5 ms·

Wow. It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. But assuming the business is profitable,

by mattbee 14y ago

Wow. It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. But assuming the business is profitable, there's zero chance that you or his parents can stop him from pursuing it at this point. I think this 15-year old's decision is made, and the point to intervene might have been when he started employing people. I wasn't particularly academic, but wasn't driven / confident enough at college to start a business either. So I got my grades, degree etc. first, and have never given a CV to anyone. But I think anyone who gets that far, got through education to 18 or 21 and says they got nothing out of it years later is pretty stupid or short-sighted. A year of computer science at college turned me from a know-it-all hacker into a grateful know-nothing. Two years of classics before that showed me how to spot when I was hopelessly bored and only trying to fulfil others' expectations, while I built a great relationship with my wife. You get something out of such a dense set of life experiences, but you might have to work it out what it was afterwards. I'd say to the parents let him go, with a stern & overblown warning that he'd better not fuck it up. If he's burned out or bored of the hosting business at 17 or 18, there's nothing stopping him from resuming his education if that's what he wants - it's just doing things in a different order.

shantanubala 14y ago
> It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. Further, I find it a bit odd that the kid, knowing that his parents are paying thousands of dollars (I'm assuming) to attend a private school decides to start neglecting his classes. I'm likely just not doing a good job of understanding his point of view, but it feels selfish and immature. Did he not want to discuss his ambitions with his parents? They clearly care about him (at least, remarkably more than many of the kids that went to my high school). Is the company really consuming all of his time? Or is this letter satisfying a desire to rebel? These are important questions to ask him (but probably in a less confrontational tone).
ams6110 14y ago
Yes, he sounds like every 15 year old I know (including my own son) who is absolutely convinced that school is useless and a waste of time. That said, for most people the purpose of school is to prepare them to be able to support themselves and their families, and it sounds like he's basically able to do that now. School is something you can always come back to, but once you start into the family/kids part of your life it becomes a lot more difficult for most people. The best time to be in school is when you don't have any responsibilities to support anyone else.
- shantanubala 14y ago
  I think Neil Tyson does a beautiful job of explaining why basic education is important: There are people who say “I'll never need this math -- these trig identities from 10th grade or 11th grade.” Or maybe you never learned them. Here's the catch: whether or not you ever use the math that you learned in school, the act of having learned the math established a wiring in your brain that didn't exist before, and it's the wiring in your brain that makes you the problem solver. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0E-9uJgDZU&feature=youtu.be&t=53s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0E-9uJgDZU&feature=youtu...
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
  - victorhn 14y ago
    He is succesfully managing a Minecraft hosting company. I don't think he is lacking in the problem solving skill.
    - shantanubala 14y ago
      Yes and no -- learning calculus (which is offered in many high schools) or advanced physics (he's in a private high school, so I'm assuming their classes and lab activities are well-funded) is still different. The real question in all this: is this a false dilemma? Is it really impossible for him to pursue both? If possible, learning physics and managing a Minecraft hosting company is clearly better than just the latter.
  - InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago
    Can I not learn "math" wiring from doing other activities that ACTUALLY benefit me, such as programming? The very act of owning a business and such is giving me the PRACTICAL knowledge while still building the wiring. It's win win.
    - shantanubala 14y ago
