Your credentials mean nothing  

American companies are obsessed with hiring Harvard grads and Wharton MBAs. This is true of the tech industry, even extending into startups, driving entry-level top school CS bachelor’s degree grad salaries into the six figures in the Bay Area. Everyone agrees that better talent leads to better outcomes. But are the most highly academically-credentialed among us the most talented?

I’ve found this to be very true in my life so far - it doesn’t matter where you come from, if you do a killer job, you’re likely to be worth much more than someone with a college degree from the “right” place. I love this next part.

Your passion for learning and gaining more and more experience are what make you great. The nights you stayed up until 5am coding make you great. Your love of building things makes you great.

Be passionate about what you love doing. Be the best at what you’re doing. Follow your passion. If you love it, that means more than some college degree or line on a piece of paper. It’ll get you further in life than you could ever imagine.