Price update: The Pareto MBA price will increase from €2,500 to €3,500 effective May 15. Apply now
Next Pareto MBA starts on April 11, 2025. Join Q&A >>
Next Pareto MBA starts on April 11, 2025. Join Q&A >>
The Pareto MBA
Learn practical business skills from 30+ case studies in the Pareto MBA
8 weeks, 7-8 hours per week
Four cohorts per year - Next starts Sep 5, 2025
A modern alternative to the traditional MBA
The need for business understanding and practical skills is greater today than ever before. However, a traditional MBA can set you back at least $100,000, while taking valuable time from your day-to-day work and private life.
We have developed an alternative approach: The Pareto MBA is an 8-week mini-MBA that takes 7-8 hours/week and fits your schedule while significantly improving your business skills.
So far 200+ participants have completed the program across 9 cohorts, with a Net Promoter Score of +87. Many have been promoted or grown their businesses, in addition to feeling more fulfilled in their daily work. Many participants make back the program fee during the program itself.
Please download our brochure – we'd love to tell you more.
A modern alternative to the traditional MBA
Even though so many specialists need business upskilling, they simply don't have the time to do it.
A traditional Executive MBA can set you back at least $100,000, while taking valuable time from your day-to-day work and hurting your relationships in the process.
We have developed an alternative approach: The Pareto MBA is an 8-week mini-MBA that takes 7-8 hours/week and fits your schedule while still vastly improving your business problem solving skills and decision making toolkit.
So far, ~170 people have completed the program since its inception in 2023, with a Net Promoter Score of +87. Several of them got promoted or started new businesses, and one even bought himself a factory (!). In several cases, our course participants even saw tangible business outcomes in their current jobs while still in the program - one of the saved their company $50,000 as a direct consequence of one of our course lessons(!).
Curious to know more? Download our brochure!
Download brochure
By clicking the button below, you agree to receive marketing emails. We'll only use your personal information for promotional offers and news about our products and services. We won't share your information with any third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.
How we do it differently
Learn from real-life professionals and experts
We believe business education has become too academic. Instead of professors without real-life experience, we have based our program on interviews with business leaders and practitioners.
In order to fit your schedule, we are using a "flipped classroom" approach – study at your own pace for 3-5 hours per week, then go deeper together with our teachers and your class in twice-weekly live sessions.
Weekend
Module content drops
We release every week's content the weekend before. The material usually requires 3-5 hours of self-study.
Mid-week
Office hours
Wednesday lunch we host live office hours with small exercises and Q&A sessions about the week's content.
Fridays
Case workshop
Friday lunch we work on a business case during a live workshop with breakout rooms and presentations.
The Pareto MBA learning experience
Learn dozens of hands-on business tools from 30+ real-world case studies during 8 weeks
The Pareto MBA schedule is designed to be flexible and adapted to real life while at the same time maximizing the amount of learning. The time commitment is about 6-8 hours per week total across individual work and online group calls.
There's one module per week and each of the 8 modules starts with 3-5 hours of self-paced study, with a combination of short videos, summaries, quizzes and exercises. We then gather on Wednesday at 12 noon CET for an office hour call (lasting 1 h) where we discuss the week's content, and then come in on Friday for the weekly case workshop also at 12 noon CET (lasting 1:15 h). There's a short mini exam every week and after you've completed all 8 weeks you'll receive the Pareto MBA diploma.
Week 1
Business Basics
Key concepts, business language, business tools, competitive advantage
Videos: 13
Case studies: 2
Industry in focus: Hospitality
Week 2
Opportunities, Strategy and Positioning
Evaluating business opportunities, business models, strategy, positioning
Videos: 28
Case studies: 6
Industry in focus: Software, SaaS
Week 3
Marketing and Sales
Go-to-market strategy,, customer segments, branding, positioning, B2B vs B2C
Videos: 26
Case studies: 7
Industry in focus: HR, recruiting
Week 4
Growth and Hiring
Growth, best practice for hiring, scalability, unit economics, financing growth
Videos: 23
Case studies: 8
Industry in focus: Marketplaces
Week 5
Leadership, Culture and Communication
Self-awareness, best-practice approaches to leading others, communication, culture
Videos: 13
Case studies: 2
Industry in focus: Consulting
Week 6
Management and Operations
Management vs leadership, operations, KPIs, prioritization, agile & lean
Videos: 14
Case studies: 5
Industry in focus: D2C
Week 7
Adversity and Change
Dealing with adversity, turnarounds, change management
Videos: 15
Case studies: 3
Industry in focus: Education
Week 8
M&A, Finance and Returns
Buying and selling companies (M&A), valuation, types of deals, acquisition process
Videos: 10
Case studies: 3
Industry in focus: Finance
Watch a Sample Interview from Module 2 with Niklas Agevik, CEO of Reason Studios
Listen to Niklas Agevik, CEO of Reason Studios (a music making software used by artists such as The Weekend and Tyler the Creator) tell the story about how the company switched business models from perpetual license to SaaS. The case is part of Module 2, where we discuss business models and strategy.
