Bill Gates and the “Life Isn’t Fair” Story: What’s Behind the Success?

Who doesn’t know Bill Gates? His name is synonymous with success, wealth, and Microsoft. When you hear that name, you probably immediately picture a super-genius who made it from nothing, all by himself, just using his brain.

But hold on a second! Have you ever wondered if Bill Gates’ journey was really that smooth?

Turns out, there’s a story behind Bill Gates’ success that we might not hear very often. This story doesn’t diminish his genius or hard work, mind you. Instead, it’s more about showing us that opportunity plays a huge role.

Curious? Let’s break it down!

A String of Golden Opportunities

Imagine, in the 1960s, when most schools in Indonesia (and even the world) hadn’t even heard of computers, Bill Gates already had access to that advanced piece of tech!

1. Born into a Well-Off Family: Bill Gates was born into a comfortable family. This didn’t just mean he didn’t have to worry about school fees; it also meant he could attend Lakeside School, an elite private school in Seattle. And that’s where the story begins.
2. A Computer Club at School (in the 60s!): Just in his second year at Lakeside, the school suddenly started a computer club. Remember, this was the 60s! This is like, today, a village middle school suddenly having a super advanced robotics club. Super rare, right?
3. Free “Playtime” on the Computer: By sheer coincidence, one of the founders of a programming company called Computer Center Corporation (C-Cubed), Monique Rona, had a son who also attended Lakeside. Because of this, Rona brought her company’s software programs to the Lakeside computer club. The goal? So the club members could test the programs for free, in exchange for free programming time! From this, Bill Gates ended up with tons of time to practice coding. What a golden opportunity!
4. Projects from ISI and TRW: It didn’t stop there. Bill Gates and his friends also got an opportunity from Information Sciences Inc. (ISI) to work on a software project, again, in exchange for free computer time. He even got recruited by TRW, a company that needed programmers for a system at a huge power station. Imagine, still in high school, already recruited for a big project! There, he met John Norton, whom Bill Gates says taught him as much about programming as almost anyone he’d ever met.

The bottom line is, all these opportunities had one thing in common: they gave Bill Gates extra time to practice. Back then, programmers were super rare.

So, by the time Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard to start his own company, he already had 7 consecutive years of programming experience!

How many teenagers at that time had the kind of experiences Gates had? He himself said, “If there were 50 in the world, I’d be stunned.” Meaning, very, very few!

Life Is Indeed Not Fair, Says Gladwell

This story is strong evidence for the theory put forth by Malcolm Gladwell in his famous book, “Outliers.” Gladwell says that success isn’t just about raw talent or hard work. There are other factors that we often overlook, namely:

• Where you were born.
• When you were born.
• Under what conditions you were born.

These factors, it turns out, have a huge impact on whether you’ll be successful or not.

Another eye-opening example from “Outliers” is about hockey players in Canada. Take a look:

• Around 40% of elite league hockey players in Canada were born between January and March.
• 30% were born between April and June.
• 20% were born between July and September.
• The remaining 10% were born between October and December.

Strange, right? How can that be?

Gladwell explains that this is related to the age cutoff in junior leagues. Kids born early in the year (e.g., January) will be the oldest and most physically mature in their age group.

They tend to be bigger, stronger, and more coordinated than their friends born later in the year, who might be almost a year younger.

Because they’re more “ready,” coaches tend to pick them, giving them more playing time, more intensive training, and better opportunities.

Ultimately, they have a greater chance of reaching the elite leagues. All because of their birth month! Pretty unfair, isn’t it?

So, What’s the Lesson?

These stories of Bill Gates and Canadian hockey players don’t mean we should just give up on our circumstances or stop working hard. Not at all! But they do give us a new perspective.

1. Recognize Luck: We become more aware that luck and opportunity are real. We can be more grateful when we get opportunities, and perhaps more empathetic towards those who aren’t as fortunate as we are.
2. Seek Opportunities: If opportunities don’t come knocking, create them! Even if we don’t have the exact same access as Bill Gates, we can actively seek out supportive environments, mentors, or resources that can help us grow.
3. Always Do Your Best: Opportunity without hard work won’t mean anything either. Bill Gates was still a genius and a hard worker. The key is that a combination of opportunity and maximum effort is the powerful recipe.

So, it’s true what they say, life can indeed be unfair sometimes. But understanding this unfairness can actually be the first step towards being wiser in observing the success of others and planning our own journey.

What do you think? Do you agree with this concept?