      I didn't say you can't -- I was simply adding to this: > That said, for most people the purpose of school is to prepare them to be able to support themselves and their families, and it sounds like he's basically able to do that now. The real question you have to ask is whether you can do both (impractical and practical) -- if you can do both, then it is clearly better than doing one. You may not realize it now, but a lot of things that seem impractical can become very useful (or at the very least, fascinating) when provided with the right context. For example, if you ever want to learn about how your computer works on the inside, knowing basic physics will give you better perspective on what's happening. More obscure stuff like Quantum Tunneling starts appearing in technologies like NAND flash memory -- it's not necessarily practical to know all that, but I'm very happy that I know it.
chacham15 14y ago
I read the letter twice. The first time naturally, and the second time from the viewpoint of a parent to try and compensate for my natural bias. It would appear to me that your natural bias lies on the other side. Try to reread the letter from the point of view of a kid who is making $350,000 a year (I realize that he personally isn't pocketing the money, but he is responsible for it). I feel like you are too quickly dismissing his point of view entirely because you are not able to sympathize with it. I have not a few friends from my college days who would agree with a few of his sentiments. They are now working at low paying jobs despite their high levels of education. > It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. Here, you are quick to come to the conclusion that he is simply naieve. In that case, I too, may be naieve because I cannot quickly point out what it is that he is missing. Neither do you in your comment point it out. If you get around the language, which may seem pompous, it appears to me that this kid would actually like to know the answer to this very question that you have dodged.
- danielweber 14y ago
  I'd say to the parents: definitely let him keep on managing this company. Running something with that much revenue is a big thing for a kid to be doing. I'd love it if my kid was doing that. I'd say to the kid: don't give up on school. There are lots of ways to continue formal education besides your current high school. Find something that works (see many ideas on this thread), part time if necessary, and do it. Yes, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, but he could return to Harvard if Microsoft failed.
  - InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago
    I appreciate the comment and agree with it. I have addressed the first matter you spoke of in some of my various other comments. In addition as you stated, I can return to "high-school" or other higher education if [my hosting company] failed.
- mattbee 14y ago
  I don't think there is some new insight in his letter, though I agree the message is clear, and his decision made. But lots of 15 year olds think school is boring and pointless, or think they can do anything based on the tiniest success. Lots quit school for "real life", and for far worse reasons than having a substantial & profitable business, though I'd suggest there's a survivor bias to the ones you hear about - Branson, Gates etc. Like I said, the only reason against is that you don't know what you don't know, and his parents will see real risks that he won't. The time for an intervention was a while back, and it just doesn't seem like a terrible parental decision to throw your support behind a child with ambition and some success. (unless of course the business is propped up by parental subsidy, or favours from friends: free rent, broadband, meals etc. might have made a ramen-profitable business look like a fabulously comfortable one). Who knows whether it's the right decision? It's a viable one while business is good. I hope his motivation stays strong for whatever comes next - whether that's expansion, a second business, college, or something else. Good luck to him.
InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago
I'm not trying to be stubborn. I WANT to see how the school system can benefit me. I WANT something custom tailored to help me. I WANT to learn, but right now I'm not seeing that. I WANT someone to show me HOW the knowledge and skills I'm getting at school are MORE beneficial than the knowledge and skills I'm gaining at home applying to my business.

