This post is a response to various MBA-bashing posts here, particularly the recent one on why B-schools cannot teach entrepreneurship. Agreed this is a network of entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs, but there seems to an unwarranted hatred against MBAs or a discriminatory approach towards them. Agreed, the world is built by entrepreneurs, but non-entrepreneurs aren’t a burden on this planet.
Well, first to the topic. I am sure most of the guys here have been to college (to study or anything else) or have at least known what’s that. Valentines Days and Rose Days are when boys plan to propose (Read pitch) to the girl they want to tap in as girlfriend. The serious ones often plan days in advance (pitch preparation). What does the girl like, where does she stay, what’s her FB profile, her favourite colours, bike’s licence plate number, where she stays, her best friend, where does she go at what time, etc etc, so that they can plan and put in a postive impression. Some also tap into a common friend, who can make the job easy and put them on top of the like. Some take multiple proposals before they get a girlfriend, while for some the first proposal make the cut. Now no two proposals are the same and no two girls will be impressed by the same style.
Now tell me, isn’t proposing to your girlfriend the same as pitching your business plan. Let’s not get into explanation; going by my logic I think it’s the same with certain operational difference. However, the principles stay the same.
Jay Thadeshwar’s recent post in it’s point 2 says B-school professors can’t teach pitching. Now pray tell me, has any professor taught students how to propose on V-day or R-day. Aren’t students doin it day in and day out? Who teaches them to do this? And why is this expectation on being ‘taught’ everything?
Basic logic is that MBA is not geared to teach entrepreneurship, nor do MBA colleges claim that. MBA is meant to create administrators and distribute some business gyaan. Some build on it and become entrepreneurs and some do not need it to become entrepreneurs. While entrepreneurs are needed to start companies, there are people needed to run then and perform various functions, some very repetitive It will be difficult if everyone becomes or aspires to become an entrepreneur The heart should do the work of the heart while the hand should support it. If the hand tries to become the heart, the body will collapse.
Going by the logic of Why Entrepreneurship Can Never Be Taught In B-Schools’, there can be lot of arguments like the same. Why swimming in the sea can never be taught in swimming tanks. Why cappuccino can never be made at Tony da dhaba. Why world cup cricket can never be taught at gullies. Etc etc.
The format of MBA education needs to change by disallowing admissions before 2 or 3 years of service, so that practical knowledge can be topped on by theory.
Disclaimer: I am pursuing an executive management program while being in service, after 12 years of corporate experience, to engage with a multi-disciplinary class and add on more knowledge. While I have tried to keep that connection away, it is likely to have created a bias in the above post.
Image taken from: https://romanticlovepictures.com/downloads/Kid_Proposing_a_Girl1.jpg