The last 4 weeks have been rather busy for me (read sleep-deprived) as I chose to be part of Seth Godin’s altMBA.
I’m writing this post to help upcoming altMBA students with some insights on how to make the most of this journey.
What is altMBA?
The altMBA is an online leadership and management program, an intensive, peer-to-peer program designed to help people level up and make change happen.
From a process point of view, you get to work in cohorts and learning groups. You have to complete 13 assignments in less than 4 weeks. In addition to this, you have to publish at least 50 comments on the work that your peers are producing. Plus, you get to join extraordinary people from around the world for at least 10 hours per week on zoom calls to discuss your assignments.
For me altMBA was all about:
- People & Connections
I got the opportunity to connect with great people throughout this journey of leaping and learning and generosity. I was impressed and honoured to be working with such smart and talented people as part of the weekly learning groups. You’ll be amazed at the diversity, creativity, wisdom, generosity, bravery each participant brings to this program.
- Learning
You’ll learn many things — from business models, decision making, launching new ventures and making change happen to practising silence, empathy, re-framing your thinking, re-writing your narrative, understanding your ‘why’, showing gratitude and generosity.
- Shipping
This is key. Shipping beats resistance and makes you a doer. Each of us is an artist, capable of work that makes a difference. The key here is not to hold your vision for yourself and cheat the world of your contribution.
Shipping has 3 parts:
Publishing the project – you’ll have to deliver 13 projects + 2 optional in 4 weeks. These are proper projects, they require your unique contribution, teamwork and time to complete. I was amazed at the creative writing skills that some people in this program have. But your project is not just about the reader, it’s about you and the change that you want to make.
Commenting feedback – This is the juice. How often do you really get the chance to have tens of people carefully reading your work, taking the time to understand your worldviews and provide you with thoughtful, honest and meaningful feedback? This is powerful! Master giving and receiving feedback in this program and you’ve got value for your money.
Reflection script (RS) – This is the part where you go back and make it better. Again, it’s not a native skill, mostly because we want to always lean forward, constantly on the lookout for the next big thing. But the RS encourages you to go back, reflect, set responsibilities for your better self – this is how you seal the learning and get to see the world from different perspectives.
Key Takeaways
Do more of these to make the most of your experience:
- Free up your calendar.
- Get support – you’ll need lots of tea and free time for those long zoom calls and shipping 3 projects per week (I’ve done this program while being 7 months pregnant, and it wouldn’t have been possible without my partner’s encouragement and support).
- Give it the best shot you’ve got from the very beginning (I struggled with resistance and scepticism for the first week).
- Read the books well in advance (you get at least 8 books to read).
Conclusion
Ultimately, altMBA is what you make of it. You only get out what you put into it. It’s still a business program, but so much different from formal education. The focus is on growing yourself through the power and support of a community.
Your work is meant to help you change, to level up and understand yourself better – that’s why it’s hard work, but it’s work worth doing, this work you can’t delegate, this is work that only you can do.
Keep learning and strive for greatness!
#altmba
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