Where it all started.

[dand]

I would like to share my story and open a discussion for advice.

I'm 18 yo, currently "studying" Aerospace Engineering at a big-name leftist university. I'm fortunate to not get in debt for it. I go to zero lectures, take 2X the credits of an average student, and will finish in a total of 3-4 semesters. I don't want to call myself smart, but college is a bit of a joke for me. It is just painful to have put up with the BS of multiple exams, labs, and fluff essays/papers. I spend most of my time ~ 30-40 hours a week working with a bipropellant liquid rocket engineeering team, but even though it is literally the best in the nation, I'm dissapointed in its culture, level of work ethic, and overall output/progress. I spend a lot of my time self-educating through books, wikipedia, and videos on youtube. Although mild in success (a few grand in annual profit), I also spend a decent amount time on my side-hustles (ecommerce, crypto arbitrage). For context, I don't have a lavish life - I live in a dorm, can't afford a motorcycle, can't dress well, and eat from a dining hall. I don't even own a car - I get around on a half-broken electric scooter.

I went to a pretty competetive HS (think 15+ kids sent to MIT and Harvard), and had to learn the hard way what school was really all about. But I also learned very lucrative ways to game the system in order to spend minimal time on schoolwork while maintaing a stellar GPA. It was in HS (16, 17 yo) that I started reading many many books (like TMF ) that changed my perspective and made me understand the rat race and what it takes to escape as an entrepreneur. I also fell in love with physics and engineering (outside of school) and overtime gained a pretty solid understanding of its laws and how to utilize them for developing new technology.

Around my senior year of HS, I was already doing a bit of eBay with retail liquidation arbitrage. But it was not like I could just pack my 4-figure net worth, skip college, move to Austin, and go rags to riches. In fact, that was not what I wanted to do - finishing HS I already had a pretty concrete vision: to spend my 20s working on Starship in TX, working my a$$ off with most elite team of engineers, and gain such a high-level skill in engineering to then start a billion dollar company in my 30s. I also had some semi-materialistic dreams - to have a beautiful European girl, have kids at a young age, have enough money to pull up to Starbase on a Ducati Panigale, get into base jumping, explore Antarctica/Siberia, and have *experiences* in space.

Getting to SpaceX as fast as possible became my singular goal (still is) after HS. I was working at a technology startup the summer after HS and thought that if I later find a bigger startup's couch to sleep on, work really hard, and continue learning engineering hands on, eventually SpaceX would take me. But that was too idealistic - I found a few mentors from SpaceX and was suggested that while not pretty, college will get me faster and easier to SpaceX, as well given the fact there is an implied degree requirement (yes a poor reflection on the company). And I vividly remember getting back from work at 4am one day and swearing to myself that if I go to college I will finish in 2 years. I was originially super against going to college and that became the only condition under which I would go.

I finished my first/fall semester with 69 credits. And after what I went through, I'm not sure if I want to go back. Every day I woke up and I just hated it. I was super motivated however - in fact the entire Nov/Dec I woke up at 8am, did some physical training, and just WORKED until 1/2am. Every day. I don't go (neither want to) go to parties, I don't go to american football games, I don't drink, and I don't "network"/"hang out" with a bunch of future minions working for New York Times, or some Facebok, or some Ford Motor company. I will say, I learned a good amount (working with the rocket team, self-educating, working on my business). But even with my skillful gaming/hacking of the system, I just utterly hated all the BS work (that taught me little) which I had to do for the degree requirements. And I said this already, but while I was learning stuff from the rocket team, I was dissapointed with the pace of it. Now I want to be clear, I'm not trying to complain about the work I have to do. I have an extroardinary pain tolerance and can work pretty hard; but the key here is it just feels so wrong that this is what I need to do to get to SpaceX. I think it takes a lot of work/engineering skill to get on the level of working with the Starship team, but I can't accept that it is exactly this BS work. And that is my current dilemma with the winter semester approaching - is it even worth putting up with this BS for another 2-3 semesters? And I am still in no place (neither want to) flip the life switch and live the stereotypical internet entrepreneur lifestyle.

I am almost lost. Yes, this does bring into question my SpaceX goal. If it wasn't, I would not be in college. Yet I don't see myself doing anything else in my 20s. I'm in the process of building a subscription software startup for hacking/saving money on college degree requirements (gaming the system), and down the line selling it to Chegg for some 7-figure sum, but am I truly passionate about this? I mean, when I'm 25 and have money, is what I want the mansion-laptop lifestyle?

