Ask HN: Successful startups that didn't come from top-tier Universities

[DallaRosa]

Reading about startups I always have the feeling that most of the "hyped" startups come from the Ivy League so sometimes it seems like it can be very difficult for someone who didn't come from that circle to succeed, specially in the Valley. Can you give any examples (or are you an example) of a successful startup that didn't come from a topnotch university? Would you mind sharing some of your story, the problems you had to deal (if any) for not being from a top-tier university?

[ahsanhilal]

Youtube: Chad Hurley went to Indiana Uni. of Pennsylvania. Steve Chen and Jawed Karim went to University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Yelp: Jeremy Stoppelman went to University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Slide: Max Levchin went to University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Foursquare: Naveen went to Worcester Inst. and Kings College. Dennis Crowley went to Syracuse and Tisch School at NYU

Tumblr: David Karp never went to college.

Actually, I would say that there would very little correlation between going to an Ivy League/ top 10 school and building a company. Most people at such schools are more are interested in getting into Investment Banking, Consulting, Pvt Equity jobs than building companies. Going to a good college would a weak variable, if relevant at all, when deciding on the probability of future success for a startup.

[jebagu]

There have actually been a few academic studies on this topic by Vivek Wadwha and the Kauffman foundation:

"An Ivy League degree may get you a job as an investment banker or VC, but it won’t increase your odds of becoming a successful entrepreneur."

"In other words, 81% of the tech company founders came from “regular” schools. To make my colleagues at Harvard feel better (and to keep my job), I’ll acknowledge that the Ivies represented 8% of the sample even though those schools only graduate 1.6% of American students."

http://techcrunch.com/2009/10/24/got-degree-envy-no-worries-...

[abbasmehdi]

Look @ both sides of the data - how many startups fail that come from top tier schools?

I think top tier schools push people towards leadership and entrepreneurship and that is what causes them to start so many companies – not because they are genetically better or something you have no control over. It is all up to the individual. Don't be deterred. Being successful is a personal choice (often a hard one).

[DallaRosa]

Thanks for the answers!

I always felt that top-tiers had an advantage because of their networking (with those same finance guys who can easily introduce them to a Ron Conway or a Peter Thiel)

I know it might sound like a silly question but sometimes you need to hear that other people that didn't come from the top also got there so you can keep on moving on. Again, thanks everyone for the answers!

[massarog]

Few billionaires on this list that dropped out...most didn't go to top-tier universities http://www.twincommas.com/billionaire-college-dropouts

[sandroyong]

top schools does not equal to successful starups; idea + drive + timing + general business sense (ie know ur market, thinking outside the box, calculated risk taker, etc) are some of the qualities I equate to with successful startus; don't know if top tier schools offer such courses? lol

[pajju → sandroyong]

Good point. You become an Entrepreneur, it just happens; you don't go to a business school to learn that. It's more the Risk attribute that takes you there and timing as you said.

[pajju]

great companies are built by great minds. They are all across the world; they may not even have a completed degree.

Stay with right people, build the right communities around you. Its a long term journey. You will be definitely part of something big!

[ddrmaxgt37]

Apple

[msinghai]

Steve Jobs. Yes, Apple still believes that it's a startup.

[markhall]

Grooveshark: University of Florida