Entrepreneurship experience vs MBA from top b-school, which option is preferred by MBBs when shortlisting the application for interview?

Hi Ganesh,

Q: Entrepreneurship experience vs MBA from top b-school, which option is preferred by MBBs when shortlisting the application for interview?

Both could work, assuming you accomplished results with the entrepreneurial experience, however the top MBA is the most traditional path:

• Some candidates join top MBAs specifically to have a good shot with MBB. Consequently, most top MBAs are well equipped with networking opportunities and prep for the interview, plus offer brand recognition.
• If you had a very successful entrepreneurial experience (ie built a solid company or achieved a big exit), most likely you have no reason to target MBB due to the opportunity cost of not being able to work on your own business.
• If you have not succeeded with the entrepreneurial experience, most likely you won’t have much brand recognition and significant results, which will make it more difficult to be considered for interviews.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

I tend to say an MBA from a top-business school unless the entrepreneurship experience really stands out, e.g.,

• impact
• growth
• exit

Cheers,

Florian

Hi Ganesh,

Even though it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, a top b-school MBA would most probably be more attractive to MBB recruiters. Primary reason for that is the implicit assumption that the school would’ve done some form of filtering that’s similar to what MBB firms seek.

Of course, entrepreneurial experience would also be recognized if the professional and leadership accomplishments are curated in a highly impactful manner.

Let me know if you have any specific further questions.

Fathu

Hi Ganesh,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• Unless it is an equivalent quality of entrepreneurial experience, I think an MBA from a target university is more likely to get you invited to consulting interviews.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hey, Interesting Question!
Consulting firms search for "Spikes" in your Resume- traits that are unique or stand out and make the reader pause for a second. The Spikes can be in the form of one or many of:
1. Academic Credentials
2. Leadership Experience
3. Stakeholder Management
4. Scale and Value of Impact
5. Extra-curriculars

MBA from a Top B-school helps strengthen the 1st point. 
Entrepreneurship experience addresses points 2/3/4.
Both hold immense value in terms of adding quality to the Resume.
However, getting an MBA from a Top B-school improves your chances of a shortlist through campus recruitment/industry meetups etc. Furthermore, having a strong Alumni connect in a B-school opens doors to the Consulting firms via referrals.

Hope this helps :)

Feel free to reach out in case you have more doubts.

Hi Ganesh,

Both entrepreneurship experience and an MBA from a top business school are valued by MBB, but neither is universally preferred. It depends on how you leverage your experience. The key is how you present your leadership, problem-solving skills, and business impact, regardless of whether it’s through an MBA or entrepreneurship.

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Kairavee

In general, and by far, MBA from top b-school.

Entrepreneurship is nice, but:

• You are unlikely to have a recognized brand name through the entrepreneurship route
• Skillset for entrepreneurship is more on execution, less on analysis and leading change which is the critical one for consulting
• On a side note, if you were successful in your entrepreneurship endeavor, you wouldn't be applying to consulting, would you? Tying this back to the first point, it doesn't look amazing.

Consulting firms need to "sell" to their clients very high-caliber consultants that justify the high fees. That's why they value brand names so much (also because they are, to a point, proofs of high achievement). Usually the entrepreneurship route does not provide those kind of proofs of high value.

When shortlisting candidates, MBBs (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) value both entrepreneurship experience and an MBA from a top business school and advance skills  but they tend to prioritize an MBA from a top B-school as it signals rigorous academic training, a strong network, and leadership potential. However, entrepreneurship experience can stand out if it demonstrates significant accomplishments, problem-solving, and leadership, especially if you’ve successfully scaled a business or overcome complex challenges. The ideal combination is an MBA with entrepreneurial experience, but if forced to choose, MBBs generally lean toward candidates with top-tier MBAs for initial shortlisting.

From a McKinsey perspective, current hiring patterns are trending towards the latter. 

LEAP by McKinsey (the entrepreneurship offering angle) has not been performing up to expectations. Resultingly, profiles of that sort have been less sought after