Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says young people should learn from the journeys of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, but also remember that their paths are unusual. Speaking at Italian Tech Week recently, Jeff Bezos said college dropouts who went on to build some of the world’s biggest technology companies are the “exception,” not the rule.Jeff Bezos himself built Amazon when he was 30, after nearly a decade of professional experience in finance and technology. He had also graduated with highest honors from Princeton University in 1986 with a degree in engineering. In contrast, Gates dropped out of Harvard to start Microsoft at 19, while Zuckerberg left Harvard at the same age to expand Facebook from his dorm room. Jobs, too, left college before co-founding Apple.
Jeff Bezos advise to young people
During the interaction, Bezos advised students and aspiring entrepreneurs to gain experience at established companies before trying to start their own ventures. “I always advise to young people: Go work at a best-practices company somewhere where you can learn a lot of basic fundamental things [like] how to hire really well, how to interview, etc.,” he said.Bezos said that working in such environments help people learn essential skills, including how to hire, how to manage teams and how to run day-to-day operations. “There’s a lot of stuff you would learn in a great company that will help you, and then there’s still lots of time to start a company after you have absorbed it,” he added.Today, Bezos has a net worth of about $234 billion, making him the world’s fifth-richest person. Zuckerberg is fourth with $250 billion, and Gates ranks 15th with $121 billion, according to Forbes. Bezos said his additional years of study and experience gave Amazon stronger foundations and “increased the odds” of success.His comments come at a time when many young people are questioning the value of higher education as tuition fees rise and job opportunities for graduates become more limited. Bezos, however, stressed that in his own case, finishing college and working at established companies proved to be important steps before starting Amazon.
About the Author