I would appreciate any advice/blindspots on this situation. And if there are any engineering entrepreneurs ahead of me here, I would love to chat. But also, hello to all - I joined the forum to learn from you all and network with mentors/entrepreneurs/partners and surround myself with people sharing the fastlane mentality. Cheers to freedom.
@MJ DeMarco

-Dan

 

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[Cilo]

I would like to share my story and open a discussion for advice.

I'm 18 yo, currently "studying" Aerospace Engineering at a big-name leftist university. I'm fortunate to not get in debt for it. I go to zero lectures, take 2X the credits of an average student, and will finish in a total of 3-4 semesters. I don't want to call myself smart, but college is a bit of a joke for me. It is just painful to have put up with the BS of multiple exams, labs, and fluff essays/papers. I spend most of my time ~ 30-40 hours a week working with a bipropellant liquid rocket engineeering team, but even though it is literally the best in the nation, I'm dissapointed in its culture, level of work ethic, and overall output/progress. I spend a lot of my time self-educating through books, wikipedia, and videos on youtube. Although mild in success (a few grand in annual profit), I also spend a decent amount time on my side-hustles (ecommerce, crypto arbitrage). For context, I don't have a lavish life - I live in a dorm, can't afford a motorcycle, can't dress well, and eat from a dining hall. I don't even own a car - I get around on a half-broken electric scooter.

I went to a pretty competetive HS (think 15+ kids sent to MIT and Harvard), and had to learn the hard way what school was really all about. But I also learned very lucrative ways to game the system in order to spend minimal time on schoolwork while maintaing a stellar GPA. It was in HS (16, 17 yo) that I started reading many many books (like TMF ) that changed my perspective and made me understand the rat race and what it takes to escape as an entrepreneur. I also fell in love with physics and engineering (outside of school) and overtime gained a pretty solid understanding of its laws and how to utilize them for developing new technology.

Around my senior year of HS, I was already doing a bit of eBay with retail liquidation arbitrage. But it was not like I could just pack my 4-figure net worth, skip college, move to Austin, and go rags to riches. In fact, that was not what I wanted to do - finishing HS I already had a pretty concrete vision: to spend my 20s working on Starship in TX, working my a$$ off with most elite team of engineers, and gain such a high-level skill in engineering to then start a billion dollar company in my 30s. I also had some semi-materialistic dreams - to have a beautiful European girl, have kids at a young age, have enough money to pull up to Starbase on a Ducati Panigale, get into base jumping, explore Antarctica/Siberia, and have *experiences* in space.

Getting to SpaceX as fast as possible became my singular goal (still is) after HS. I was working at a technology startup the summer after HS and thought that if I later find a bigger startup's couch to sleep on, work really hard, and continue learning engineering hands on, eventually SpaceX would take me. But that was too idealistic - I found a few mentors from SpaceX and was suggested that while not pretty, college will get me faster and easier to SpaceX, as well given the fact there is an implied degree requirement (yes a poor reflection on the company). And I vividly remember getting back from work at 4am one day and swearing to myself that if I go to college I will finish in 2 years. I was originially super against going to college and that became the only condition under which I would go.

I finished my first/fall semester with 69 credits. And after what I went through, I'm not sure if I want to go back. Every day I woke up and I just hated it. I was super motivated however - in fact the entire Nov/Dec I woke up at 8am, did some physical training, and just WORKED until 1/2am. Every day. I don't go (neither want to) go to parties, I don't go to american football games, I don't drink, and I don't "network"/"hang out" with a bunch of future minions working for New York Times, or some Facebok, or some Ford Motor company. I will say, I learned a good amount (working with the rocket team, self-educating, working on my business). But even with my skillful gaming/hacking of the system, I just utterly hated all the BS work (that taught me little) which I had to do for the degree requirements. And I said this already, but while I was learning stuff from the rocket team, I was dissapointed with the pace of it. Now I want to be clear, I'm not trying to complain about the work I have to do. I have an extroardinary pain tolerance and can work pretty hard; but the key here is it just feels so wrong that this is what I need to do to get to SpaceX. I think it takes a lot of work/engineering skill to get on the level of working with the Starship team, but I can't accept that it is exactly this BS work. And that is my current dilemma with the winter semester approaching - is it even worth putting up with this BS for another 2-3 semesters? And I am still in no place (neither want to) flip the life switch and live the stereotypical internet entrepreneur lifestyle.

