The B-Network

Some budding entrepreneurs are opting for a B-school course after founding a start-up. Their big attraction — the advantage of networks that a B-school can offer.

- E . Kumar Sharma

Every year, hundreds of management graduates opt out of placement sessions and go on to set up own ventures. But of late, B-schools have been a witness to another trend — entrepreneurs joining an MBA course after founding a startup. While learning new skills to run the business better and gaining knowledge are some of the advantages they look forward to, surprisingly, one of the biggest sources of value for most is the advantage of networks that a good B-school can offer.

But is it worth the risk? After all, most are in their early-growth phase and joining a B-school may slow things down. Also, matters could become complicated if there are partners involved. “Time is valuable. You have to balance the gain from the course against the loss of momentum in business during the year the founder is away. The gain when they return has to be huge to compensate for the loss in momentum for the business,” says Sarath Naru, Founder and Managing Partner, Ventureast, a leading VC firm. His suggestion: “Set clear expectations with partners on how you run the business and how you intend to make up for the loss.”

THE PROFILES: