Sunday, August 9, 2020

FAANG PM vs Ivy League MBA

Target Audience
If you can get a FAANG PM role prior to an MBA, this post is for you. If you cannot get a FAANG PM role, MBA might be a good platform for you to start with.

FAANG PM

Pros

  • Level 3-5 can land somewhere between 300-500k a year. This could lead to half a million to a million dollar payout in a couple of years.
  • Lead products with significant revenue/user impact in the FAANGs
  • Grow silicon valley network
    • Network with the smartest directors/VPs in the valley. Current high ranking FAANG executives are tomorrow's startup founders, thats how the valley ecosystem works. 
    • Network with some of the smartest tech talent in the FAANGs who you can hire for your future startup. Access to top talent is crucial for startup success
  • Jumpstart your career without spending 2 years in B-school and ending up in debt
  • Gain valuable equity through FAANG refreshers

Cons

  • VCs networking may still be hard to come by as a FAANG PM

Ivy League MBA

Pros

  • Build a more diverse network from all backgrounds and all kinds of industries
  • Get more wider set of career options and at least one internship to be experimental without committing

Cons

  • Opportunity cost in terms of $$, network, silicon valley life; not worth it if you have FAANG offers
  • 200k debt
  • MBA job hunting may be hard as batch sizes can be pretty big - 900 at Harvard. If you are already an engineer or PM in a second tier tech company, there may be alternative and cheaper routes to FAANG
  • MBAs may be looked down upon in some tech circles. It may be a liability rather than an asset. In some of the older companies it may be the other way round. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Books I am reading