Okay. As an MBA, I'll take a shot. First, remember an MBA is a terminal degree. It is usually preceded by other degrees. In my case I have a bachelors in compu

Okay. As an MBA, I'll take a shot. First, remember an MBA is a terminal degree. It is usually preceded by other degrees. In my case I have a bachelors in computer engineering and an MS in computer science. Many of my colleagues had PhDs in a variety of subjects both in the social sciences and in the hard sciences, and usually had several years of work experience in their field. For example, I was developer at Amazon before I went to b-school. The MBA does not suddenly erase one's technical competence. Indeed, I've written far more code since I left b-school, than I wrote before it. Second, it is a misconception that an MBA makes you a leader. I know business schools try to make that association in their marketing materials, but that's not true. They try to prepare you for leadership roles, and some classes at some schools do indeed have specific classes on leadership. But they don't automatically qualify you as a leader. There are some hard skills that an MBA can give you. But whether you take advantage of the opportunity or not depends on your interest. For me it was a solid grasp of accounting and finance that I continue to use in my own business to this day. The class on negotiation strategies was absolutely invaluable to me. I've used that so many times to structure my negotiations to better effect. I have enjoyed exploring game theory in the context of strategy, although I haven't had an opportunity to apply it any real-world setting. Some of my classmates focused on operations, and others on more advanced finance -- it's a case of whatever interests you. There is very significant overlap between, what you learn in an MBA vs. an executive-MBA. But the most important difference is the usually the participants in an executive-MBA already have considerable leadership experience, and are looking less for basic leadership advice (e.g. how to negotiate) but more as an opportunity to fill in the gaps in foundational experience. Some may be missing operations or marketing experience, that to some extent an MBA compensate for. In the end the MBA is designed to help you become familiar with a variety of business functions in a modern corporation. The nature of the corporation itself is evolving, and so are the curricula of MBA courses. Get an MBA if you want to take time off to immerse yourself in an academic environment to really get the opportunity to think and learn about business. And the network you develop doesn't hurt either. It may not be immediately useful, but when you're in your 50s like me and are trying to bootstrap an idea, it's really useful to be able to ping the CEO of a hotshot startup, who was your classmate at school. (BTW that works even for your classmates from undergrad and high-school) Finally remember that MBAs are people. There is a very wide diversity amongst them. Like with any other profession. So the sample of people you experience may or may not be representative of the larger population. Hope that helps.