Crypto legend, and Bitcoin permabull, and venture capitalist Tim Draper is now holding programs to help entrepreneurs build crypto startups at the Draper University.
It’s long been debatable whether it’s worth earning a traditional college degree or not. A recent report by the World Bank found that despite the mountains of debt students accumulate, for every year of education you put in you get around an 8.8 percent increase in your salary.
Moreover, land yourself a bachelor’s degree from a top 100 university and you’ll get a median return of $420,000 over 20 years. Enough to make you think. And then maybe think again.
After all, break that down per month over two decades and you’ll actually see an additional $1,750 in your account. Not enough to pay the rent on a shoebox apartment in a major metropolitan center.
Education Is Never a Waste of Time
Of course, it’s impossible to knock getting a formal education. In fact, learning about anything is never a waste of time. Even if you think you’ll never use the calculus classes you almost slept through or the bizarre lesson on the cultural habits of Western Samoans, it’s all saved there somewhere in your hard disk making you a more rounded person.
But, is it making you more money? Like, serious money? Or providing you with real-world skills to face the jobs of today and tomorrow?
The Tim Draper University
Tim Draper is adored throughout the crypto world. As an early investor in Bitcoin, he’s widely regarded as one of the most influential people in blockchain. He’s also been listed as #7 on the Forbes Midas List, and one of the top 100 most powerful people in finance. If ever there were a man worth listening to about making money, it would be him.
So, it makes sense that Draper would put his name to a new kind of university; one that’s focused on preparing entrepreneurs, mentoring and supporting them, and helping them reach their goals.
Launch a successful crypto startup and you’re not looking at $420k over 20 years. You could be looking at $420 million in a matter of months. Of course, there are no guarantees, but if you’ve got the skills, determination, and connections, this is certainly an idea worth your consideration. And that’s what another crypto heavyweight and Draper cheerleader certainly thinks.
“The legend Tim Draper just announced a new program to help entrepreneurs build crypto startups,” founder at Morgan Creek Digital, Anthony Pompliano, wrote on Twitter. “The crypto market may be down but builders won’t stop building.”
Hop on over to the Draper University website and you’ll see it’s a far cry from a traditional college. With emboldening statements like:
Think big, drive progress, go full speed ahead.
There are even pictures of what look like high school kids in bathing suits rushing into the ocean. Whether that ups the credibility of this institution for you or removes it completely is probably generational.
An Impressive Track Record
However, the Draper University already has an impressive track record with many of its alumni heading on to Tech Stars, 500 Startups, and Forbes 30 under 30. Past speakers include none other than Elon Musk, and YouTube star Michelle Phan. Draper’s a pretty well-connected guy after all.
Sometimes that old saying “it’s not what you know but who you know” rings true. To be sure, graduating from Draper University is no walk in the park. You need a decent pitch and a compelling argument on the biggest problems the world is facing right now. You also have to write something that sparks the interest of the money-making investor–but the formal barriers of an Ivy League college are not there.
Perhaps most importantly of all, however, is the fact that, despite the market slump and the critics talking about the end of crypto, as Pomp enthusiastically tweeted, the builders keep on building.
Would you take a course at Draper University? Share your thoughts below!
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Bitcoinist archives
