Ponder this.

[eXero]

If, as a 16 year old, you could drop out of high school and join a job that paid $50k/year for several years, (1-3), with hopes of what you were working on becoming worth billions, would you?

Note: You would have to know Ruby, which is not a widely used language when it comes to web programming, so if your project failed, you would most likely be out of work and not have an option because you only know Ruby.

 

[Chewbaka]

No one will be worth billions because of Ruby.

 

[eXero]

I didn't say a person would be worth billions. The project you were working on worth billions.

 

[Eon]

Note: You would have to know Ruby, which is not a widely used language when it comes to web programming

It's probably used more than you think.

 

[Adam]

Yes, I think you should drop out of high school eXero. I assume you are talking about yourself.

 

[tu y tu mama]

I'm guessing this is something about you.
$50k a year for 3 years. After those 3 years you would only be 19. What after that? Work on what?
Not a good idea imo.

 

[eXero]

This is a generalized, non-specific question.

After those three years, you would hope that the product would have taken off, and be worth a whole lot.

 

[Tyler-]

Would be dumb not too, unless you have massive ambitions doing something else.
E.g; law.

 

[Flying Turban]

Mother always told me to stay and finish school even after I accidentally ran over our class gerbil with my lawnmower.

She always told me things are sometimes to good to be true. Like me being the best son she had.

 

[eXero]

But you could be making $50k for 3 years, and have the potential to make billions?

 

[Gogetaa]

its not as easy as you think.

if you were looking for a sustainable income of 50k per year as you say. would require some serious marketing, along with mass funding, you would essentially have to set up a company for the software leasing/sale. which, i will just reiterate, would require:
-an office building(if anyone ever wants to come and do a site visit to you to invest, or strike a deal for a wide userbase or whatever it might be, it would not be so good if you were doing this from a house)
-office furniture/ equipment
-Minimum of 4 employees which is a minimum wage of $7.5 per hour and a yearly salary of around $18k.
-at least one decent server.
-a car for any site visits you may have to do to get the product off the ground + fuel
-marketing
-any partnerships you may need to get for people to feel comfortable buying your product.


OR you could set up the company just as a trading name for sale/lease of software and sell it straight away for a lump-sum rather than getting an annual salary from it.

i just dont think you have thought this through. to own a company and be able to pay yourself a yearly salary of $50k the company would have to make approximately an annual revenue of around $300K minimum and a profit of atleast $150k.
to set up a company even of that minute stature would take funding and huge dedication from more than just one person.

sorry to rain on your parade ):

 

[eXero]

No. My friend offering me $50k/year for 3 years to work on a startup in hopes of the startup becoming worth millions. But I would have to drop out of highschool. Is it worth the risKk?

 

[Adam]

No. My friend offering me $50k/year for 3 years to work on a startup in hopes of the startup becoming worth millions. But I would have to drop out of highschool. Is it worth the risKk?

First you said this was generalized and now you say it is an actual job offer.
How much funding has your friend gotten already?

 

[Chewbaka]

No. My friend offering me $50k/year for 3 years to work on a startup in hopes of the startup becoming worth millions. But I would have to drop out of highschool. Is it worth the risKk?

Yes it is risk. Especially, when you have little to none to offer to the company.

 

[Haywire]

Isn't there time for both ? Cus you can't be sure that it is gonna last.

 

[Deathcrow]

Short and sweet: No.

 

[eXero]

No you guys missed the point. If someone were offering you this, would you take it? Not, someone is offering me this, should I take it.

 

[Deathcrow]

No you guys missed the point. If someone were offering you this, would you take it? Not, someone is offering me this, should I take it.

My answer is still no. That was the question in the OP. lol

I would not drop from high school for something that isn't guaranteed to work out well. Especially if the starting pay is something lower than what my starting pay would be with a BS degree.

 

[Tyler-]

Yes, just take it, mark zuckerberg left harvard to move to california to work on FB!

 

[Gogetaa]

all of my points still stand.

companies success stories are based on mass brand awareness.

this can more often than not only be achieved by investing huge money in creating a big brand. Which takes an investor.

we can see this even in the music business:
the gangnam style video has become renowned worldwide because justin beibers manager has invested into it (probably just bought loads of youtube views like he did with justin)

but yeah, not only would i advise against it, i would also say that it has around a 3% chance of working out.