Does Startup Success Hinge on Having MBA Talent?: MBA News

By QS Contributor Updated Jun 15, 2014

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Introduction
Acton School of Business offers entrepreneurial focus

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There is a growing feeling that in order to enjoy startup success, one needs the kind of entrepreneurial talent produced by an MBA program.

As startups continue to play a key role in today’s business world, MBA programs are often tailored to ensure they engender the specific skills necessary to start one’s own business. Acton School of Business’ MBA is one such example.

However, there are still others who feel that the costs associated with an MBA might be better directed for those looking to launch a startup, particularly given the risks if things don’t go to plan.

The theme of the MBA’s usefulness in maximizing one’s chances of startup success is one explored in a BBC News feature. The examples cited show how opinions can vary, but on the whole they point more to the benefits of developing entrepreneurial ability at business school than issues of cost and simply trying to ‘learn the hard way’.

"Any organization that's really gotten anywhere has MBA talent", Reshma Sohoni, who studied her MBA at INSEAD, told the BBC. Her own startup success began with micro-investment fund, Seedcamp, in 2007, which is currently working with over 90 startups across Europe.

Acton School of Business offers entrepreneurial focus

It is for the sole purpose of helping budding entrepreneurs on their way to founding successful startups that Acton School of Business was founded a little over ten years ago. All teaching at the school is carried out by experienced entrepreneurs, with its curriculum forgoing some of the more traditional aspects of MBA study.

Statistics gleaned for a recent article in Forbes show that 50% of all Acton alumni actively identify themselves as entrepreneurs, with a further 23% indicating that they plan to run their own company ‘someday soon’. Plus, a quarter of its class of 2013 is already in the process of taking the plunge.

The teaching found at a specialist school such as Acton can also be found at older schools. As TopMBA.com’s recent look at the top business schools for innovation showed, institutions such as INSEAD and Sloan School of Management also encourage and cater for entrepreneurial students.

View the top innovation MBA programs >