There are differing opinions on whether completing an MBA is worth it or not for myriad reasons.
I started in the world of work 25 years back in 2000 when I worked as a Saturday retail sales assistant. Since then I’ve completed a few degrees from the University of Leeds, worked across corporates, startups and everything in between and founded my own ventures. I’ve also completed various accelerators, bootcamps, trainings and courses. And yes, I use AI every single day.
So why, in 2025, am I committing to a part-time online MBA with an AI specialism from a university in Silicon Valley?
This post is my answer, and maybe a useful reflection if you’re mid-career and wondering whether formal education still has a place in an AI-first world.
The long-standing “MBA itch”
Well I’ve wanted to do an MBA for a long time.
During my working life so far, I’ve experienced working in a variety of job roles, for different companies across industries and sectors with a range of company cultures, leadership and management styles. I have significant business development experience including a specialism in bid management where I’ve helped win business.
Along the way I also.
- Founded and co-founded ventures.
- Attended startup and business programmes and bootcamps online and in-person.
- Tested business ideas, and watched markets shift.
All of that gave me strong practical business acumen. But it was also quite non-linear. I always had a sense there were gaps in my knowledge especially around leadership at scale, strategy, and understanding emerging tech like AI in a structured way.
The turning point: seeing the MBA from the inside
In June 2024, one of my business coaches personally recommend me as a panel member evaluating business pitches from full-time MBA students.
These students had been working in teams on a business plan as part of their “Developing an Innovative and Entrepreneurial Mindset” module. I spent tine listening to their ideas, asking questions, and providing feedback.
It was a bit surreal: I wasn’t an MBA student, I was helping assess them.
Two things clicked for me that day:
- I realised how much I’d already learned through work experience, accelerators, and ventures.
- I also saw how powerful a structured programme can be.
That experience made me want to go deeper into understanding the business field but in a way that fit the reality of my life and career stage.
Why not “just use YouTube, MOOCs and AI”?
Yes, there is an incredible amount of free content out there. You can watch lectures on YouTube, take open courses from top business schools, and ask tools like ChatGPT to explain almost any concept.
But at this stage, I realised I didn’t just need more information. I needed:
- Structure – a coherent pathway through complex topics, not a random playlist of saved links.
- Accountability – deadlines, deliverables, and the expectation that I will show up and do the work.
- Depth – going beyond summaries to apply ideas to real problems and get feedback.
- Community – peers and faculty challenging my thinking, not just algorithms recommending my next video.
My MBA isn’t a magic ticket. But the environment it creates, the modules, projects, discussions and reflection, is something I simply wasn’t going to build for myself in a consistent, disciplined way while juggling work and life. It’s a lot of work, but I’m genuinely enjoying the process.
Why an AI-focused, part-time, online MBA, and why now?
These are the main reasons this specific format made sense for me:
- I want to broaden my strategic perspective and sharpen my leadership skills. A formal business qualification is part of that transition. Not because letters after my name change anything, but because the process forces me to think, decide and operate at a different level.
- AI isn’t a side topic anymore, it is the topic. AI used to be a niche interest; now it shapes almost every industry. I didn’t want a generic MBA with one “innovation” module bolted on. I wanted a programme with an AI concentration built in, where I can explore modules such as Legal & Ethical Dimensions, Organisation & Management Theory, Global Operations Management, Tech, Design & Innovation, Business Strategy, AI Governance & Ethics, Managing AI Projects and much more. Studying through a university based in Silicon Valley adds another dimension, proximity (even virtually) to the ecosystem where many of these tools are being built and tested.
- I can keep working (and experimenting) while I study. A part-time, online format was non-negotiable. I wanted to keep my day job, continue building and testing ventures, and apply what I learn in real time to deals, projects and experiments. The manageable, modular structure means I can balance study around work. It’s intense, but it’s sustainable.
- It aligns with who I am: a lifelong learner. If there’s a consistent thread through my career, it’s this: I love learning. From accelerators to short courses to self-directed experiments, I’ve always invested in my development. The MBA isn’t the start of that journey, it’s a continuation and an upgrade.
So is an MBA “worth it” in the AI era?
For me, the answer is, only time will tell.
An MBA isn’t automatically worth it. But I think if you:
- Have meaningful work experience already.
- Know roughly what you want the next 10–15 years of your career to feel like.
- Choose a programme that aligns with specialisms such as AI.
- Intend to actually use the tools, network and perspective it gives you.
Then an MBA can still be a powerful catalyst.
Free content and AI tools are incredible. I use them daily. But they haven’t replaced the value of structured, demanding, guided learning. If anything, they make it even more important to have a clear framework for how you think, decide and lead.
I didn’t choose a part-time online MBA with an AI specialism because I believe old models of education are perfect.
I chose it because I believe the future belongs to people who can:
- Combine deep experience with fresh thinking.
- Speak both business and technology.
- Learn continuously with and alongside AI.
- Lead people through uncertainty, not just optimise what already exists.
That’s the leader I’m working on becoming.
If you’re mid-career and wondering whether more formal study still has a place in your journey, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions. This path isn’t for everyone but for some of us, at a certain moment, it’s exactly the right kind of stretch.