The Truth About Success
It’s Not Just About Hard Work
Luck and risk go hand in hand — they both show that the outcomes in life are impacted by factors beyond just our personal effort. Professor Scott Galloway from NYU has a smart take on this that’s worth keeping in mind when evaluating success, yours or others’: “Nothing is as good or as bad as it may appear.”
Bill Gates had a unique advantage early on in life. He went to one of the few high schools in the world with a computer — Lakeside School just outside Seattle. The story behind how the school even got the computer is pretty amazing. A teacher named Bill Dougall, who used to be a navy pilot during WWII, taught math and science at Lakeside. He believed that just reading from a book wasn’t enough and that real-world experience was important. He also saw the importance of having some computer knowledge in the future, so he convinced the Lakeside School Mothers’ Club to use the money they raised from their yearly rummage sale, around $3,000, to lease a Teletype Model 30 computer that was linked to a General Electric mainframe for computer time-sharing.
In 1968, Dougall got the Mothers’ Club to lease the computer using the funds from their rummage sale. Time-sharing as a concept had only been around for a few years, and someone with vision saw the potential of this technology. The Mothers’ Club took a risk and made the investment, which had a huge impact on Bill Gates’ life and the world of computing.
To sum it up, luck and taking risks both play a part in success. While individual effort is important, external factors like opportunities, luck, and taking calculated risks can also be major contributors. It’s important to keep an open mind and not judge success based purely on appearances, as things may not always be as they seem.
Reference:
Housel, M. (2020). The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness. Harriman House.
