Dropouts and Opt-Outs: Richard Branson
“Looking back, I believe that the qualities that make for a great entrepreneur – such as boundless energy, a curious nature and, sometimes, an obstinate streak – are not often attributes demonstrated by top students in the classroom.” – Richard Branson, Entrepreneur Article When Richard Branson was four years old, his mother dropped him off in the […]
Dropouts and Opt-Outs: Thomas Edison
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) ended his time in school after three months. If he fit the mold of what most people expect of dropouts, his story would end there. It didn’t. Edison built […]
Dropouts and Opt-Outs: Wilbur and Orville Wright
“If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance.” – Orville Wright Think science and innovation are closed to people without engineering degrees? The Wright brothers challenge that notion. Neither brother graduated from high school. Both were self-taught and well-read. The […]
The Limits of Self-Help, The Power of Systems, & Why We Need Rules to Succeed
One of the commonly cited problems with a great deal of self-help philosophy is the overemphasis on positive thinking, affirmations, visualization techniques, and other motivational tools that produce short-term inspiration but that often fail to help people create lasting changes. On a recent episode of the Accidental Creative podcast, Todd Henry addresses this issue in […]
The Unschooled Intellectual
It has often (thankfully) been pointed out that schooling does not make an education. Most people would not disagree that it is possible to be learned without an institution or to be ignorant with credentials. However, I think that there is a case to be made that those with a love for ideas can gain a distinct […]
Study the Greats or Just Do It?
It’s not uncommon for the most devoted students of personal health, or business startups, or filmmaking, or success more generally to be only moderately successful themselves. We’ve all met people who have read every “7 Ways”, and, “10 Tips” book on the market, yet still haven’t really gotten off the ground personally. So is greatness […]
Your Silence Will Not Protect You
The day I ended my silence Three years ago, I decided to embark on an experiment in personal development by making a one year commitment to writing and publishing a new blog post every day. I wanted to see what would become of me if I forced myself to share my thoughts with the world irrespective […]
A Few Quotes from Peter Thiel’s New Book
We ordered a box of Peter Thiel’s new book Zero to One for the Praxis participants. I pulled out a copy Wednesday night to get a flavor before I hit the pillow. Three and a half hours and the full 195 pages later I couldn’t fall asleep even though it was 2 AM, well past my usual bedtime. […]
“Some Guy” Theory
I have a theory. Well, actually, I know a guy who knows another guy who has a theory. It’s called “some guy” theory. Here’s the theory in a nutshell: No matter what “it” is, there’s always “some guy” for whom “it” doesn’t work. Whether we’re talking about losing weight, eating healthier, managing money, investing resources, building […]
Don’t Accept the Premise
It’s easy to feel the need to take sides. So many problems, questions, and issues in the world seem to have two opposing answers, and we’re constantly asked to choose which we accept. But the real, radical change comes not from those who pick a side and advocate their solution better than everyone else, but […]
Peter Thiel on Markets, Innovation, and College
We had the pleasure of sponsoring the Thiel Summit, a two-day conference for young people who applied to a fellowship run by Thiel Foundation, a program co-founded by PayPal and Facebook co-founder and venture capitalist, Peter Thiel. The theme of the summit is that young people can innovate and bring about the next major technological changes, […]
Silly Putty: Its Meaning and Historical Significance
We loved it as kids — that amazing substance called Silly Putty. I recently found a version in a hotel room the other day, re-branded as Thinking Putty. It turns out that the names differ based on the targeted market segment. In any case, the whole phenomenon is curious. How it is that this seemingly […]
The Praxis Curriculum: Learning to Learn
I send weekly updates to our participants wherein I challenge them with a question, or a task, or a contest, or give a few thoughts on their business partner experience, what they want after Praxis, etc. I tend to focus more on the broader experience and the business component, since Education Director TK Coleman works […]
Healthier and Wealthier: Why It’s A Great Time to Be Alive
Last week, I outlined two important facts to keep in mind while studying history. The first being that there is more truth than many like to give to George Santayana’s adage that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. The second being the realization of the Great Fact — that […]
The Entrepreneur as Historian; The Entrepreneur as History-Maker
The Praxis participants just finished up their first module with oral examinations in Philosophy, Logic & Ethics. Now they have the task of moving into our History & Culture module, which includes hours of lectures on the significance of history, how and why historical trends change, and several full-length books covering the history of business, […]