Should you leave school for a Revolutionary Idea or Startup? (With Poll)
 

Hey all,

I was browsing the web yesterday and came across a website that Google has bought ; Omnosio.com (A webcast website), It has this videochannel "Startupschool", which features tips&tricks videos for Starters.

In one of the videos : http://www.omnisio.com/startupschool...rtup-school-08
There where a couple of questions that made me make this post in the first place.

-06:30-> 05:30 ; Question & Awnser by Paul Graham : Should you leave school if you have a good business idea?
-05:30->04:30 ; Opinion about leaving school by someone in the audience.


Now,
My main question is: Should you leave school if you think you have a revolutionairy idea?

Use the Poll and give me your 2 cents!!


IMO:
Complete your study, and then try from there, but it can be verry usefull to have something that is ready to go after you finish than starting completely from scratch after you grad.

Greetz,

I would say no. . .

Get educated - get a diploma/degree etc. and then pursue the "revolutionary" idea. You'll have something to fall back into if the idea goes bust.

I would have to say no. Unless your idea is a guaranteed success, you may well end up having wasted the time you have already spent at school - if it fails, you are screwed. People like Bill Gates could do that because they are already rich, unless you are already rich don't do it.

Also, if the idea is that good it can bear being shared for a while. If it's not, you'll know it.

Yes, a bit of time will also give the idea maturity or will show up its defects, risks, drawbacks etc.

The eggs in one basket slash burning ships thing. I'm sceptical about "revolutionary" ideas because I'm certain about ninetynine percent of them just are not. The same goes with business ideas, plus having a Great Business Idea does not equal success five years later. Just like finishing school it requires stamina, perseverance and wit. But your grades and diploma can show that, you having met with failure after having burnt wads of VC cash in two years does not (well, OK, it *can*). Besides, history has examples enough of influential people: a philosopher who couldn't even write (OK, so paper just wasn't invented back then), the painter nicknamed "the Customs officer" (prolly don't know that one), a certain patent office clerk (should know) and two friends who Did Stuff from their garage to show that doing one thing does not automagically mean *not* doing the other. So I'd say stay in school *and* work on your Revolutionary Idea.

It will also give it time for someone else to implement this "Revolutionary Idea". I say it could be worth it, but it is risky. You have to look at what is motivating you to want to do it. If your goal is to make a lot of money with minimal effort, then no, don't do it. If your goal is to work your butt off for several years (80+ hours/week) with no guarantee of ever earning any "real" money, then sure, go for it.

People like Bill Gates could do it because, one, they already had enough money to support themselves, but also because they worked very hard. If you are the type of person that likes to go out on occasion, or sleep in, or talk to other people, or do any type of interaction with the world that DOES NOT involve fostering your "Revolutionary Idea", then don't do it, you will fail. If however, you are willing to spend the next 5-10 years as a slave to this idea, then in the long run, it might be worth it. But, don't think that it will be in any way easier than getting your doctorate, and it could potentially cost as much.

My 2 pennies,

Forrest

It depends. Any 'stupid business idea' can be termed 'revolutionary' and then it hardly matters.

Otherwise if it is something concerning transformation of worlds, then you must always be learning. If the school in question is too outdated, then it makes lot of sense to quit that.

Best

A. Mani

From what I've read, 50% of startups or businesses fail within the first year. 95% of the remaining fail within the next 5 years. If you have a good idea, patent/trademark/copyright it, etc, maybe work on it in your spare time while you continue your education. If it becomes wildly successful before you finish school, devote more time to it while continuing your education or go back to get your education with your new found fortune. :)

Well, in the practice, the revolutionary ideas not always start successful, but a lot of research and hard work, will become in progress.

so, to improve your skills and effort I suggest to finish your studies and then go ahead with that idea ;).

Bill gates left school in such a way,
look where it got him.....
head of the biggest pile of crap in the world

profitable though......
make your own mind up form that...

He also went back to school to my knowledge.. or he gave a bunch of money to buy his honorary degree. Donate enough money and you too can become a doctor.. ;)

Lets not forget that Bill Gates III comes from a wealthy and powerful family.

Yup, according to Wikipedia:

So he would have been well off probably no matter if he founded Microsoft or not.. ;)

No. At school you are young, and even if your idea might seem revolutionary for you, you might be inventing bicycle. Check if idea really works and is truly revolutionary. You can do it without leaving school.

Being educated != being rich. Leaving school is a bad idea because basic education is required in today's society, and if "revolutionary idea" goes wrong it'll be much more difficult to get job.
Leaving university can be considered at extreme cases (I left university 1.5 years ago, and was working as freelancer since), but it is a very serious step (it took me almost a year to take that decision) with a huge amount of serious consequences. Unless you are absolutely sure that there is no other way to solve problem, and unless you are absolutely sure that you can handle all consequences of your actions, don't do that.

I didn't say it did. My point was that Gates could afford to throw away the money spent already on tuition and the rest because it was a drop in the ocean to him. Whether he completed college or not and whether his father would bail him out or not (I believe that the family doesn't believe in inherited wealth) he is already rich and that would
have given him a base to be successful at whatever he did. Compare a rich kid starting MS with a kid who really needs it to survive or else he would have nothing.