While I am writing my blog, I should share some other great blogs that I read or have looked at. My personal favorite is www.avc.com. If you are interesting in VC or startups, this is the place to be. It is written by Fred Wilson, co-founder of Union Square Ventures. I had the pleasure of having him visit one of my classes at bschool and he is a great speaker on tech,vc, and everything else. He really provides great insights.
Another article that is interesting is: http://www.businessinsider.com/will-an-mba-kill-your-chance-to-become-a-great-tech-entrepreneur-2010-7
That is specifically addresses why MBAs may not be the best for startups. I can't say that I fully disagree. The article makes some good points but I will address that later. It seems to dismiss the value of cases and make them sound like they are simply a history lesson. I agree that, for the most part, bschools rely heavily on cases and the case method but there is some value there regardless. It is difficult to really learn to start a business in a classroom setting, regardless of whether you do cases, case competitions, presentations or whatever. It is still in a safe setting.
A little bit of rambling and defending on my part but I think people are quick to dismiss the MBA value in startups, tech companies, and entrepreneurship.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
So how did I get here?
Hello All,
Well, it has been two weeks at my product management job. It has been interesting to say the least. To start from the beginning, I should give some background about myself. I did my undergrad at an engineering school with a focus on information technology / m.i.s. After my undergrad, I worked at a large Technology consulting firm in NYC focused on the public sector. I worked as a business analyst/consultant to learn the business processes and create documentation to support development. I was involved in the entire SDLC for 3 years. I then decided to get my MBA even though I hadn't fully thought it through. Sure, everyone can write a great essay one what they want to do but in the end, only 25% of the hardcore students really know, everyone else decides as they go along. While I took mostly finance classes as electives outside of my core, I ended up doing more consulting for my summer internship. After that internship, I decided I wanted to get out of consulting and definitely get out of public sector.
After taking some technology classes with some great professors, I decided I wanted to stay in the tech space but move to product management and strategy. I applied to tons of jobs, interviewed at several places, but eventually decided that a startup was for me. Once I received an offer, I mulled it over for a few days but I was on board soon. So I packed up my stuff and made my move immediately to Miami. So here I am, no real contacts/friends in the area, a new startup company, and a completely new city. This should be exciting. I will try to update this blog to share my thoughts about working at a small / tech startup firm from the MBA perspective and from my own opinion. Hope people enjoy and those who are considering the same have some input.
Adios!
Well, it has been two weeks at my product management job. It has been interesting to say the least. To start from the beginning, I should give some background about myself. I did my undergrad at an engineering school with a focus on information technology / m.i.s. After my undergrad, I worked at a large Technology consulting firm in NYC focused on the public sector. I worked as a business analyst/consultant to learn the business processes and create documentation to support development. I was involved in the entire SDLC for 3 years. I then decided to get my MBA even though I hadn't fully thought it through. Sure, everyone can write a great essay one what they want to do but in the end, only 25% of the hardcore students really know, everyone else decides as they go along. While I took mostly finance classes as electives outside of my core, I ended up doing more consulting for my summer internship. After that internship, I decided I wanted to get out of consulting and definitely get out of public sector.
After taking some technology classes with some great professors, I decided I wanted to stay in the tech space but move to product management and strategy. I applied to tons of jobs, interviewed at several places, but eventually decided that a startup was for me. Once I received an offer, I mulled it over for a few days but I was on board soon. So I packed up my stuff and made my move immediately to Miami. So here I am, no real contacts/friends in the area, a new startup company, and a completely new city. This should be exciting. I will try to update this blog to share my thoughts about working at a small / tech startup firm from the MBA perspective and from my own opinion. Hope people enjoy and those who are considering the same have some input.
Adios!
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