Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America

by Andrew Yang

I had a friend who was a brilliant writer. He went to law school, became a corporate attorney at a top firm, and then discovered he disliked it. So he quit to become a screenwriter. After months of writing and shopping a couple of scripts around, he hadn’t made the kind of progress he’d envisioned. So he became a lawyer at another firm to pay the bills while still holding out hope that he could make a career for himself creatively. Years passed. He’s now a senior structured-finance lawyer. I know, no one feels particularly bad for a highly paid professional—but this shows how it can be tough to transition out. This situation is referred to as having “golden handcuffs,” which sounds ridiculous until you see it up close. A job is more than a job—it’s your car, how you dress, where you live, the relationships you have, and many other things. It’s unrealistic to think that one can adopt a certain lifestyle for several years and then make an abrupt change without having to make other significant adjustments. Contrary to popular belief, exciting companies are not generally reaching out to banking analysts, consultants, or corporate lawyers with great opportunities. Startups, for example, often hire from within personal networks and take on people who are actively engaged in the startup community. Most small- to medium-size companies need one finance wizard, not twelve of them, and they may already have someone with financial acumen on the senior team. Headhunters are eager to pl...