Don't Pay for Your MBA: The Faster, Cheaper, Better Way to Get the Business Education You Need

I recommend this book as essential reading for everyone interested in a better future, whether you are contemplating going for an MBA or not.In other words, this book is appropriate for every literate person who isn’t a juvenile or independently wealthy.Here’s why...Everyone needs to know about finance, ethics, storytelling, persuasion, decision making, and everything else that goes into modern life. This book will show you how to learn these things for free or cheap whether you think an MBA is the ticket or not.I got an MBA for a silly reason: In the early 1980’s some idiot with MBA turned me down for a job because I didn’t also have an MBA even though I could have easily done the work.So, I enrolled in NYU Stern and for five years I destroyed my bank account and social life going to classes at night.By the time I was awarded my paper sheepskin I was already well established in the world of Wall Street making vastly more than the median starting salary of a graduate. For years afterward I seldom mentioned that I had an MBA to anyone, and even then only when someone would try lording their education over me.How did this happen?To pay for my MBA I started a software development company. My clients included Morgan Stanley, Chase, and Merrill Lynch. To succeed I needed to learn a lot about finance and business ASAP, not when NYU got around to offering a class with room for me. By the time I was sitting in a class I either already knew the subject matter or I’d never need to know it. What a waste of time and money! (And back then I paid about 15% of what NYU costs today.)This book shows you how to do what I did 30 years ago, except that today the Internet and MOOCs make it is so much easier.After three decades working in finance I’ve learned something about how crashes occur. They happen when price and value are out of alignment, when everyone knows it, when everyone knows everyone knows it, and when there is an alternative. When a stock market crashes the alternative is cash and that’s why prices can drop 23% in a single day, as happened in 1987.Why hasn’t the MBA crashed already?After all, the price of schooling has never been more expensive and the cost of learning has never been cheaper. Not everyone knew that but now they do. A degree signals very little. Not everyone knew that, but now they do. You don't need a good school to get a good education. Not everyone knew that but now they do.And yet, the MBA hasn’t crashed... yet.Why?Because not everyone knew how to put together an education on their own for free or cheap.But now, if you read this book, you do.I predict that soon having an MBA will signal that you are a chump incapable of learning on your own. And if you go into debt to get that paper sheepskin it will mean that you make unwise decisions with your own finances and future and therefore shouldn’t be trusted with anyone else’s fortunes either.Do you really want to drain your bank account, gut your parent’s retirement saving, or mortgage your future to support some institution whose time has come and gone?Instead, read this book, do what it suggests, and see how it goes. An MBA can always be the Plan-B that you’ll never need.Your future has never been brighter.(P. S. If you want to learn how this happened and how you might roll your own education in areas other than business, I also recommend: https://www.amazon.com/DIY-Edupunks-Edupreneurs-Transformation-Education-ebook/dp/B005GLMAQA)

The author discusses very thoroughly what an MBA offers and the extent to which a person who wants what an MBA offers, can compensate by their own efforts, as an alternative to going the traditional route to get an MBA. A considerable amount of effort is involved in finding alternatives, but at least MOOCs provide some easy access to at least introductory courses, sometimes more advanced courses, and sometimes whole programs. In addition, the internet provides certain valuable networking opportunities. Certainly people in particularly favorable situations and with significant personal effort, can acquire a nontraditional education that is close to or equivalent to a traditional MBA. The internet and MOOCs provide opportunities for personalizing education inexpensively and for choosing among a great variety of business-oriented courses related to the MBA. I recommend this book as a solid perspective on what is involved, and the extent of individual effort and initiative required. The author also provides systematic, well-thought out guidance in choosing a nontraditional path to an MBA. The deep discussion of numerous issues demonstrates that the internet is starting to provide significant possibilities for personalized educational opportunities (for a nontraditional MBA and beyond). This is especially important for people who, for one reason or another, may lack access to or not want a traditional education.

There’s so much value in this book regardless of whether or not you want to pursue a low cost, self directed MBA. For example, if the path of an MBA is not for you, what’s stopping you from getting any other type of Master’s-level education with a book like this showing the way? Like the author, I live in a remote area where commuting to a university is impossible. But with an internet connection, I can (and have already done) connect to MOOCs and continue a life long love of learning.

I have been part of the No-Pay MBA community for a couple of years now and this book is an excellent overview and introduction to the concept and program. Laurie really knows her stuff and this book show it. Definitely worth the investment as the entire education community is moving toward online and life-long education as opposed to more traditional learning models and programs. I know from personal experience that it has helped me with my career goals as well as on my current job.

I first became aware of this book through the author's website and couldn't wait for it to be released. I purchased the Kindle version soon after it came out and found it to be full of helpful tips and hints about using free MOOC courses to create an educational experience roughly equivalent to an MBA. If you are interested in growing your knowledge about Business but don't want to pay through the nose, this book is an absolute must. Great job, Laurie!

This book is thoroughly researched, the methods it recommends fully tested, and the style accessible, entertaining and compelling. I've bought multiple copies to share with friends. If the business skills and knowledge are what you seek and the degree is not essential for the job or the promotion, then why wouldn't you go the "no-pay MBA" way? My daughter did it--with great success! She is the author of the book.

generic content - just worthless

I purchased this book just out of curiosity and I wasn’t expecting anything special. But the book turned out to be very informative with detailed explanation. Overall, this can be very useful for someone who loves learning and wants to try to tailor his/her own education program.

Well, to be honest, the book is a complete nonsense and waste of paper, ink, and in my case 17 EUR. It teaches you nothing than you cannot figure yourself out in one afternoon with just some logic and internet search, gives no concrete examples of success nor a real explanation how to get the equivalent to the coveted MBA degree. Let us be honest, no online courses and petty certificates from those can come remotely close to an accredited and full MBA from an University, and nowadays you can do these fully online / executive Master courses for a decent price (range 5-10k is already decent).The world is full of failed managers, companies and huge national debts. Being a great manager is real luck, but at the same time a heavy burden of responsibility. It is not just something you simply waltz into after passing a few quizzes on "coursera". It would be great if the book at least made the slightest notion of that, instead of selling the " American dream", lately a.k.a. "nightmare".My advice to all those who come across my comment would be to take the following strategy: be the best that you can at the job you do, make yourself indispensable, and sooner or later the company will offer to pay the fee of a decent MBA for you. Patience is the greatest virtue.

bien

A great book about a fascinating subject. The future of MBA learning is on the way and this book helps you understand it all.

Good book. Makes you think about the future investment in any MBA. I found it useful and was able to reflect upon her approach. MOOC may be the way forward for continuous learning. Also, I love the fact that with MOOC you can do courses you really want to do and not what the Business School thinks you need. So long as you apply your learnings and deliver a success, then its better than three letters behind your name. Nice work Laurie.

Learned a lot about alternative education