PowerMBA vs. brunchwork: Which Online Course is for You?

by Benjamin Miller

If you’re considering enrolling in an online mini-MBA course, chances are you’ve come across ThePowerMBA and brunchwork. As two of the most successful and affordable mini-MBA experiences, you might be wondering which program is best for you.

At brunchwork, we sometimes are asked how we are different from ThePowerMBA, so we thought it would make sense to create this post comparing the two offerings. In an effort to provide an unbiased review of how the two programs stack up, we will be covering both similarities and differences of ThePowerMBA and brunchwork. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• PowerMBA and brunchwork Reviews: What Users Say
• PowerMBA vs. brunchwork: 3 Program Similarities
• PowerMBA vs. brunchwork:2 Key Program Differences
• Picking the Best Program for You

To do your own research and for easy access to more information, here are the websites for both ThePowerMBA and brunchwork. We hope this article serves you well in deciding which mini-MBA program is right for you.

brunchwork & PowerMBA Reviews: What Users Say About the Programs

brunchwork Reviews

To hear firsthand from users who have experienced the Business Intensive course, brunchwork’s Instagram account features dozens of reviews. There’s no shortage of course reviews, and brunchwork makes an effort to be as transparent as possible in sharing what its students are saying. Here are a couple examples:

“The Business Intensive was the perfect course for someone like myself who has an interest in so many sectors, while still maintaining my full-time job. I challenged myself, learned from others, and grew a really great network of professionals I’m confident I can lean on in the future. It was truly a powerful and expanding experience and I would highly recommend it to others.” -Olivia H.

“brunchwork did a phenomenal job facilitating the course. There was a good balance between learning the material and opportunities to put it into practice. I like that I have nice takeaways with the final project and presentation. It’s something I plan to continue to develop down the road.” -Josh D.

To read these reviews and more, check out brunchwork’s review page.

PowerMBA Reviews

PowerMBA reviews are generally mixed, and not as easily discoverable as the ones on brunchwork’s Instagram profile. While some users report having positive experiences, others report the opposite, and some fall somewhere in the middle of the two extremes.

Richard Walls, a Youtuber focusing on career development, covers the PowerMBA program in one of the most candid and revealing reviews. To summarize his PowerMBA review, Richard sees most of the program’s value in the organization and delivery of the content, but not so much in the content itself. In his view, most of the educational content can be found elsewhere on the internet for free or for little cost, through sources like Udemy or Coursera.

In an effort to find authentic PowerMBA reviews from users who have experienced the program for themselves, some Reddit threads appear to provide valuable insight. Below are a handful of relevant threads when it comes to PowerMBA reviews, although readers should browse carefully, as anyone on the internet can join these threads.
Any thoughts on PowerMBA?
Anyone tried powermba? Opinions?
Is PowerMBA useful at all?

PowerMBA vs. brunchwork’s Business Intensive

ThePowerMBA and brunchwork inherently share some similarities as two of the most popular virtual mini-MBA programs. While the differences covered later on will help you most in deciding which program to choose, let’s first cover some of those similarities.

3 Similarities between ThePowerMBA and brunchwork

Key similarities between the two programs in discussion include price point, access to top business leaders, and an intent to deliver a holistic education.

1. Price Point

In the world of higher education, both the PowerMBA and brunchwork offer attractive alternatives to traditional grad school, and both fall in a similar price range. Today, with all costs considered, most top business schools and MBAs cost students upwards of $200k!

By comparison, ThePowerMBA and brunchwork will run you about $2k, all in. Now, there is some nuance here. brunchwork offers its Business Intensive package as low as $1,649, whereas ThePowerMBA’s cheapest offering comes in at $1,995. PowerMBA also sets the ceiling on price, with its “Advanced” program costing $2,495 (about $500 more than any brunchwork package). But given the larger context of mini MBA vs traditional MBA cost, we see price point as more of a similarity than a difference for these two programs.

2. Access to Top Business Leaders

Giving students access to top business leaders is something both programs do well. Both programs feature educational content and ideas from executives at name brand companies and institutions, like PayPal, Tesla , Y-Combinator, and more.

3. Holistic Education

One final similarity is that both programs aim to provide students with a comprehensive and holistic business education. ThePowerMBA offers a business management program, a digital marketing program, and a combo program that blends them together (previously mentioned as the $2,495 package). Business Intensive from brunchwork is a little more straight-forward in telling prospective users exactly what is covered in the program. Core topics of Business Intensive include Strategy & Finance, Pricing, Web development, Communication & Presentation, Sales & Influence, Customer research, Marketing, and Branding.

2 Key Differences Between ThePowerMBA and brunchwork

With an understanding of how the programs are similar, let’s now break down some key differences that might help readers select their preferred program.

1. In-Depth Learning

Some key differences between the two programs lie in the learning depth and teaching approach of each. ThePowerMBA primarily makes use of pre-recorded 15 minute videos for its educational content. Conversely, brunchwork’s Business Intensive largely revolves around 14 interactive, live video sessions led by expert instructors.

A differentiator here for brunchwork is its co-learning approach, which is a key factor in the program’s ability to provide in-depth learning for students. Co-learning provides for a “flipped classroom” experience, where students interact, collaborate, and immerse themselves in the curriculum.

Between Business Intensive’s live course approach and its dedication to an immersive student experience, brunchwork gets the nod on in-depth learning. While this is likely a plus for many users, we recognize that a more passive, less interactive experience might be preferred by some students, in which case ThePowerMBA might be the right fit.

2. Live Instructors

As hinted at above, brunchwork bases much of its experience around live instructors. ThePowerMBA also mentions “live sessions with experts” as a perk, but it is unclear how many, how often, and what that really means. Since Business Intensive is much more clear in its use of live instructors as a core part of the program, we see this as a key differentiation between the two. 

Business Intensive instructors cover all of the areas in the 8 Core Business Skills highlighted earlier. From pricing models, to McKinsey-style presentation decks, to SEO strategies, to brand development, and more, brunchwork instructors walk students through it all – and it’s not just the high-level fluff. And to add to the live instructor experiences, students gain access to follow-up templates and materials that can be implemented immediately outside of the classroom.

Picking the Best Program for You

Both ThePowerMBA and brunchwork have educated hundreds of ambitious students who have gone on to found companies, get promotions, or create their own side hustles. To that end, a mini-MBA course is largely about what you put into it. If you invest enough time and effort, you will find value.

Both programs offer attractive upsides. For the student who wants to go deep, get their questions answered in live classes, and network hard with their peers, brucnhwork’s Business Intensive checks all of the boxes. In sum, it largely comes down to your own habits and goals as a student, then pursuing the program that will jive best with your preferred approach to online learning.