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Ask HN: Founders, what would you tell yourself at 15?

by craigmc on 5/6/13, 7:46 PM with 15 comments

I've been invited to do a talk tomorrow to a group of 15 year olds about startups. This is something I want to commit a lot of time over the coming years to do, and tomorrow is my debut.

Scotland, where I live, has an incredible history of invention, but the days of Scottish engineers and inventors changing the world are in the increasingly distant past (even Dolly the Sheep has been dead for 10 years).

It has never, for example, produced a software company of note (other than maybe OWL for those who know their hypertext history). I'd like to see this change, and my hunch is that if you can plant some seeds in the minds of enough smart 15 year olds, then by the time these kids are 20-25 they are going to be way better placed to do great things.

In some places (i.e. SV) this can happen serendipitously through interactions with cousins, sisters, neighbours, etc. who are in the industry, but when the ecosystem is so well hidden (as it is here), most kids just don't know about this stuff until much later on (i.e during Uni).

Anyway, I've got quite a good bunch of slides pulled together and I speak fairly well at these sort of things (its no Steve Jobs commencement address, but it is ok).

However, I wanted to round the talk off with a bit of a discussion about ways to put themselves in the best position to do whatever it is they want to do, even if they don't know what it is yet.

Any thoughts on this would be most welcome...

  • by keenahn on 5/6/13, 8:15 PM

    Here are my top three pieces of advice I wish I had at 15:

    Remember: every website you use, every app on your phone, was built by people just like you. There is nothing magical or mystical about technology. Technology is just a tool, and you can learn to master it to solve problems.

    If you can see problems in the world, be it not remembering to walk the dog, or being annoyed with washing your car, you probably have an idea for a business. It might not be a billion dollar business, but it will get you thinking.

    Get in the habit of starting things. We spend so much of our life planning, waiting, when we should be trying, iterating.

  • by lumens on 5/6/13, 9:18 PM

    Be biased towards action and interpret 'failure' as education and opportunity.

    At 15, you can explore a number of avenues that you consider 'dreams'. Spend 2-year blocks of time focused on an outcome, and then 'pivot' after two years if you enthusiasm has begun to wane.

    In 10 years, by age 25, you will have built a large knowledge base around your interests. You will be adept at 1 and 5 core areas of expertise. You will have either discovered an extremely rewarding life/work path, or have created tremendous employment opportunities for yourself in areas of fair interest. You will know how to teach yourself.

    Best of all, at the tender age of 25, your worst case scenario is having almost your whole professional life to fumble around like everyone else.

  • by slyv on 5/9/13, 2:40 AM

    As a current student, I think what you are doing is quite wonderful, and having just read PG's 'What You'll Wish You'd Known' Speech, I think that such a talk like this could be incredibly powerful and might make a difference in some lives. What I would stress is the abundance of possibilities available, just the sheer amount of magical discoveries that they can go on to accomplish, or discover an hour after your talk (on that point, stressing action now, what they can do as a student is paramount to reaching them and getting them to really take you up on your offer). Too many times, speakers come in and give these lackluster maxim-filled speeches about life, and roads ahead of them. I would try to really imbue within your audience the fact that they can act now, and grasp at openings that could propel them to discoveries 10..15 years from now.

    I do think it is quite admirable to try to plant the seeds of this career and of possibilities in these fifteen year olds, and think you could really make a difference somewhere.

    If you need anyone to bounce ideas off from the perspective of a current student or give any critiques, feel free to shoot me an email (in my profile), and I would be happy to look it over. Good luck!

  • by ScottWhigham on 5/6/13, 11:57 PM

    I think the Jeff Bezos' speech about how it's harder to be kind than clever is always good with the young folks: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S27/52/51O99/. I'm not suggesting you copy it but rather talk about the lessons/takeaways.

    I wouldn't get hung up with the pressure of thinking that, for you to help Scottish youth succeed, then you must help this one group succeed. This is a case, IMO, where a shotgun-approach works better than the rifle approach. You should do lots of speeches, workshops, groups, etc rather than just one. One speech - that's just too much pressure. What if you are nervous and come across geeky/hard to listen to? Too bad - the youth of Scotland will never succeed. But what if this is just one of 100 events? I'm not suggesting you "phone it in" but I am pointing out that there is success in numbers. Influence is a numbers game.

    Good luck!

  • by pasbesoin on 5/7/13, 9:16 PM

    Adults lie and manipulate. Often out of ignorance; sometimes out of malice.

    To the extent you can, don't waste your time on this.

    P.S. (Or, especially) This includes many figures of authority we are taught to trust. Blanket distrust as a compensation mechanism is not very useful, but remember that trust is earned is.

  • by nicholas73 on 5/6/13, 9:41 PM

    I wish I knew how much I could do at age 15. Once you complete one large project, it feels like you can just keep trying. Yet you will never have so much time as you did in your teens. I would tell my younger self to just work on something, even if not a start up. Work on something just so you can see yourself improving. That way one day you won't ever think something is impossible.

  • by yid on 5/6/13, 8:43 PM

    Write down your questions as you're exploring this brave new world of computers. What excites you? What confuses you? What is the coolest thing you've learned today? In 20 years, it will help to know what the roots of your passion were.

  • by curiousDog on 5/6/13, 11:04 PM

    Ask them to read/convey ideas from PG's 'What You'll Wish You'd known' essay: http://www.paulgraham.com/hs.html. It really is a gem, especially for high-schoolers.

  • by mansigandhi on 5/8/13, 6:42 AM

    Don't get sucked into the "grade race". Life's much more about what you learn and less about getting the 4.0. In the end, the grades don't matter to the extent that your parents tell you they do.

  • by jamesjguthrie on 5/6/13, 10:54 PM

    I would tell myself to stop being stupid and dreaming of being a rock star. Concentrate in your last year at school and make sure you get into a good University!

  • by wxm on 5/6/13, 10:22 PM

    Btw., Edinburgh-based SkyScanner is a notable Scottish startup.

    I would definitely talk about entry-paths into the industry, e.g. Codecademy et al.

  • by brandoncapecci on 5/6/13, 9:07 PM

    Finish your shitty project before you start your next shitty project.

  • by GaiaAir on 5/7/13, 8:43 PM

    Evolve or die.

    Don't let fear make decisions.

    Be independent but don't be afraid to ask for help.