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Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

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Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#21

Post by chendy »

MBA's are great for 2 things:

1) If you are not a business undergrad, or have not picked up these skills on the job, then an MBA is a great way to get a solid business understanding that will prepare you for another type of work.

2) High ranking MBA programs attract serious talent, and then network that you acquire at a respectable university is also very valuable.

So really, if you want to change jobs, and want some credentials and training and/or want to fill up your linkedin profile with some future superstars, it's a worthy investment. Otherwise, it's probably not worth the time or money.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#22

Post by indiejade »

Yes. Though I would hesitate to endorse a particular degree of "added value" from an ivy-league branded MBA. Do a simple cost-benefit analysis.

It occurred to me, during graduate studies for my MBA (at a lovely state University, thank you very much), how various disciplines have their different lingo. Perhaps the most valuable thing I got from the program was instilled by osmosis -- the lingo associated with a variety of disciplines, industries, etc.

If anything, an MBA teaches you the lingo of lingos; that is, it doesn't so much teach how to be a "generalist" (as was stated earlier), but more about how to be a "relativist". There are interesting problems to be solved in a variety of industries, and knowing both l33t and business speak puts you in a much better position for dealing with a variety of different people.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#24

Post by edw519 »

chendy wrote: post #21

MBA's are great for 2 things: 1) If you are not a business undergrad, or have not picked up these skills on the job, then an MBA is a great way to get a solid business understanding that will prepare you for another type of work. 2) High ranking MBA programs attract serious talent, and then network that you acquire at a respectable university is also very valuable. So really, if you want to change jobs, and want some…

"MBA is a great way to get a solid business understanding"

Having an MBA, many years business experience, and heavy hacking experience, I would have to strongly disagree with this statement.

If you want the initials after your name, fine. But please don't be deluded into thinking there is any real correlation with a business school education (at any level) and "solid business understanding".

I always hated the expression, "Those you can, do. Those who can't, teach." But I think business school may be my one exception. Make no mistake about it, these are two different worlds: those with business battle scars and those who like to talk about the theoretical. Even when I go back to my alma mater and watch an alumni's business presentation, I actually cringe when one of the professors gives his take.

I would never discourage anyone from getting more education; this is one case where getting that education from actual meaningful work experience blows away college.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#25

Post by edw519 »

I honestly can't think of any good reason today why someone who could hack would want an MBA.

If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education.

If you're concerned about having a mentor, you will meet infinitely more business saavy people in business than you ever will in school.

If you're concerned about money, 2 years of earning will put you hundreds of thousands of dollars ahead of 2 years of spending.

If you're concerned about what others think of your credentials, you're focusing on the wrong thing.

If you're concerned about climbing the corporate ladder more quickly, then fine. Get an MBA. What are you doing here?

And, most of all...

If you're concerned about making yourself the best you could be, then hack, hack, hack. You already excel at the weakest link in the business chain. You will get better by continuing to "do" in your specialty. More school will add little, cost you time, cost you money, but most of all, cost you experience doing what you already love and what the world needs most right now.

(Response to Bonus Question: One of the best post-graduate business programs for technical people is Carnegie Mellon. Ironically, they don't award an "MBA", but an "MSIA", Master of Science in Industrial Administration. Even they don't care for the MBA.)

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#26

Post by prakash »

There is a subtle but important difference between understanding how business function and going to business school, the former is more important when starting a startup.

If you want to learn more about the business aspects, move to a different role in your current company in the business side, like Sales, Sales engineering, etc.

The opportunity cost in time and money is another concern. You can take the 2 years of time, and probably less than 1/2 the amount you would spend on B school to startup your startup, which, would be a better learning opportunity.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#27

Post by wheels »

edw519 wrote: post #25

I honestly can't think of any good reason today why someone who could hack would want an MBA. If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education. If you're concerned about having a mentor, you will meet infinitely more business saavy people in business than you ever will in school. If you're concerned about money, 2 years of earning wil…

This is quite inaccurate. There exist jobs for which the above are true, but not most.

If you're concerned about learning... Sure, but it'll be completely different stuff.

If you're concerned about having a mentor... Or not. Real leaders in the corporate world are rare.

If you're concerned about money... Not really. If you've worked and then go back and got an MBA you come back at mid-management.

I'm hardly a cheerleader for MBAs, but the stuff that you've written here is a little too typical, "hacker with a chip on his shoulder". I've seen a lot of people learn good stuff in MBA programs and I've seen more waste their time. It's not one size fits all.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#28

Post by kingnothing »

It seems like a lot of people here are missing the point of an MBA. You don't get one primarily for what you learn; you get one for who you can meet. Sure, you're going to learn some stuff you didn't know, but top MBA programs are aimed at people who were in an industry for a couple of years and have experience. The purpose, learning wise, is to fine-tune your skills. You should go after an MBA mostly for the networking opportunities, not the learning opportunities.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#29

Post by ssharp »

edw519 wrote: post #25

I honestly can't think of any good reason today why someone who could hack would want an MBA. If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education. If you're concerned about having a mentor, you will meet infinitely more business saavy people in business than you ever will in school. If you're concerned about money, 2 years of earning wil…

>>> If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education.

That statement pretty much discredits everything you say. Have you run through an entire MBA program? This statement is unbelievably ignorant.

As for CMU, they certainly do have an "MBA" program. Also, CMU is a 2nd tier B-School. It's still very good but not at the top of U.S. MBA programs.

Re: Ask YC: MBeA or to not be - is an MBA worth a hacker's time?

#30

Post by edw519 »

ssharp wrote: post #29
edw519 wrote: post #25

I honestly can't think of any good reason today why someone who could hack would want an MBA. If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education. If you're concerned about having a mentor, you will meet infinitely more business saavy people in business than you ever will in school. If you're concerned about money, 2 years of earning wil…

>>> If you're concerned about learning, you will learn more about business in one good hands on project than 2 years of formal education. That statement pretty much discredits everything you say. Have you run through an entire MBA program? This statement is unbelievably ignorant. As for CMU, they certainly do have an "MBA" program. Also, CMU is a 2nd tier B-School. It's still very good but not at the top of U.S. MBA…

"pretty much discredits everything you say"

How? Please provide some data to support this statement. Then I'll understand and perhaps, be better able to respond.

I have my MBA, 86 hands-on IT projects, several management jobs, non-IT P & L responsibility, and have hacked tens of thousands of original programs, all in a business environment.

I freely share my experience and assessment so that someone else might be able to take advantage of my mistakes. Don't like it? Fine.

But when you say something like "This statement is unbelievably ignorant" with no supporting data, you add no value and make yourself look like the fool. If you disagree, say why. If you don't....

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