I talk a lot about Big Hairy Audacious Goals on this site. It’s about time I let you in on one of my own.There are few things I enjoy more than learning and applying what I have learned. There are days, I contemplate going back to school to get my MBA. However, when I knock some sense into myself, I realize that going back to school is incredibly expensive. More importantly, this form of learning hasn’t proven successful to me in the past.
Since I never plan on working for anyone that requires an MBA, it makes more sense to go out and get the education in my own. This method is much cheaper and a better use of my time.
My Plan of Attack – Step # 1 – Defining End Result
The idea to create you own MBA equivalent, isn’t anything new. There are many books and websites on the topic.
When I began to brainstorm how I would go about this, I started by asking myself why? I came up with the following two reasons:
- I want to apply what I have learned, to make Gen Y Wealth profitable enough to reach my Target Monthly Income.
- I want to help grow my family business. I come from a long line of business owners. My great grandpa started an insurance company in 1905, that’s still around today. My dad now runs the insurance company, a long with a few other businesses. As of right now, he plans on passing each business down to myself and my siblings. When that time comes, I want to actively grow each business.
Step # 2 – Naming Irreplaceable Skills Sets
- Sales
- Business Management
- Systems
- Persuasion
- Finance & Accounting
- Research and Analysis
- Decision Making
- Productivity
- Creativity
- Economics
- Behavioral Change
- Writing
- Debate
- Public Speaking
- Negotiation
- Networking
- Critical Thinking
- Influence
- Culture
- Marketing & PR
With two years of focused learning, I believe I can develop the above skills, to be in the top 2-3% of comprehension for each.
Step # 3 – Developing the Learning Materials
So far, I knew the end result I wanted to achieve and the skills to get there. The next step is outlining the course work.
After some careful consideration, I wanted a combination of reading, listening, video, and doing. I came up with the following:
Reading
- Read every book on the PMBA Reading List
- Read every book recommended by Steve Blank, not on the PMBA list
- Read the Y-Combinator Start Up Library
- Read all 50 articles on Jim Collin’s Site
- Read each Warren Buffet Shareholder Letter
- Read the the best of Marc Andreessen’s Blog
- Read the entire archives of Paul Graham’s Essays
- Read the entire archives of MBA Monday at A VC
- Read 25 Harvard Case Studies
Video
- Watch 20 Must See TED Talks
Audio
Doing
- Take 12 Successful Entrepreneurs/Business Owners to Lunch
- Give 12 Speeches at Toastmasters
- Attend 1 Annual Berkshire and Hathaway Shareholder’s Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska
- Write an eBook on what I learned and give it away for free
- Live out of the United States for 30 consecutive days
Step # 4 – The End Date
All that was left was to give my goal an end date. How does, October 1, 2012 sound? I will update you, each month in my monthly reviews.
Your Turn
If you want to create a similar learning experience, just follow the steps I just discussed.
- Ask yourself why
- Define the skill sets you need
- Develop the learning materials
- Set an end date
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Photo by: SBA73
{ 7 comments }
I love this idea.
Personally, that’s a bit more reading than what I would chose for myself. I will just stick with the PMBA Reading List – no audio or video.
Doing? Well, I’m pretty early in my entreprenurial journey, so let’s say: Make my dropship business and blog each individually profitable by June 30th, 2011 – and join my local Chamber of Commerce in 2011.
Are the skills you listed in order of how you feel about them?
In my opinion, critical thinking should be bumped way up on your list as improving this skill will have a cascading effect upon learning the remainder of the skills.
I’m digging the “Create Your Own MBA”, I’ve been debating this topic internally myself!
This is an awesome inspiration to me RJ. I’m going to be doing the same thing. I thought about coming up with a curriculum but you’ve jump started my planning for it. Took some of your skill set ideas, added my own, and developing “courses” for it. My proposed stop day: December 20, 2012
@Chris – Nothing wrong with the PMBA list. I haven’t read a book, that I didn’t like on that list so far.
@Patrick – Nope. Not in any order. All are important to have and can help me in the future.
@Eric – Hopefully this can provide motivation to get you started.
@Briana – Great. Setting an end date is vital. Good luck. If you come across any good resources, let me know.
I strongly recommend Paul Graham’s Essays and Warren Buffet Shareholder Letter. I favor the idea of focusing on deep understanding of fewer resources, rather than a superficial review of tons of stuff. Having too many priorities often means having none. It seems to me most people (maybe not you but most people) would not get a deep understanding of all the things you mention and would be better off shrinking the scope and increasing the depth.
For a MBA (without going to school) you do need a broad overview so I would suggest a a wide area of superficial understanding but also focusing on deep understanding of a limited number of areas.
Here is a list of great books http://curiouscat.com/management/essentialmanagementbooks.cfm I made this list focused on management. It doesn’t aim to cover many of the areas you mention. But reading, understanding and adopting the ideas in these books would be a huge benefit to most managers and executives.
Thanks John. I have been blown away by each of his essays. I find myself reading each a few times.
I agree, there is a lot I have to cover. I can easily get lost in a sea of information here, if I’m not careful.
Once I’m finished, I then want to focus on one specific area. I guess in two years, I have to write a How to Create Your Own PHD post. (:
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