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Jul 15, 2017 · 16m · a16z

Don't Follow Your Passion

Ben Horowitz · 13m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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In his 2015 Columbia University commencement address, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz challenges conventional wisdom by advising graduates not to follow their passion, but rather to think independently and focus on contributing their unique talents to society.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. How this is scored →

The host as informed peer 0.0 Guest teaching 0.0 Guest disagreement 2.3 The host pushing back 0.0
05100:0010:000:00–4:13 · The host as informed peer 0/10 Opening Title Cards and Event Information Ben Horowitz delivers an opening commencement address sharing a story about Alan Turing and his friend's skepticism of computer science. Because this is a solo address without host interaction, host-side scores are zero.4:13–8:02 · The host as informed peer 0/10 The Power of Original Thought and the Airbnb Example Horowitz explains venture capital evaluation and details Brian Chesky's non-obvious insight behind Airbnb. Host interaction is absent in this monologue segment.8:02–11:13 · The host as informed peer 0/10 Don't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Contribution Horowitz takes a contrarian stance against the common advice to follow one's passion, advocating instead for following one's contribution. The host does not participate in the conversation.11:13–16:51 · The host as informed peer 0/10 Unprecedented Opportunities and Unlocking Human Potential Horowitz highlights global progress statistics and contrasts vintage library systems with modern smartphone connectivity. The host remains silent in this solo speech.0:00–4:13 · Guest teaching 0/10 Opening Title Cards and Event Information Ben Horowitz delivers an opening commencement address sharing a story about Alan Turing and his friend's skepticism of computer science. Because this is a solo address without host interaction, host-side scores are zero.4:13–8:02 · Guest teaching 0/10 The Power of Original Thought and the Airbnb Example Horowitz explains venture capital evaluation and details Brian Chesky's non-obvious insight behind Airbnb. Host interaction is absent in this monologue segment.8:02–11:13 · Guest teaching 0/10 Don't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Contribution Horowitz takes a contrarian stance against the common advice to follow one's passion, advocating instead for following one's contribution. The host does not participate in the conversation.11:13–16:51 · Guest teaching 0/10 Unprecedented Opportunities and Unlocking Human Potential Horowitz highlights global progress statistics and contrasts vintage library systems with modern smartphone connectivity. The host remains silent in this solo speech.0:00–4:13 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Opening Title Cards and Event Information Ben Horowitz delivers an opening commencement address sharing a story about Alan Turing and his friend's skepticism of computer science. Because this is a solo address without host interaction, host-side scores are zero.4:13–8:02 · Guest disagreement 2/10 The Power of Original Thought and the Airbnb Example Horowitz explains venture capital evaluation and details Brian Chesky's non-obvious insight behind Airbnb. Host interaction is absent in this monologue segment.8:02–11:13 · Guest disagreement 3/10 Don't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Contribution Horowitz takes a contrarian stance against the common advice to follow one's passion, advocating instead for following one's contribution. The host does not participate in the conversation.11:13–16:51 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Unprecedented Opportunities and Unlocking Human Potential Horowitz highlights global progress statistics and contrasts vintage library systems with modern smartphone connectivity. The host remains silent in this solo speech.0:00–4:13 · The host pushing back 0/10 Opening Title Cards and Event Information Ben Horowitz delivers an opening commencement address sharing a story about Alan Turing and his friend's skepticism of computer science. Because this is a solo address without host interaction, host-side scores are zero.4:13–8:02 · The host pushing back 0/10 The Power of Original Thought and the Airbnb Example Horowitz explains venture capital evaluation and details Brian Chesky's non-obvious insight behind Airbnb. Host interaction is absent in this monologue segment.8:02–11:13 · The host pushing back 0/10 Don't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Contribution Horowitz takes a contrarian stance against the common advice to follow one's passion, advocating instead for following one's contribution. The host does not participate in the conversation.11:13–16:51 · The host pushing back 0/10 Unprecedented Opportunities and Unlocking Human Potential Horowitz highlights global progress statistics and contrasts vintage library systems with modern smartphone connectivity. The host remains silent in this solo speech.

speaking balance: gold is the host, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%0:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%3:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%3:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%6:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%6:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%9:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%9:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%12:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%12:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%15:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%15:00 · the host 0% · guest 100%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 8:20 Contrarian Take on Passions

Horowitz forcefully rejects conventional career wisdom, calling the advice to follow passion misleading and self-centered.

 Hardest push from the host ▶ 0:00 N/A - Monologue Speech

No host pushback occurs in this transcript because host Steph Smith does not speak during the commencement speech.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 14:30 Democratization of Information

Horowitz educates the audience on global technological progress, illustrating how smartphone access surpasses elite university libraries of twenty years ago.

 The host holds their own ▶ 0:00 N/A - Monologue Speech

The host does not speak or demonstrate expertise in this monologue recording.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicThe host as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementThe host pushing backWhy
Opening Title Cards and Event Information 0020 Ben Horowitz delivers an opening commencement address sharing a story about Alan Turing and his friend's skepticism of computer science. Because this is a solo address without host interaction, host-side scores are zero.
The Power of Original Thought and the Airbnb Example 0020 Horowitz explains venture capital evaluation and details Brian Chesky's non-obvious insight behind Airbnb. Host interaction is absent in this monologue segment.
Don't Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Contribution 0030 Horowitz takes a contrarian stance against the common advice to follow one's passion, advocating instead for following one's contribution. The host does not participate in the conversation.
Unprecedented Opportunities and Unlocking Human Potential 0020 Horowitz highlights global progress statistics and contrasts vintage library systems with modern smartphone connectivity. The host remains silent in this solo speech.

Statements from this episode (4)

Insight
Horowitz: Real value is created by being right when others disagree
“Those are the only things, things that you believe, That everybody around you doesn't believe, when you're right, That create real value in the world. Everything else people already know. There's no value created.”
Ben Horowitz Jul 15, 2017 ▶ 4:57
Assertion Supported
Horowitz: Airbnb rents more nights in New York than Hilton
“Now I think they rent more nights, ah, every night in New York than Hilton Hotel.”
Ben Horowitz Jul 15, 2017 ▶ 7:50
Insight
Horowitz: Follow your contribution, not your passion
“What you take out of the world over time, be it, you know, whatever money, cars, stuff, accolades, is much less important than what you put into the world. And so my recommendation would be follow your contribution. Find the thing that you're great at, put tha…”
Ben Horowitz Jul 15, 2017 ▶ 10:35
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Horowitz: Smartphones provide better libraries than 1990s Ivy League universities
“Everybody who has a smartphone, which is pretty soon going to be everybody in the world, has the Library of Congress in their pocket. So that means a girl growing up in Bangladesh now has a better library than a student at Columbia or Harvard had 20 years ago.”
Ben Horowitz Jul 15, 2017 ▶ 15:41
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