From B-School to Startups: A Conversation with Fuqua’s Josh Cohen
We met with Josh Cohen, Director of MBA Entrepreneurship Programs & Startup Recruiting at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, to discuss his career journey and how he supports students interested in entrepreneurship and startups.
Background: From sports consulting to startups
MBA Pathfinders: Josh, let’s start with your background. You went from Fuqua to becoming CEO of an early-stage startup. What led you there?
Josh Cohen: I came into business school from the sports industry. I was at a niche sports consultancy that worked with teams and leagues on market research, executive recruiting, and feasibility studies for stadiums and arenas.
In my admissions essay, I said I wanted to work in big-brand sports marketing – Coca-Cola, Bank of America, etc. It was a compelling story, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. What I knew intuitively was that I wanted to work in an environment that allowed for impact and allowed for autonomy, and startups certainly do that.
After Fuqua, a friend asked me to run his real estate startup. This was 2007, right before the financial crisis, and we faced some tough headwinds. I made plenty of mistakes and had to shut it down after six months. I had to recalibrate, so I leaned on my network.
I reconnected with a company where I’d interned, joined as their first business hire, and ended up staying 14 years – through bootstrapping, fundraising, and eventually an acquisition by Ford Motor Company. It was quite a run.
I feel really grateful to have had that opportunity and leverage my network to come from a really challenging environment – of having to shut down that company and lay all of the employees off, including myself – to pivoting to that other startup and turn that into something that was a pretty profound experience..
Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs
MBA Pathfinders: That’s a huge arc – from joining a five-person startup to staying through an acquisition. How does that inform your current work with Fuqua students?
Josh Cohen: My role is split between two areas:
Supporting students who want to work at early-stage startups
Helping students who want to build companies themselves
On the entrepreneurship side, I run programs like Startup Sprint, a six-week , course that takes an idea from zero to one. It’s open to the entire Duke community – we even had incoming freshmen join last year. The focus is on identifying real problems worth solving, validating them with customers, and building momentum.
For students who arrive at Fuqua with companies already generating revenue, we have the Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs Program, endowed by Duke alumna Melissa Bernstein. It helps students scale ventures that already have product-market fit.
We also host an annual Duke Startup Showcase, where student entrepreneurs present their ventures and compete for over $100,000 in non-dilutive funding. It’s a highlight of the year and a chance for students to show off their progress “science fair” style.
On the career side, I work closely with student-led groups and coach students who want to join startups. Unlike consulting or banking, startups don’t recruit in neat, structured ways. Roles are fragmented and often never posted. Students have to learn an entirely different approach to job hunting.
The “Upside-Down Job Search”
MBA Pathfinders: How do you guide students through the startup recruiting process?
Josh Cohen: I use a framework I call the “upside-down job search.” The idea is: you have to do the job in order to get the job.
When I landed my startup roles, none of them were posted. They came through conversations, timing, and showing I could add value. If you’re waiting for a job posting, you’re competing with the world. If you’re building relationships with decision-makers and showing how you can help, you’re an “n of one.”
That’s the big mindset shift. It’s less about resumes and more about creating advocates inside organizations.
I also help with building a personal brand – whether on LinkedIn, through writing, or other platforms. I do think that LinkedIn is a big opportunity and have increasing conviction in this. The key is clarifying your unique value proposition: what strengths and experiences you bring that others don’t.
Misconceptions about startups and risk
MBA Pathfinders: What’s the biggest misconception MBAs have about startups or entrepreneurship?
Josh Cohen: The most common one is: “I can’t do this because it’s too risky.”
Yes, startups can fail. I’ve been there. But I’ve also spent 14 years at a startup that successfully exited. And let’s be honest – big companies aren’t risk-free either. We’ve seen layoffs in tech and delayed start dates in consulting.
The difference is impact. At a startup, everything you do matters. You’re not one cog in a machine of 100,000. That doesn’t mean big firms aren’t valuable – they absolutely are – but if you’re going to face risk either way, then I’d rather be somewhere I feel like I can make an impact.
Final advice for MBAs
MBA Pathfinders: Any final advice for students considering entrepreneurship or startups?
Josh Cohen: Take time early in the MBA to reflect on your unique talents and values. Recruiting gets hectic, but if you’re grounded in what matters most, you’ll navigate uncertainty better.
And don’t underestimate your network. Whether you’re launching a venture or chasing a startup role, connections often matter more than job boards.
MBA Pathfinders: That’s great advice – thank you, Josh!
Learn more from Josh on his Substack: Upside Down Job Search or LinkedIn.