By Jeffrey Gangemi

MUST-READING.  Some companies are using the PMBA reading list to develop management skills in more technically-oriented employees. XO Communications (XOHO ), a Reston (Va.) provider of communications services, launched an internal component of Personal MBA as part of its employee training program. Employees who read any of the PMBA books and submit an "action plan for applying what they learned to the business" are reimbursed for their book purchase, according to an e-mail from Sean Stewart, director of the training arm of XO.

Many B-school administrators acknowledge the benefits of a program like the PMBA but say it could never provide the complete experience of a full-time program. "The best of the best MBA programs accelerate personal development. Someone comes at 27 and leaves at 29. But they've added five years of maturity," says Mark Rice, dean of the Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College.

DRIVEN BY PASSION.  The PMBA lacks a stable community, and Kaufman cautions that the program is not for those who are looking for a network or a place to be courted by corporate recruiters. Greg Miller, a student in the Marquette University College of Business Administration's part-time program, is using the PMBA to supplement his education. He says he expects the PMBA to continue to improve as more people learn about it and contribute to the message boards. "The concept is great, but the organizer needs to think about getting people together and what he can do to put a curriculum around it," says Miller.

Though a formal curriculum would exceed Kaufman's current budget, it somehow doesn't seem too far-fetched. "He's very self-motivated, with a ton of personal passion," says his supervisor at P&G, Noel Geoffroy. Kaufman's darkhorse recommendation for the driven young professional looking for some down and dirty management skills? It's The Bootstrapper's Bible, Volume 1 (Do You Zoom Inc., 2001) by Godin. And without the high tuition and opportunity costs of top B-schools, the PMBA may become the ultimate bootstrapper's graduate degree.

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