Max Levchin

So I grew up in an academic family and for them, the notion of advanced degrees was the ladder to climb. And so it was embarrassing that my mom never got a PhD to her mom, who was an exceptionally important influence in my life and my mom's life. And so this notion of the way you achieve in the world, the goals to set, the ways to think about

success and failure in life is measured through academic success. My grandmother has papers in the Harvard Library. She's long gone, but she was a Soviet scientist that managed to have her astronomy PhD thesis referenced in dozens of academic papers in the United States. And so she achieved the academic peak early in life and stayed there. And as she was very old and quite ill,

success and failure in life is measured through academic success. My grandmother has papers in the Harvard Library. She's long gone, but she was a Soviet scientist that managed to have her astronomy PhD thesis referenced in dozens of academic papers in the United States. And so she achieved the academic peak early in life and stayed there. And as she was very old and quite ill,

success and failure in life is measured through academic success. My grandmother has papers in the Harvard Library. She's long gone, but she was a Soviet scientist that managed to have her astronomy PhD thesis referenced in dozens of academic papers in the United States. And so she achieved the academic peak early in life and stayed there. And as she was very old and quite ill,

she'd asked me well what about the phd track and i was just about to start my third company i was like you know i'm gonna get a bachelor's and basically because of you otherwise i would have long dropped out and moved to palo alto and started a company already it all worked out in the end so i'm not complaining but they grew up in a world where entrepreneurship was not a factor so the union was not a place where entrepreneurship meant anything in those days i would love for my kids to

she'd asked me well what about the phd track and i was just about to start my third company i was like you know i'm gonna get a bachelor's and basically because of you otherwise i would have long dropped out and moved to palo alto and started a company already it all worked out in the end so i'm not complaining but they grew up in a world where entrepreneurship was not a factor so the union was not a place where entrepreneurship meant anything in those days i would love for my kids to

she'd asked me well what about the phd track and i was just about to start my third company i was like you know i'm gonna get a bachelor's and basically because of you otherwise i would have long dropped out and moved to palo alto and started a company already it all worked out in the end so i'm not complaining but they grew up in a world where entrepreneurship was not a factor so the union was not a place where entrepreneurship meant anything in those days i would love for my kids to

at least explore entrepreneurship and decide that it's important. So telling them you must spend a decade on the school bench is counterintuitive to that. And so I never told them, you know, your storied grandmother with her multiple PhDs is just, you know, waiting for you to get your first advanced degree and keep going. And I felt very guilty about it.

at least explore entrepreneurship and decide that it's important. So telling them you must spend a decade on the school bench is counterintuitive to that. And so I never told them, you know, your storied grandmother with her multiple PhDs is just, you know, waiting for you to get your first advanced degree and keep going. And I felt very guilty about it.

at least explore entrepreneurship and decide that it's important. So telling them you must spend a decade on the school bench is counterintuitive to that. And so I never told them, you know, your storied grandmother with her multiple PhDs is just, you know, waiting for you to get your first advanced degree and keep going. And I felt very guilty about it.

The day we took PayPal public, my mom asked me, well, will you finally move back to Chicago and get a PhD? And I was like, but this is not the response. Yet that is what I was brought up with. And it weighs on me and I don't want it weighing on my kids.

The day we took PayPal public, my mom asked me, well, will you finally move back to Chicago and get a PhD? And I was like, but this is not the response. Yet that is what I was brought up with. And it weighs on me and I don't want it weighing on my kids.

The day we took PayPal public, my mom asked me, well, will you finally move back to Chicago and get a PhD? And I was like, but this is not the response. Yet that is what I was brought up with. And it weighs on me and I don't want it weighing on my kids.

I don't think so. Good try.

I don't think so. Good try.

I don't think so. Good try.

Thank you. You're always fun to talk to. Good to see you again.

Thank you. You're always fun to talk to. Good to see you again.

Thank you. You're always fun to talk to. Good to see you again.