Entrepreneurship is usually a gamble — most founders have to give up something in order to start their companies — but every once in a while, it pays off in a big way.
For Google co-founder Sergey Brin, that gamble involved putting his Stanford PhD on hold to chase what began as a graduate student project. In an interview, Brin reflected on that pivotal decision with characteristic humility, admitting he “could not possibly have imagined” what would emerge from those early entrepreneurial steps. His candid recollection offers a rare glimpse into the mindset that transformed a university research project into one of the world’s most influential technology companies.
“I could not possibly have imagined,” Brin said when asked if he could have foreseen Google’s eventual success. “But I remember when I was really thinking deeply about this, and this was sort of a graduate student project at Stanford. I talked to my advisor, I was like, should I really do this entrepreneurial thing?”
The uncertainty was palpable. Here was a promising PhD candidate at one of the world’s premier universities, weighing the security of academic achievement against the unknown prospects of a startup venture. “It might not work out and I can just finish my PhD,” Brin recalled thinking at the time. “And he said, why not go for it? And then if it doesn’t work out, you come back, you finish your PhD, which I’m still planning on doing.”
That casual “which I’m still planning on doing” carries particular weight today, given that Brin never returned to complete his doctorate. The “graduate student project” he was contemplating became Google, now Alphabet Inc., with a market capitalization exceeding $1.7 trillion.
“But anyway, there’s no big deal. Just give it a shot,” Brin continued, describing his advisor’s encouragement. “And I think that mentality permeates Silicon Valley. And I think that’s one of the strengths, that there’s really not much, it’s not viewed so negatively to try something, even if it doesn’t work out.”
This philosophy of calculated risk-taking that Brin describes has indeed become synonymous with Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial culture. The region’s tolerance for failure, combined with its safety net of prestigious universities and established tech companies, creates an environment where brilliant minds feel empowered to pursue ambitious ventures. Brin’s story exemplifies this ecosystem at work: a supportive academic advisor, access to cutting-edge research resources, and a cultural backdrop that normalizes entrepreneurial experimentation.
The broader implications of Brin’s reflection extend beyond Google’s individual success story. His experience mirrors that of numerous other tech titans who left academic pursuits to build companies that would reshape entire industries. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg famously dropped out of Harvard, while Michael Dell left the University of Texas. More recently, we’ve seen similar patterns with companies like OpenAI, where academic researchers have transitioned from universities to startups pursuing breakthrough artificial intelligence technologies. This pipeline from academia to entrepreneurship continues to drive innovation, suggesting that the mentality Brin identified remains as relevant today as it was during Google’s founding era. And while Brin has yet to return to Stanford to complete his PhD, Google’s success, which has made him one of the richest men on the planet, likely more than makes up for it.