Entrepreneur Uri Pomerantz recalls his student days at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “I still remember my professor advising us that, at the end of your career, you’re unlikely to regret taking a calculated risk to achieve a goal, regardless of the outcome.”

Mr Pomerantz, who graduated in 2008, is among the one in six MBA graduates who launch their own company within three years of graduation, according to Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2011/12 survey data. While many of these graduates embark on their own projects straight after graduation, others opt for more work experience before taking the plunge. “The latter learn how to become founders second-hand, building skills while learning how to avoid the typical pitfalls,” notes Noam Wasserman, professor of entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School.

Mr Pomerantz falls into this second group, having gained two years of consulting experience at McKinsey after graduation.