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I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

octopart.com

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Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#41

Post by mmcgrana »

jmzachary wrote: post #16

Couldn't you have taken a sabbatical? I mean, did you just totally walk away from it? I took a sabbatical for a year from a PhD in CS to pursue some medical science ideas, then went back when they didn't go far enough to make a living on. Not flaming, just curious.

Taking a sabbatical is of course a reasonable idea, but you will inevitably be tempted to fall back into the PhD program when things get tough at your startup. Every new founder can think of a lot of reasons why their company might not succeed; when you don't have the option of going back to school, you're less likely to give up on your company in the face of these challenges.

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#42

Post by dougw »

pg wrote: post #37
kf wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Paul Graham has backpedaled from one of the initial goals of Y Combinator, funding companies with no lower-bound for the age of founders. With the publication of this essay, http://www.paulgraham.com/mit.html, he has backpedaled from that stance because of his personal moral culpability for encouraging people to become drop-outs. So if you are seeking Y Combinator funding and are a current undergraduate, tell Paul Gr…

We never proposed there was no lower bound; the goal was more to discover where it was. And we now have, I think. Though in fact the main thing we discovered was how fuzzy it is. There really are people who can start a startup when they're 19. Sam Altman, the founder of Loopt, was 19. But for most people the lower bound is about 22. One reason is that most people need to experience what a job is like to be sufficient…

I couldn't agree with you more. It isn't until you really experience what it is like to work for someone else before you realize what it's like to work for someone else.

After 2 years of corporate work, I'm ready to step out on my own as a result of frustration with what other people want me to do. Sometimes it takes the mother bird to force the chick out of the nest before it learns to fly ....

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#43

Post by jullrich1 »

At the end of the day this is a public explanation of a private decision. I'm guessing that the amount of thought that went into this decision is massive and began on some level long before PG made a comment. Without personally knowing Andres, I think it's safe to say as a physics expert he possesses the analytical skills required to go into this with a clear head. I for one give him credit for acting on his instincts rather than playing it safe. All the posts below are proving that point. How many people would be claiming that he made a mistake if he continued to pursue Physics and Octopart failed? No one because who can criticize the pursuit of a doctorate? Chances are his dedication to Octopart will lead him in yet another direction, one that most likely would not have reared itself in the basement of the Physics lab.

As for the women...well that is a whole other conversation. Andres, I know lots of women now that I'm married, let me know your type.

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#45

Post by tyohn »

I hate to play devils advocate but is dropping out of school a reflection of what is to come when the start up work gets tedious? Please don’t get me wrong I believe you should follow your passion and if that takes dropping out of school or climbing Mt. Everest follow Nike and just do it! Maybe dropping out of school shows the investor that you are serious but are you dropping out because you are serious or because you’re bored and this offers you a way out? Am I way off on this line of thought? By the way if I was facing the same decision I would drop out too.

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#46

Post by sharpshoot »

jamiequint wrote: post #38
nostrademons wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the first 7 semesters of my undergrad in physics, and still have a lot of friends doing Ph.Ds in physics. A bachelors in physics opens up a large expanse of possibilities - finance, management consulting, economics consulting, computer programming, high school math teacher, and of course physics grad school. A Ph.D in physics qualifies you for exactly one job: physics professor. There are far more opportunities…

There are positions opening up for physics Ph.Ds in electronics (especially now that the size of the technology is becoming smaller and more apparently susceptible to the laws of quantum physics) There may not be a ton of opportunities now, but once nanotech starts moving out of the labs and into more applications I'd say the market will grow significantly.

I'm a PhD in infectious disease, with a long term interest in nanotechnology and the interface between biosciences and nanotech - But its going to take too long to be in a pole position to drive that innovation (i'm going to be 35 before anything gets going (12 years!) and i'm impatient. The information age has shaped my life in more ways that i could have ever imagined - i want to change people's live now not later. Thats why i'm into the web and particularly online/offline convergence. I want it now not later!

Plus i'll need a track record to build a kickass, disruptive nanotechnology startup which can impact on medicine - 12 years of the information age is just the fix i need!

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#47

Post by razvanr »

smock wrote: post #25

Its interesting to me that everyone here seems to have advice to offer, some of it very personally critical, to a man who is merely outlining his own train of thought, not telling anyone to follow his path. I am nearing the end of my fourth year in physics grad school and have never been closer to quitting. My own experience has been very isolating-I work long hours in the basement of a lab, limiting of my personal g…

I totally agree with not taking decisions lightly, but with a clear head. I've put all my studies on hold this year(currently 19) because it makes so much more sense to experiment as best I can at this stage. I've since been employed as a copywriter(great job), then as a programmer(hated it because things were moving too slow in that company) and I ultimately started a low-profile firm and pitched alternative outdoor marketing projects to big distribution firms here in Bucharest. What I'm trying to say is that in 9 months I've learned more than in my entire formal studies up until now. And it's not only about the knowledge but also about life experience and how to deal with things. It always demands great respect to take your own life into your hands and take decisions. It's also great to know that you can manage things on your own and be financially independent at this age.

I don't take formal studies lightly in any way, but I consider that it's great added value if I continue them in a few years.

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#48

Post by jmtame »

tyohn wrote: post #45

I hate to play devils advocate but is dropping out of school a reflection of what is to come when the start up work gets tedious? Please don’t get me wrong I believe you should follow your passion and if that takes dropping out of school or climbing Mt. Everest follow Nike and just do it! Maybe dropping out of school shows the investor that you are serious but are you dropping out because you are serious or because y…

I think it shows that Andres doesn't have the interest or time in his school work. I'm in a similar situation, considering dropping out as an undergraduate, and I just don't have the time to work on my startup and school at the same time and expect any progress in the next 12 months.

Plus you have to consider what a degree is going to get you. In most cases, at least for undergraduates, a degree is going to put you in a full-time, entry-level job. Not everyone wants that, and not everyone is meant to be in college.

You can argue this two ways. Your view is "you need to finish what you started, otherwise people know you're a quitter." I'm the type who says "I tried it, didn't like it, and now I'm chasing my dreams." There's no right or wrong here, it's all perception.

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#49

Post by Tichy »

psbt wrote: post #24
jmzachary wrote: post #16

Couldn't you have taken a sabbatical? I mean, did you just totally walk away from it? I took a sabbatical for a year from a PhD in CS to pursue some medical science ideas, then went back when they didn't go far enough to make a living on. Not flaming, just curious.

if you take a sabbatical then you haven't really risked anything. you have to go all the way. what do you guys think about James from Hot or Not giving up his millions. He probably went out to a nice dinner to celebrate.

Why would it be important to risk anything???

Re: I Dropped Out of Grad School Today

#50

Post by erdos2 »

David Sternberg writes in his book, "How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation," that the right reason to pursue a doctorate is a deep interest in your discipline, along with the intention to work professionally in it upon completion. I recommend this book to anyone having first or second thoughts about pursuing a Ph.D.

Social isolation helps if your intention is to get work done. In the words of the poet:

"Startups must be pursued for their own sake

and never to impress potential mates."

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