I am almost lost. Yes, this does bring into question my SpaceX goal. If it wasn't, I would not be in college. Yet I don't see myself doing anything else in my 20s. I'm in the process of building a subscription software startup for hacking/saving money on college degree requirements (gaming the system), and down the line selling it to Chegg for some 7-figure sum, but am I truly passionate about this? I mean, when I'm 25 and have money, is what I want the mansion-laptop lifestyle?

I would appreciate any advice/blindspots on this situation. And if there are any engineering entrepreneurs ahead of me here, I would love to chat. But also, hello to all - I joined the forum to learn from you all and network with mentors/entrepreneurs/partners and surround myself with people sharing the fastlane mentality. Cheers to freedom.
@MJ DeMarco

-Dan

Hey Dan,

I am on a very similar path to you.

I have just started my PhD in combustion research, with the hope and dream to get to SpaceX one day. With you experience, and the fact that your at the Umich team (im guessing since your from Ann Arbour), I think you have a good shot.

Unfortunately for me, I am Irish, so I will not be able to work at spaceX due to ITAR restrictions. I am hoping to work on a fastlane venture, eventually get to the USA, and try work my way in. There are also opportunities at JPL for postgrads, and at stanford too.

Let me know if your interested in chatting about rockets, entrepeneurship, and aerospace engineering!
I have worked with a hybrid rocket company in Germany before, but the European space scene is still a baby at the minute.

Cheers
Cillian

 

[Happyheart]

I would like to share my story and open a discussion for advice.

I'm 18 yo, currently "studying" Aerospace Engineering at a big-name leftist university. I'm fortunate to not get in debt for it. I go to zero lectures, take 2X the credits of an average student, and will finish in a total of 3-4 semesters. I don't want to call myself smart, but college is a bit of a joke for me. It is just painful to have put up with the BS of multiple exams, labs, and fluff essays/papers. I spend most of my time ~ 30-40 hours a week working with a bipropellant liquid rocket engineeering team, but even though it is literally the best in the nation, I'm dissapointed in its culture, level of work ethic, and overall output/progress. I spend a lot of my time self-educating through books, wikipedia, and videos on youtube. Although mild in success (a few grand in annual profit), I also spend a decent amount time on my side-hustles (ecommerce, crypto arbitrage). For context, I don't have a lavish life - I live in a dorm, can't afford a motorcycle, can't dress well, and eat from a dining hall. I don't even own a car - I get around on a half-broken electric scooter.

I went to a pretty competetive HS (think 15+ kids sent to MIT and Harvard), and had to learn the hard way what school was really all about. But I also learned very lucrative ways to game the system in order to spend minimal time on schoolwork while maintaing a stellar GPA. It was in HS (16, 17 yo) that I started reading many many books (like TMF ) that changed my perspective and made me understand the rat race and what it takes to escape as an entrepreneur. I also fell in love with physics and engineering (outside of school) and overtime gained a pretty solid understanding of its laws and how to utilize them for developing new technology.

Around my senior year of HS, I was already doing a bit of eBay with retail liquidation arbitrage. But it was not like I could just pack my 4-figure net worth, skip college, move to Austin, and go rags to riches. In fact, that was not what I wanted to do - finishing HS I already had a pretty concrete vision: to spend my 20s working on Starship in TX, working my a$$ off with most elite team of engineers, and gain such a high-level skill in engineering to then start a billion dollar company in my 30s. I also had some semi-materialistic dreams - to have a beautiful European girl, have kids at a young age, have enough money to pull up to Starbase on a Ducati Panigale, get into base jumping, explore Antarctica/Siberia, and have *experiences* in space.

Getting to SpaceX as fast as possible became my singular goal (still is) after HS. I was working at a technology startup the summer after HS and thought that if I later find a bigger startup's couch to sleep on, work really hard, and continue learning engineering hands on, eventually SpaceX would take me. But that was too idealistic - I found a few mentors from SpaceX and was suggested that while not pretty, college will get me faster and easier to SpaceX, as well given the fact there is an implied degree requirement (yes a poor reflection on the company). And I vividly remember getting back from work at 4am one day and swearing to myself that if I go to college I will finish in 2 years. I was originially super against going to college and that became the only condition under which I would go.

