Plenty of Gen Z dreamers are ready to quit college, launch a startup, and become the next Mark Zuckerberg. Or Bill Gates. Or the next billionaire dropout that tech lore loves to glamorize. But Jeff Bezos? He's not buying the hype. And he's got a very different blueprint—one that includes college, a job, and a few years in the real world before trying to change it.
Bezos didn't build Amazon in a dorm room on two hours of sleep and microwave noodles. He built it after a decade of experience in finance. "I started Amazon when I was 30, not when I was 20," Bezos said during an on-stage appearance at Italian Tech Week last month. "And I think that that extra 10 years of experience actually improved the odds that Amazon would succeed."
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In a world where college is increasingly dismissed as optional—or even a waste of time—Bezos is standing firm on the value of education and early-career training. "So that would always be my advice. I finished college, and I think it's been helpful to me." He didn't just finish college—he graduated from Princeton University, majoring in electrical engineering and computer science. Not exactly a slacker's route.
To the younger generation eager to disrupt everything straight out of high school, Bezos offered a reality check. "It is possible to be 18, 19, 20 years old, drop out of college, and be a great entrepreneur. We have famous examples of that working—Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. But these people are the exception."
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Bezos's advice is both practical and firm: "I always advise to young people: Go work at a best-practices company somewhere where you can learn a lot of basic fundamental things [like] how to hire really well, how to interview, etc." According to him, the time spent absorbing those fundamentals isn't wasted—it's an investment that "increases your odds," especially when you eventually strike out on your own.
And he's not just talking about corporate conformity. Bezos believes big companies need entrepreneurial minds within them too. "Big companies need mavericks," he said. "They need people to lift them up and make them see new things." At Amazon and Blue Origin, he says, they actively work to protect those mavericks—to keep them from being pushed out just because they challenge the norm. "Most big companies get comfortable, and the mavericks cause discomfort… but you'll lose so much that way."
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The message is clear: disruptors don't have to drop out. In fact, they might be better off learning the rules first—then rewriting them. Bezos didn't skip the fundamentals. He mastered them. And then, at 30, with a strong résumé, technical know-how, and years of business instincts under his belt, he changed the future of commerce.
For Gen Z, the takeaway isn't "don't dream big." It's dream smart. There's no shame in taking the long way. As Bezos proves, it might even give you an edge.
And if you're thinking of skipping out on that last semester to build the next unicorn startup, just know—you better be the exception.
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