Bezos: Gen Z Entrepreneurs Need Work Experience Before Starting Businesses

Jeff Bezos doesn’t buy the hype that tech giants are built by college dropouts. While Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates famously launched facebook and Microsoft from their Harvard dorms, Bezos says ⁣they’re the exception,⁢ not the rule.

“It’s possible” to become a ‌triumphant entrepreneur at 18, 19, or 20, Bezos acknowledged during an interview at Italian Tech Week last fall.Though, he strongly advises young people to first gain experience at a well-run company.

“Go work at a best-practices company somewhere where you can ‌learn a lot of basic basic things ⁤- ​how to hire really well,‌ how to interview,⁢ etc.,” Bezos said. He believes absorbing knowledge from an established organization significantly ⁢”increases your odds” of success before⁣ launching your own⁣ venture.

Bezos, currently the third-richest person in the world with a net worth of $268 billion, founded Amazon at⁢ age 30 ​after ⁢a decade of professional experience. In contrast, Gates ⁤and Zuckerberg were both 19 when they⁢ started Microsoft and Facebook, respectively. Zuckerberg is currently the⁢ sixth-wealthiest​ person ⁤globally,with a net worth of $231 billion.