From High School Dropout to Billion-Dollar CEO: Samir Vasavada’s Journey with Vise

t just 20 years old, Samir Vasavada became the youngest founder of a billion-dollar company, Vise, a platform revolutionizing automated and personalized portfolio management for financial advisors.

Growing up in a traditional Indian immigrant family in Cleveland, Samir defied expectations by dropping out of high school at 16 to pursue entrepreneurship.

His story, shared in a recent podcast, is a testament to bold choices, resilience, and redefining success in the AI era. Below, we explore his journey, highlighting key quotes that capture his mindset and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Defying Tradition: A Rebellious Path

Samir’s family, like many immigrant households, valued stability and envisioned a conventional path for him: finish school, attend college, and secure a stable career as a doctor or engineer.

However, Samir had other plans. “They really pushed me growing up to be a doctor… I just didn’t want to do that. I always loved building things,” he recalls, tracing his entrepreneurial spark to childhood moments playing with Lego sets.

This love for building led him to discover entrepreneurship, a path that felt “uncharted” and risky to his risk-averse family.

“The idea of spending money frivolously, taking risks, skipping college was a completely foreign concept to them,” he notes.

By the end of seventh grade, Samir was already questioning the traditional path.

“I kind of knew I wasn’t going to do it,” he says, recalling a pivotal moment at an honors society ceremony where he deliberately let his grades slip to focus on his entrepreneurial ambitions.

When his parents expressed disappointment, fearing it would jeopardize his college prospects, Samir’s response was resolute: “I don’t really care, I’m not going to go to college.” This sparked a “huge fight,” but Samir remained steadfast, reasoning from first principles:

“What would college help me with if I want to start a big business and become really successful? I couldn’t really think of anything other than network.”

Building a Network Without College

Determined to bypass college, Samir focused on building his network independently through cold emails. “If I can build a network on my own outside of going to university… then I would eliminate any need to have to go to a university,” he explains.

This proactive approach laid the foundation for Vise, which he co-founded with Runik Mehrotra, whom he met during a summer program at Northwestern University. Their friendship began in a dorm, where Samir, ever the visionary, convinced Runik to join him in building mobile apps for small businesses.

“I kind of took him to the dark side and said, ‘No, capitalism, building a business is the actual path you should follow,’” Samir laughs, describing how he shaped Runik into the co-founder he needed.

Gaining Legitimacy and Parental Approval

Samir’s unconventional path initially met resistance from his family. It wasn’t until Vise gained traction through Lightseed Ventures’ fellowship program that his parents began to see his vision as legitimate.

“The only reason why we were able to get into their fellowship program is because my co-founder was going to UPenn, and a fellowship sounded really formal and like a certification almost,” he shares.

Rethinking Education in the AI Era

Samir’s journey challenges the traditional value of college, especially in an AI-driven world where information is increasingly accessible. “College has kind of started to lose its credibility… University now teaches you what to think and not how to think,” he asserts.

Instead, he advocates for real-world learning through mentorship and practical experience.

“The best way to grow yourself is to find someone who you think is really impressive… shadow that person, learn from that person,” he advises, emphasizing the importance of hustle and thoughtful outreach, like sending “really thoughtful cold emails” to build credibility.

For Samir, entrepreneurship can’t be taught in a classroom. “Entrepreneurship classes make no sense to me because the only way to be an entrepreneur is to go be an entrepreneur,” he says.

He points to companies like Palantir, which now hire high school graduates as apprentices, bypassing college entirely. Looking ahead, Samir questions the relevance of college for most career paths.

“I don’t believe that I would send my children to college… If you want to be an entrepreneur, just starting a company is the best way to do it,” he states.

Finding Your Superpower

Samir’s advice for thriving in the AI era is both simple and profound: focus on your unique strength. “Understand what your superpower is… What’s the thing that you are best in the world at?” he urges.

To discover this, he suggests asking those closest to you: “Why are you friends with me? What makes me great?” Once identified, hone that strength relentlessly. “

Forget about your weaknesses… All of the alpha comes from sticking at one thing for a long period of time and reaping all of the compounded rewards,” he explains, likening careers to compounding capital. He estimates that deep mastery takes seven to ten years, akin to a sushi chef perfecting their craft over a decade.

Samir’s own success stems from this focus. At 15, he wrote a list of goals for age 20, achieving all but one (getting a dog). Now, with a new “North Star” guiding him toward 30, he emphasizes long-term vision and introspection.

“You really have to be introspective and understand what are the things that I care about, what are the things that I’m good at, and where’s the intersection,” he advises.

A Blueprint for Success

Samir Vasavada’s journey from a high school dropout to the CEO of a billion-dollar company at 20 is a powerful reminder that success doesn’t require a traditional path.

By rejecting conventional expectations, building a network through sheer determination, and focusing on his entrepreneurial “superpower,” Samir turned Vise into a game-changer for financial advisors.

His story inspires us to rethink education, embrace risk, and commit to mastery in an AI-driven world. As he puts it, “When you have this kind of vision, this North Star… that’ll guide you.” For aspiring entrepreneurs, Samir’s advice is clear: find your strength, stick with it, and let it compound over time.

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