by mattbee 14y ago

shantanubala 14y ago

> It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. Further, I find it a bit odd that the kid, knowing that his parents are paying thousands of dollars (I'm assuming) to attend a private school decides to start neglecting his classes. I'm likely just not doing a good job of understanding his point of view, but it feels selfish and immature. Did he not want to discuss his ambitions with his parents? They clearly care about him (at least, remarkably more than many of the kids that went to my high school). Is the company really consuming all of his time? Or is this letter satisfying a desire to rebel? These are important questions to ask him (but probably in a less confrontational tone).

ams6110 14y ago

Yes, he sounds like every 15 year old I know (including my own son) who is absolutely convinced that school is useless and a waste of time. That said, for most people the purpose of school is to prepare them to be able to support themselves and their families, and it sounds like he's basically able to do that now. School is something you can always come back to, but once you start into the family/kids part of your life it becomes a lot more difficult for most people. The best time to be in school is when you don't have any responsibilities to support anyone else.

shantanubala 14y ago
I think Neil Tyson does a beautiful job of explaining why basic education is important: There are people who say “I'll never need this math -- these trig identities from 10th grade or 11th grade.” Or maybe you never learned them. Here's the catch: whether or not you ever use the math that you learned in school, the act of having learned the math established a wiring in your brain that didn't exist before, and it's the wiring in your brain that makes you the problem solver. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0E-9uJgDZU&feature=youtu.be&t=53s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0E-9uJgDZU&feature=youtu...
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- victorhn 14y ago
  He is succesfully managing a Minecraft hosting company. I don't think he is lacking in the problem solving skill.
  - shantanubala 14y ago
    Yes and no -- learning calculus (which is offered in many high schools) or advanced physics (he's in a private high school, so I'm assuming their classes and lab activities are well-funded) is still different. The real question in all this: is this a false dilemma? Is it really impossible for him to pursue both? If possible, learning physics and managing a Minecraft hosting company is clearly better than just the latter.
- InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago
  Can I not learn "math" wiring from doing other activities that ACTUALLY benefit me, such as programming? The very act of owning a business and such is giving me the PRACTICAL knowledge while still building the wiring. It's win win.
  - shantanubala 14y ago
    I didn't say you can't -- I was simply adding to this: > That said, for most people the purpose of school is to prepare them to be able to support themselves and their families, and it sounds like he's basically able to do that now. The real question you have to ask is whether you can do both (impractical and practical) -- if you can do both, then it is clearly better than doing one. You may not realize it now, but a lot of things that seem impractical can become very useful (or at the very least, fascinating) when provided with the right context. For example, if you ever want to learn about how your computer works on the inside, knowing basic physics will give you better perspective on what's happening. More obscure stuff like Quantum Tunneling starts appearing in technologies like NAND flash memory -- it's not necessarily practical to know all that, but I'm very happy that I know it.

chacham15 14y ago

I read the letter twice. The first time naturally, and the second time from the viewpoint of a parent to try and compensate for my natural bias. It would appear to me that your natural bias lies on the other side. Try to reread the letter from the point of view of a kid who is making $350,000 a year (I realize that he personally isn't pocketing the money, but he is responsible for it). I feel like you are too quickly dismissing his point of view entirely because you are not able to sympathize with it. I have not a few friends from my college days who would agree with a few of his sentiments. They are now working at low paying jobs despite their high levels of education. > It's definitely a goofy, pompous, rambling letter written by someone who doesn't know what he doesn't know yet. Here, you are quick to come to the conclusion that he is simply naieve. In that case, I too, may be naieve because I cannot quickly point out what it is that he is missing. Neither do you in your comment point it out. If you get around the language, which may seem pompous, it appears to me that this kid would actually like to know the answer to this very question that you have dodged.

danielweber 14y ago
I'd say to the parents: definitely let him keep on managing this company. Running something with that much revenue is a big thing for a kid to be doing. I'd love it if my kid was doing that. I'd say to the kid: don't give up on school. There are lots of ways to continue formal education besides your current high school. Find something that works (see many ideas on this thread), part time if necessary, and do it. Yes, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, but he could return to Harvard if Microsoft failed.
- InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago
  I appreciate the comment and agree with it. I have addressed the first matter you spoke of in some of my various other comments. In addition as you stated, I can return to "high-school" or other higher education if [my hosting company] failed.
mattbee 14y ago
I don't think there is some new insight in his letter, though I agree the message is clear, and his decision made. But lots of 15 year olds think school is boring and pointless, or think they can do anything based on the tiniest success. Lots quit school for "real life", and for far worse reasons than having a substantial & profitable business, though I'd suggest there's a survivor bias to the ones you hear about - Branson, Gates etc. Like I said, the only reason against is that you don't know what you don't know, and his parents will see real risks that he won't. The time for an intervention was a while back, and it just doesn't seem like a terrible parental decision to throw your support behind a child with ambition and some success. (unless of course the business is propped up by parental subsidy, or favours from friends: free rent, broadband, meals etc. might have made a ramen-profitable business look like a fabulously comfortable one). Who knows whether it's the right decision? It's a viable one while business is good. I hope his motivation stays strong for whatever comes next - whether that's expansion, a second business, college, or something else. Good luck to him.

InfiniteLoopx64 14y ago

I'm not trying to be stubborn. I WANT to see how the school system can benefit me. I WANT something custom tailored to help me. I WANT to learn, but right now I'm not seeing that. I WANT someone to show me HOW the knowledge and skills I'm getting at school are MORE beneficial than the knowledge and skills I'm gaining at home applying to my business.