I have been toying with the idea of going back to school for some time now. It started about five years ago when I attended a briefing session at a famous post-grad school in Singapore.
But two things stopped me from bringing it forward.
First, the price of the programme would require me to sell one of my kidneys. And I love my kidneys.
Second, I can’t really imagine studying with the group of people that were at the briefing. During the Q&A, they were asking questions, not about the curriculum but more about who they would be studying with (Would my classmates be CEOs of Fortune 500 companies?).
That felt so slimy to me.
And it did not help that I do have part-time studies experience before. But I was in my early twenties and one can still slog through night school after work with a cup of coffee. I am however reminded of the 40-year-old uncle in the class that constantly fell asleep.
I am not going to be that guy.
Fortunately, I chanced across ThePowerMBA.
What is ThePowerMBA?
ThePowerMBA is an online business qualification, with a curriculum that features business leaders from companies like Shazam, Waze, and Airbnb.
It can be completed in 15-minute chunks from the comfort of your own home and costs a fraction of the price of a traditional MBA.
And the content isn’t the kind of home-made videos you see on Udemy. They are legit high-production quality content that not just engages the learner but also make it easy to understand.
I was sold after going through a preview class which the founder of Waze was talking about their business model.
Did I mention it only take 15 minutes a day? I probably spend more time on lunch but all I gained is more weight.
Even though each session is short, the curriculum is extremely comprehensive. There are a total of nine modules covering areas in:
- Business Model innovation
- Testing Business Ideas & The Lean Startup
- Strategy & Business Fundamentals
- The Power of Being a (Digital) Marketer
- Entrepreneurship
- Leadership
- Talent & Organization
- Finance & Accounting
- Disruptive Tech in Business
I am planning to consume the lessons just after my lunch on weekdays. Going by this schedule, I am looking to graduate from the programme in ten months time.
Why are you joining this?
Having started and exited from a few businesses, I must admit I have been extremely lucky NOT to be a declared bankrupt.
Doing business is not easy and I had zero experience when I started my first business in the recruitment space. That led to many mistakes and missed opportunities. Although I managed to cash out, it barely registers.
Keen to hear more how I fucked up my business? Check out my talk at 2015 Fucked Up Night.
Subsequent ventures were easier to kick-off with prior entrepreneurship experience but the selection of business models was random. I was not familiar (or even aware) of the business model canvas to help me better cement my thoughts.
One-by-one, I exited from those businesses. Again I’m fortunate to make money from those exits but why do so many exits when all you need is a good one?
These (and many more) are what I’m expecting to learn from ThePowerMBA.
Whether I remain an employee or start another business, I’m sure the learnings will help me evolve to become better professionally.
Over the course of my studies, I will be sharing regular updates of my learnings.
Join my mailing list to be informed of the updates as soon as they are published.
