There seems to be a gaggle of people who have popped up somewhere within the intersection of entrepreneurship, online startups and lately education that seem to effectively be self-help "experts" in disguise. In some ways it feels like the social networking experts have found a new outfit.
The thing that feels a bit smarmy about it is how a lot of these folks pitch tech entrepreneurship to inexperienced people as some form of paradise where you just listen Seth Godin, finish codecademy, setup an iphone app and a life of abundance falls from the sky. Perhaps I have this guy wrong but I think its a trend that is pretty disingenuous. Colleges need to figure out how to compete and realign their pricing thats for sure but the learn to code, slap together an app, learn some web buzzwords and go pitch people is not exactly much of a real alternative education. Perhaps its Silicon Valley's vision but it seems to be more self serving than the traditional education industry of today.
That's what I'm seeing too. I support Thiel's ideas in general (and have worked with and can vouch for at least one Thiel Fellow), but this case appears to be a guy dropping out of college... to promote dropping out of college. I am not saying this is actually the case, but it seems looks like this -- I don't see as much substance in what's posted on the guy's site(s).
It might make sense for Thiel to limit the number of fellows who pursue the "write a self-help book" strategy (limit, however, rather than exclude) -- otherwise this becomes quite similar to MLMs, where more money is made from selling "business education tools" (books, lecture CDs) to MLM participants rather than by actually selling the product. If the said fellow is reading this: please don't view this post as an attack, merely as a suggestion on how to better tailor your message.
“The response, basically, was ‘You are not welcome here. We do not want you to come back, at all. We are not interested in engaging, and steer clear,’” said Mr. Stephens. ”I was just amazed that Hendrix was, like, so opposed to this idea of even engaging in a conversation two years later,” he added.
Whomever reached out to the press office of the college was told the following
"Asked for comment, Hendrix spokesperson told Betabeat, “While we regularly invite and promote speakers on a variety of topics that are relevant to our academic program to campus for the benefit of our students, past and present, faculty, and the community, Hendrix does not provide a venue for individuals to promote personal projects.”
I can't see anything to indicate he is unwelcome. He couldn't give the exact reason why they would not let him present his work (Which is obviously disappointing).
The guys acheivements seem to be entirely based on the fact that he's a Theil fellow. Unschooling worked for him because he goes around getting paid to give lectures on the merits of unschooling. It reminds me of the success guru's who's entire success comes from telling people how to be successfull. It's like a self help ponzi scheme. Not saying the school is being reasonable. Just that this dude doesn't seem to have actually accomplished anything.
I've had largely the opposite experience from Dale; I'm currently on leave from Harvard, but still maintain strong ties with faculty members and other members of the Harvard community. They are excited about what I'm working on, and provide guidance and assistance as they can.
I've also maintained contact with the administration of the university, and had a great conversation with its president last year. On the whole, I find that Harvard's been quite supportive.
Frankly, I find Dale's comments here rather unhelpful and frustrating. Some of the fellows maintain good relations with their universities, and some intend to return when the time is appropriate. I very much dislike the idea of burning bridges with universities, and this article seems to taunt to them.
The institution does not appear to be in the wrong, here. I'm a little confused as to why this gentleman feels he should be entitled to take his self help book tour to his (kinda sorta) alma mater.
In any event, what are his accomplishments? I would tend to think that if he had something substantial to offer, he might stand a better chance of being invited to speak. As Steve Martin once quipped, "be so good they can't ignore you". Clearly, this guy is quite ignore-able.
His rationale is highly self-serving, bordering on disingenuous:
"I was just amazed that Hendrix was, like, so opposed to this idea of even engaging in a conversation two years later,” he added."
Pulling condescending word games about what he's doing as "a conversation." "Hey man, I just want to talk." Well no, and this tack is practically straight out of the book, "The Gift of Fear."
"It got me thinking that this had nothing all to do with Hendrix and everything to do with the way the entire system is designed."
Ah, see? It's not just Hendrix, but the entire system. Nothing personal, you see.
If this is how people learn to act under the Thiel umbrella...
It's not how they learn to act, it's what the program selects for - skill in bullshit artistry.
I've met two or three few Thiel fellows - smart people who were very good at presentation and toastmasters 101 cheap public speaking tricks, and whose aggrandized claims often turned into a shrug whence I asked for specifics.
Right. It seems that Hendrix is a private institution. The company and book he was promoting was the antithesis of how that private college makes money. Why would anyone there allow him to promote something that completely removes their funding source?
I think it's fair that they are interpreting his visit as promotion of a personal project. If he had asked them to simply engage in discourse on the future of higher education, but with his book release and his for-profit, Uncollege, I can totally see why this looks like self-promotion...because IT IS!
So, you have a girlfriend and she leaves you for some other dude. Then several years later she calls you and wants to come over for the purposes of telling you how much better he is?
Having had the "honor" of attending class with Mr. Stephens, I would not say that this rebuff is uncalled for. It is one thing to hold a contrary opinion, it is another to act on the matter that Mr. Stephens consistently did: snobbery. [...] It is not as if Hendrix's opinion is not well known to Mr. Stephens, due to the dramatic and attention crazed way he departed the campus.
Not endorsing the guy's ideas (at all), and obviously Hendrix College doesn't particularly owe him anything, but I thought this was interesting:
> Hendrix does not provide a venue for individuals to promote personal projects.
I don't see how it's more of a personal project than any other project being advocated for by a person, which includes just about everything. I think they mean to imply it's unserious or hobbyist in a way other speakers/advocates/whatever are not. The actual merits of his ideas aside, it seems reasonably serious, organized, and "real". Are they sure they don't just think it's a "personal project" because he's so young?
The thing that feels a bit smarmy about it is how a lot of these folks pitch tech entrepreneurship to inexperienced people as some form of paradise where you just listen Seth Godin, finish codecademy, setup an iphone app and a life of abundance falls from the sky. Perhaps I have this guy wrong but I think its a trend that is pretty disingenuous. Colleges need to figure out how to compete and realign their pricing thats for sure but the learn to code, slap together an app, learn some web buzzwords and go pitch people is not exactly much of a real alternative education. Perhaps its Silicon Valley's vision but it seems to be more self serving than the traditional education industry of today.