Advice on the best program

astroc

1 1

Posted Jan 22, 2021 17:48

hello,

I have been looking for an MBA program, and improving my career path in the meantime. I have working for 20 years, in information system, digital / data, in many kind of companies.

I have to objectives, one setup or buy a company in tech / consulting, because I am already entrepreneur, and I can pursue in this way but at scale. and secondly if my entrepreneur path doesn't work well I will go to a fortune 100 in either as senior exec or as business in tech companies.

because I am in europe (France) I found out more on INSEAD / HEC / TRIUM / ESCP and some around in europe (LBS, IESE).

it is difficult to see what would be the best for me so far !

- INSEAD : really good especially broad network, international, good entrepreneurship track
- HEC : focusing on innovation / digital but not sure if it bring something to me, and network / Brand seems frenchy
- ESCP : I don't know what can I think ?
- TRIUM : good program, but feel it is unknown, and class profil not really clear, INSEAD seems even stronger in variety.

What do you think how to find the right one ?

Thanks

quote

Duncan

14.013 15.475

Posted Jan 22, 2021 19:04

It's really hard to tell what you think you need from an MBA.
- If you want to be entrepreneur, an extensive general management MBA with a substantial score and a range of electives will be useful. That certainly includes LBS and ESCP, and probably excludes Trium.
- The Fortune 100 are the largest US firms. To be hired there, focus on schools with high brand equity in the USA.

I think the obvious choices for you are Insead, LBS, the Chicago MBA in London. the Northwestern MBA at WHU.

It's really hard to tell what you think you need from an MBA.  - If you want to be entrepreneur, an extensive general management MBA with a substantial score and a range of electives will be useful. That certainly includes LBS and ESCP, and probably excludes Trium.  - The Fortune 100 are the largest US firms. To be hired there, focus on schools with high brand equity in the USA.  I think the obvious choices for you are Insead, LBS, the Chicago MBA in London. the Northwestern MBA at WHU.

quote

Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jan 26, 2021 15:55

What I tend to see with a lot of students who have these kinds of career goals, is they end up at a school like LBS or Insead, work a bit on their startups, and then get sucked into one one of the more common recruiting funnels into consulting or big tech.

The fact that these funnels are so well oiled and the salaries so good (and the entrepreneur path so uncertain) that it makes more and more sense to go the tried-and-true route as they progress through the MBA.

That's not to say it's not possible to start a business, certainly there are students who do just that, but it takes quite a bit of effort. However, entrepreneurial skills can go a long way in other career areas as well (private equity, strategic consulting, etc.) so they are hardly irrelevant.

I'd suggest focusing on where you want to work and do your best to hedge your bets. Being in London at LBS puts you near to a lot of VC money as well as many firms that MBAs go into. Maybe also a school like Cambridge would be worth considering.

What I tend to see with a lot of students who have these kinds of career goals, is they end up at a school like LBS or Insead, work a bit on their startups, and then get sucked into one one of the more common recruiting funnels into consulting or big tech. The fact that these funnels are so well oiled and the salaries so good (and the entrepreneur path so uncertain) that it makes more and more sense to go the tried-and-true route as they progress through the MBA. That's not to say it's not possible to start a business, certainly there are students who do just that, but it takes quite a bit of effort. However, entrepreneurial skills can go a long way in other career areas as well (private equity, strategic consulting, etc.) so they are hardly irrelevant.  I'd suggest focusing on where you want to work and do your best to hedge your bets. Being in London at LBS puts you near to a lot of VC money as well as many firms that MBAs go into. Maybe also a school like Cambridge would be worth considering.

quote

aslamo

720 219

Posted Jan 26, 2021 18:26

It wasn't clear to me if your past entrepreneurial experience was already in the tech field or which particular part of the tech sector appeals to you and what you mean by 'at scale.' Have you thought about testing the water with a small startup side project whilst you are still working before you commit to an MBA? There is a very useful short free online course called Digital Business Academy which is partly produced by Cambridge University and UCL which takes you through the entire tech startup cycle which might be a way to support such a side project/learning in a low risk way.

I've been advising two tech start up founders since last year and one has built an app that is already generating almost as much profit as their full time well paid salaried tech job and I estimate the company is already worth maybe $1-2m. An MBA is not the only route to creating a successful tech startup.

[Edited by aslamo on Jan 26, 2021]

It wasn't clear to me if your past entrepreneurial experience was already in the tech field or which particular part of the tech sector appeals to you and what you mean by 'at scale.' Have you thought about testing the water with a small startup side project whilst you are still working before you commit to an MBA? There is a very useful short free online course called Digital Business Academy which is partly produced by Cambridge University and UCL which takes you through the entire tech startup cycle which might be a way to support such a side project/learning in a low risk way.  I've been advising two tech start up founders since last year and one has built an app that is already generating almost as much profit as their full time well paid salaried tech job and I estimate the company is already worth maybe $1-2m. An MBA is not the only route to creating a successful tech startup.

quote