MBA Program Insights

I graduated from the Wharton MBA a year ago, and here’s what I wish someone had told me before I started about recruiting, mindset, and social life. If you're starting this fall, this is for you! 1️⃣ Business school is a buffet (and you'll get indigestion if you try everything) First few weeks - take stock of everything it has to offer. Internships, fellowships, clubs, accelerators, etc. Then ruthlessly prioritize. Take what serves you and leave the buffet. (You’ll still feel FOMO and take on more than you should because you “paid for it” - that’s all part of the process!) 2️⃣ Pivoting is harder than you think Most people don’t get this until it’s too late - employers don’t recruit from MBA programs because they care that you have an MBA. They do it because MBAs filter for experiences/skillsets they want. You need to show them why you can do the job. The degree just gets you in the door - use the network to get the experience and build the skills. More people than you'd think go back to their old industries. 3️⃣ You'll have your "maybe I should recruit for consulting" moment Or banking. Even if you swore you'd never. We all do. When everyone's doing it, you'll second-guess yourself. That's normal! Just remember why YOU came to school. Stick to your plan, not theirs. (Unless your plan was to recruit for consulting/banking) 4️⃣ The social scene is middle school, except people have money (but it’s not all bleak) Hundreds of type-A personalities in one place and a lot of bankers/consultants who didn’t have enough fun in their 20s = drama, hyper-socialization. Who's dating who, who got the Goldman interview, who wasn't invited to that trip…People will talk about you if you stand out (for good or bad reasons). First semester feels intense, especially if you’re an introvert. By second year, everyone chills out and you find your people. 5️⃣ You'll need to touch grass B-school is a bubble. If you're not careful, you'll think comparing signing bonuses and taking out loans to go on another trip with 20 people you just met are real life. See non-MBA friends. Call your family. There’s a hive-mindedness in business school. Don’t lose yourself in it. 6️⃣ The classes are hit or miss (so be strategic) You’ll keep some class notes for decades to come (If you’re going to Wharton - Negotiations, Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship, Scaling Operations to name a few). You’ll throw away others before the semester is over. Talk to second-years about which classes are actually worth optimizing to get into. Bonus: Do something unexpected. Join the club you think you'd hate. Take the class outside your comfort zone. I signed up for a week-long backpacking trip in the Andes despite every instinct not to and ended up leading a trip to Antarctica my 2nd year (best MBA memory!). People getting an MBA: What's the one thing you're nervous about as you start your MBA? People who have an MBA: What’s the piece of advice you wish you got before you started?

MBA should be your Plan B. Not Plan A. If you’re 22 and confused, don’t fill that confusion with an entrance form. Fill it with chaos. With attempts. With experience. Because here’s the truth: An MBA doesn’t teach you how the world works. It teaches you how the corporate world works. But before you enter that world, you owe it to yourself to see everything else. Try selling something. Try failing at it. Try managing cash when your salary is zero. Try building trust with a stranger online who could be your first customer or your last scam. Try working in a small team where the HR, CMO, and janitor are all the same person: you. That’s your real MBA. The one no B-school can teach. Because once you’ve seen the market — really seen it — Porter’s 5 Forces will finally make sense. You won’t ask “What’s a TAM?” You’ll feel what a market that doesn’t want you looks like. You won’t chase a job in strategy — you’ll know if strategy is your thing because you’ve lived the grind. Then, if you still want to do an MBA — do it. You’ll walk in with better questions than most profs have answers for. Because you’ve already lived the case study. Now you just want the vocabulary. You’re gonna learn even if it fails. Especially if it fails.

If I'd do my MBA all over again, I’d play it differently Classroom teaches a lot, but the real game is outside it Here are 7 things that I’d do differently: 1) Treat Excel & PPT like languages, not tools Because you'll need them more than English Pivot Tables, Dashboards, Slicers > Data Dumping Data Insights gets to compelling storytelling! 2) Learn Finance, even if you're NOT from commerce. If you can't read a P&L, you're flying blind.  NPV, IRR, break-even, it's about understanding Finance is the backbone of every business conversation 3) Build global awareness early. You can't win debates (or interviews) without context. Read WSJ, The Ken, Economist, Financial Times. Know What's shaping the world, what’s disrupting it. 4) Perform. Not just Communicate. Prepare on how you'll push your point across. Make your point in 60 seconds or less. You don’t need to sound smart, you need to make sense. 5) Master your time like a Product Manager. MBA is chaos. Systems are survival. Google Calendar. Notion. Trello. Pomodoro. Your output = how well you manage bandwidth 6) Network before you need to. Most people reach out after they’re desperate. Flip that. Send that message. Follow up. Be real. 7) Stay disciplined, especially when it’s boring. Motivation dies by Week 3. What saves you? Relentless consistency. If you’re headed to a B-school, or your internship or first job, this is your edge. But don't wait for orientation to get serious. Agree! What else do you think students should do? #LifeAtIIM #BSchool #careers #management #Strategy #Networking

