If you work your way through school, you end with ‘deficits’ relative to your peers whose parents paid their way through University (and provided a rich set of

If you work your way through school, you end with ‘deficits’ relative to your peers whose parents paid their way through University (and provided a rich set of ‘cultural’ experiences along the way). It is a tough having tens of thousands of debt for your CS degree, as well having spent all your free time in crummy jobs to pay the bills along the way. Walk through a co-working center in Cambridge or San Francisco – how do all those 23 year olds afford rent in some of the most expensive cities in America? And how can they afford to have a bright shiny two grand MacBook on their desk? If you are like me, a working class kid interested in technology and startups, it can be tough to see your peers with those breaks. I’ve had every startup role from individual contributor to VP, CTO, COO and CEO under my belt. My perspective is that you can always go to a few museums, read a few books, and catch up (or surpass) your well healed peers. Take it from a 51 year old -- if you have worked your way through school and can’t afford to found a company in your twenties don’t despair – you’ll have a long life and many chances. But the determination that drove you to work your way through school is something precious and remarkable. It’s not a deficit at all.