I finished my first/fall semester with 69 credits. And after what I went through, I'm not sure if I want to go back. Every day I woke up and I just hated it. I was super motivated however - in fact the entire Nov/Dec I woke up at 8am, did some physical training, and just WORKED until 1/2am. Every day. I don't go (neither want to) go to parties, I don't go to american football games, I don't drink, and I don't "network"/"hang out" with a bunch of future minions working for New York Times, or some Facebok, or some Ford Motor company. I will say, I learned a good amount (working with the rocket team, self-educating, working on my business). But even with my skillful gaming/hacking of the system, I just utterly hated all the BS work (that taught me little) which I had to do for the degree requirements. And I said this already, but while I was learning stuff from the rocket team, I was dissapointed with the pace of it. Now I want to be clear, I'm not trying to complain about the work I have to do. I have an extroardinary pain tolerance and can work pretty hard; but the key here is it just feels so wrong that this is what I need to do to get to SpaceX. I think it takes a lot of work/engineering skill to get on the level of working with the Starship team, but I can't accept that it is exactly this BS work. And that is my current dilemma with the winter semester approaching - is it even worth putting up with this BS for another 2-3 semesters? And I am still in no place (neither want to) flip the life switch and live the stereotypical internet entrepreneur lifestyle.

I am almost lost. Yes, this does bring into question my SpaceX goal. If it wasn't, I would not be in college. Yet I don't see myself doing anything else in my 20s. I'm in the process of building a subscription software startup for hacking/saving money on college degree requirements (gaming the system), and down the line selling it to Chegg for some 7-figure sum, but am I truly passionate about this? I mean, when I'm 25 and have money, is what I want the mansion-laptop lifestyle?

I would appreciate any advice/blindspots on this situation. And if there are any engineering entrepreneurs ahead of me here, I would love to chat. But also, hello to all - I joined the forum to learn from you all and network with mentors/entrepreneurs/partners and surround myself with people sharing the fastlane mentality. Cheers to freedom.
@MJ DeMarco

-Dan

You sound like someone who will make his way in life one way or another. I had the same experience at university. After discovering I could write the exams for the next years to come, I had basically 2 years off in med school after that, because of time restricted graduation requirements. You seem to make the same mistake that I did. You go to university to earn the degree and don’t spend your time socializing. And exactly this is a mistake. University is a unique opportunity to get to know like-minded people who may be of graet use in your wndeavours in the future in wax you cannot know at this time.

You may need a person who can do xy, or someone with experience in z, or even a pro forma partner firm, because some government rules say that you must.
The intelligent people in your courses will go on to live productive lives and will be working in high places, in the government, in big companies etc. And also, they will know other people in high places that can help you. Even now, the mother of the student next to you may be the cousin od Elon‘s right hand, what do you know?

You will have infinitely more opportunities if you socialize and if people get to know you as a brilliant student who is nice to be around and very helpful, basically as someone their boss would applaud them for when they recruit you in their company.

And yes, this may involve some tedious smalltalk, going to some social events etc. As long as you don‘t start drinking, you won‘t waste your time.
Don‘t waste this opportunity to form an informal network!

Good luck!

P.S.
I also have 3 very beautiful European daughters, so I can put in a good word for you…

 

[Jfb]

I would like to share my story and open a discussion for advice.

I'm 18 yo, currently "studying" Aerospace Engineering at a big-name leftist university. I'm fortunate to not get in debt for it. I go to zero lectures, take 2X the credits of an average student, and will finish in a total of 3-4 semesters. I don't want to call myself smart, but college is a bit of a joke for me. It is just painful to have put up with the BS of multiple exams, labs, and fluff essays/papers. I spend most of my time ~ 30-40 hours a week working with a bipropellant liquid rocket engineeering team, but even though it is literally the best in the nation, I'm dissapointed in its culture, level of work ethic, and overall output/progress. I spend a lot of my time self-educating through books, wikipedia, and videos on youtube. Although mild in success (a few grand in annual profit), I also spend a decent amount time on my side-hustles (ecommerce, crypto arbitrage). For context, I don't have a lavish life - I live in a dorm, can't afford a motorcycle, can't dress well, and eat from a dining hall. I don't even own a car - I get around on a half-broken electric scooter.

I went to a pretty competetive HS (think 15+ kids sent to MIT and Harvard), and had to learn the hard way what school was really all about. But I also learned very lucrative ways to game the system in order to spend minimal time on schoolwork while maintaing a stellar GPA. It was in HS (16, 17 yo) that I started reading many many books (like TMF ) that changed my perspective and made me understand the rat race and what it takes to escape as an entrepreneur. I also fell in love with physics and engineering (outside of school) and overtime gained a pretty solid understanding of its laws and how to utilize them for developing new technology.