Someone gave me this example: A 23-year-old fresher from a third-gen IIM gets a CTC of 18 LPA, while 28-year-old with 4 years of work experience from the same institution got 13. And asked "Is it possible for a fresher to earn more than people with work experience?" - Yes, this is true for few candidates. Is it better to do MBA as a fresher or after gaining some work experience? This debate on the "ideal time to pursue an MBA" is ongoing and often comes with varied experiences. So, Let me state the positives and negatives of both in my perspective: Fresh Graduates ✅Positives: - Good financial start: Pretty high salaries, compared to what they are getting post UG in their first job. For me or my peers the growth is 2x-4x. (Unless you're from IITs or prestigious colleges with very good placements or have skills & built or run a business that pays you very well already :) - Being in study mode makes it easier to attend classes and rigorous coursework. - Younger graduates are more adaptable and it's easy to relocate/travel frequently for work when you have less family responsibilities. 🔴 Negatives: - Lack of Practical Experience - Freshers might struggle with identifying their career path without prior work experience to guide their decisions. - Limited professional network compared to peers who have been in the workforce longer. Experienced Professionals ✅Positives: - Work experience allows them to relate better to course content and contribute meaningfully in class discussions. - Clearer career goals and a better understanding of industry demands. - A more extensive professional network 🔴 Negatives: - Opportunity Cost: Taking a career break to pursue an MBA can be costly, both in terms of lost income and career progression. - As seen in the example, experienced professionals might "sometimes" even start with lower salaries post-MBA compared to freshers. - Family/ Financial Commitments: Older students might face more personal and financial responsibilities, making it challenging to take a financial/career break and pursue MBA. 🔹 There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The decision to pursue an MBA, whether as a fresher or after gaining work experience, should align with your personal and professional goals. Both paths have their unique pros & cons, and the key is to choose what aligns best with your long-term aspirations. #MBA #Career #Growth #IIM #Bschool

An MBA costs ₹20-40 lakhs today. Is it still worth it in 2024? I find myself asking this question every other day! Most of my friends from college or consulting job went for an MBA. Here is some analyzed data I have learnt from personal experience that I am using to find the actual ROI on an MBA! THE REAL COSTS (beyond just fees): • Tuition: ₹30-50L (IIMs/ISB) • Living Expenses: ₹8-10L • Opportunity Cost (2 years salary): ₹24-30L Total Investment: ₹60-90L 🤯 BUT WHAT ABOUT RETURNS? 1. Immediate Financial Returns • Average Pre-MBA: ₹12L/year • Average Post-MBA (Class of 2023):  - Tier 1 : ₹30-35L  - Tier 2 : ₹25-28L  - Other Top 20: ₹18-22L 2. 5-Year Progression • MBA Track: ₹60-80L • Non-MBA Track: ₹25-35L Break-even point: Usually 3-4 years BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT NUMBERS ALONE CAN'T MEASURE: • Network worth: Priceless • Career flexibility: High • International mobility: Significant • Entrepreneurship ecosystem access: Valuable SO HERE IS THE CONCLUSION I HAVE COME TO: AN MBA IS NOT WORTH IT FOR YOU IF - • Already earning >₹25L • Clear career path without it • Strong existing network • Startup taking off In my conversations with people with a top tier MBA and ones without is that MBA is no longer a golden ticket. It's a powerful accelerator for the right person at the right time. The MBA ROI equation has changed. It's not about IF you should do it, but WHEN and WHY. For some, the best investment might be a ₹50k certification + actual work experience. For others, a ₹40L MBA is the fastest path to their goals. The key? Brutal honesty about where you stand. What's your take? Did you do an MBA? Was it worth it for you? WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR OPINION IN THE COMMENTS! . . #MBA #finance #personalfinance

