Should I get an MBA, a MS in CS, or neither?

I have a MS in CS from Maryland and now embarking on my MBA, while running my startup. From what I read in your profile, I would suggest you go for neither. You don't want to go for MS because of this: >>I'm worried that I will get sick of programming In general, you want to pursue a Masters/Phd only in a field you really love. Without that you are wasting your time and money. You don't want to do your own startup now, because of this: >>I'm a big picture thinker. Always, start small and scale up. Entrepreneurs can dream big, but have to keep the feet in the ground to handle all sorts of practical sh*t. You don't want to go for an MBA now, because of this: >>I'm also worried that MBA will be useless if I actually do want to code or work The best way to leverage MBA is by working 3-4 years at a big corporation.startup to understand how businesses work & what are the practical problems around. When you go for your MBA, you really need a solid reason to spend $150K and 2 years. I would suggest you work at a startup for a couple of years and see if you can really build a team on your own. If you can do that, go on your own. Else, If coding, algorithms become your passion in the meanwhile, go for MS in CS. After about 5 years from now, make a call if you want to do an MBA. 90% of MBA programs are not made for entrepreneurs, but for people who want to become managers. So, if you want to become an entrepreneur pick up among the few schools that focus on entrepreneurship.

I wouldn't tell you to give up applying to grad school altogether. I feel if there's any learning to be done, there's no time like now. You're not inclined either way, that's good, you want the best of both worlds, even better. There are a wide variety of cross-disciplinary master's degrees for folks like you. To quote some, the Information Science @ Cornell, the Master's in Information @ UMich, Information Systems at a variety of good schools. These degrees are meant for people who have a competitive balance of management and technical skills. You would make a really strong candidate for a similar program; they are all aimed towards honing skills and learning through interaction with students from different backgrounds. Definitely give internships a shot, there's no better experience but if you still feel the pull to stay in school, give these programs a thought! Best of luck.

I would just keep improving your coding skills by building more apps while also learning some of the higher level business management skills that you would get from an MBA using free online courses. Here's a guide I wrote to getting a free MBA education online. I'm sure you would find it useful: http://www.diygenius.com/entrepreneurship-mba/

WHY NOT TO GET AN MBA Business School is not all that it used to be and going back to school especially to an expensive business school is something that you really need to consider before you go out and spend 150K USD.  Do you really need it, will it really give you the career boost that you think it will.   The MBA program was created in the early 1950′s becuase multi-national companies decided that new employees did not have the general management skills that were needed to be successful working in large companies.  Talented hires needed to be taught the basic’s of how big business actually worked,  such as finance, accounting, sales, management etc   MBA programs would take a talented induvidual and turn them in to a great employee for a large company.  They were not designed for career advancement or to teach you how to be an entrepreneur or to run a small business.   Education is becoming more and more expensive and it does not always gaurentee a return on investment especially in the case of the MBA, Master in Business Administration.  Below are the Top 5 Reasons I do not think that business School is worth it anymore.   The Financial Cost - Many people think that if they have an MBA on their CV it will automatically mean there salary will increase, however this is simple not the case any longer.  MBA courses can cost as much as 150K USD at Harvard or Columbia and when you factor in lost earnings for the 2 years that you will be without an income that figure can be much higher.  In the early days of the MBA, it was not un-common for companies to hire more MBA’a grads than they actually had jobs for, however today an MBA does not gaurentee you anything.   Networking - In the past an MBA gave you three fantastic letter’s on your CV and a major opportunity to network with some of the brightest minds in the business.  MBA students past and present that I know often talk about their MBA college circle of friends and how they would not have met without their MBA program.  These days this is simply not the case any more and with the improvments in the internet and social media anyone can connect and get access to anyone else all over the world.  http://www.businessinsider.com/my-social-cloud-receives-funding-from-richard-branson-2012-6.     Anyone can do an MBA - In late 80′s early 90′s, having an MBA on your CV ment that you were part of very small circle.  These days this is not the case and according to a recent article in the http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324296604578175764143141622.html ”U.S. schools granted a record 126,214 masters degrees in business and administration in the 2010-2011 academic year, a 74% jump from 2000-2001, according to the Department of Education”.  From a personal perspective, seeing an MBA on a CV ment that I would usually read it from Top to Bottom.  Today an MBA is just 3 letters!!!     What Else could you do with the 150K USD - First year MBA drop-outs include, Bill Gates, Ted Turner and Richard Branson did not even bother go to college before he started is own magazine.  The list is end-less and maybe one day i could have your name on it.   An MBA can be very limiting - If you do not have a set plan for after you leave your MBA program an MBA will make you more over qualified for roles than under qualified.  If you cannot get an good job it can be difficult to even get an entry level job after you have got your MBA and to make matters worse you will not be able to take a low paying job as you will have all your debts to pay back….!!!   My personal advice is that unless you get into a http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/global-mba-rankings-2012, then its really a waste of money and time.  You will not get what you think you will from it and most likely you will watch your fellow employees that have stayed and work improve there salary and career faster than you will.  The “Cost - Benefit” ratio simply does not make sense. http://www.getajobwithtom.com

You have Great profile as i view it from Outside your Country .. I am an Indian. I am regular watcher of the happenings in US and am great fan of the silicon Valley movements , I am have been thinking of Start-up for past few months and i came across this Graduate Degree Course offered by Cornell University which you might be knowing hope so, It has Course Called TECH MBA its 1 year course it has wide scope relating to your profile as i see it , it offers the perfect blend of an MBA degree and the Technology that one needs With your interest in Entrepreneurial activities and the profile it will perfectly match your desires. Hope You find it useful  here's the link  http://tech.cornell.edu/programs/masters-programs/johnson-cornell-tech-mba ..All The Best ..See you as a wonderful and awesome Entrepreneur...!! Good Luck You can Contact me On : for any assistance on entrepreneurial needs ..!!!