Grant Waldie
A traditional MBA gives you three things:
1) Knowledge
2) Connections
3) Letters after you last name
I've spent the last few years researching various MBA programs. I looked at both brick-and-mortar (Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Cornell, and UCLA) as well as online offerings (Norwich, Arizona State, and Jack Welch).
I asked myself these three questions:
1) Could I create my own 10 courses that mimicked the knowledge gained from an MBA?
2) Could I figure out a different way to network and gain connections in my industry?
3) Could I also have something on my business card that let people know the work I put in?
I fully respect people who get traditional MBAs. However, I don't want to spend the $50,000 nor do I have two years I can take off my job to get one. "What about doing it part time?" many ask. Well, going on the advice of the coworkers who have tried to have a successful career, marriage, and pass all their courses...it apparently can't be done. At least not without serious negative side effects in some or all of those categories.
That is why I decided to go on a quest that would either give me the three things a traditional MBA offers, or at least try to get as close to as possible.
This is an on-going, never-ending journey. Click on the three links at the top of this page to show you the path I'm currently on.