Social Capital

The cost of admission to any MBA program these days is well--staggering. So that's makes me think, "what is my cost of admission to this Free MBA project?" The most apparent costs are the investment of my time and energy, but there is also the monetary costs of any potential learning materials (books, subscriptions to publications, etc.).

But, the driving force behind this idea is too use modern means (be that scavenging online articles, ebooks, tutorials, etc) to synthesize a truly great business education. So in a sense, these forms of social capital in essence fund my tuition. So from out outset of this journey, it is important to learn from the resources which are available to everyone with an internet connection.

Back in the Saddle

Recently read Rajesh Shetty's When You Can't Earn an MBA and Seth Godin's Why you need an MBA post all of which were new to me.

This project could be the exception Seth spoke about and Rajesh mapped out.

Both two thought-leaders we can all learn from

By the way, looks like people appreciate the project :)

Looking forward, I will outline a one month planned learning regiment, an extension of Rajesh's suggestion in his free ebook (above), which just became part of the curriculum

Do it For Yourself: Forget everyone else

One thing has driven me my whole life, and caused a considerable amount of anxeity: What do/will other people think about me? When this thought process occupies much of your waking hours, it takes a toll on your self-confidence. You try to build confidence, but there is always a wrecking ball knocking down what you've spent so much time trying to build up-self confidence.

So rather than try to make this project into something that tries to get that recognition from others (which is where I think I was going, even if subconsciously), I just want to let this space be a place where I can gain inspiration and learn. Things seems to work best when we just relax and go with the flow per se (as long as that stream flows down a tributary of your choosing).

Thought-Leaders

Lately, I have been reading/studying certain inspiring business manifesto's at ChangeThis. My favorites are The Bootstrapper's Bible and 25 Ways to Distinguish Yourself.

These manifesto's are written by thought-leaders whom offer considerable knowledge and insight. It's the perfect foundation on which I can build my education. We should all have manifesto's, if even for ourselves. Something tangible, evidence of what we value, and an anchor when things become uncertain.

Education is not a solitary process, it takes collaboration and exchange of ideas. So in connection with my Building Blocks post, I am in the process of engaging thought-leaders to teach a mini-course, either in the form of a one-time/recurring guest blog posts on a subject of their expertise.

Building Blocks

So, I have the idea. Now the real works starts: making the idea real.

It is a bit overwhelming, taking charge of your education/future. But it is exciting.

At first, I wanted to carefully lay out a plan, build a complex wholly integrated media website. Then, I realized I do not know how to do any of that stuff. Overplanning and over-thinking leads me to a sort of paralysis.

So, I think the best way to start is to just start. I want this blog to be a place where academics and industry professionals converge. I want to learn from the thought-leaders of the business world, whether that means academia or industry. That's possibility excites me.

My mission: find a thought-leader who is willing to share his/her knowledge and learn from them, documenting the process here so others can learn too.

Free Vs. HomeGrown

Rather than "The Free MBA Project", perhaps "HomeGrown MBA". Free has certain connotations, free of effort, free of cost (opportunity costs to be precise), free of investment (your time).

No matter the name, the idea is what truly matters. The idea is simple: an unpretentious, and relevant business education with which you can do what you never thought you could.

The Greatest Barrier to Entry: Fear

Fear. We stay in jobs which make us miserable because we fear the unexplored. We fear doing the same job different ways because of what colleagues may say. We fear using our own ideas because they may not be good enough. Or we may expend the effort, and fail. But, may be if we try, we can learn and give our ideas the credence they deserve. And perhaps, make a living using our ideas. Rather than settling, doing something out of fear.