Purpose over pedigree. My reflections from turning down that MBA offer

Every year, around this period, I get pinged by multiple people with admits to the top US MBA schools with a question broadly with the theme of 'Should I do this MBA?'

I turned down Wharton in 2020, and those who ping me want to understand why I made that choice. Almost all that do reach out are brilliant and sharp with the ‘right creds’ - IIT, BITS, MBB, Top VC, etc. My journey is more unconventional, with little in common with those who often ping me - liberal arts, a failed attempt to try a PhD, working across rural India, living in Africa, and then to growth and now early stage VC. In my specific case, I believe that both time and diversity gave me a good perspective to make that call when it mattered. So, I wanted to explain why that was the right call for me – and how you could think about making yours if you are in a similar situation. The golden rule for all advice is that it is just that, another perspective.?

First things first, financial outlay was a consideration when I was applying. I was lucky enough to get a generous offer that allayed my concern. However, I rarely see admits choosing not to take the offer up due to financial considerations since they back themselves to get roles that can help pay off the debt in 2-4 years on average.??

A US MBA has 3 undeniable benefits, which, in my view, covers the financial outlay that the degree necessitates:

1. The U.S. Job Market: Three years to work and pay off loans, with the H1B lottery as a pathway to longer-term residency, appeals to many.?
2. Switching Industries: Want to break into consulting or finance? An MBA helps. Caveat: Pre-MBA experience matters, especially if you're targeting hyper-competitive roles like PE.
3. The Brand Bump: Moving to a better-known brand within your industry post-MBA is common, especially for the ex-VCs/PE folks (or, in their specific case, moving across stages of investing as well).

None of these resonated with me. Living outside India, especially in the UK, was a deeply isolating experience. Far too used to the everything goes yo-yo nature of a day in India, I found the structured, regimented routines of the UK insipid. My friends who have moved out over the years have shared their struggles of building a life in a new country. They yearn to return, but few make the choice given how much they would have to leave behind, especially as the years pass.

I definitely did not want to be in this boat and spend my 30s optimizing my life around a visa. I was clear that India was where I wanted to build my life. Family and friends trumped anything else. My career has been a series of fortunate adventures. Meeting early-stage founders felt like my calling, and to do it at a platform like Lightspeed? A dream. Staying back seemed obvious.?

Yet, giving up the Wharton admit was hard. We're wired to collect brands as a hedge. The best this, the best that - It's a safety net we tell ourselves we need before doing what we ‘really want to do.’ From the Wharton WhatsApp group of ~50 admits that I was added to, I do not recall anyone who ultimately did not pursue the MBA. Sometimes, I wonder if this is a decision I will regret a decade or two out. I do not think so, but hard to know for sure until I have lived that experience. As I was discussing with a friend from HBS - a top tier MBA is alluring because the BAU is a great paycheck and a ticket to an exclusive club - it’s a good life! In fact, this comfort makes it harder for people to take risks or follow their dreams - something that many profess to pursue in the future in their essays.?

Here's the thing: knowing yourself is the hardest yet most vital step in making clear decisions. What do YOU want? What trade-offs are you willing to make? That's what I ask anyone debating the MBA. Those with an MBA will almost always advocate for it. Those who did not apply probably will argue against its need. Ultimately, what is it that drives you??

Second, I strongly advocate doing something different from the expected track. An offbeat experience, learning a new skill, and taking that bold leap helps us understand ourselves better and makes life richer. If the MBA is your catalyst for it, go for it! But watch out for FOMO. An MBA rewards fitting in, not standing out. Financial considerations and mass preference for safe jobs mean that most of the class chooses expected career pathways. Few choose to startup immediately or even a few years out. Hence, I think that it is not the only catalyst. Think about what you can learn about decision-making, endurance, and risk if you were to mountaineer, join a new startup, or even become a hobby pastry chef. Inspiration is all around us if we were to keep our eyes and minds open. Would doing any of these meet your financial goals? Probably not for most. However, the folks that do ping me are already extremely well networked and have multiple ‘hedges’ - I am surprised that they don’t take more risks.?

To wrap up, my distilled advice:

1. Know what the brand opens up. Two years on autopilot is a waste of your time, your most valuable resource. Define your goals clearly - even if it is just the social aspect of it.??
2. Your path won't be perfect either way. Living outside can be lonely. Staying back might trigger FOMO. Either way, you will have to make trade-offs. Which ones are you comfortable making??
3. You will not be better at your job because of the MBA.?
4. If you do go, treat it as a gift. You're young, with fewer obligations. Meet fascinating people, and dive into things outside your comfort zone. There are more exciting things in life than that McKinsey recruitment event.?
5. There are many ways to get rich. MBA is a safe, albeit among the linear ones out there.?

I want to end this by referring to my colleague Shuvi Shrivastava 's excellent post about ambition and finding one's purpose.?

Ambition doesn’t preclude things that don’t scale…it’s the hunger for mastery, the need to go above and beyond what’s ‘industry standard,’ to challenge the accepted rules to create something beautiful.

More than the MBA—it is just a pit stop, after all—my nudge is to be passionate about what we spend our time on, which will help us create something meaningful and beautiful.