Should Entrepreneurs Hassle With Graduate School?

For the average person in their 20s who has an entrepreneurial interest, should a Master's degree be a priority?  Many say entrepreneurship cannot be taught.  The media is always reporting on successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college or high school.  Is a Master's degree a risk or a smart idea in today's marketplace?

In writing the book, Handshakin Your Way to Entrepreneurial Success, I learned from Colorado's most successful entrepreneurs that aspiring entrepreneurs need to immerse themselves in strategic communities.  This qualifies them to get optimal tools, contacts, and meetings that they need to reach their biggest goals.  Community is the basis to building a sturdy and credible foundation as an aspiring entrepreneur, and a Master's degree will allow you access to more competitive, high-value communities:

• You will be seen as a more credible entrepreneur with a Master's degree--especially if it's in the same industry in which your startup is.  For example, the CEO/Founder of an app that helps with personal finance would increase his or her credibility by having an Master's in Finance.
  
  
• You will be part of a community of others with similar Master's degrees.  Remember all the friends you made in college?  All you guys have at least Bachelor's degrees--cool!  Remember everyone from high school that at least has a high school degree?  Same concept.  Build personal relationships with fellow graduates in your Master's degree to have a network of wealthier potential angel investors.  After all, it's a well thought out personal relationship strategy that leads to entrepreneurial success.  Only 8% percent of the population now holds Master’s degrees, the same percentage that held bachelor’s degrees (or higher) in the 1960s according to The American Interest.  Obtaining a Master's degree can allow you easier access to elite communities.
  
  
• You will learn how to meet demanding deadlines & sell an idea effectively.  These two skills are especially taught well at Daniel's College of Business, at the University of Denver, where I received my MBA.  Aside from the University, Denver is the 2nd best city in the nation to launch your startup according to Forbes.  

If you're interested in entrepreneurship, apply for a Master's degree right away.  If you're starting up here in Colorado like all of us at Startup Denver, Daniel's College of Business is the Harvard of the West, and the best business school in Colorado.  As an entrepreneur who relies heavily on shaking hands and networking, the people I met at Daniel's and the credibility of a Master's degree from Daniel's gives me all the credibility I need to reach the huge goals I have as an entrepreneur.