4 ms·

The MBA is a bullshit degree for an entrepreneur. A more interesting choice is between Ph.D or J.D.

by jerrya 15y ago

refurb 15y ago
How do you define "bullshit"? An MBA will teach you quite a lot than can be relevant as an entrepreneur. It also helps you build a large network of people that can help you. Can you do the same thing without an MBA? Sure. I wouldn't argue it's the most efficient way to gain the skills needed to be an entrepreneur (starting a company will do that), but I wouldn't regard it as "bullshit".
- jerrya 15y ago
  I have an MBA, from Berkeley, specializing in entrepreneurship. The marketing case study stuff is interesting and certainly definitely in no way is worth 2 years of your time. The basic accounting 101 and finance is valuable if you've never had that before. The basic econ (micro and macro) is valuable if you've never had that before. The marketing stuff is mostly way overdone unless you want to go specifically into marketing, and don't get me wrong, marketing is incredibly important for the startup to understand their customer, define their products, distribute them to the right channels, and get them to the customer. But for your time, I think you're better off getting that in other ways than a full time degree program. If you want to be the technical cofounder get a Ph.D or MS. If you want to be the non-technical cofounder get the JD. Both should take the basic accounting and finance and marketing. That's about a semester's worth of classes but hardly a 2 year degree. And while I greatly enjoyed and valued Berkeley's Entrepreneurship Program, a lot of it is taught here, on the web, at Kahn Academy, and the rest is networking. (Go Bears)
  - vitobcn 15y ago
    I agree with you regarding the contents from the MBA program vs entrepreneurship (I got my mba from INSEAD). However, the whole program only takes 10 months, which in my opinion makes it definitely worth it. Note: In spite of the shorter length, it's still considered one of the best mbas: http://goo.gl/p3w4Y http://goo.gl/p3w4Y
  - brc 15y ago
    Would you agree that most marketing case studies and texts tend to concentrate on the mass-consumer style of marketing. I found that most of it concentrating on building of large brands (ie Coke), attempting to conjure demand out of thin air (ie iPad) and a few other megacorp type activities. This is all very interesting and useful to some, but by far the majority of marketing activity (call it the long tail) is by small and mid-size companies trying to communicate with their potential clients and customers. This is not about mass brand building but more about strategies to find low cost and effective strategies to help people with 'your' problem find 'your' solution. I actually took a course on marketing for professional and smaller firms, but the whole thing was just about getting box seats at the football in order to grease up key figures in large organisations. It was beyond useless.
    - GameBoyAdvance 15y ago
      This depends on the class and school, I think. It also depends on how you approach the concepts. Yes, the case studies are typically focused on mass-consumer market but concepts such as LTV are valuable regardless of market size. Granted, they don't tell you how to apply those general concepts to startups but that doesn't take away from the usefulness of the tools, IMHO.
GameBoyAdvance 15y ago
I have both (a PhD and an MBA) and I have also started a company before so I can speak to that part a little as well. I am sure a JD will also be useful but I question its utility compared to others. Also, I am surprised that everyone is focusing on what you learn in such programs but no one seems to care that both an MBA and a PhD are also gateways to meet like-minded folks who are potential co-founders (or, in the case of an MBA, potential co-founders or future investors). The company I co-founded was with PhD buddies and, even though I didn't do it myself with the MBA, I have seen many folks from my class working on startups during and after the MBA. Granted, both of these degrees were from Bay Area schools so that might have been a factor but still...
- stfu 15y ago
  Absolutely! This is the most overlooked aspect when it comes to arguing about things like that. Especially if you are not some naturally outgoing type these programs provide access to similar minded people who are ambitioned and curious about the problems of today. If you are a PhD student and find a problem chances are good that someone with a far more advanced knowledge on that subject and willing to share this is just a few offices away.

The MBA is a bullshit degree for an entrepreneur. A more interesting choice is between Ph.D or J.D.

by jerrya 15y ago

The MBA is a bullshit degree for an entrepreneur. A more interesting choice is between Ph.D or J.D.

How do you define "bullshit"? An MBA will teach you quite a lot than can be relevant as an entrepreneur. It also helps you build a large network of people that can help you. Can you do the same thing without an MBA? Sure. I wouldn't argue it's the most efficient way to gain the skills needed to be an entrepreneur (starting a company will do that), but I wouldn't regard it as "bullshit".

jerrya 15y ago
I have an MBA, from Berkeley, specializing in entrepreneurship. The marketing case study stuff is interesting and certainly definitely in no way is worth 2 years of your time. The basic accounting 101 and finance is valuable if you've never had that before. The basic econ (micro and macro) is valuable if you've never had that before. The marketing stuff is mostly way overdone unless you want to go specifically into marketing, and don't get me wrong, marketing is incredibly important for the startup to understand their customer, define their products, distribute them to the right channels, and get them to the customer. But for your time, I think you're better off getting that in other ways than a full time degree program. If you want to be the technical cofounder get a Ph.D or MS. If you want to be the non-technical cofounder get the JD. Both should take the basic accounting and finance and marketing. That's about a semester's worth of classes but hardly a 2 year degree. And while I greatly enjoyed and valued Berkeley's Entrepreneurship Program, a lot of it is taught here, on the web, at Kahn Academy, and the rest is networking. (Go Bears)
- vitobcn 15y ago
  I agree with you regarding the contents from the MBA program vs entrepreneurship (I got my mba from INSEAD). However, the whole program only takes 10 months, which in my opinion makes it definitely worth it. Note: In spite of the shorter length, it's still considered one of the best mbas: http://goo.gl/p3w4Y http://goo.gl/p3w4Y
- brc 15y ago
  Would you agree that most marketing case studies and texts tend to concentrate on the mass-consumer style of marketing. I found that most of it concentrating on building of large brands (ie Coke), attempting to conjure demand out of thin air (ie iPad) and a few other megacorp type activities. This is all very interesting and useful to some, but by far the majority of marketing activity (call it the long tail) is by small and mid-size companies trying to communicate with their potential clients and customers. This is not about mass brand building but more about strategies to find low cost and effective strategies to help people with 'your' problem find 'your' solution. I actually took a course on marketing for professional and smaller firms, but the whole thing was just about getting box seats at the football in order to grease up key figures in large organisations. It was beyond useless.
  - GameBoyAdvance 15y ago
    This depends on the class and school, I think. It also depends on how you approach the concepts. Yes, the case studies are typically focused on mass-consumer market but concepts such as LTV are valuable regardless of market size. Granted, they don't tell you how to apply those general concepts to startups but that doesn't take away from the usefulness of the tools, IMHO.

GameBoyAdvance 15y ago

I have both (a PhD and an MBA) and I have also started a company before so I can speak to that part a little as well. I am sure a JD will also be useful but I question its utility compared to others. Also, I am surprised that everyone is focusing on what you learn in such programs but no one seems to care that both an MBA and a PhD are also gateways to meet like-minded folks who are potential co-founders (or, in the case of an MBA, potential co-founders or future investors). The company I co-founded was with PhD buddies and, even though I didn't do it myself with the MBA, I have seen many folks from my class working on startups during and after the MBA. Granted, both of these degrees were from Bay Area schools so that might have been a factor but still...

stfu 15y ago
Absolutely! This is the most overlooked aspect when it comes to arguing about things like that. Especially if you are not some naturally outgoing type these programs provide access to similar minded people who are ambitioned and curious about the problems of today. If you are a PhD student and find a problem chances are good that someone with a far more advanced knowledge on that subject and willing to share this is just a few offices away.