Stop drinking the kool aid.
It’s an attractive notion to blame our education system for not raising entrepreneurs. Because our human nature loves to rebel. We thrive on going against “the man.”
If you profess accountability then start blaming yourself for not being able to find out what works for you or your lack of self-motivation to take action.
But please don’t punt your inability on this so-called entrepreneurship on a system that you cannot control. But focus on what you can control — yourself.
I too, went through the journey of attending college, working in corporate America for 17 years, and finally decided to launch my ad agency.
Here’s where my story started.
For those who don’t know me personally, I was born in Penang, Malaysia. I was a single child and my parents have always instilled in me the importance of receiving a good education from a reputable institution.
My parents worked hard to save enough money with the plan to enroll me in an American college when the time came.
Of course, things don’t always go the way you want it to. In a perfect world, my college funds would have been set aside and I would be on my merry way to an American college of choice.
However, when I turned 18 years old, I was faced with the reality of what my parents could really afford versus what they aspired for me.
It’s a pity we weren’t fortune tellers or possessed any psychic ability. If only we could have predicted the rise in cost of education when I was 10 years old and be better prepared for it when I turned 18.
Perception of the American education system was very different 22 years ago in my home country of Malaysia. Parents who could afford to send their children to the US to pursue a higher education from an accredited college was held in high regard. It was prestigious. It was a status symbol.
To be honest, the education system in Malaysia 20 years ago was not something to brag about either. This is one of the main reasons why families send their children overseas to pursue higher education. It was usually between Australia or the United States.
In my case, the sight was set on the US.
So between what my parents saved up and some help from a college loan, I was on my way. For the next 4 years, I attended Indiana University in the beautiful town of Bloomington, Indiana.
There’s a reason for me to share my personal history with you. I’ll get into that later in the article.
I could have done better in college, but I didn’t
My freshman year was great. My GPA was 3.5. I was studious, completed all my projects, and was a promising student.
I was taking classes in math, computer science, and programming — naturally going for a Computer Science Bachelor’s degree.
And then it happened. I started to skip classes, copied other people’s work on my assignments, turned in half-baked projects, and got complacent.
My grades dropped. I barely held my GPA at 2.8 entering my Junior year. It was pathetic. The thousands of dollars my parents were spending on my education seem to be going down the drain.
I was disappointing my parents. I felt like a loser. But guess what?
I didn’t care! Not an ounce of guilt was going to get in the way of me truly enjoying the so-called college experience.
In a nutshell, I was being an irresponsible and selfish person. But I pinned it on the “system.” Why? That was the easiest thing to do.
The education system is not created for entrepreneurs
Look, I’m not the biggest fan of the education system either. But I have a problem with anyone who makes such a blanket statement.
There are many successful entrepreneurs who went through the education system. And they turned out fine.
But just because a public figure like Gary Vaynerchuck says that the education system is toxic to entrepreneurship, his followers are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.
Yes, a big percentage of Gary’s fans are people who’re looking for hope — they are looking for a champion who has the perfect rag-to-riches story. The struggle. The hustle. Gary epitomizes hard work and success.
Gary has a captive audience. Forget the fact that his talks are always the same. His rants are always about the same topic. But that’s not his real reason for fame.
His rise to fame is hinged on predicating his success to his positive and hustle mindset.
His multiple successes is his platform. People strive to be like him, which I think it’s the entirely wrong mindset. After all, many people want to be like Gary, to achieve something from nothing and have a success story to tell.
I liken the education system to a church building. It provides a structure with rules, requirements, and restrictions. They are put in place to create discipline to create order.
But humans, and Gary Vaynerchuck is no exception, have a tendency to conjure up a story that fits their purpose. Gary is no different. Why? He’s pointing fingers at the education system for failing entrepreneurs.
Yes, if you are planning to sell mugs and baseball cards on eBay, then you don’t need an education. Yes, I’m referring to this #fliplife. “But Derek, they say that I could make up to $100,000 selling on eBay.” I’m not disagreeing that you can make money on eBay. But to think it can be done without some serious effort naive.
