Buffett on Business School

I recently watched a special on CNBC featuring Bill Gates and Warren
Buffett . It was filmed in November at Columbia Business School, but I
caught a re-run. One moment that struck me was when a Columbia student
asked Buffett (who got a masters from Columbia Business School) what
the most valuable part of his degree was.

In his response, he explained that he was lucky to have found his
passion early in life and knew exactly what he wanted to do after
business school. Given that, he had already read a lot of the material
they covered. So he didn't feel that he gained any incremental
knowledge while being there. But he did gain the inspiration and
confidence to launch into the next phase of his career (which
obviously turned out quite well for him). The class work didn't
change his life, but the experience and the close interaction with his
professors was extremely valuable.

Buffett has a knack for distilling subjects into concise, simple
ideas. His response sums up the experience I had in business school as
well. I've been a nut about technology and entrepreneurship for awhile
so I didn't gain much incremental knowledge from business school about
running a startup. But I engrossed myself in the entrepreneurial
community, spent time with successful entrepreneurs and early-stage
investors, and launched a business. A passive walk through business
school for the diploma, the course work, and some networking, is a
horrible investment. But used properly, it can be a great opportunity
to refine your interests, experiment, make a few mistakes, and launch
the next stage of your career with a vengeance.

You can read more about Keith on his personal blog, The Journey of Entrepreneurship.