Don’t Follow Your Passion: Career Advice from Ben Horowitz

Ben Horowitz (born 1966 is an American businessman, investor, and author, best known as co‑founder and general partner of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). 

Highlights from his commencement speech at Columbia University to the Class of 2015:

* Don’t listen to your friends. Think for yourself.

* Don’t follow your passion, follow your contribution. Why?

  1. Passions are hard to prioritize.
  2. What you’re passionate about at 21 is not necessarily what you’re gonna be passionate about at 40. 
  3. You’re not necessarily good at your passion.
* What you take out of the world over time is much less important than what you’ve put into the world. 

* Find the thing that you’re great at, put that into the world, contribute to others, help the world be better and that is the thing to follow.

* What’s remarkable from a historical standpoint about this time in the world, to me, are not the unprecedented challenges; it’s the unprecedented opportunities.

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