I was reading about how some people are using MBAs in Spain to launch startup businesses in the country. Specifically, I'm looking at IE business school to do just that.

I'm an American who has traveled in Europe a lot and I lived in London for a time. I've worked in startups mainly but now I want to transition to Madrid and either work in startups there or ideally start my own company. The city and Spain itself seems pretty open to foreigners in terms of visas and doesn't have the cost of living issues associated with London.

IE is attractive because of its connections with VC and they do have an accelerator as well. These seem like positive things. The other alternative is to invest the money I would spend on the MBA into relocating and launching a business.

My main question to you guys (experts especially) is if it's truly an added value to have an MBA for my goals. I guess it's not just about the MBA but the connections with the community, the accelerator, and all that.

I think you should go there and hang out. If you don't have excellent Spanish there is a good chance you will have to make more money for Spanish partners than for yourself but, hey, that is just the deal.

I'd say it really depends on (1) how well developed your business idea is and (2) what kind of connections you already have there. Going to IE can help you develop both of those things. The question is, will those outcomes be worth it for you versus just going it alone? Maybe you can ask the school to see what kind of outcomes you can expect. Ask them about people who were in a similar position to yours and where they are now.

Thank you both for your feedback. I will take it into consideration before moving forward.