Getting on a rocketship, life advice, and dropping out of college

But we have to bet on people, and I place my bets more often on high motivation than on any other quality except judgment. There is not perfection of techniques that will substitute for the lift of spirit and heightened performance that comes from strong motivation. The world is moved by highly motivated people, by enthusiasts, by men and women who want something very much or believe very much.

I’m not talking about anything as narrow as ambition. After all, ambition eventually wears out and probably should. But you can keep your zest until the day you die. If I may offer you a simple maxim, “Be interested.” Everyone wants to be interesting but the vitalizing thing is to be interested. Keep a sense of curiosity. Discover new things. Care. Risk failure. Reach out.

“So I sat down with Eric Schmidt, who had just become the CEO, and I showed him the spreadsheet and I said, this job meets none of my criteria. He put his hand on my spreadsheet and he looked at me and said, Don’t be an idiot. Get on a rocket ship.”

“When companies are growing quickly and they are having a lot of impact, careers take care of themselves. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.”

-Am I dropping out of school because I have something better? Or is it because I can’t cut it in school?

-What am I going to be doing outside of school that I couldn’t do inside?

-Have you fully taken advantage of the unique opportunities that are offered to students? Because let me tell you, the world is much kinder to students. The second you leave you’re now competition.

-What are your plans for continuing your education? You’re 20 years old…you don’t know shit. Leaving school might be the right thing, but do you have a plan to keep learning? Like I’ve said before: education is hard, it’s a lifelong job and the responsibility to do it rests solely on you.