Does a mid-career searcher need an MBA?

by a searcher from University of Virginia

5 months ago

Hi all, I'm new to search and curious to get your thoughts. 

My background: I have an MA in English from UVA. I also have 25 years' experience working for tech companies as a content strategist and design manager on both the marketing and product sides, In my 30s, I started and ran both a small landscaping company (I handled account management, marketing, advertising, and AR) and my own freelance writing practice. So I have experience as an operator, as a people manager, and working in tech.

My ideal acquisition target would be a SaaS company or digital marketing agency.  

If you were an investor, what gaps would you want to see filled? Formal business education (ie, MBA)? Startup experience? Thanks for your thoughts.

1 like
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44 comments

searcher from Columbia University - Columbia Business School

So long as you have a solid skill set and understanding of marketing, finance and operations management you won't need a MBA to improve the acquired business. However, if you need to convince investors to capitalize your search fund, the easiest way for them to determine if you have that knowledge and skill set is that you already have a MBA

4 months ago | like reply | 2 likes

searcher from The University of Texas at Austin - Red McCombs School of Business

No reason to get an MBA in my opinion. You can likely fill in any gaps with self-study or helping another searcher post-acquisition.

4 months ago | like reply | 1 like

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