Thread by @anshublog

NONE of the advice given to founders and the aspiring by certain incubator types and advisors works for people who come from non-privileged backgrounds.

“Be more of yourself and kick ass” only works when that matches the stereotype of a successful elite college kid.

When you make it to where these people started from, the advice works.

For 99% that don’t start out as the 1%, here’s some advice:

- make sure you get your first taste of success. Working at a great (often boring) company can help you get started. If you can get a job at Yahoo of 2003, Google of 2014, Facebook or Salesforce of 2018, take it!

Learn the basics of your job. You may not come from a family where it’s “obvious” what it means to work at a Fortune 500. Find a role model 2-3 levels from you and emulate them. Get to know them.

Employable skills. The 1% can major in English or History and still end up as VP at xyz but you likely won’t.

If you are going (back to) college, learn something like analytics, data science, marketing software, etc.

Making $100K/yr is your first tangible goal.

Use LinkedIn, a lot.

You don’t have the luxury to hate those inbound LinkedIn messages that the 1% hates.

Spend time looking for people whose career path you can imagine you could aspire to. Extra points if they have your educational or financial background.

Early in my career, I would always have 1 or 2 people whose foot steps I wanted to follow. Emulate them.

(I still do this. “What would Benioff do” is my secret to many decisions. I have a few of these people modeled in my head.)