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MBA vs. Startup: Billionaire's Bold Take
6 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Joe Liemandt argues building a company offers more business insight than an MBA.
- He suggests using MBA tuition funds to start a business instead of incurring debt.
- Entrepreneurial skills are best learned through hands-on practice, not theory.
Tech billionaire Joe Liemandt has challenged the value of MBA programs, asserting they do not provide the practical skills needed for entrepreneurship. Speaking on a podcast, Liemandt, founder of Trilogy Software, argued that two years spent building a company yields significantly more business acumen than two years in a classroom.
He further questioned the financial wisdom of pursuing costly MBA degrees, suggesting that the capital invested in tuition could be better utilized to fund a new business. Liemandt emphasized that entrepreneurial competencies are acquired through direct action and practical application, not theoretical learning.
