Fractional CISO team enjoying Disney’s Hollywood Studios in January 2025
I run into a lot of smart young professionals.
It’s fun and exciting to help them grow their skills.
One question I’m frequently asked is, “Should I get an MBA?”
It’s a good question, but for most people today the answer is…
“No.”
This article is written as advice for aspiring small business owners and young professionals. (It’s the seventh part of a series).
I went to business school and got an MBA in the early 2000s to transition from engineering to the business side.
Back then, it felt like the most logical step, but if I were making that transition today, I doubt I’d choose the same path.
The landscape has changed drastically, and so many opportunities now exist for technical talent to move into roles like product management, product marketing, or sales engineering without needing an MBA.
Here’s why: You’re probably better off gaining experience by working, starting something on your own, or leveraging free and accessible resources like relevant YouTube videos, shows like Shark Tank , and insights from successful entrepreneurs on platforms like X (Twitter).
When an MBA Might Make Sense
If you’re considering high-end consulting, investment banking, or management programs at Fortune 100 companies, an MBA can be a valuable asset—but only if you’re attending a top-tier program . The connections, brand recognition, and specialized education from such programs can still provide an edge in these highly structured career paths.
However, if your goal is to simply “learn business,” there’s no better teacher than experience. Starting something, failing, iterating, and learning as you go will teach you far more than any classroom.
I have learned so much by running Fractional CISO that you could never learn in school (more on that briefly).
Additionally, stepping out of the workforce for one to two years to pursue an MBA comes with a significant opportunity cost. Not everyone can justify the time, expense, and potential loss of momentum in their career.
Alternatives to a Traditional MBA
My wife earned her MBA at night while working full-time. That’s a solid alternative if you’re determined to get the degree, but it’s a grind: working by day, attending classes by night, and trying to maintain some semblance of a personal life.
If you’re willing to put in that level of effort, you might as well put it into building your own venture.
For those looking to gain business knowledge without the formal structure, here are some great options:
Online Learning Platforms, Videos & Podcasts: If you want to take a class, there are a lot out there. If you want something less formal, there are tons of great YouTube videos and podcasts.
Books: There are also a ton of great business books (and also some not-so-great ones). I have two recommendations below.
Networking and Mentorship: Surround yourself with experienced professionals who can share their lessons and provide guidance. (See Vistage below).
The nice thing about this approach is that you can choose specific skills or domains that you want to learn more about. Whether you want to shore up a weakness, develop a new skill, or improve mastery of your field – you get to choose!
Things I Didn’t Learn in My MBA Program
Looking back, here are four key areas that my MBA didn’t prepare me for:
1. Running a Small Business
Practical aspects like agreements, invoicing, compliance with state regulations, and insurance were entirely absent from the curriculum. Yet, they’re critical for entrepreneurs!
2. Building a Team and Culture
Academic discussions on leadership and culture don’t compare to the challenges of creating and maintaining a positive culture in a small organization. It’s a balancing act that requires hands-on learning.
Most MBA culture courses seemed to be focused on large organizations.
3. Every small business owner needs to be a DNS expert
Have you ever seen how many small companies have problems with their website or email? Yeah, their DNS is probably messed up. So while you think that they don’t need to be a DNS expert, they really do!
I should know. I have made 10,000(ish) DNS changes to our domains.
Also, DNS is something that is hard to delegate because those who control your DNS, control your company .
4. Every small business owner needs to be an amateur attorney
You should never be your own amateur attorney.
That being said, you kind of need to be or else you are going to have so many challenges when customers, partners, employees want changes to agreements!
“Does this change need legal review or can you sign off on it?”
That is the many thousands of dollars question you will need to regularly ask yourself.
What Did Help: Vistage
One resource that significantly impacted my learning curve was Vistage .
It’s a peer advisory group for executives and business owners.
The combination of mentorship, peer accountability, and diverse perspectives helped me develop as a leader and navigate the challenges of running a company. If not Vistage, I’d recommend finding a similar organization where you can connect with seasoned mentors.
Ultimately, experience and mentorship are your greatest teachers. I have written several times about Curt Davis and what his mentorship has meant to me. Finding a good mentor is critical for any business leader that is looking to grow.
EOS: Entrepreneurial Operating System
Another game-changer for our company was implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) framework developed by Gino Wickman.
EOS provides a simple, structured approach to running a business that I have found helpful and easy to implement during our growth from five to 15 employees (plus some contractors).
EOS helped us clarify our company vision and align our team around shared goals. The tools, like the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO), made it easier to set priorities, track our progress, and keep us accountable.
If you’re struggling with scaling your business, organizing your operations, or keeping everyone aligned, I highly recommend reading Gino Wickman’s book Traction and exploring EOS tools.
Culture by Design
I always wanted to have a strong, positive company culture, but it turns out you cannot just wish a culture into existence!
So I read David Friedman’s Culture by Design framework, which provides a systematic approach to designing a workplace culture that represents your values.
Friedman emphasizes the importance of defining and documenting your company’s fundamental behaviors (he calls them “Fundamentals”) and reinforcing them consistently.
The result? Our very own Fractional CISO Fundamentals !
Of course, a list of fundamentals isn’t enough. You have to burn them in, so that everyone is on the same page and actually uses them to guide their behaviors.
One practical tool we’ve adopted from the book to do this is the use of weekly reminders and discussions about one fundamental at a time.
Every week during one of our all-hands staff meetings, we discuss the fundamental and how it can be implemented at the organization. Sometimes, we offer scenarios and ask employees to describe how they can use the fundamental to resolve it.
This habit ensures that our culture is not some abstract idea, but part of how we actually operate on a daily basis.
It works, too. Employees will sometimes invoke one of the fundamentals during conversations. We frequently talk about how we can “Always Add Value” to our clients, or mention to their supervisors that they are trying to “Set and Ask for Expectations.”
If you’re looking for a roadmap to design and sustain a strong company culture, I highly recommend reading David Friedman’s Culture by Design !
Summing it up
If you’ve been following this series (thank you!), you may be thinking that I’ve written about many of these subjects before, you aren’t wrong.
When you’re running a business, you aren’t just learning new things – you’re also learning new information about old topics. What worked when we had seven employees doesn’t always work now that we’re bigger.
My perspective on many topics has changed, and I expect it will continue to change.
Want to read earlier entries in the series? You can check them out below: