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Raising a startup is the best education you can get.
I'm currently a (junior) high school student.
About a year ago, I had applied to YCombinator with my friend(Austin). Unfortunately, we didn't get accepted but it was still a great experiance, by not getting in you learn a few things. Now, I've made my goal in life to apply to YC as many times until we get accepted, obviously I'm not gonna come knocking with the same startup.
I'm pretty sure that the experience/knowledge that a startup gives you is much, much more valuable than you'll gain in any University. Even if you go back to your job, you'll still be far, far ahead than if you were to work those years that you spent building a brilliant startup.
I hope you apply for YCombinator, and if you don't...wait a few months and do it again! :)
- wensing 17y agoDon't focus on YC.
- hajrice 17y agoSorry if the tonation of my post is to entirely shift your startup into focusing on YC. What I meant was, Working on a startup is the best form of education. If you land a deal with YC, that's even better, it's a way to decrease the number of errors you make along with the time it takes for you to succeed.
- wensing 17y agoI agree that YC would increase your chances of being successful, but I wanted to encourage you that you can do it either way.
- JimmyL 17y agoYC should be a means to an end, as opposed to an end in and of itself. Your goal, with respect to this area, should be to launch a series of successful startups that allow you to execute your exit strategies and build cool things. YC may, or may not, help you get there.
- staunch 17y agoWhy not just make it your life goal to get your startup to the point where YC would be lucky to get a deal with you?
- joechung 17y agohttp://bizteen.net/about-bizteen/ http://bizteen.net/about-bizteen/ "Endorsing the company politics of Micheal Scott comes Emil Hajric." What exactly do you mean by that?
- PStamatiou 17y ago(as in Michael Scott of The Office.. my bad if you already knew that)
- hajrice 17y agoheh, I was having a bit of a laugh there. But Yes, PStamatiou, you got it!
- wheels 17y agoIt seems premature to state that A is better than B while still not having run the gamut of either. Starting a startup is a vastly educational experience, but you can't really compare it to college. It's like comparing apples and bicycles.
- zeckalpha 17y agoBicycles would win any day.
- mattwdelong 17y agoYou are right, in the sense that great education is not only derived from a post-secondary institutions and that via everyday experiences, attained while raising a start up, is very educational. Though, I must agree with wheels [http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=767367 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=767367] based on the fact that the knowledge derived from either experience is very hard to compare; one being often thought as theoretical and the other, very practical. The challenge, then of course, is to decide what type of education suits your life's goals appropriately.