Drop Out

EDIT: This post was originally posted in La Acera about four years ago. The site’s current Head Honcho, sent it to me so I could post it here for posterity. Over the years I’ve noticed I’d had to clarify my views on the value of college, and this piece summarizes them rather well. Now on to the post…

Before I start, I want to tell a bit of my story because it brings some context into what I want to actually write about.

I spent 5 years, in 3 colleges, studying (in order) computer engineering, architecture, and PoliSci. Although I’m a better balanced renaissance man for it, my parents spent somewhere close to $20,000 for this unnecessary formation.

5 years ago my brother, some (now long lost) partners, and I, started our first company. We were idiots in the beginning and made tons of all sorts of mistakes. I remember that when we got our first client I stayed there at their office, after the closing meeting, waiting for my check.  Still, as the years came and went we: changed offices, changed partners, gained knowledge, got battle scars, and grew; considerably. Although we’re still a small company of just 5 we’ve been able to establish ourselves as experts in the field of Web Development, and have found clients who have decided to pay us handsomely for our expertise and follow through. At 28 I’m where ambitious people expect to be in their mid-30s. Not a single one of my chosen fields of study helps in any direct way my current profession.

The best thing I could have done was quitting school and getting to work.

How to plan a great party

Parties are part of the universal human experience. From invite only A-list soirees to convivial family dinners, everybody has been to one type of party or another. Some have been epic, some have been terrible, but one way or another we go to them often not knowing what to expect, hoping for the best.

So lets define what we’re talking about here. That big music festival everyone is going to? Not a party. Going to the Club? That’s not it either. No, no. That sort of event is the type of thing that companies take months to make happen; and if they’re spending the absurd amounts of money necessary for large events, they’re past any help this post could bring them.

Here, we’re talking about the sort of party you could throw. A relatively small event, with a list of invitees that usually doesn’t go past a hundred people, and mostly hovers around 30-40 guests. People usually wing these sorts of things, but a great party is a science.

Why are you throwing this party?

This is number one, A+, the most important thing you need to know. The intention of the party will help you make every other decision down the line. If it’s someone’s birthday, making that person happy throughout the event is your goal. Is it a networking party? Make sure that it’s the sort of thing where people can talk in a relaxed atmosphere. Are you just inviting a bunch of friends over? Prepare something that your sort of friends will specifically enjoy, something that the whole group can chill over.