3 ms·
The term self-made is just too imprecise to be useful. The three major factors involved in an individual's success are: #1 Genetics - High general intelligence
by staunch 8y ago
The term self-made is just too imprecise to be useful. The three major factors involved in an individual's success are:
#1 Genetics - High general intelligence, ambition, etc.
#2 Environment - Highly educated well-off parents, etc.
#3 Opportunity - Support of powerful people, etc.
You probably can't do much without at least one of these factors. Most people that do big things have all three working in their favor.
People like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Peter Theil, Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, and Paul Graham had all three.
On the other hand, people like Steve Jobs, John Carmack, Palmer Luckey, and Larry Ellison only had #1 working for them, which is why their success is so much more impressive.