Chet Kapoor, the CEO of DataStax and former intern at Steve Jobs‘ NeXT, shared some valuable advice for new graduates.
What Happened: Kapoor, who began his career at NeXT in 1986, emphasized the importance of working with exceptional individuals. He suggested that graduates should prioritize finding mentors and colleagues who can help them grow, rather than focusing solely on prestigious companies, reported CNBC Make It.
“Figure out a way to go hang out with the right people very early on in your career,” Kapoor said. “Titles, money, all that will come because what you will learn from them will help you have impact … The quicker you can draw a line from your work to the impact that you’re having on the company, the more successful you will be.”
He even proposed that graduates should be willing to pay for the opportunity to work with these influential figures. Kapoor believes that this investment will pay off in the long run.
“Here’s what I tell everybody that’s coming out of college, and wants to look for a gig,” Kapoor said. “Find a set of people that you think you can learn from. Don’t worry about the titles. Don’t worry about what company they work for. Convince them that they need you and then pay them $50,000 a year so that you can work for them.”
He added, “It will be the best $50,000 you’ve ever spent in your life. Certainly better than the college education you just funded.”
Why It Matters: Kapoor’s advice echoes the sentiments of other tech industry leaders. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc, has previously emphasized the importance of hiring the best talent available and building a team of ‘A’ players to achieve success.
Kapoor’s advice also aligns with the philosophy of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who stressed the significance of building a team spirit that focuses on turning good ideas into good products.
Meanwhile, Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon.com, has also emphasized the importance of a positive attitude, particularly in one’s 20s, as it significantly impacts success.
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