Ambition

Most people are not nearly ambitious enough.

I think this comes from the way society raises and grooms people. We’re taught to go to college, get stable jobs etc. In high school you look at directories of jobs with average salaries and get to choose which path you want. You’re taught that if you take a certain path that will be your life.

This isn’t how the world works.

The world is extremely non-linear, and doesn’t just reward experience or pedigree. It rewards ambition, hard work, and persistence.

In startups especially, anyone can build something. Even at the level of employees I’ve seen people with high school degrees be staff-level engineers. State school kids become cofounders and leaders. I personally don’t come from a special background like an Ivy League school. I’ve just worked hard, been persistent, and never given up.

My main message here is that people need to be more ambitious. Most of us are capped by the belief that we can only accomplish so much. Over long time horizons especially, with lots of persistence, it’s incredible what you can do.

One tip for being ambitious is to surround yourself with people who are ambitious. The influence that these people have on you can not be understated. It rubs off, in a good way, and only makes you better.