I Got My MBA (Without Going to School)
“How was working at Gartner?”
My answer is always the same…"
”I got my masters at Gartner.”
I usually say it casually, but I mean it very seriously. Not because I think formal education lacks value, and not because I believe there is only one path to learning. I say it because the environment, the people, and the expectations at Gartner shaped how I think about business in a way I will carry with me forever. This article is not a comparison but more so an appreciation.
Why I Say I Got My Masters at Gartner
What made Gartner special was the caliber of people I was surrounded by. The level of professionalism was consistently high. How people prepared, how they communicated, how they showed up in meetings, and how they thought through problems all set a standard.
Being immersed in that environment for four years sharpened my thinking in ways that are hard to replicate outside of it. You learn quickly when expectations are clear and consistently reinforced. Over time, that standard becomes internalized. That is why I say I got my masters there. The education came from immersion, not coursework.
Business Acumen Comes From Repetition
One of the biggest benefits of my time at Gartner was exposure. Repeated conversations with c-level executives across industries force you to develop pattern recognition. You start to understand how businesses think, how decisions get made, and what leaders actually care about. Business acumen doesn’t arrive all at once. It compounds quietly through repetition. Each conversation builds on the last. Over time, you learn how to listen for what matters and filter out what doesn’t.
That way of thinking now shows up daily as I build HUMN. Whether it’s evaluating partnerships, preparing for investor meetings, or making sequencing decisions, that foundation continues to guide me.
Learning How to Prepare for a Meeting
One of the most valuable skills I learned at Gartner was how to prepare for a meeting. Not just researching a company or reading a client profile, but actually showing your work. Preparation meant understanding a client’s mission critical priorities and being able to articulate how those priorities connected to what you were offering. It was not enough to know your material. You had to demonstrate how your thinking aligned with their reality (the key here is THEIR reality).
That level of preparation builds trust before the meeting even begins. It signals respect for the other person’s time and challenges (the c-suite is going back to back meetings all day). It also sharpens your own clarity. That discipline has carried directly into how I prepare for investor conversations today. The expectation is the same. Know the room. Understand the priorities.
Show your thinking clearly. I think about this constantly where I know we’re in a meeting for a reason but the reality is the opportunity is yours to lose so preparation and rehearsal is crucial. Control the controllables.
Tying Priorities to Solutions
Another major takeaway from my time at Gartner was learning how to connect a customer’s priorities to a solution. This goes far beyond features or deliverables. It requires understanding what is truly at stake for the person across the table. “What are the ramifications if this doesn’t happen?” was often asked.
That connection is an art form. It requires listening, synthesis, and restraint. You are not trying to impress. You are trying to align. This skill applies far beyond consulting. It shows up in leadership, strategy, and capital raising. When I talk about HUMN with investors, I’m not just sharing a vision. I’m framing how that vision aligns with what matters to them.
Learning How to Sell the Intangible
Perhaps the most important skill I developed was learning how to sell something intangible:
Insight
Frameworks
Perspective
Long term thinking.
Selling something you can’t touch forces you to sharpen how you communicate value. You learn how to make ideas feel concrete. That is not a common skill, and it is not an easy one to develop. For me, it was next level. It changed how I think about business entirely.
That ability now sits at the core of building HUMN. Whether I am presenting the business, discussing strategy, or aligning partners, I am constantly drawing on that experience.
Final Thoughts
I am deeply grateful for my time at Gartner. The people, the standards, and the environment shaped how I think and operate today. The education I received there continues to show up in every part of building HUMN. I may not have gone back to school, but I walked away with an education that has proven invaluable and it is one I will continue to draw from as I build what comes next.
