Computer Science or Mechanical Engineering as an Entrepreneur?
(Originally a Question on Quora)
Here’s an entrepreneurial perspective: Being bias towards CS, but I’d say both will give you a huge set of options in the job market and as an entrepreneur. Depending on what you want to do, you’ll be successful at both. Both teach you how to solve problems.
Being in the job market or being an entrepreneur has more to do with your initiative, connections and external resources rather than what major you take. Questions that ask about which is “better” can’t hold a candle to questions about which kind of domain knowledge is more appealing to you. I can’t tell you that. What I can tell you is they both have different requirements to be successful.
Assuming you get deep into your major…choose based on preference and skills needed to do them.
CS and ME, both are completely different streams in terms of the skills needed. The latter is heavier on arithmetic, math, physics, problem solving skills, your drawing capacity, your interest to work with machines, and hardware. CS on the other hand will mainly check your programming skills, ability to visualize and work with abstract concepts, data structures, algorithms and to execute them in via various means in software.
Personally I suggest high level computer science/software having done so, I do not regret it. In my opinion computer science provides many options and in the funding space and the job market incase you end up not “liking it” per-say. Hardware Startups vs. Software Startups: Lessons from CNBC’s #PowerPitch
Here’s a Quick Look:
Some reasons I prefer Software startups over hardware startups
- Low overhead capitol
- Quick MVP
- Agile, lean and iterable
- U.S. has software patents
- Barely have to worry about patents unless you have a particularity that can give your business an unfair advantage.
- Quick to market strategy
- Scale, scale, scale
- Eating up and DESTROYING other markets
- SaaS model is tried and true
- Data Science is powerful
- Lot’s of emerging tech is software (see image below)
Some reasons I prefer hardware startups
- Easy to pitch, tangible: see: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/telling_stories/using_props.htm
- More incentive to back a goodproject that requires it due to higher overheads
- Some emerging tech as well(quantum computing, etc)
- Patent protection worldwide (i.e., Canada doesn’t have software patents yet)
- Tangible/people see it physically (so easier videos, easier pitches, etc)
- Outsource components to China
- Harder to duplicate than software
- Can integrate software via IoT
- Essential for many health-tech and wearable ideas
- Big for science fields
- May require more domain knowledge
- Kickstarters actually are more common for hardware startups
I suggest you read Why Software Is Eating The World by Marc Andreessen, a massive name in Silicon Valley. Marc explains how software is eating up many global markets.
It is one of the most influential pieces of journalism that permeated entrepreneurs. He said:
Companies in every industry need to assume that a software revolution is coming. This includes even industries that are software-based today. […] They are going to be highly valuable cornerstone companies in the global economy, eating markets far larger than the technology industry has historically been able to pursue.
Finally, most courses offered in school DO NOT give you practical, non-theoretical info on how to start a startup anyway. ;)
Here’s something that will help you out as well:
I’m freely giving out a hefty package of notes from Silicon Valley CEOs, to MBA’s on how to start a startup.
Over 50 Docs of Notes! (How to Market, Pitch and More in 50+documents)
