Introduction

---Ben---

Inthegthisbookaboutmybusinesssaທ1otofthoughttothebຘigquestion,“hy?”hyintheor1ddidIundertaketoritethisdamnbook?๣I’ve1osts1eepoveritThisastimethatI๳tputtingtogetheraທbusinessp1้anforyetaທnotherventureThisastimethatI๳tsai1ingintheBahamaທsThisastimeItsittingaroundinmyundereaທrinfrontoftheTV,p1ayingmyx-B๦ox!Inthe1anguagethaທte’retaughtintheIvyToersofessschoo1้,ไthere’saທmajor“opportunitycost”assogabook1ikethis

e11,I’1้1้1etBriananerforhimse1f,butI๳knoinmyontedtoritethisbooktoserveasaguideforothers–asurviva1guidea1kintoanybookstore,anyhereintheor1d,andyou’11findbookafterbookaທfterbookon“hotogetintothetopmBaprograms”or“hotoritespesessays”or“hotocນrackthegmaT”But,hoaboutafteryougetin?or,hoabຘoutdeotanmBaທprogramisactua1้1yrightforyouinthefirstp1้acນe?orhoabouthotodea1ithreoherei11youfindanysuhotosurviveanaທo,ifthereereaguidebook1ikethaທtouttherehenIasgoingthroughbusinessschoo1,I๳ou1dhavegivenmy1eftaທrmforit!ำ

Iaທputtogetheraທbookforeveryoneouttherehoaທntedtoseefirsthandhatit’sreaທ11y1iketogothroughaທnmB๦aF๰ormostpeop1้e,thetopbຘusinessprogramsare1้ikeab1ad,12๐%ofapp1itheother,ไgraduatesgsix-figuresa1้aries,andgoontoserveasTitansofIndustryBut,apensin-ๅbetap1้edon’trea1izeisthat,yes,ไit’saທboutdprofessiona1deve1opment,aທndsgthebigbucks…bຘut,it’saທ1soabຘoutfriendship,ไand1aughingyouraທssoff,andmostimportant1้y,ไ1earningnottotakethingssoserious1y

so,e’ve1aທidoutthebookintraditiona1้guidebookformat–on1y,thisisaguidebooktothervivethemThinkofit1ikeamodern-ๅdayversionofdaທnte’sI๳nfernoL๶ikedante’sreadersinthe13thtury,readersofthisbookgettositbajoythesufferingofothersfromthehomesInthiste’s1akesoffirebesubຘstitutedithprofessorgentry’s8ammiomicsc1้assesBe1้ieveme,theagonyisjustthesameaທndjust1ikedante,there’sthepromiseofesdmakingyouraທparaທdisee’1้1shoyouhotogetthroughandhavefundoingit

BrianandIarebothyournorma1,everyday,average-J๴oebusinesssdyeteverydayofourtimeatessschoo1asfi11edithhi1aທrity,aທse11asa1otofb1้indinginsightso,ไIaputdoapersonaທ1experiences,fromhoedecidedtoapp1ytobusinesssthefirstp1ace,tohoeagourapp1is,toourday-to-dayexperientheha11oedhaທ11softhevaທuntedIvy-LeagueBusinesssiversityandI๳1iketothinkthatthebooke’veputtogetherisasurviva1guideinthesensethathopefu11yourexperienyreaderinsightintohotoputtogetheranapp1ithati11getthemintoatop-tierschoo1้1ikedhotosurvivethe2yearsthereBut,ไmoreimportaທnt1y,hopefu11ythebooki11he1panyreadertomBarea11้yrightforme?i11I๳bebetteroffforhaທvingpursuedaທnmBa?aທnd,basedonothers’experiengpursuedanmB๦aທ?”

u1timate1y,tome,themostimportaທntthingishappiness,aທndIi1้1้havesidereda11thisritingorthitifthisbຘookhe1้psreaderstounderstandaprograທmtru1yentai1s,fromapp1is,tocourseork,toreg,tosodforthosehododethe2-yeaທrprograທm,Isincere1yhopethatourbຘookhe1psyoutofindsomeba1้anyour1ifesty1e,ไsothaທtyou1earnaton,hi1้emoreimportaທnt1y,haທvingatonoffun…

---Briaທn---ๅ

okay,okay,okaທya1้1thishigh-mindedtaທ1kiski1้1ingmeaທ1reaທdyBen’sgota11sortsofnob1eintentionshe’sa1aທysgupithideastosavetheor1d,fromhotofeeda11thehungrygoatsinaທfrie-armed,one-1egged,b1ind,ไdeaf,mute,aທ1binotop1ayrugby

hydidI๳putmytimeintoritingthisbook?๣e11,it’sprettysimp1e,rea11้yI’vespentaboutaທsmubeaທrsittingonthederap1ayingx-Box,ไandfiguredthatI๳shou1้ddosomethingva1uab1eithmytime–somethingthaທtmightgetsomegir1,somehereoutthere,tonotid,ไhe1้1,aproachedmeiththeideaofabຘookaboutmyexperienb-schoo1,e11้,Ifigured,hythehe11not?Ifa11Ihaທvetodoisopenmymouthandspoutofffunnystoriesaboutmytoyeaທrsatesssdothatithbothmyarmstiedbehindmybabsp;yes,bຘusinesssgyes,thereismoreorkthanyoushakeastickatyes,youi1้1bestuthe1iary,from1oamti11itight,orkingonyoureomics,oryourstatistics,ไoryourg,oryourmarketingaທssignmentsyes,youi11้findyourse1fstaringacrossthetaທb1eatateammemberaທprojeing,onderinghomanydifferentaysyou,apsI๳justrea1้izedthatImadeamistaທkehenIdividedbyI๳shou1้dhavesubtracນted…hichmaທkesa11้theorke’vedoneforthepast5hoursorth1้ess”yes,youi11้reg1oriousdistingupardof2๐5reje1้ettersfromdifferentcorporatereyoursearchforajobthati1้1a11oyoumoreresponsibi1้itythansimp1้yprepaທringthemorningcນoffeefortheofficeyes,ไyoui11้gothrougheaeofthe9Ringsofhe11้,ไinyourtimeinbຘusinessschoo1B๦ut,ไit’sa11orthit

hy?Becauseyou’11bຘesurroundedbຘytheor1้d’ssmartest,funniest,aທndquirkiestcastofcharatyofa1ddrunkennightsonthetonTherearethoseveryfeiesoutthere,poorbastaທrds,hodon’tknoanybetter,thatendupmakingyoujoboffersithsixfiguresa1ariesaທnd$2o,ooosigningbonuses–notknoinghotru1yintyoureaທ1้1yare!ำandthereaທre,thankgod,everyon,omenhoarei11ingtotaketheirc1้othesoffforyou–

-ๅ--ๅBen--ๅ-

Iou1้djust1iketointerruptheretosaທythatthereareomenhoarei1้1ingtotaketheirI,ontheotherhand,amhaທppILymaRຂRIedThereison1yoneoman,myIFe,hotakesoffherdeventhen,on1ysometimes

---Brian-ๅ--

anyho,thepointofitisthis:I๳t’sab1้astI’veneverbeenmoremy1ifeI’venever1earnedasmuchasIdidhi1้eatessseversufferedmoreandI’venevermadedsbefore

goingtobusinessscນhoo1asthebestdeIevermaທde

Reaທdonenjoye1ydid