University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
It’s What You Can Contribute
Video

It’s What You Can Contribute

Ben Horowitz
NZZ, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

College graduates accumulate plenty of advice – mostly irrelevant, trite platitudes – as they prepare to depart their alma maters. However, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, a Columbia graduate, presents the Columbia Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science’s class of 2015 with life tips of a more unconventional nature. getAbstract believes his counsel will resonate with all today’s students, including scholars at the University of Life.

Summary

In 1984, Columbia University student Ben Horowitz realized he wanted to major in computer science. He was excited to share his epiphany with friends, but they mocked his choice, claiming that computer science was merely a trade and that he should study something more substantial. That experience taught Horowitz to ignore his friends and think for himself. This can be challenging, because humans instinctively want to be liked, and the easiest way to get others to like you is to echo their beliefs. But the only valuable ideas are those that nobody yet knows or believes. For example, if your business idea is to produce efficient cellphone batteries...

About the Speaker

Columbia University graduate Ben Horowitz co-founded venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.

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