Entrevista a un Alumni de Acton (en inglés)
La siguiente es una entrevista en inglés que respondí la semana pasada como Alumni de Acton. Si deseas más información sobre Acton ve a www.actonmba.org
What were you doing before Acton? Why did you decide to apply?
Before coming to Acton I was running my own business in Guatemala. My business had experienced rapid growth and I had expanded it to five countries in three years. I wanted to prepare myself to make the next leap forward and expand my business ventures globally. I researched many MBA programs with specific focus in entrepreneurship, but wasn't convinced with any. I did not want to spend two years taking many courses that in my opinion where designed to develop more corporate executives than entrepreneurs. It was only when I heard about Acton that I realized I had found exactly the kind of program I wanted; one designed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.
What was the #1 reason you chose Acton over another program? What did Acton offer that you couldn’t find anywhere else?
The #1 reason I applied to Acton was the combination of the Teachers and the Curriculum. I wanted to learn from people who had already done the things I want do to as an entrepreneur. I wanted to learn from the best teacher-entrepreneurs in a way that inspired practical learning and not just theory. I was really excited when I learned how practical the Curriculum was. All of our courses are designed around the main phases of entrepreneurship and the tools needed in each of them. That is something I did not find anywhere else.
As someone with successful entrepreneurial experience coming into the program, how do you feel Acton has prepared you to take your business to the next level?
During many class discussions I could relate to things I had experienced before and I realized how much I didn't know and I wished I had known before. I feel better prepared now because I have better frameworks to approach each opportunity before I jump into it. I also know to develop levers of control in order to keep my company on course in high growth times. I learned a lot about processes and how to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency. One of the most important lessons for me was how to dig into financial statements and understand the fundamentals of a business or identify potential problems. I had reviewed and even approved many financial statements before; but I had never analyzed and understood them the way I did at Acton.
Talk about how the importance of the case method in learning to solve real-world dilemmas. Elaborate on how that has helped you in your own business
After working on 300 real life cases on several different industries and deeply analyzing each one, I can now recognize certain patterns when it comes to analyzing an idea or approaching a problem in business. It is amazing how you develop certain habits that lead you to the look for the right questions instead of the answers. I can now apply that to every important decision I have to take in my business.
Talk about the caliber of your fellow classmates. How did they enhance your learning experience?
The program seems to attract a type of person who is extremely talented and a special drive to do more than just make money. It was very fulfilling to come to the classroom everyday because I expected to learn so much from my classmates. I felt many times intimidated by the high quality of their contributions.
Do you feel the Acton program transformed you? If so, how?
The Acton program has made me a more disciplined person. I really liked the accountability system in which we sign contracts and hold strict rules to be on time and prepared for every class. I had never seen a group where everybody was so committed, including teachers, students and staff. Acton also helped me define clear guardrails for my entrepreneurial journey and to be aware that my values and my behavior will necessarily reflect on those of the organization I lead. I must add that Acton has helped me think bigger; I am ready to do business in a much larger scale because I know I can do it; but I also know I have to stay humble and start with small experiments in order to grow my business from the ground with the fundamentals of business and with the customer always in mind. Acton en grained in me to "always start with the customer".
What are you doing now?
I am still involved in my business in Central America. We brought in a new CEO when I left for Acton and that has given me some freedom to pursue new ventures. I have recently started a new company with two fellow Acton classmates. We are still in early stage but we are working on things that look very promising.
If you were speaking to a potential student, what is the most important question they should be asking themselves to know whether Acton is right for them? Anything else you would tell someone interested in the program?
I would ask: Are you looking for World class entrepreneurship education or are you just looking for an MBA title?
If its the first, then Acton is for you. If it is the latter, there are many other programs that can give you that and won't require the effort and commitment that Acton requires.
Acton is a really innovative school that will transform the way Entrepreneurship is taught.
What were you doing before Acton? Why did you decide to apply?
Before coming to Acton I was running my own business in Guatemala. My business had experienced rapid growth and I had expanded it to five countries in three years. I wanted to prepare myself to make the next leap forward and expand my business ventures globally. I researched many MBA programs with specific focus in entrepreneurship, but wasn't convinced with any. I did not want to spend two years taking many courses that in my opinion where designed to develop more corporate executives than entrepreneurs. It was only when I heard about Acton that I realized I had found exactly the kind of program I wanted; one designed for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs.
What was the #1 reason you chose Acton over another program? What did Acton offer that you couldn’t find anywhere else?
The #1 reason I applied to Acton was the combination of the Teachers and the Curriculum. I wanted to learn from people who had already done the things I want do to as an entrepreneur. I wanted to learn from the best teacher-entrepreneurs in a way that inspired practical learning and not just theory. I was really excited when I learned how practical the Curriculum was. All of our courses are designed around the main phases of entrepreneurship and the tools needed in each of them. That is something I did not find anywhere else.
As someone with successful entrepreneurial experience coming into the program, how do you feel Acton has prepared you to take your business to the next level?
During many class discussions I could relate to things I had experienced before and I realized how much I didn't know and I wished I had known before. I feel better prepared now because I have better frameworks to approach each opportunity before I jump into it. I also know to develop levers of control in order to keep my company on course in high growth times. I learned a lot about processes and how to identify bottlenecks and improve efficiency. One of the most important lessons for me was how to dig into financial statements and understand the fundamentals of a business or identify potential problems. I had reviewed and even approved many financial statements before; but I had never analyzed and understood them the way I did at Acton.
Talk about how the importance of the case method in learning to solve real-world dilemmas. Elaborate on how that has helped you in your own business
After working on 300 real life cases on several different industries and deeply analyzing each one, I can now recognize certain patterns when it comes to analyzing an idea or approaching a problem in business. It is amazing how you develop certain habits that lead you to the look for the right questions instead of the answers. I can now apply that to every important decision I have to take in my business.
Talk about the caliber of your fellow classmates. How did they enhance your learning experience?
The program seems to attract a type of person who is extremely talented and a special drive to do more than just make money. It was very fulfilling to come to the classroom everyday because I expected to learn so much from my classmates. I felt many times intimidated by the high quality of their contributions.
Do you feel the Acton program transformed you? If so, how?
The Acton program has made me a more disciplined person. I really liked the accountability system in which we sign contracts and hold strict rules to be on time and prepared for every class. I had never seen a group where everybody was so committed, including teachers, students and staff. Acton also helped me define clear guardrails for my entrepreneurial journey and to be aware that my values and my behavior will necessarily reflect on those of the organization I lead. I must add that Acton has helped me think bigger; I am ready to do business in a much larger scale because I know I can do it; but I also know I have to stay humble and start with small experiments in order to grow my business from the ground with the fundamentals of business and with the customer always in mind. Acton en grained in me to "always start with the customer".
What are you doing now?
I am still involved in my business in Central America. We brought in a new CEO when I left for Acton and that has given me some freedom to pursue new ventures. I have recently started a new company with two fellow Acton classmates. We are still in early stage but we are working on things that look very promising.
If you were speaking to a potential student, what is the most important question they should be asking themselves to know whether Acton is right for them? Anything else you would tell someone interested in the program?
I would ask: Are you looking for World class entrepreneurship education or are you just looking for an MBA title?
If its the first, then Acton is for you. If it is the latter, there are many other programs that can give you that and won't require the effort and commitment that Acton requires.
Acton is a really innovative school that will transform the way Entrepreneurship is taught.
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