I'm just the smallest dot in a big map of human history.

If you really understand something, you can: 1) explain it using a clear metaphor and 2) explain the strongest counter-argument to the idea.

I really focused on three things in high school - my company, basketball and my school work.

Expose yourself to as much as possible. Attend conferences no one else is attending. Read books no one else is reading. Talk to people no one else is talking to.

Talk to people no one else is talking to. Who would have thought that giving a speech at a funeral at age 12 would introduce me to a man who would introduce me to my first business contact who would introduce me to several other important people in my life. That's luck. That's randomness.

Long-term goals are dangerous. They limit you. They hinder you from reacting to new conditions.

Sometimes I have to pause to make the distinction between Ben the teenager and Ben the businessman.