Ask HN: Tech startups with business co-founder full-time MBA student?

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Ask HN: Tech startups with business co-founder full-time MBA student?

After some disruption to my best startup idea (ChatGPT, and co-founder separately deciding they were done with the rat race), I started looking for business cofounders who had good ideas, and who were ready to prototype and fundraise rapidly.

Two of the prospective co-founders are currently in well-regarded B-school and similar programs.

Some of my thinking about this thus far:

* Good -- They're getting training and coaching through school, which in some ways is helping incubate the startup.

* Bad -- Even if you're sure they want to pursue this startup after graduation, school is taking priority for them, you're either in a holding pattern or working full-time on building when they're not, and they won't be ready to start working on fundraising anytime soon. Also, the dynamic is a bit imbalanced or mismatched, if this period is contributing more towards their MBA than to the shared startup.

Now feeling some personal runway pressure, one idea I've heard is to get an interim job, while working on the startup on evenings/weekends. But that's not compatible with how I work, fully committed to the company/project/team where I'm working. I will be thinking holistically of one company, and any spare time is R&R to keep up the pace on that one company. (That's not just interview-speak, but how I seem to be wired, for better or worse.)

So I've decided to find the right role in an existing company. Including a role I've had before, in which I'm thinking and operating much like a technical cofounder, but money magically appears in my bank account from the start.

I'm still curious what experiences and thoughts people have had with cofounders who were still in B-school, if anyone would like to share.

For example, does it always rely on having enough personal runway (or moonlighting) until the timing is mutually good to start executing and fundraising rapidly?

For another example, anyone encountered a situation in which the student needed to at least go through the motions of startup for an MBA program, but then wanted to do something else upon graduation?

Discussion 0 comments · 1 points · neilv · 2025-05-16
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