Around my senior year of HS, I was already doing a bit of eBay with retail liquidation arbitrage. But it was not like I could just pack my 4-figure net worth, skip college, move to Austin, and go rags to riches. In fact, that was not what I wanted to do - finishing HS I already had a pretty concrete vision: to spend my 20s working on Starship in TX, working my a$$ off with most elite team of engineers, and gain such a high-level skill in engineering to then start a billion dollar company in my 30s. I also had some semi-materialistic dreams - to have a beautiful European girl, have kids at a young age, have enough money to pull up to Starbase on a Ducati Panigale, get into base jumping, explore Antarctica/Siberia, and have *experiences* in space.

Getting to SpaceX as fast as possible became my singular goal (still is) after HS. I was working at a technology startup the summer after HS and thought that if I later find a bigger startup's couch to sleep on, work really hard, and continue learning engineering hands on, eventually SpaceX would take me. But that was too idealistic - I found a few mentors from SpaceX and was suggested that while not pretty, college will get me faster and easier to SpaceX, as well given the fact there is an implied degree requirement (yes a poor reflection on the company). And I vividly remember getting back from work at 4am one day and swearing to myself that if I go to college I will finish in 2 years. I was originially super against going to college and that became the only condition under which I would go.

I finished my first/fall semester with 69 credits. And after what I went through, I'm not sure if I want to go back. Every day I woke up and I just hated it. I was super motivated however - in fact the entire Nov/Dec I woke up at 8am, did some physical training, and just WORKED until 1/2am. Every day. I don't go (neither want to) go to parties, I don't go to american football games, I don't drink, and I don't "network"/"hang out" with a bunch of future minions working for New York Times, or some Facebok, or some Ford Motor company. I will say, I learned a good amount (working with the rocket team, self-educating, working on my business). But even with my skillful gaming/hacking of the system, I just utterly hated all the BS work (that taught me little) which I had to do for the degree requirements. And I said this already, but while I was learning stuff from the rocket team, I was dissapointed with the pace of it. Now I want to be clear, I'm not trying to complain about the work I have to do. I have an extroardinary pain tolerance and can work pretty hard; but the key here is it just feels so wrong that this is what I need to do to get to SpaceX. I think it takes a lot of work/engineering skill to get on the level of working with the Starship team, but I can't accept that it is exactly this BS work. And that is my current dilemma with the winter semester approaching - is it even worth putting up with this BS for another 2-3 semesters? And I am still in no place (neither want to) flip the life switch and live the stereotypical internet entrepreneur lifestyle.

I am almost lost. Yes, this does bring into question my SpaceX goal. If it wasn't, I would not be in college. Yet I don't see myself doing anything else in my 20s. I'm in the process of building a subscription software startup for hacking/saving money on college degree requirements (gaming the system), and down the line selling it to Chegg for some 7-figure sum, but am I truly passionate about this? I mean, when I'm 25 and have money, is what I want the mansion-laptop lifestyle?

I would appreciate any advice/blindspots on this situation. And if there are any engineering entrepreneurs ahead of me here, I would love to chat. But also, hello to all - I joined the forum to learn from you all and network with mentors/entrepreneurs/partners and surround myself with people sharing the fastlane mentality. Cheers to freedom.
@MJ DeMarco

-Dan

Hey man. I feel what you are going through since I had a very similar experience. As far as networking goes, it is hard to find people who even believe the Fastlane is possible, much less commit to it. You are right to keep your circle of friends small because many people will definitely ridicule or downplay your dreams and ambitions if you surround yourself with the wrong crowd.

Now, as far as your dreams go, you want to work for SpaceX, but you don´t have a ton of resources right now. You spend your time in the dorm, eat at the cafeteria every day, and you really do not spend too much time on schoolwork, plus, you have no debt for college. You have a ton of life´s most valuable resource, time. Right now, I believe you are at a turning point in your life and if I were in your shoes, I would continue to build this hacking/gaming the system model that you have going on because you want freedom, to be able to pull up to the Starbase is a Ducati, and travel the world.

If you have this freedom, you don´t have to work FOR Elon Musk, you can be his right-hand man and offer him insight and advice. So, your dream might not actually be the ´´internet entrepreneur´´ lifestyle but through your business systems, you can do whatever you want without being under someone´s thumb. I don´t know your dreams or ambitions in detail, but I do know that the only one who can decide what they truly want is you, because I am still traveling down this path as well.

I would love to connect and talk more because I feel like we are similar in many ways.

 

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