Nice! I like what you are doing.
Quick small question's first.
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'Quick' might not do justice to them as I could spend the whole day answering each one, but we'll go by your guidelines and stick to small answers.
toMBAorNoToMBA Says
1.) Do you think your MBA played a role in pushing you to do what you are doing right now?
Yes, it did. My pre-MBA research about bschools and the application process helped me locate a niche that needed to be filled. The success of getting a strong MBA brand on the CV and managing a complete career transition, helped in demonstrating that I had developed an approach that could be customised to help others. But frankly, it wasn't a pre-planned move that was finalised in a structured manner.
2.) Had you not done MBA, would you still be doing what you are doing?
No. My current role involves helping others crack the MBA application process. If I hadn't done it myself, it would be difficult to prove to others that I had the skills and knowledge to help them do the same. But beyond the initial credibility, it comes down to whether you can deliver.
3.) And probably even as well as you are doing it right now?
What I am doing now has very little to do with what I learnt
in the MBA program. It has more to do with what I did
before and
after the program. The MBA did help in moving into my immediate post-MBA job (in Mergers & Acquisitions). But in both cases, having a strong brand helped.
Point is you need to figure out how much you are willing to invest to get that label.
when I look at some Sector heads in company who come to talk, I feel with an MBA, I will become someone like them.. and that scares the hell out of me!
With all due respects to your Sector heads and their technical/managerial brilliance, your statement gave me a sense of deja vu :-)
Coming back to the main quesions, you are one of the fortunate ones. Financing the MBA is a HUGE problem for lesser mortals like me. So in your case it is more about the best use of time, than finances.
You might be underestimating the effort to run a successful franchise. Apart from the initial fillip that your business gets by 'buying' a piece of an existing established brand, the rest of the struggle will be exactly the same as opening your own independent business.
Let's come back to your original objective.
My immediate plan after MBA is to work for a few years, develop a network and some core business functional skill. Then, start something of my own.. for the longest time I wanted to start something in IT, but looking at the number of IT start-up's that are going down the drain within 1-2 year
If that's the case, I'd say go ahead with your MBA and use the 2 year period to work out the details for the business you want to run.
If IT is what you are comfortable with, stick to it. Just because there are thousands of failed IT stories doesn't mean your venture will have to go belly up too. The 'trick' (if I can call it that) is to find your niche and iron out as many issues ('risk mitigation' they call it) as you can think of before you take the plunge.
If you have a copy of 'Beyond The MBA Hype', turn to Chapter 6 which talks about the skills required to be successful in business and why an MBA degree
cannot give you many of those. Be aware of those points
before you start the program, so you can have a plan to fill the gaps in other ways.
Congrats on the Olin admit. Just out of curiosity, what are the other schools on your list?
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Subway Fan