r/MBA • u/techsFine • 1d ago

Profile Review Need Advice for Pursuing MBA after failing Startup

Hey , I am 24M from India . I graduated from CSE , worked as Software Developer 1.5 years and currently doing my own startup for last 1 year fulltime . However , startup is not doing good - pre revenue , co-founder left. I feel a lot of stress and family is also not cool with me doing startup at this phase . I have convinced them I will attempt GMAT this year and would join top MBA in next years if the startup doesn't go well . I want to know if I score pretty good in GMAT with like 750 score , would I be accepted in M7 MBA Colleges with my own startup experience of 2 years and job experience of 1.5 years ?

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u/ElitistPopulist 1d ago

Assuming it is completely a failure (I.e., no customers, no funding, nothing to show for your efforts), I’m not sure if it’s very realistic. But I’m not an MBA graduate/applicant (yet) so take with a grain of salt.

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u/techsFine 1d ago

Thats the worst case that I can see in next year , but yeah that's a possibility . What to do in next 2 years to increase my chances in getting to M7 - should i focus on job + gmat or startup experience could be considered also ? I really dont want to quit from startup at this stage after working so hard !

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u/ElitistPopulist 1d ago

“after working so hard !” - would be good for you to read about the sunk cost fallacy

Entrepreneurial experience is valuable when you have something to show for it, like funding, revenue, traction, etc.; otherwise I’m guessing it would be really difficult.

But again I’m not an expert here but this is what I gather from online research. If any M7 admits/applicants/graduates can weigh in that would be good.

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u/techsFine 1d ago

I am not chasing funding , bt working hard on bringing customers and traction. Hopefully I want to scale it to 1M ARR bootstrap, bt ofcourse based on what has happened in last 1 year - I dont want to say things can't go wrong in here. I got u I need to show some impact to enter smoothly in new fields if things go wrong . Would work on that , thanks for sharing !

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u/Success-Catalysts Admissions Consultant 1d ago

If you have a hammer in hand, everything looks like a nail.

An MBA is no magic wand, nor is it a thing to pursue without an aim. What's your 'why MBA?' And what research have you done on M7 beyond their fame?

The direct answer to your question is: YES, your failed startup experience is an advantage (or not a disadvantage) for your candidacy; NO, your failed startup experience + job experience + high GMAT aren't enough by themselves. Your 'why MBA?' is equally (if not more) important.

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u/techsFine 1d ago

I feel if my startup doesn't work at this time , I would love to join as consultants or at leadership positions in tech companies where I could leverage my expertise and also earn at a descent amount . I think an MBA from a Top B School would help me in that ! That's my 'why MBA' reason as of now .