College vs. Startup

Some thoughts on college vs. startups, the panels are sliced up from “Students” by Randall Monroe. This is which is a dream that I still have. I find it a marker for being under pressure.

College vs. Startup

	College clear assignments clear deadlines clear feedback (grades)
	Startup high uncertainty and ambiguity prospects “give assignments” but may not pay (“fail you”) even if you deliver teamwork needed to create value
	College very few instances where teamwork is rewarded world resets every ten to thirteen weeks (new quarter/semester) only evaluated by a few professors at any given time
	Startup world may reset on a pivot but the fewer the better in conversation with many potential customers and partners many prospects will “fail” you without explanation students who focused on pleasing the professor may find themselves adrift in a startup
	Life connect with your higher purpose, grades and money are a means not an end if you stop learning after you leave college you won’t succeed as an entrepreneur family and friends whither when neglected, but that can sometimes take too long to comprehend

SKMurphy Take

Comparing college vs. startup yields some important differences but I didn’t address whether dropping out to found a startup is a good idea. My answer is no. The following are outliers in many ways: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Dell, Evan Williams, Larry Ellison, and Travis Kalanick. They all dropped out of college to found very successful technology firms.

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• So Good They Can’t Ignore You
• Bill Watterson on the Real World
• When You Are No Longer The Smartest Person In The Room
• Resources for Student Entrepreneur Organizations

Image Credit all images are a slice up of panels from “Students” by Randall Munroe (xkcd.com)  who retains copyright.