The issue is whether the person with an MBA can apply their learning to provide value to a startup.
What's that Einstein attributed quote?
In theory, theory and practice are the same.
In practice, they are not.
I believe the same is true of CompSci graduates as not all are capable of taking their learning and figure out how to apply it to get things done. But for us as technical people, it's easier to spot those who cannot.
One of the things I focus on when interviewing is whether they are passionate about their craft, have an interest in their trade. There's a huge difference between the CompSci graduate who studied because of a love of computer science and programming, and the one who did it because they are motivated by an above average salary.
With MBAs, it's extremely hard to determine those who care about the theory and craft, those who will theorise and adjust the application of their knowledge and experience. If the motivation was merely "My salary will be $(n)k greater" then they are likely to apply the formula they learned without caring about how it applies in the given case.
Not all MBAs are bad, but we are poorly qualified to separate the good from the bad. And given that the bad choice could be an early employee, a bad mistake here could be the end of the company.
What's that Einstein attributed quote?
I believe the same is true of CompSci graduates as not all are capable of taking their learning and figure out how to apply it to get things done. But for us as technical people, it's easier to spot those who cannot.One of the things I focus on when interviewing is whether they are passionate about their craft, have an interest in their trade. There's a huge difference between the CompSci graduate who studied because of a love of computer science and programming, and the one who did it because they are motivated by an above average salary.
With MBAs, it's extremely hard to determine those who care about the theory and craft, those who will theorise and adjust the application of their knowledge and experience. If the motivation was merely "My salary will be $(n)k greater" then they are likely to apply the formula they learned without caring about how it applies in the given case.
Not all MBAs are bad, but we are poorly qualified to separate the good from the bad. And given that the bad choice could be an early employee, a bad mistake here could be the end of the company.