Comments on: MBA vs Startup – Which is a better choice?

By: Adam Salter

Adam Salter — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:51:08 +0000

Good entry David. As one of those who chose to do the mba and now pursuing launching a business, i would have to be biased and say the MBA is a great option – if you are looking for certain things. I chose the MBA for a number of reasons – network, expand knowledge in specific fields, etc – and have to say that the knowledge you take on board is fulfilling and provides great insight, the network can certainly open doors. However, if you are looking to do the MBA just for the sake of adding more zero’s to the end of your salary, then I’d say it’s not the place for you. The cost/benefit analysis is very personal on this issue, no matter what articles and leaders will tell you. End of the day it boils down to you pursuing what you find most fulfilling. One final point though, at a school like mine, IE Business School, they have put a lot of resources into their entrepreneurship department and studies, so in that sense you might not have to choose between the two options – why have 1 when you can have all!

By: durbin

durbin — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:16:28 +0000

Go to Babson, it is the best of both worlds. Ranked #1 in Entrepreneurship for the past 16 years, above Harvard and Stanford. Being around a group of peers that are all hungry and working on their own startups was the best thing for me. That said, if you can find that atmosphere and network without having to shell out a ton of money or any money at all, do it.

By: Ankit

Ankit — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:47:50 +0000

I would like to know that I speak German and worked in Germany also, where should I head for my MBA? USA or Europe, and why?

Hope to hear positive

Ankit Chaturvedi
http://www.twitter.com/rite2ankit

By: Wiley

Wiley — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:09:14 +0000

I’ve done both and I recommend doing both. Being an entrepreneur will teach you hardships that an MBA won’t. Getting an MBA will teach you things that you’ll learn the hard way as an entrepreneur.

One way to look at this is that being an entrepreneur gets you off the ground. But if you want your enterprise to work effectively for a long time, you should get an MBA. Does that makes sense?

DC: Great point Wiley, thank you.

By: mlynch

mlynch — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:36:14 +0000

A similar article here.
http://url.ie/1l6d

By: Daire

Daire — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:37:48 +0000

Hey Dave, Good post :) I don’t think this following article is as good, but it’s mildly interesting:

http://tbm.thebigmoney.com/articles/judgments/2009/03/25/rip-mba

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:40:32 +0000

Thanks for the comments guys.

@Kevin – I’ve worked for myself in the past, and went back to working with smaller startups. I think it was probably that working two jobs didn’t leave much time for working on my own ideas.

@Alan – I agree. My question was at least partly rhetorical, I can definitely see the value in an MBA. I definitely wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand.

By: Alan O'Dea

Alan O'Dea — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:37:16 +0000

I used to run an Internet advertising startup back in Ireland and the 1990’s it was fun I learned a lot and we did very whilst also working on very interesting, creative and exciting things. After that business group exited I went to university and got an MBA. I entered the work place again and now run a new online gaming start up in the UK. Online gaming is as cutting edge, creative and challenging a global business as you can have.

I can personally say that the level and quality of management, strategic thinking and planning I can achieve after the MBA is an order of magnitude higher than I could without the MBA.

It is my belief that anyone that thinks the intense, condensed and complete knowledge of the entire spectrum of modern management learning thought on a modern MBA can’t help not only in start-ups but in every other scale, facet and level of business doesn’t know what the MBA has to offer.

By: Kevin Cannon

Kevin Cannon — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:00:30 +0000

Can you work for yourself? I plan to start a business in the next 5 years, and the way I’m going to do it is by being a freelancer first, doing my own thing, and then building out from that. That minimizes risk and allows me to allocate time to an idea.

Most entrepreneurs do fail their way to success, so if that’s true at all, then why not get your first failure under your belt, and then do an MBA. :)

By: Derek Organ

Derek Organ — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:35:12 +0000

I too have often taught about doing MBA. I guess after 5 years running my own company straight out of college I recon a little bit of MBA style teaching before you jump in is good. I think only a small percentage of what is taught in the course applies or helps if your ultimate goal is to run your own company.

So like most decisions in business it’s about Return On Investment(time more so than money.) I don’t think there is a return on investment if you want to have your own company.

If you want to work high up in a Multi-national, then that’s a different story.