From Engineer to Business Decision Maker
Andy is upleveling his business toolkit to become a leader in his industry
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Client name changed for confidentiality
Representative client image (AI-generated)
Before MBA Protocol
Before working with MBA Protocol, I was an engineer in the transportation industry. I spent years helping execute and launch complex products, but I became increasingly frustrated seeing strong technical ideas fail because the business case behind them wasn’t compelling enough.
After a few setbacks in both projects and career progression, I realized it wasn’t enough for me to simply design and build products anymore. I wanted to understand how to formulate a credible strategy to commercialize and sustainably scale them. I also realized I lacked both the business training and the environment to develop those skills organically, which is what pushed me to seriously consider an MBA.
Why MBA, why now
Over the course of my career, I came to realize through both successful and failed product launches that building a great product requires far more than strong engineering or attractive design. It also requires a coherent business strategy.
I felt that if I wanted to gain those skills organically, it would either take many more years of experience or require an abrupt career pivot without much support or credibility behind it. The MBA offered a structured way to accelerate that transition while building both the skill set and network I was missing.
I wasn’t necessarily trying to completely reinvent myself. I was trying to maximize my escape velocity into product strategy and leadership.
In the short term, I’m aiming for a role that combines my technical credibility as a product engineer with stronger business and strategic decision-making skills. I want to bridge the maker side of myself with the business side so I can help drive better product decisions from both perspectives.
Long term, I’d love to build something of my own. Whether that means acquiring a business or starting one from scratch, ideally in the hardware or physical products space.
Why MBA Protocol
For me, the deep introspective work that preceded everything else immediately stood out. It showed me that the process prioritized authenticity rather than trying to manufacture a polished version of myself.
I’ve never been comfortable over-embellishing my accomplishments, so I really appreciated the amount of time and care spent understanding me as a person, not just as an applicant. That process felt genuinely thoughtful and human.
What surprised me most was that it went far beyond admissions consulting. It was really about helping someone reflect on their experiences and reframe parts of their life into a compelling and meaningful story.
Aside from the process itself, access to a community of other applicants through regular office hours and group chats made the stress of applications much more manageable. It’s uncommon for people in my industry and organization to pursue business school, so I didn’t really have anyone in my network who could relate to the experience. Having a cohort of peers going through the same process made it feel less lonely and more grounded. It was helpful having more than just one person I could talk to throughout the process.
The work we did together
The biggest change was clarity.
I walked away with a much clearer understanding of who I was, what I wanted, and what kind of future I was actually working toward.
That clarity started showing up in other areas of my life too. Around the same time, I was promoted to lead a large project at work, and I think part of that came from operating with more confidence and direction.
On the application side, I had been struggling with whether my test scores were “good enough” to apply. Brian helped me realize that I already had a compelling story and meaningful experiences worth sharing, which ultimately gave me the confidence to move forward with applying this year.
Brian’s genuine curiosity made it very easy to open up and share parts of my story that I normally wouldn’t talk about. He had a way of finding excitement and meaning in the things that genuinely interested me, which made the whole process feel natural rather than performative.
What stood out most was how quickly he seemed to understand the deeper motivations behind my decisions, hobbies, and interests without needing excessive explanation. That made it much easier to articulate who I actually was and why I wanted this next chapter.
MBA Admission Results
I was admitted to my top-choice program, and ultimately only had to apply to one school.
More importantly, I felt an immense sense of validation and relief. The process helped me recognize that the work I had done throughout my career and life actually formed a compelling story worth telling.
Advice to other pivoters
Before deciding where you want to go, you first need to understand where you are. The most valuable part of this process for me was developing genuine clarity and introspection. Once I had that, it became much easier to articulate both my story and the direction I wanted my career to move toward.
Andy’s Success Statistics
- Pre-MBA: Engineer with 12 years of experience
- Test: GMAT Focus 635
- Post-MBA goal: Strategic Product Manager
- Admits: 1/1 Berkeley Haas