Currently an IC5 PM at Meta. Extremely burnt out of being at Meta, both the company and work. Have an L5 offer from Google (numbers coming) and an acceptance from Harvard business school. I like tech enough that I think I'll stay a PM (not really considering VC or finance transition) and I'm afraid with low YOE as PM, after HBS they would down rank me to a 4. Do I take the world's most expensive vacation? Or just rest and vest at Google? Is the HBS name worth anything long term (easier to get promoted if aiming for director) given the experience I have? YOE: 5 (1 as PM) TC: 290 (based on stock price) Edit: Thanks all for the comments. Wanted to add some color since there are a lot of good questions. These options are really different ways to treat my burnout. Why Google? I'm really tired of Meta culture. I hear career progression is slower but it feels like they care more about building products than scheming and scope stealing at Google. Why HBS? Gives me the opportunity to intern in some wacky parts of tech that aren't mainstream. I would also probably just ignore my bschool classes and go take undergrad classes to learn a new language or something. But very expensive. I'm not sure if the HBS network would help me much. Mostly finance people and not trying to network to get funding for a startup.
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Go to google, can defer HBS for a year and then come back to google as L5 if you want to
Already deferred and they're not letting me do it again
Were you a SWE before PM?
Yep
How you make a switch? Any advice/wisdom for the uninitiated
Defer Harvard admission. Take Google offer. Work for two years. Go to Harvard. Put both on your resume. After that, you’re pretty much golden.
Can't defer Harvard unfortunately
Why can’t you? Are you talking about a different Harvard?
Could be a nice vacation to help with your burn out. MBA is a luxury good, so not a lot of financial roi, but not everything is about the money.
Ha! He who talks, who has not done a MBA. The program is quite strenous.
^ LOL
I would go to Harvard. It’ll open more doors if you can also network.
I don’t think OP needs doors opened. His work at Meta opened the Google door. With those two logos as a PM, OP can go wherever he wants in tech.
“In tech”
100% Harvard. You'll get hired just for that on your resume and you will have no ceiling on your career.
What have you been drinking?
Harvard Kool aid. MBAs are a dying breed. Technical people will evolve over time, a lot already are, to have the ability to be technical and strategic as well. Easier to learn communication skills and words like synergy etc than strong technical skills
If you are asking this dumb question, then you really should go to Harvard to get some IQ before joining Google
So much for Googleyness.
@o9gh64 seriously?
Go to google. I did mba at a top 5 school and it doesn’t really help as a PM. 2 years in you’ll still be L4/L5 max but if you go to google and work you could reach L6 in 2 years. If you want a break, take 3 months between the jobs
Could not agree with this more. Also have an MBA from top 5 school
Hard to make Director w/o the B-School degree. With the right experience it doesn't need to be Top 5 but it does need to be a very good school.
I would take HBS MBA. You can always find a job at Google after that. But the MBA experience is really valuable. I loved mine( not HBS though:()
Why don’t you try again for HBS? Do they have an executive or phD program
I feel like HBS grads try to "break into PM", not sure what the added value is. People hate MBA PMs and your exp as Meta + Google PM are prob better than HBS.. but long vacation could be nice 🤷🏻♂️
I think the MBA PM hatred is just a myth now. A lot of directors at FB have top MBAs. I guess my question is if that MBA helped them get where they are at all or if it's just selection
It’s very much not a myth. Meta + google is your lottery card sir. The only caveat is Stanford business school. The valley is completely smitten with anyone who goes there. More so if you want startup funding but also at big tech.