2 years at IIM Ahmedabad helped me bust a few common myths about MBA 1. MBA isn’t for freshers: I’ve seen plenty of freshers in top B-schools doing really well. They bring a fresh perspective and a lot of enthusiasm. Their lack of work experience doesn’t hold them back—in fact, it often adds a unique kind of value to classroom discussions. 2. If you have 4–6 years of workex, you have to go for an executive MBA: Not really. Yes, there are fewer folks with higher workex in the core PGP program, but that’s also because fewer people in that bracket apply. If you’ve got the clarity and drive, the PGP can be a great fit—regardless of how many years you’ve worked. 3. Taking a gap year will hurt your chances: Not necessarily. You’ll definitely be asked about it—but as long as you can explain it honestly and show what you learned or did during that time, it’s not a dealbreaker. Many people make it to top B-schools with a gap year in their profile. 4. Coming from a tier 2 or 3 UG college puts you at a disadvantage: Interviews aren’t just about where you studied—they’re about how you think, what you bring to the table, and whether you're ready for the MBA journey. I’ve seen people from top UG colleges get rejected and folks from lesser-known ones make it to IIM A, B, C and beyond. #mba #myths

I got this question from a fresh graduate recently, and I smiled… because every year, thousands of young people struggle with the same confusion. Should I chase a master’s degree immediately? Or should I enter the job market and gain experience first? Here’s my honest take The first thing you must understand is that a master’s degree is not a magic key. It doesn’t automatically create opportunities, increase your employability, or guarantee financial stability. A master’s without clarity is just a very expensive extension of confusion. And in today’s world, companies don’t hire certificates, they hire competence, skill, and problem-solving ability. Before you run into postgraduate studies, pause and ask yourself: What problem am I trying to solve? Some people want a master’s because their friends are doing it. Some want it because their parents think it’s the “next step.” Some believe it will hide the fact that they don’t yet have a job. Some think it will make them more employable. But a degree that comes from pressure usually ends in regret. There is a truth most people don’t like to admit, you cannot know what direction you want to specialize in if you have never worked. Real-world experience will teach you more about your career path than any classroom ever will. Work exposes your strengths, your weaknesses, and your real interests. It helps you see which field deserves deeper academic investment. It gives you clarity and clarity is more valuable than a rushed degree. This doesn’t mean a master’s isn’t important. It is. But it is most powerful when it is strategic, not reactive. A master’s makes more sense when you have real experience, when you understand the industry, and when you can connect theory to practice. Employers value postgraduate degrees more when they can see what you have already done. The workplace is also evolving fast. Skills now outrank certificates. A graduate with one year of practical experience, visible projects, and relevant skills will often outperform someone with a master’s but zero real-world exposure. The marketplace no longer rewards “book knowledge.” It rewards usefulness. If you can get a job even a modest onetake it. Use it as a foundation to learn, understand your field, build relationships, observe the industry, and discover what part of your career you truly want to strengthen. After that, if you choose to pursue a master’s, you’ll do it with purpose, not panic. But if you can’t find a job yet, don’t rush into a master’s just to escape unemployment. That is emotional decision-making, not strategic planning. Instead, build skills, internships, projects, and small experiences that give you proof of competence. The master’s will always be there. But your early career years are too valuable to spend in classrooms you don’t need yet.

BUSINESS SCHOOLS, DON’T MORALISE! In a discussion last week, a colleague insisted: “Business schools shouldn't moralise. Their job is to teach management and economics, not to impose values. Moral questions belong to private conscience—or, at most, ethics electives, not the core curriculum.” At first this sounds appealing: Neutrality promises respect for pluralism, and protection from ideology, while focusing on technical expertise. But the claim collapses under its own contradictions. Neutrality and moralisation are not opposites but drinking buddies. To demand value-free teaching is a hypocritical form of moral dictatorship—it pretends to separate “facts” from “values” in order to legitimate instrumental rationality and utilitarian calculus. Every curriculum is already steeped in moral choices: every case study privileges certain interests over others, every KPI encodes a vision of human flourishing, every theory of the firm rests on an unspoken anthropology. When business schools model rational, self-interested actors maximizing utility in competitive markets, they are not describing the world—they are fabricating dystopia. Refusing to face up to their choices doesn’t eliminate moralisation; it institutionalises wilfull blindness and sabotages critical thought. And what does this so-called pragmatism produce in practice? Students become experts at optimising our existing systems, never questioning their legitimacy. They master sophisticated tools for resource allocation and risk management, while collectively generating massive inequality, ecological destruction, and democratic erosion. They become efficient functionaries, blindly implementing policies that serve the interest of capital, without ever recognizing their complicity. That is what Marcuse called the one-dimensional man—technically sophisticated, political docile, morally hollow. Education must never be reduced to the transmission of skills. Universities do not simply fill people with tools; they shape their outlook, desires, and imagination. Business schools form citizens with specific relations to authority, community, and social responsibility. Moralisation in education is not about enforcing dogma, but about cultivating the capacity to recognise, navigate, and position ourselves within a world already saturated with competing moral claims. It requires not conformity, but a dialectical commitment to truth, care, and justice through honest engagement. The most profound duty of business schools is to nurture their students’ conscience, capacity for structural critique, and sense of values. Defenders of “neutrality” style themselves as protectors of liberty. In reality, they perpetuate injustice. To strip morality from the curriculum is not apolitical—it is totalitarianism by stealth. To indoctrinate students into a worldview they never chose is the worst kind of intellectual dishonesty. The silence of business schools on morality is not innocence—it is complicity. #leadership

