Shubham Goel, the co-founder of the now $600 million company Affinity, recently shared a powerful piece of wisdom that didn't come from his Stanford University education. In a candid roadside chat with social media influencer Viraj Ala, the young entrepreneur distilled his philosophy for success into a simple algebraic principle, offering unconventional guidance for the next generation.
The Algebra of Success: Slope Over Y-Intercept
Goel, who graduated early from Stanford's prestigious Computer Science program in 2015 to launch Affinity with partner Ray Zhou, presented a compelling analogy. "Slope is always more important than the Y intercept," he stated, drawing directly from algebra. He elaborated that in life, as on a graph, the line with the steeper slope will eventually overtake another, no matter where each line begins.
The 'Y intercept' represents one's starting point in life—background, resources, or initial advantages. Goel argues this is far less critical than the 'slope,' which he defines as "how fast are you able to learn something and grow compared to the other people." This mindset, coming from a founder whose company is valued at over half a billion dollars, reframes the narrative around privilege and opportunity.
Unconventional Advice for Young Aspirants
When asked what guidance he would give to young people aiming for success, Shubham Goel offered a surprisingly direct and action-oriented approach. "The reality is nobody knows what the right direction is. Just pick something, pick a direction that you have some conviction in and just go run at it," he advised.
This philosophy seems to contradict the common advice urging youngsters to explore broadly. Goel defended his stance, explaining the specific mindset needed for entrepreneurship: "If you're exploring life, but you're starting a company, then you cannot be generalist about your approach to solving problems." His success with Affinity, scaled from a post-Stanford venture to a major industry player, lends weight to this focused strategy.
From DPS RK Puram to a $600M Venture
Shubham Goel's journey is a testament to his own philosophy. An alumnus of Delhi's DPS RK Puram, he gained admission to Stanford University in 2013. Choosing to graduate early in 2015, he left the comfort of an elite academic path to become, in his own words, a "broke business owner." He humorously labeled this drive as a form of masochism.
On the topic of fear, a constant companion for any entrepreneur, the Forbes 30 Under 30 lister had a pragmatic view. "Fear doesn't help you in any way, drive things forward, it just occupies your brain. So if you realise it as an emotion and you're able to process it as an emotion, then you can put it to the side and focus on the problem at hand," Goel explained. This emotional processing, coupled with a relentless focus on growth—the 'slope'—forms the core of his blueprint for building a monumental business from the ground up.
