Guy Kawasaki’s talk at Gnomedex (I think he put the slides online somewhere…have to check that) one hands down one of the best 2 or 3 of the conference. This morning I was passed a link to an article with quotes from business leaders on how an MBA isn’t needed; and might even be detrimental to your business:
Guy Kawasaki was one of the original players that got Apple on its feet with the Macintosh. He now works as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley as CEO of Garage Technology Ventures. Kawasaki holds an M.B.A. from the University of California but doesn’t believe it’s been the source of his and others’ success in the tech industry. Kawasaki remarked, “I don’t think an M.B.A. matters very much for starting a company. A much better educational background is an engineering degree. You can always hire MBAs, but if you don’t have the ability to conceptualize and deliver a product, you’ve got nothing.” Source: Proof M.B.A.s Are Overrated, by 20 People Who Are Smarter and Richer than Your Professors – Inside CRM
So while Guy does have an MBA, he, like many others quoted, reminds us that it isn’t book learning or being up on the latest business theory that will make you successful. You have to have drive, ambition, and maybe most of all–creativity.
I keep thinking I need to find a copy of Art of the Start:
Maybe the book faeries will visit me soon. 
