The 6 Months, Free MBA
How does this sound if you are a young professional aiming to be a successful entrepreneur or business person: a six months, free MBA. Taking into account the current MBA market, it appears to be something not far from utopia, because MBA programs are usually at least one year long and cost tens of thousands of Euros. However, nine people have recently completed such a program, with all the benefits (i.e. residential but short, free, action focused), as well as the caveats (i.e. lack of accreditation).
Last year in November, Seth Godin had this vision of creating “a new way to learn about a new way of doing business.” Around this time, his project is approaching completion, with nine bright individuals getting close to graduating a six months, free MBA. Code named SAMBA, the MBA program had a very selective admission process, with more than 48,000 visitors viewing the program page, 350 applicants submitting their documents, 27 finalists interviewed in New York and only nine participants actually starting the program.
SAMBA Team (source: www.sixmonthmba.com)
If you want to learn more about the participants in the program, their entrepreneurial background and MBA projects, check out their blog, which was also their school journal. If you want to see what Seth Godin got out of his experiment, check out his blog.
The reason why I like this project is because it is an excellent proof of concept that you can do an unaccredited, short and free MBA and actually get more out of it than what most MBA students get out of a lot of ivy league MBA programs out there. As long as you have the driving desire to succeed and the will to act, no boundary should be able to stop you from achieving your goals.
In: Education · Tagged with: free MBA, samba, seth godin, Six Month MBA
on August 11, 2009 at 6:54 pm
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Daniel – you hit the nail on the head: “no boundary should be able to stop you from achieving your goals.” SAMBA was a great experience and Seth is the most effective and generous teacher I’ve ever known. Thanks for your kind words!
on August 12, 2009 at 2:32 am
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Allan, I am sure your experience with Seth was one of a kind. And, as a coach friend of mine was saying, thinking about things doesn’t really make us special, it’s those of us who have the will to act to fulfill those thoughts that make the great leaders. Kudos on graduating from your MBA!