The first advice was from Jobs, a college drop-out, in his commencement speech.
The second, recently, was the gist of a NYT op-ed by Brooks.
Those are mantels of would-be entrepreneurs.
Where else can you find people who are willing to sleep (if at all) in sleeping bags and code for days on end, with no prospect of a pay check?
Interns for life.
Meanwhile, exchange students protested inhuman “trafficking” at Hershey‘s outsourcing arm.
No more sweet spot there at sweet factory (after the students realized that taken in all the expenses, they ended up working for free). Interns for life.
At least they learn a thing or two about voicing their opinion within the confine of the law.
We finally enter an age where muscles and machines (physical layer) are counted less than mind (application layer). A recent WSJ most-read by a VC guru was all about “software eating everyone’s lunch”.
Just try to fight drones, or robot cops.
BTW, it’s been a lost decade, with 9/11 as one bookend ( the two planes knocking down the Twin towers), and the other, two helicopters (albeit one was left behind) getting back at Bin laden. It is to show how much harm done by one man’s hyper-imagination, and how much good our collective brain are capable of (a recent Tampa youth just wanted to copy Columbine, instead of applying to Columbia).
Stay hungry, stay curious. Drop out if you lack the passion for staying in (a Venture capitalist argued just that when he offered a contest for new ideas from would-be entrepreneurs, college degree not required).
But stay curious. There are a lot of unknown unknowns out there. Learn to connect the dots, and recognize the patterns. Spot the trends.
And don’t forget to stay curious even when you were no longer hungry.
Because someone will eat your lunch before you know it. Borders, HP (computer division) and Nokia, have all learned this hard lesson. No rest for the weary. Not in this century.
Not when machines like Watson can start “swamping”, guessing your next move.
And quit when you are ahead, like Steve Jobs. Learn calligraphy. Learn something about something. Stay curious.
Thang Nguyen 555 