1. An entire generation has been led to believe it’s the only path to financial success.
2. Your grandparents have no idea what it is you do, and it’s not worth trying to explain it to them.
3. Almost all of the money in the industry comes from attracting sponsorships.
4. You have to be prepared to defend your work in front of a hostile audience, looking for any excuse to tear it apart.
5. A key aspect involves replicating the findings of others to determine if they’re “real or cap.”
6. Conservatives are convinced that whatever you’re doing is somehow helping China.
7. The whole system relies on people doing thousands of hours of unpaid work.
8. There’s a good chance someone else will get all of the credit and notoriety for an idea you came up with.
9. Behind the scenes, a large tech company is providing funding and pulling the strings.
10. Odds are you’re living with—or will soon be living with—your parents.
11. It’s depressing how much younger (and more talented) some of your peers are.