20 years ago, around this time, I had my MBA final placements. 4 nerve-wracking days, when I sat in about 20 GDs + 12 interviews What those days taught me? - You can only control your effort. The outcome is not in your hands. - Prepare well in advance. In real life, shortcuts and last minute preps do not help. The likelihood of success is directly proportional to your preparation. What you did in the 500 days before those 4 days defines the probability of your success. - Luck plays a big role in life. Appreciate it. - Group discussions could be lotteries. Companies do it mostly because they do not have a way to shortlisting from a large list of applications. Do not take the results to heart. In one GD, i was sitting quietly, and the person shouting the most got selected. In another, I was vocal, and the person quietest got selected :) - Being yourself in an interview is far better than trying to showcase something that you are not. In the short run, you may crack the interview, but in the long run, you might end up in a job that you don't like. Most MBA students end up changing their first job in 12 months. - The onus of showing why you should be a good fit for the company is on you. The company has no obligation to hire. - Peer pressure is real. You see all your batchmates getting hired, and get worried. If you are someone who has been hired, help your batchmates. I remember my friends helping me prepare for interviews once they got placed. Be that friend. - Most of all. The placement season in college is just the end of your education. It does not define how well you do in life. At best it can give you a strong start. But what your career will be 20 years down the line, is a function of how you approach the following years. Career building and learning are life long exercises. - It is natural to be nervous. It means you care for your career. A good interviewer will understand it. A not so good interviewer was probably never a good one to work for. All the best! ---- I help people build a career in finance.. Follow me (Peeyush) and do go through some of my earlier posts.

MBAs Don’t Make Founders. Everyone Knows That. So Why Are So Many Unicorns Coming Out of Business Schools? “Nothing I learned at business school had anything to do with starting a business.” Evan Moore, DoorDash co-founder, Stanford GSB alumnus (FT, June 2025) It’s a damning line and one that echoes what many in the start-up world already believe: real entrepreneurs don’t come out of classrooms. - they come out of accelerators, hackathons, kitchens and garages. So what’s the point of a business school if you want to start something? and yet… Stanford, Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, Babson etc are producing founders, funders, and unicorns at scale. In fact, nearly 30% of US-based unicorns had at least one founder with a graduate business degree (Stanford study, 2024). So what gives? The reality: is business schools don’t teach entrepreneurship but they do incubate it. The content is rarely what matters. The context does: Time to think and test ✅ A high-ambition peer group ✅ Access to networks, capital, mentors ✅ A culture that normalises experimentation and failure ✅ Accelerators like Y Combinator give you intensity. Business schools give you runway. If accelerators are sprints, business schools are labs longer, slower, more reflective, but still powerful. Not everyone can go full-throttle in 3 months. For some, the mix of space, structure, and serendipity in a business school ecosystem is exactly what unlocks their venture. For those unsure if they’re ready to build something? Warwick’s Simon Barnes has some good advice: don’t start - join. Be employee #10 in a growing start-up. You’ll get the chaos, the learning, the upside without jumping off a cliff unprepared. Business school won’t turn you into a founder but if you already have the mindset, it might just give you the edge. 👊 #startups #entrepreneurship #mba #businessschool #innovation #founderlife #venturecapital #accelerators #techfounders #unicornstartups #leadershipdevelopment #productivity #careeradvice #networkeffect #buildinpublic