[neilv]

If the funding is available immediately (not just an immediate commitment for funding once they start a batch), would it address the following problem I've run into a few times?

In the last year alone, I've had to bow out of co-founding two promising startups with good biz co-founders, because first-year MBA students wanted to finish their degree before they sought funding.

Two ways funding could help:

1. I couldn't afford to work over a year as a technical cofounder, executing in full-time startup mode like usually needs to be done, with no income. While they were part-time, and getting an MBA and networking out of it during this period. Even ramen lifestyle funding would've made this closer to an equitable balance of contribution and risk among the cofounders.

2. There's also the concern that MBA programs seem to push students to have a hypothetical startup, so there's always a chance that the MBA student won't be fully committed to actually do the startup once they graduate. Maybe accepted funding could make this a firmer commitment. (Even if there's no contractual obligation to pursue the startup, I'd guess that new MBA graduates don't want to burn bridges in the small world of investors, so would take the commitment fairly seriously.)

[snowmaker]

Yes, I think it would.

[aetherspawn]

Being able to burn away at a startup while you are studying would be great. Uni was the most productive time in my whole life due to all the free time.

[android521]

if one of the founders is an MBA graduate, your chance of success just drop 50%.

[yaacov]

If your cofounder isn’t full time, that’s not your cofounder. That’s a part time contractor who owns 50% of your company.

[neilv]

Mostly I agree. But I also think that someone who is very good, and in a very good MBA program, can do their share of contributions, iff they're committed fully to the startup upon graduation.

But if the follow-through doesn't happen, then the whole thing was probably a huge waste for non-MBA-student co-founders. (Unless those co-founders weren't really committed themselves.)

[nivertech]

Maybe a 18-24 months cliff would solve it?

[skeeter2020]

you need a way to cause the termination for this to help. IME most things linger in zombie mode forever, they don't explode early.

[nivertech]

Full-time cofounder(s) should have the right to fire other cofounders, at least until a formal board of directors is established

The problems start when you fire someone with equity closer to the cliff

Anyway, I don't get the original post, IMO an MBA is not the kind of degree that is worthy of delaying founding a startup

[neilv]

> Full-time cofounder(s) should have the right to fire other cofounders,

I'd guess there's usually no point in a technical co-founder "firing" their capable business co-founder; it just ends the company.

While the technical person is spending most of their time on technical bits (no matter how much customer-facing product management time you have), etc., the business person is spending most of their time on relationships (investors, partners, customers, etc.). To a large extent, they take those relationships and reputation with them wherever they go next.

Unless the technical cofounder has some very rare and marketable technical expertise that the business people recognize (e.g., some recent big AI invention, or a fancy title at a FAANG), the technical cofounder will probably be considered an ordinary commodity by most.

> IMO an MBA is not the kind of degree that is worthy of delaying founding a startup

My guess is that an MBA from one of the most prestigious programs is usually worth delaying founding a startup. The MBA student can lay some of the groundwork while in the program, get mentoring and connections, and then out-execute many competitors once the student graduates.

The kinds of startups a lot of us have been thinking of are essentially the last 20 years of mostly ZIRP investment scams, but that can't go on forever (current dotcom-bubble-like "AI" hype wave low barriers to acquihire exit notwithstanding). I'd guess more people will have to do viable businesses than our field has in a long time.