Do you need a degree to be a successful entrepreneur? Will it help your startup or give you a competitive edge? I advise you to read on to find out.
“If I had been educated, I wouldn’t have had time to learn anything else.” Cornelius Vanderbilt
Most people will say that going to business school or at least having a college degree helps build a successful business. They base their position on the fact that going to college or trade school gives entrepreneurs an edge, business acumen, and a head start in business. They also claim that it will give you connections and make you a better networker.
To be honest, I can attest to the fact that they have a strong point. In fact, they are very correct. But instead of taking sides; allow me to share with you my own point of view. Now, I want to re-emphasize that I’m not trying to outbid anyone or convince you to accept my point of view. Please note that I am entitled to my own opinion and will strongly support them. You are also entitled to yours.
Do you need a college degree to be a successful entrepreneur?
a. Most successful entrepreneurs have openly stated that having a college degree or attending trade school has nothing to do with starting a business. None of these entrepreneurs openly evaluated their business success in college courses, as they see no connection between entrepreneurship and a degree.
I totally agree with this fact because I have seen academic punks, geeks or students who couldn’t survive school; grow to become entrepreneurial giants. And then their comrades or classmates who have graduated from school with flying colors often start asking the question” how yesterday’s geek got so rich “. If higher education guarantees success, then these academic super geniuses I should have kept in mind in life.
I have nothing against education. But sometimes education gives people false confidence. This allows people to relax by relying on the strength of their certificates rather than hard work. Rasak Okoya
b. Entrepreneurship is active play and you don’t learn the ropes by reading books or solving math .
You learn by doing; You’ll find out by taking a real-life test where the consequences and consequences of your actions are real. Schools do not encourage this type of learning. That’s why today’s most successful, famous, and modern entrepreneurs are dropouts. An example of such people: Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, Larry Ellison and others.
vs. The academic processes one goes through just to earn a degree do not tolerate error. . In college or trade school, you come out of fear of failure, fear of making mistakes, and fear of getting bad grades. When you make a mistake at school, you are suspended from work, forced to repeat or reprimand. Thus, you try not to be fooled by avoiding mistakes.
In retrospect, the entrepreneurial process thrives on mistakes. In the business world, mistakes are part of the learning process. No mistakes in business; no progress. This is why the school does not offer the necessary preparation for the challenges of the business world.
Success is a bad teacher. We learn the most about ourselves when we fail, so don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the success process. You cannot succeed without failure. – rich dad
In business schools, complex behaviors are rewarded more than simple behaviors. But simple behavior is more effective. —Warren Buffett
D. I believe that school limits our entrepreneurial abilities; abilities such as delayed gratification, risk taking, self-confidence, creativity and instinct . This is why university degree holders or business school graduates lack the entrepreneurial skills necessary to survive in the business world.
Entrepreneurship thrives on creativity, innovation and uncertainty, while the academic process that earns college degree holders thrives on boring routine and certainty. In business school, you are taught to respect the rules and to move only after careful consideration.
e. Going to business school makes you a conservative, and conservatives don’t make you a good entrepreneur . Business school makes you a good business leader; not an entrepreneur, and that’s why business school graduates end up running popular businesses.
f. At school you are required to take exams on your own and take exams in exchange for a degree, but business is a team sport . You don’t take the test alone; you are not playing alone. If you want to win in business, you have to form teams and collaborate with the greats. If you want to win in school and get a diploma, you have to play and pass the exam alone. If you cooperate in a school, it’s called cheating.
When employees unite, they unite, but when business owners unite, they are a team. —Robert Kiyosaki
g. How can a school make you a better entrepreneur if the basic principles of entrepreneurship, business and financial intelligence are not taught ? Business school teaches more analytical intelligence.
Secondly, the main disadvantage of a business school is that most professors and educators in entrepreneurship and business management are not business people and have no real experience in managing a business. ‘a company. They only teach what they read in books.
Business and financial knowledge is not collected within the four walls of the school. You pick them up on the street. At school, you are taught to manage other people’s money. In the street, you are taught how to make money. Ajaero Tony Martins
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The best way to learn how to start a business is never in school. You can never learn how to build a business by listening to boring speakers and talking about boring topics. You will learn how to start a business on the street. You will learn how to build a business by actively participating in the business process; You learn by mentoring a savvy entrepreneur in the field. You learn by learning and you learn by trial and error.
I was within the four walls of the school and I was in the street. I can tell you with confidence that the street is tougher, tougher, bolder, more exciting and more rewarding. At school; you play alone. But in the street, you play with the big boys. Ajaero Tony Martins
- Thomas Edison was called dumb by his teachers; however, he started from scratch and created General Electric, one of the most powerful companies in the world.
- Henry Ford has been called ignorant by some academic intellectuals, but he created the Ford Motor Company and became one of the richest men in history.
- Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice and was told he would never get anything. However, he later created Oracle Corporation, one of the largest software companies in the world.
In conclusion, I want you to consider this fact that business school does not make you a better entrepreneur; it also does not prepare you for the challenges of starting a business from scratch, but rather prepares you to climb the corporate ladder; as an employee or officer of another company.
