How important is an MBA for PM?

New
cTlJ70

New

cTlJ70
Apr 23 13 Comments

Hi everyone!

My first post here on TB.

I have a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from a a tier-2 college and 1 YoE in a completely unrelated field. Had a very brief stint of running my own startup and using whatever I learnt I recently cracked a APM role at a Fintech startup in India. It has been 6 months since I have joined and its been great so far. One thing I have observed in my company and in general with PM/APMs is that a majority of them have an MBA from decent institutes. Although I would love to get an MBA it is not a great move financially for me right now.

How important is an MBA for moving up the ladder for an APM in early stages of his career? Will I be on the lower end of the pay scale without an MBA?

Thanks

#productmanager #mba #productmanagement

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TOP 13 Comments
  • New
    zombie_dea

    New

    zombie_dea
    All top startups in India have PMs from top institutes (IIT,IIM,ISB), so either you have to be really really good to climb ladders and get foot in the door for senior roles, or you can just simplify your life by getting an MBA from top school
    Apr 23 4
    • New
      zombie_dea

      New

      zombie_dea
      Feel free to DM if you want more insights or advice
      Apr 23
    • New
      cTlJ70

      New

      cTlJ70
      OP
      Thanks
      DMing you
      Apr 23
  • The PM ladder does exist for non MBAs, but it's more difficult as compared to MBAs. You might be able to break in to start ups and climb up, but it can be slow. Breaking into FAANG and equivalents would be quite difficult, at least in the initial few years.
    Apr 23 7
    • Glad that your role is serving you well. The decision to transition has both pros and cons, so take your time and do what feels best. All the best!
      Apr 23
    • New
      cTlJ70

      New

      cTlJ70
      OP
      Thank you
      Apr 23