
Too Cool for School: Why Dropouts Are the Most Successful Entrepreneurs
By Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of O2E Brands (the banner company to 1-800-GOT-JUNK?) and EO Vancouver member.
My dad is a liver transplant surgeon and one of the most educated people I’ve ever known. So you can imagine his disappointment when I dropped out of high school (and then college) to haul junk for a living.
But as a two-time dropout, I’m in good company: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Uber founder Travis Kalanick never finished school, either. In fact, it’s a common thread among many of today’s top entrepreneurs.
Maybe it’s because the education system isn’t suited to aspiring entrepreneurs. It’s based on a rigid framework that stifles the free flow of creativity that’s essential to success.
As the father of three, I strongly believe that our schools need an overhaul. And as my kids near their high school years, here are three lessons I’d like to see included in the curriculum.