Though there are going to be questions about leadership qualities of Steve Jobs, a calligraphy course played a crucial role in the success of Steve Jobs. In the same way, invest in an education (go for a bachelor's degree from a reputable program; need not be an expensive one) that aligns with your interest, and you might reap the rewards in the future. At the same time, also remember that times are changing, and having a holistic education capturing different areas would help in navigating through the changing times, and will give confidence to face adversities.

Does it mean that you need to get as many degrees as I did?

Not necessarily. In my case, I got two Masters in Engineering degrees while pursuing my PhD, and it took almost the same time. Similarly, though I was getting involved on the business front, there was this general market notion that PhDs can't move to business side. I could have fought hard to justify it, but getting a MBA appeared to be an easier choice. Moreover, marketing of the MBA degree certainly makes it sound attractive and relevant for business decision-making, and was my dream for a long time. I value the MBA that I secured, but figured later out that my prior knowledge acquired over the years was instrumental in shaping me who I am, and directed me to get my MBA.

Further, taking the break from the PhD degree, and working for a startup helped in gaining better understanding of the big picture, and connecting different areas, especially, on the operational point of view. Though academic role was not my primary interest, and I was always focused to hold a leadership role in the corporate world, academic role happened as a detour, and it remained that way, most probably, due to powerful forces limiting me in getting fair opportunities to move out (especially, in this networked world). At the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed my academic experience during the years of 2009-2014.

Now, having been in both academic and industrial roles, time has come to exploit my experiences over the years, and try to fulfill my father's dream to transform this startup to something of substance.

Suggestion:

Recently, an experienced academic faculty member of stature similar to mine or lesser mentioned in one of the presentations that data analytics based certification should help in performing data analytics on par with PhD graduates in different areas. If that were the case, Universities should reconsider the need to offer PhD programs. I also noticed that individuals with not much knowledge in this area still working in this field through whatever means whereas, a PhD researcher especially, in the STEM area who performs extensive data analytics in his/her research work ends up getting stereotyped as an expert in one area. Please note that this observation has nothing to do with me. I have decided to move the entrepreneurial route to test this space after seeing the recent trends in the marketplace, and after building years of experience.

From my experience, the one advise that I have for students is not to have the illusion that PhD experience (5-6 years of hard work similar to high performing data experts, and with compensation 1/5th of what data experts get paid), or any advanced degree for that matter would be valued, and will fetch better salaries than someone who has right connections irrespective of relevant qualification/credentials. If salary is your primary focal point, consider opportunity cost, and also perform thorough research on the value of the PhD degree that you're getting prior to enrolling into that program.