04/29/2026
I was recently invited to speak at BITS Pilani on a panel discussing VCs vs Founders.
What stood out wasn’t the panel—it was the audience.
A large part of the room consisted of students from grades 9 and 10. Yet, most questions revolved around when to raise funding, how to pitch to VCs, and how to “start early” as entrepreneurs.
Some advice shared on the panel encouraged students to start selling early, focus on making money, and “build a hustle mindset” from school itself.
I disagreed.
Not because entrepreneurship is bad—but because we’re pushing it at the wrong stage, and often for the wrong reasons.
At 14 or 15, the goal shouldn’t be to optimize for revenue. It should be to build curiosity, problem-solving ability, and depth of thinking.
A sales-first mindset too early can create individuals who chase outcomes without understanding problems.
And that’s a bigger issue we’re already seeing—graduates who struggle with real-world problem solving, who hesitate to explore different paths, and who often feel locked into one definition of success.
In many parts of the world, students are encouraged to experiment—across disciplines, careers, and ideas. The focus is on understanding problems deeply before trying to monetize solutions.
My message to the students was simple:
Don’t chase entrepreneurship because it’s “cool.”
Don’t chase money because it’s visible.
Instead:
Build hobbies.
Explore interests.
Ask better questions.
Get comfortable with solving problems that don’t have obvious answers.
Because in the long run, great problem solvers don’t chase opportunities—opportunities chase them.