Who the program is for
The Pareto MBA is tailor-made for ambitious professionals of all educational backgrounds
Our participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds – both in terms of role and industry. Some common job titles are: CxO (CEO, CMO, CHRO, CTO etc), Business Development Manager, Engineering Manager, Product Manager, Sales Manager / Head of Sales, Head of People etc, but we have also had quite a few founders join to further develop their skillset.
"Fantastic set-up, on point and with an incredibly lovely group! 👏🤗"
Sofia P, Head of Sales @ Alva Labs
“I must say I'm impressed, this course has so far exceeded my expectation and I thoroughly love the Pareto Principle... saving me so much time and energy from having to crawl through random business knowledge.”
Ling K, CBO @ OneFlow
“Big thanks to the brilliant founders of Pareto Business School and to my fellow cohort members for an engaging, challenging, and invaluable 8 weeks of learning”
Moa W, CHRO, LYKO
"For professionals seeking to expand their business acumen, I wholeheartedly recommend this program!"
Fabienne A, Head of Product @ Magine
“A huge thanks to Jens and Mathias for giving me the opportunity to participate in this really valuable, interesting and relevant course.”
Lana B, Business Developer @ Mastercard
“Super excited as I just completed the Pareto MBA! So many learnings, confidence and new friends:)”
Margarit M, Director of Engineering @ Lifesum
“Big shout out to Jens and Mathias for a fantastic setup and moderation of the Pareto MBA; thanks for all the models, methods, and valuable insights! I'm incredibly proud of my certificate“
Pelle A, Marketing Director
“It was well-structured, diving into key business models with an emphasis on leadership and strategy. These resonated with me and matched my ambition for professional development this year. I'm grateful to be a part of the active alumni network too.”
Aaron C, CEO @ Hawaii Poké
“What to say of the learning experience? For me with an HR background, this mini MBA program was truly a treasure trove. ”
Marie K, Business Unit Manager @ Actemium
"“So far the best investment of the year!”"
Filip L, Advertising Professional, Sweden
Who we are
Our founders and program guides
Meet Jens Bäckbom
Jens is a venture capital investor and former Fund manager at Almi Invest, a state-owned venture capital firm in Sweden. He has a dual degree in Engineering Physics and Finance, founded his first company in 1997 and has started 10+ companies since, three of which have been sold. He has also written a book on common misjudgements and biases.
Meet Mathias Eklöf
Mathias Eklöf is the founder and CEO of Hype Ventures, an impact investment company with 15+ investments across the world. He has an MSc degree from the Stockholm School of Economics and a track record of entrepreneurship with multiple exits under his belt. Mathias's claim to fame is that he put money in Tesla back in 2009.
Earn a Pareto MBA diploma to stand out
Earn a recognized diploma upon completion and prove your business credentials on your resume and LinkedIn.
Pareto MBA Alumni network
Join our vibrant alumni network
The journey doesn't stop when you graduate. Our alumni network is very active, with bi-weekly online "lunch'n'learn" webinars, offline in-person meetups 5-6 times per year and an "unconference" where we meet offsite in an informal setting.
NPS of +87 from alumni at leading companies:
Watch a free sample class
Curious to see a sample class from our program? In this video, Pareto Business School founder Jens Bäckbom walks you through the basics of competitive advantages and pricing power.
200+
170+ alumni have completed the Pareto MBA since its launch in 2023. During 2025 we will help even more busy professionals to take their business skills to the next level.
+87 NPS
Our alumni are extremely satisfied with the Pareto MBA. They emphasize the practical approach, useful mental models, diverse group and time-efficient learning.
20+
Our participants represent 20+ different countries and a wide range of roles, including CEOs, sales professionals, lawyers, marketers, entrepreneurs and many others.
THE PARETO MBA
SOCIAL
Copyright © 2024 Pareto Business School International AB, Org.no: 559424-9848. All rights reserved.