Here’s an alternative. If they are entrepreneurs, then what’s stopping every single one of them to quit college, save tens of thousands of dollars and go all-in on what they believe in?
In fact, the education system doesn’t have the capability to fail anyone by nature. Nobody is forced into the education system. Whether it’s high school or college — there is always a choice.
It comes down to how you apply yourself to maximize your opportunity to learn.
So instead of blaming the education system for failing your entrepreneurial spirit, or whining about what you’re not getting from your professors, or how you are being brainwashed by the system — be accountable and take action.
Just like the church building doesn’t do anything for a believer. It is the faith and hope that is key — the physical building is merely a conduit that facilitates the purpose.
Gary Vaynerchuck’s war path on the education system is self-serving
I have no other way to describe his ongoing onslaught on the education system. Let me reiterate. I’m not the biggest fan of our education system. But I refuse to blame it because I happen to start my ad agency 17 years after I graduated college and 6 companies later.
That doesn’t make me less of an entrepreneur because of when I started by own business. That’s a selfish way to think about it.
Yes, the education system produces fresh workforce to feed corporate America. And let’s face it. Without this continuous stream of intelligent people working in many great companies in our country, it would be a catastrophe of a different kind.
It’s risky to call out an influential powerhouse
But why not if it seem questionable.
The very same person who preaches that these things are toxic — blame, dwelling, not being accountable, regret, laziness, etc — is also pointing fingers at the education system?
Is he self-serving? In my opinion, yes. Gary’s audience and people who fill his seats at his sold-out seminars have a similar bond — they are looking to get motivated and find the same spark as him.
Some people in his audience are successful entrepreneurs, others are starting out, while others are looking for that “something.” But they all love his style — he speaks with passion, authority, and experience — and have all the credentials to command attention.
But, Gary, you are a fair person right? And yes, you’ve mentioned that if someone wants to be a surgeon or a lawyer, they’d have to go through the education system. And you’re 100% right! No arguments here.
But here’s where you might be missing the mark.
Doctors and lawyers can be entrepreneurs too!
A lawyer who finished law school and the Bar Exam will likely end up working at a reputable law firm.
This lawyer wants to start a private practice but wanted to gain enough experience before starting a new business. And so it happened.
So while the individual had to go through the education system, ended up working for someone else first, and launched their own law firm — how does the education system fail entrepreneurs? It didn’t.
Entrepreneurship is not based on whether you attended any education system or hustled on the streets. It’s who you are! And that will eventually show when the opportunities arise and your time comes.
I am in 100% agreement with Gary with this thing
You need patience! And you need to start executing.
I have friends who have attended Gary Vaynerchuck’s conference to hear him speak and swear they’ve learned a lot. I’m excited to hear stories from my friends about their experiences — and hope the best for each one of them.
But as the education system is not for everyone, neither is Gary Vaynerchuck. Right?
Conclusion
Just because you got D’s and F’s in college courses, that doesn’t mean the educational system failed you — because you’re such an entrepreneur that you’re being set up to fail.
If you’re an entrepreneur, it doesn’t matter whether you want to go to college or not. Some of the best startups started in dorm rooms of colleges.
As long as you are doing what feels right for you. It’ll take time to figure it out, but as long as you’re doing it on your terms — education system or not, you are doing you.
Go sell mugs on eBay, or go work for free at VaynerMedia, or go to college and get your degree. Doing what feels right for you is your only path to success.
Despite everyone telling you to do it their way, you need to find your own.
For the record, I’ve learned a few things from Gary Vee myself and do love his energy and persistence it his hustle. But I just can’t agree with everything.
And Gary, if someday you happen to stumble on this article, I’m sure you can appreciate my candor, take my criticism in good spirits, and maybe provide some feedback on my thoughts here.
What do you think?
