Why You Must Unlearn Your MBA – David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals

David Heinemeier Hansson of 37signals and the creator of Ruby on Rails delivers a powerful lecture at Standford University’s Entrepreneurship Program.

He says that planning is guessing, and for a start-up, the focus must be on today and not on tomorrow. He argues that constraints–fiscal, temporal, or otherwise–drive innovation and effective problem-solving. The most important thing, Hansson believes, is to make a dent in the universe with your company.

He stresses the dangers of accepting venture capital money and why it’s more important to be profitable than be a big company.

Topics:
02:30 – Veer Away from Heavy Management Theory
02:52 – Planning Is Guessing
02:56 – Venture Capital Is a Time Bomb
01:53 – Don’t Play with Other People’s Money
03:09 – Playing It Small Doesn’t Mean Not Making Money
02:56 – Great Ideas Derive from Well-Rested Minds
01:57 – Constraints Are Your Friends
01:08 – Overnight Success Does Not Exist
01:56 – A Small Business Can Be a Highly Profitable Company
02:24 – Out-Teach Your Competition
01:19 – What I Did Learn at Business School