Heard this at the beginning of YC. Context: Paul Graham invited us to his house to host an impromptu office hours at the beginning of the YC spring batch. However, instead of talking about our product, talking to customers, and finding product market fit, he got curious: ”How old are you guys?” ”We’re both barely 18”, I replied. I could his face visibly change to a mix of fascinated and disappointment. He explained to us the problem: The current state of startups is that VCs are basically throwing money at anyone - especially college dropouts and high schoolers to get to them earlier (the case for us at clado (YC X25)!). It's a smart investment tactic that actively draws students away from formal education. So while PG's initial reaction seemed contrarian, his opinions made much more sense after explaining his 3 reasons why college is essential to the growth of a founder (or any person): 1. Idleness Idleness in this context isn't about laziness, but rather having unstructured time that allows for deep thinking. This is the mental wandering that often leads to a stronger philosophy and understanding of the world. College provides periods where students aren't immediately pressured by job responsibilities or survival concerns, creating space for ideas to develop organically. 2. Freedom of Exploration Paul Graham’s gave us the following example: In college, I can do whatever I want. If I wanted to spend a whole semester studying neuroscience, I could do that and take all biology & neurology courses. In a startup, if you’re not hyper-focused on the constrained work required, then your startup is inefficient and burning cash. That's it. 3. Diverse Relationships Relationships in the startup world is mostly constrained to tech, while in college it’s almost unlimited. Paul's example: you may meet someone in your dorm who studies Classics. You two begin discussing how classic and modern literature differ in part because of the literacy rates in the societies that those authors lived. It’s something super fascinating that won't come up at any startup. My takeaway: If you're building and found something you're truly passionate about (ready to work on for the next 8-10 years of your life), then commit to it. There has never been a better time. However, beware of the challenges and change. You will miss one set of important experiences for another.