What Did Joe Liemandt's Dad Say About Dropping Out?

Joe Liemandt's dad called him a moron in Forbes for dropping out of Stanford, then reversed himself two years later and called the dropout the greatest thing ever. During K-12 he was always in trouble, skipped school, and did the minimum to get into Stanford. After he left, his dad was not happy, and the line that reached Forbes left out what came next.

He dropped out, started his company, and was soon working 100 hours a week and sleeping under the desks. Two years later his dad admitted he had worried his son would stay a lazy little shit, matching the old academic record, and as a dad he was terrified he had done poorly. Once his son was doing what he loved and fully engaged, his dad wished the change had come earlier.

The same pattern is what he wants from a school students love more than vacation. Parents already report a kid changed in a month because students are doing hard things they want to do, and the shift is that quick. He believes one reason the model will be a home run is that kids who can coast through a normal school will refuse the easier path and choose the new school, which will be harder than all their other schools. In the high school, a world school already sends students for a year of service in Africa, and each one signs a contract saying it will be the hardest year of life. They sign, they love it, and they are excited to go.