In an era where the “college dropout billionaire” narrative has become a modern myth, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is offering a sobering reality check to the next generation of entrepreneurs. Speaking at Italian Tech Week, the centibillionaire issued a direct warning to Gen Z: before you try to change the world with a startup, you should probably learn how to work for someone else first.
Bezos, who famously founded Amazon in a Seattle garage in 1994, is pushing back against the romanticized idea that success requires a dorm-room launch at age 19. While icons like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg proved it is possible to drop out and win, Bezos calls them the “exceptions,” rather than the rule. For the vast majority of aspiring founders, the tech mogul argues that the secret to a trillion-dollar future often begins with a decidedly unglamorous entry-level job.
Jeff Bezos’s advice on the McDonald’s factor
Jeff Bezos’s advice often returns to a surprising place: the golden arches. Having spent a summer at age 16 flipping burgers at McDonald’s, the founder credits the fast-food giant with teaching him foundational skills that no textbook could replicate. Bezos remarked that Gen Z can garner experience by working for companies like McDonald’s, just the way the Amazon CEO had started his career.
According to the founder, these roles are masterclasses in responsibility, discipline, and the ability to perform under high pressure in customer-facing environments. For Gen Z entrepreneurs who may be tempted to skip the “ladder-climbing” phase in favor of instant digital success, Bezos suggests that learning how to show up and “hustle” in a team setting is the most valuable preparation one can have.
As reported by Fortune, pthe most compelling argument in Bezos’s toolkit is his own timeline. Unlike the founders of Microsoft or Meta, Bezos didn’t launch Amazon until he was 30 years old. He spent the decade following his graduation from Princeton University working at Wall Street firms like D.E. Shaw & Co., where he absorbed the “best practices” of high-performing organizations.
As reported by CNBC, “I think that extra 10 years of experience actually improved the odds that Amazon would succeed,” Bezos reflected. By waiting, he gained a front-row seat to how successful companies hire, interview, and manage operations. His message to the hustle culture generation is clear – you do not need to start a company at 20. You need to learn how the world works first.
Related: 15 Most Expensive Things Owned by Jeff Bezos
Navigating the AI Shift
This advice carries even more weight as Generative AI begins to reshape the job market. With entry-level white-collar roles facing potential displacement, Bezos emphasizes that a college degree and corporate experience act as crucial safety nets. He noted that while the “waves” of technology change, the fundamentals of human management and customer obsession remain constant.
By joining a “best-practices company” straight out of college, young people can absorb a company’s culture and operational DNA. This period of “absorption,” Bezos argues, significantly increases the likelihood that a later entrepreneurial venture will survive the volatile startup landscape.
Ultimately, the Amazon chairman is advocating for a shift in perspective, i.e. moving away from chasing viral trends toward building a sustainable foundation. His philosophy suggests that the most innovative ideas are often born from a deep understanding of existing systems.
For the young visionary looking to build the next Amazon, the most radical move might not be dropping out to code, but staying in school and finding a job at an established firm. As Bezos’s own journey proves, sometimes the best way to disrupt the corporate world is to first spend a decade mastering it from the inside out.
