Don’t Follow Your Passion | Ben Horowitz’s Advice for New Graduates
The a16z Show
- Published
- July 6, 2026
- Duration
- 19:22
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Jul 29, 2026
Discusses In this commencement address to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applie…
Summary
In this commencement address to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2015, Ben Horowitz challenges some of the most common advice given to graduates. Rather than urging students to “follow their passion,” Horowitz argues that people should focus on developing their strengths and making meaningful contribut…
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Show notes
In this commencement address to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2015, Ben Horowitz challenges some of the most common advice given to graduates. Rather than urging students to “follow their passion,” Horowitz argues that people should focus on developing their strengths and making meaningful contributions to the world. Drawing on stories from his own time at Columbia, the founding of technology companies, and investments in startups like Air