Drop out Google Prodigy Gives 3 Key Steps to Success

Ever dreamed of sliding down the Google slide, eating free food and kicking back in the sleep pods?

This was made a reality for 21-year-old college dropout Andre Tacuyan.

Born in Guam and raised in Las Vegas, Andre dropped out of college at the age of 21—with opinions and views from family and friends making the decision to drop out of college and test his luck at doing what he really believed was right was one of the hardest decisions of his life. I think there are so many young entrepreneurs and teenagers that struggle to grasp the concept of making their own decisions and not being formed by others. Andre is proof that no matter what family, friends, and strangers believe, you should always trust your gut and your intuition.

“One of the biggest challenges I’ve had to face was navigating through these decisions and making sure that what I choose is what I want and not what other people think is best for me.”

Andre, now 23, recently made the bold decision to resign from Google. Andre believed that making the decision to leave and start his own journey could bring something amazing. He saw Google as one of the most amazing stepping stones in his life, but felt that he should take a break and see what opportunities might arise from freelancing.

This didn’t last long—he got an offer he couldn’t resist. This offer was to join a stealth startup with the one-and-only Andy Rubin, the founder of Andriod.

Andre gives 3 key tips any budding entrepreneur:

1. Don’t let goals limit you.

Andre makes the point that it’s hard to plan nowadays. Things change daily, it is great to have goals, but don’t let them limit you. He believes leaving room for opportunities and embracing the changes that come your way. Don’t stress—just believe in yourself and embrace the learning experience.

“If you have this set timeline for your life and an opportunity comes along but doesn’t fit in that timeline, it’s okay! Just take it and embrace the change in the road. You’ll thank yourself later for these risks. At the very worst, you’ll make a mistake and it becomes a learning experience.”

Setting goals to Andre has been a key, and he gives a stellar piece of advice that I wish I knew earlier: don’t let goals kill learning experiences that may come your way. If your timeline is interrupted, don’t stress. Use it as a fueling drive and a learning experience. That’s the worst that could happen.

2. Don’t waste time.

Andre believes that time moves fast. Your actions determine where you get to.

“Literally one day you’ll be like whoa, how did I get here already?”

He truly believes that most of your time on this earth you will be working, so do something you love and are passionate about. Don’t give in, Don’t give up—keep going till you reach your desired goal. If you’re doing something you’re truly passionate about, there will be no need to count down the clock for vacation time.

Don’t give up when you reach a goal. There is so much more you can do, no matter who you are. Don’t waste your time, you deserve to do well.

3. Make friends with everyone.

Andre is passionate about connecting with new people, similar-minded or not. He realizes that no matter the person he connects with, he can always learn a lesson or create a great friendship that he and the world can benefit from.

“Most of the time, especially in the tech world, it’s more about who you know than what you know.”

When speaking with Andre, he couldn’t express how important it is to make friends with everyone possible and to expand your inner circle to become a bigger and better person day by day. He said if he hadn’t have been so open to new friendships and new opportunities, he wouldn’t have gotten to where he is today and where he is going tomorrow.

Andre is a very inspiring young entrepreneur that is making huge waves in the tech and entrepreneur world, and he isn’t done yet. Working with the likes of Andy Rubin, no doubt the stealth startup they’ve been working on together  is something life changing.