Why I Dropped Out of College to Start a Startup

I think it's ok to drop out of college to grow a startup. But it's a terrible idea to drop out of college to start a startup.

I found the article linked in the blog to be just as interesting: why i got a job at mcdonald's <a href="http://www.heiferman.com/mcd/" rel="nofollow">http://www.heiferman.com/mcd/</a>

TODO: write a follow up to this... "why i dropped out of college years ago to grow a startup, made a nice chunk of money, and then eventually went back to college".

kudos for you taking the leap but it would have been much more prudent if you changed the "to start" to "while starting".<p>A lot of the people you hear that quit their education (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Zuckerberg, etc) to go on and build their own start-up mostly did it AFTER their ideas took off and started gaining traction[1]. They don't just blindly quit their education just for the sake of starting something. Many times it was due to a really good compelling reason such as Angel/VC funding was approved, taking a lot of their time, huge sudden interest, exponential customer acquisition, etc. Also, for every 1 successful person you hear that quit their college, there are another 100 others who have failed.<p>Anyway, who am I to tell you what to do. Again, like I said at the start, kudos for you for actually even doing something which puts you ahead of many others who are still at the "thinking stage". But I think in this situation, it is apt to say: look before you leap.<p>Good luck and all the best! Do prove me wrong and drop me an email when you're all successful. ;)<p><i>[1] I recommend "Founders At Work"</i>

I'm with you-The last quarter was my last. I've had a few startups and businesses, only now to focus my energy upon them to grow. I find that anything that intrigues you, can be self taught and learned through enjoying your curiosity. Schools are lame, the education system is slow, and you pay for a piece of paper. If you notice School is in the way of your real education, then its about time to drop that.

I am actually on a leave of absence from my prestigious East Coast University and I am debating never going back. Putting in the 9 months time to get the degree seems logical, but I am in a place where it is the US circa 1995, i.e. things are getting hot and I am in the ground floor. Nothing in life waits for you and 9 months out of the game could end it for me.

I know it's not exactly the main point of the post, but I'm curious about the diet.<p>Eggs for breakfast every morning -- just eggs? Tuna for lunch every day -- just tuna? How much of each? How do you cook the eggs? Does your body eventually adapt to the lack of variety, or do you get up in the morning with a stomach demanding waffles?

I hope you didn't formally drop out. Dropouts hurt a school's USNWR ranking, so they will almost always let students take 'temporary' leaves of absence. If the startup fails you'll be able to go back without penalty.

Hi Josh, which DogPatch Lab are you working out of? The NY one?