The Case for Techno-Optimism
Grim headlines aside, young grads who want to change the world should still go into technology.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - MAY 30: Elon Musk celebrates after the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center.
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images North AmericaHi there, it’s Tae from the Bloomberg Opinion team. Elon Musk opined on a podcast last year that, “Too many smart people go into finance and law.” In these professions, the thinking goes, people tinker around the edges of the economy. Tech, meanwhile, is remaking the economy.
For the young graduates going after a career in technology rather than pursuing a more traditional path, there’s scarcely been a better time in terms of the potential monetary reward. Joining a young startup could be a ticket to the next Snowflake Inc., Roblox Corp. or Airbnb Inc.—to name a few of the newly public companies worth tens of billions. And after a series of major technological advancements over the last several months, there’s also a chance to realize that time honored tech industry cliché: changing the world for the better.