  Lane's the chairman though. Does that count for anything?
- chollida1 15y ago
  I only count 7, Are you including the masters in econ?
  - throw_away 15y ago
    I count Babbio, Banerji, Gupta, Hammergreen, Livermore, Renier, Thompson and Whitman which make eight.

maukdaddy 15y ago

Thanks for the gross generalization! Some of us are highly technical, began in the technology field, and then got an MBA. Some of us have MBAs and can even code!

nknight 15y ago
And how many boards of multinational companies are you on? I read the comment as "an MBA is their only qualification", not "MBAs are inherently incapable of understanding technology".