• Rousseau Kazi worked at Facebook for six years as a product manager before starting his inclusive workplace communication tool, Threads.
• He told Business Insider that his time at the tech giant was just as valuable (if not more so in some ways) as getting an MBA might be.
• His reasons are that in tech, you're able to "experience the pain" and get a crash course in managing and running a business - things that can't necessarily be taught in the classroom.
• He's also found that some of his most valuable hires didn't have MBA degrees.
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At age 20, Rousseau Kazi started working at Facebook as a product manager, moving steadily up from intern to consultant to manager.

That was back in 2011. After six years with the massive tech company, Kazi parlayed the knowledge he gained at Facebook into launching his own company, Threads, an inclusive workplace communication tool. Threads launched from stealth with a Series A of $10.5 million led by Sequoia in early 2019, which also included a 50/50 gender cap table, something that the company strongly believes every organization should actively pursue in order to innovate and grow.

Kazi believes that in order to continue to foster innovation, companies need to encourage more diversity and inclusion from the get-go. He cofounded Threads with the premise of fostering communication and collaboration between all individuals in the workplace, opening doors for everyone to share ideas and be heard.

Two and a half years after deciding to go the startup route, the successful CEO and cofounder shared with Business Insider three reasons why he believes working for a major player in the technology industry just might be the best business education you can get - and not just because its a path that pays you while you learn and doesn't cost upwards of $70,000 to $80,000 a year like going to a top business school would (and that's just for tuition!).

Reason #1: It helps you "experience the pain" and learn to overcome it

Kazi explained that he had many experiences that helped him grow while on Facebook's product management team. Whether he was learning that "most toxic collaborations come from people being ignorant, not malicious," how anger is "just how people get to be afraid without seeming weak," or how to ship products under "unbelievable" deadlines, each lesson was preceded by "humbling experiences of me making mistakes, causing thrash, having incredible mentors who helped me improve, swallowing my pride, and getting better each and every day."

These eye-opening moments, he added, won't necessarily come from a classroom setting; he emphasized that the insights he gained at the tech giant could be more powerful than what people generally study in business school. "You can't fabricate that pain and growth; you just have to go out there and do it."

While Kazi didn't choose the route of an MBA, he has interviewed and managed people who do have the degree. "If the choice is between getting an MBA or doing a startup for two years (that fails), I would bet on the person who did the latter to join my company to work on product," said Kazi. "Growth hurts and is painful. The sooner you start the process, the faster you'll start learning."

Reason #2: It's a better and faster education for those looking to work in tech anyways

While Kazi admitted that working at a large company or startup is not necessarily better in all regards, he identified it as the best option if you want to end up in the product space - or start your own tech company.

"This is for a few reasons," he said. "You often learn by doing, not reading. There's no right way to build a product or a team, just a bunch of wrong ways you need to work through."

Kazi added that because taking on a product management role in a tech firm is "more of an art than a science," the experience can help you develop your skills better than book learning can, which is why many tech giants, Facebook included, invest in product management starter programs. "You have to play to your strengths, learn about yourself and the type of leader you need to become, and then figure out your best style based on that," he said. "You won't do that as quickly in a classroom."

While interviewing PM candidates at Facebook, Kazi chatted with plenty of MBA candidates who were a great fit for the PM role. But he noticed a discrepancy between applicants with industry experience and those with the degree alone.

"Throughout that process, there was a clear difference between people who tried building their own products or companies and failed [compared with] people who just took the classes," said Kazi. "If you've already gone through it, you have a better internal barometer to figure things out and ultimately make sure you build something people want, get it out on time, and that your team wants to work with you again once it's all done."

Reason #3: It gives you a crash course in managing people and running a business

In terms of leadership, Kazi pointed to his Facebook training as helping him understand the importance of culture and chemistry when building a team, and how to use narratives, visions, and storytelling to communicate effectively.

"I learned how a leader isn't a visionary that stands in front of the crowd, but a catalyst that focuses on building systems and environments that help their team be their best selves," he said. "At the end of the day, I learned how to build great teams with strong personalities, how to give those teams an environment where they can do their best work, how to set a vision to help the team have an impact and realize their potential, and how to evaluate markets and solutions to make sure that what we're building actually matters."

In other words, when it comes to building, creating, and performing in a business, he learned what really matters.