logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
50m 7s

#225 Is an MBA Worth It for Startup Foun...

Darren C. Joe
About this episode

Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA?

Bridget Pujals, University of California Berkeley Haas MBA '24 and Co-Founder of Saelo, shares her experience being an active founder during her Full-time MBA. What resources did she find most helpful? What should active and aspiring entrepreneurs consider before and during their MBA? And finally, what differentiates the MBA as a launchpad for founders?

Bridget shares specific steps she (and other entrepreneurs at Berkeley) took to de-risk their startups and increase their odds of success. After listening to this conversation, you'll get a much clearer picture of whether an MBA makes sense for your entrepreneurial goals.

Topics

  • Introduction (0:00)
  • How Bridget's entrepreneurial plans evolved during her MBA (4:00)
  • Lean launchpad at Berkeley Haas (7:50)
  • Co-founder dating (9:45)
  • What entrepreneurial resources Bridget found most useful at Haas (14:30)
  • Professors as an influential resource for MBA founders (18:40)
  • How other active & aspiring entrepreneurs approached the MBA (25:00)
  • Tips for active & aspiring founders to make the most of their MBA investment (30:15)
  • Importance of student culture for MBA entrepreneurs (33:30)
  • Should aspiring entrepreneurs get an MBA? (39:00)

About Our Guest

Bridget Pujals graduated from University of California's Berkeley’s Haas School of Business Full-time MBA program in 2024, where she focused on building her startup. She is Co-Founder and CEO of Saelo in San Francisco, which offers high-tech, clinical skin treatments.

Before getting her MBA, Bridget worked for Meta as a Senior Product Manager (Messenger) and Product Lead (Privacy for Instagram Direct), and before that, Postmates in business development and product management roles. Bridget graduated from University of California Irvine with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry.

Show Notes

MBA Application Resources

Up next
Mar 2024
#220 GLOBIS MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Tomoya Nakamura - "Find Your Kokorozashi"
Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan's number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission). Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of ... Show More
1h 14m
Apr 29
#229 AI's Impact on MBA Careers: An Insider's Perspective
Darren confronts his own "AI anxiety" with Sabine King, Director of the Career Accelerator at the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together, they explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the demand for MBA gradu ... Show More
40m 53s
Feb 2025
#228 3 Exercises to Design Your Life and Find Best Fit MBA Programs
Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan's Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life - and find MBA programs you are excited about. Topics Introduction (0:00) Make Odyssey Plans - Imagining Life 1, 2 and 3 (3:45) Prototype - "Buil ... Show More
18m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
MBA2063 Guest Teacher – Iliana Bobova – How to Maximize Your MBA ROI
Are you ready for your MBA?  First, you need to make sure it’ll be (more than) worth it.  Becoming a Master of Business Administration can take years, tens of thousands of dollars, and a whole ‘lotta sweat. It might be the biggest investment you ever make! Before your first day o ... Show More
19m 55s
Aug 2024
Should You Go To Business School?
To go to business school or not to go to business school? In this episode, Ross goes in depth about his experience attending Stanford's Graduate School of Business. From why he went back to school at 29 years old, to how an MBA has affected his career. Natalie shares her perspect ... Show More
44m 53s
Jul 2018
SDH 277: How to Take Action When Starting Out with Jennie Baik
Today's guest is an avid consumer technology and next-generation retail strategist, Jennie Baik! Jennie currently serves as the CEO and Co-founder of Orchard Mile, a newly launched digital shopping experience that is the first and only fashion platform that allows women to shop t ... Show More
37m 58s
Apr 2024
Stacy Blackman on entrepreneurship: B-Schooled episode 204
This replay of B-School's one-year-anniversary episode features Stacy Blackman herself! Stacy will talk about her entrepreneurial career and how an MBA helped her (and continues to help her) start three companies. She'll also share advice for MBA hopefuls who are looking to run t ... Show More
22m 40s
May 2020
S1E5: Amy Mitson, Tuck Business School Director of Admissions
Send us a textDo top b-schools prefer the GMAT or GRE? What do programs like Tuck look for in applicants? Does being nice really help you stand out? And is it too late to apply for a spot in next year's class? Amy Mitson, Director of Admissions at Tuck Business School, joins ... Show More
59m 50s
May 2024
Life After a Startup Exit, Is an MBA Worth It if I Want to Be an Entrepreneur? and The Algebra of Wealth
In today’s episode, we continue our special 3-part series covering the Future of Entrepreneurship.  We first hear about navigating a loss of purpose after a successful startup exit. Then, Scott advises a listener who is wondering whether to pursue an MBA as a path to entrepreneur ... Show More
21m 15s
Dec 2024
S16E2: Nike Business Breakdown - Can the Iconic Brand "Just Do It" Again?
Send us a textNike's been struggling - can the $50B athletic footwear and apparel supplier turn it around? In this segment of Business Breakdowns, Namaan Mian and Jenny Rae Le Roux explore Nike's business and what the iconic brand needs to do to get back to market domin ... Show More
26m 18s
Oct 2024
Why Founders Need to Focus More on Sales and Marketing
Harvard Business School senior lecturer Mark Roberge argues that every aspect of being an early-stage founder involves sales. But many founders lack an understanding of how to incorporates sales into their ventures. Which sales candidate is a startup’s ideal first hire? What mark ... Show More
21m 9s
Apr 9
S8E1: Roelof Botha Doesn’t Believe in “the Top”
In a candid conversation with Kailash Sundaram, MBA ’25, Roelof Botha, MBA ’00 — leader of one of the most influential venture capital firms in the world — reflects on his journey from South Africa to Sequoia Capital. From meeting his wife and partner Huifen Chan, MBA '00, at Sta ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2024
MI376: Why Do Great Companies Fail? The Innovator’s Dilemma w/ Shawn O’Malley
In today’s episode, Shawn O’Malley (@shawn_OMalley_) discusses why great companies fail, as outlined by Clayton Christensen in his timeless book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, which was first published in 1997. The Economist actually named it one of the six most important business boo ... Show More
53m 4s