I graduated with an MBA from Berkeley in 2012. 10 years later, I still think the answer is: it depends.
Silicon Valley loves the "MBA is a waste of time" narrative. But consider this — the famous tech dropouts (Musk, Zuckerberg, Page, Brin) had networking advantages because they attended elite institutions initially. The counterargument: Phil Knight (Nike), Scott Cook (Intuit), and current CEOs like Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, and Shantanu Narayen all hold MBAs.
My experience
As a software engineer in Israel during the Great Recession, my MBA opened doors to Silicon Valley and Google. The result: a 5x salary increase and a career switch to product management. Beyond the economics, I valued the two-year community with 30+ countries represented. Seven marriages happened within my 240-person cohort.
Questions to ask yourself
- Will an MBA help achieve specific career goals, particularly for industry/geography switches?
- What is the true cost including lost income and career progression over two years?
- How much do you value lifelong professional relationships?
- Can you realistically gain admission to a top-ranked program?
While online learning via LinkedIn and YouTube now offers alternatives, spending two years with elite peers and faculty remains potentially invaluable. But don't do it because everyone says you should — or shouldn't. Do the math for your own situation.