Chris Do

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I tried to bribe my kids to drop out of college.

And despite my best efforts, I failed (sort of).

Most parents want their kids to go to get a college degree and land a job doing something respectable—a safe corporate job with benefits.

But my wife and I aren't "most" parents.

Sure, we put away a college fund for the boys when they were born, and contributed to it every year. We were responsible, financially speaking.

But as they got older, and I got more opinionated about how colleges (and schools in general) are designed to create interchangeable "human computers" to fight in trenches, work in factories, and follow rules, the less I believed in the institutions.

When they finished high school, I gave them the same offer. You can go to the school of your choice, or you can have your entire college tuition money. No strings attached. Travel the world. Get an apprenticeship. Study French in Paris. Create your own curriculum. Or…

Start your own business. Live on the beach. Whatever.

No judgment. Just know that when the money runs out, that's it.

They both had their reasons, but Otto went to Columbia to study philosophy and writing, while Mattias went to ArtCenter to study concept art (he's also the artist of this self portrait).

Every semester, I'd ask them again, "Do you want to drop out?"

The answer had always been 'No', until… late last year.

Otto had this idea of starting a language app to take on the likes of Duolingo. He noticed how many of his friends were busy preserving their "streaks" but weren't actually improving their language skills.

That was the genesis of LudusApp. They want to keep the "play" element but really help people learn a new language.

So from across the coast, the two boys taught themselves: vibe coding, ux, ui, animation, project management, team dynamics, roles and responsibilities, etc… They worked day and night for months.

Then came the decision.

We're taking a break from school".

Otto moved back home.

Now, the three of us work alongside each other at the kitchen table—late into the night (I moved out of my offie so I can sit next to them and watch them work).

Laptops, power bricks, port expansions, and extra wide monitors fill the space.

One night, I go over to my wife (who's in bed) and say, "Those little monkeys are doing something I don't even understand. Lines of code are flying by on the screen."

She smiles. "You must be proud."

I nodded. "They've exceeded my ability. It's the moment I've been waiting for."

They keep insisting that it's a temporary "Leave of absence", but it my heart, I think they've finally dropped out.

Let's see where this goes.

And if you want more unconventional parenting tips, with no guarantees of future success, let me know.

One things is for sure. I'm not raising my kids to be human computers to follow orders from a corporate master, only to be discarded once earnings are down, to have a "safe job" that won't exist in 5 years.

#badparenting #howtoraiseentrepreneurs

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