Author: Dani Kellner

On October 1, 2014, all Cornellians everywhere bowed down to the presence of Gatesness.  Philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was back on campus for the first time in over a decade to inaugurate the opening of his namesake building, Gates Hall.

“Big day, huh?” President Skorton noted when he introduced the tech mogul to the students and faculty lucky enough to get a seat in Bailey Hall for the event.  Yes, a very big day indeed.  It’s not every day that mere mortals such as we are graced with the opportunity to listen to the wisdom of one of the world’s most brilliant, influential, and not to mention successful, people.  And, as we all already know, Cornell students fought to the death (read: woke up before the crack of dawn, waited on line, and paid upwards of $150 for a ticket that was originally free) just to be in attendance.

As ambitious, intelligent, entrepreneurial Cornellians, we all hoped and dreamed that our hour with Mr. Gates would give us some insights to how to be, well, “The Next Bill Gates.”  Big shoes to fill, guys.  Please calm down.  But, with his discussion of everything from health to education, computer science to politics, and his past to our future,  Mr. Gates certainly did not disappoint.  Whether you missed the event or just need a recap, here’s what Mr. Gates taught us about how we, too, can one day be Billionaires*.

Think of something Mr. Gates hasn’t already thought of.

Literally his suggestion, not mine.  But seriously, you have to…

Be inventive.

Mr. Gates may have already revolutionized personal computing, but there are still many, many radical breakthroughs to be made in many, many fields.  “Everywhere I look,” said Mr. Gates, “I see the next 10 or 20 years being just absolutely phenomenal.”  Education, artificial intelligence, medicine, energy, and computer science are the areas in which Mr. Gates forecasts the next big revolutions will occur.  Oh, yeah, speaking of computer science…

Be a Computer Science Major.

Practical skills, limitless opportunities, you know the spiel.  If you’re enrolled in any other major, I’ll give you a moment to cry about your life choices.  Welcome back.  Mr. Gates says all you need is 20-30 hours of programming experience to give you a basic understanding of computer programming.  And there are programs online that are actually useful.  Hallelujah, we right-brained folk still stand a chance!

Be bold.

Mr. Gates dropped out of Harvard (cue cheers) in order to pursue his dreams.  Unless you have a really good reason, you probably shouldn’t be making plans to drop out of Cornell right now.  But, the point is that it’s okay–even good–to make the big, scary changes if you believe they’re the right choices.

But choose wisely.

“My basic advice is pick something you like,” advocated Mr. Gates.  If you’re doing something you love and feel has a sense of progress, work won’t feel like work.  But you’re not going to want to take the next step to Billionairehood if you’re unhappy with your job, because you have to…

Be motivated.

Mr. Gates admitted to having no social life at the beginning of his career.  He didn’t take weekends, he didn’t take vacations, he didn’t visit his parents very often, and, he confessed, he obviously didn’t have a girlfriend.  Microsoft was his everything.  If an immensely successful career is what you want, you have to fully commit no matter what field you’re in.

Be willing to learn.

Talk to the next great professional in your field, pick up a book on a topic you’re interested.  Never believe you know it all, because you don’t.  Even Mr. Gates doesn’t.  Sometimes he even has to…

Ask for help.

When Mr. Gates is stumped or confused (and yes, this happens–he’s only human, my friend), he calls someone who he knows will have the answer, saving him time and energy.  Your BFF might not be the world’s foremost experts on all things, as I personally imagine Mr. Gates’s BFF’s are, but you don’t have to waste your productivity trying to solve a problem with an elusive answer.  Swallow your pride, ask for advice.  It helps if you…

Hang around smart people.

This actually came up quite a few times in Mr. Gates’ discussion.  Good thing we’re surrounded by Ivy Leaguers all day, every day.

Be nice.

Being surrounded by Ivy Leaguers all day, every day, I’m sure you’ve come to the understanding that people aren’t always so nice.  But Mr. Gates emphasized the positive impact you can have when you use understanding and empathy whenever you have the opportunity.

Be generous.

Yes, I know you’re on a ramen-only budget right now, but if there’s anything Mr. Gates’s philanthropic efforts can teach us is that giving is good.  Even if you can only afford to do something small, like helping your friend with a problem set or volunteering an hour of your time to pass out quarter cards for your club, giving will re-energize you and reconnect you to what you really want in life.  So, yes, helping others will absolutely help you!

Now go out and conquer the world, you Billionaire, you!  And if someday in the future you have found this article to have helped you achieve tremendous wealth, I’ll gladly accept a lean 10 percent cut of your fortune**.

 

*This article suggests that a Billionaire is someone who has or develops similar entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit to that of Mr. Gates.  The author in no way suggests that this advice will help you get rich, but she does believe that you, dear reader, are smart and talented, and certainly capable of makin’ dat paper.

**The author is kidding.  But if you’d like to send a thank you note for her sage compilation and rationalization of Bill Gates’s sage advice, you can reach her at dani.kellner@www.slopemedia.org