I built the world's #1 app in class and passed

Hey there,

I was not a good student.

I had bad grades and didn't pay attention in class. Barely graduated college.

And for a long time, I thought something was wrong with me.

But the truth is: school doesn't work for entrepreneurs.

School rewards obedience. You must follow the rules, get the questions right, and do as you're told.

But entrepreneurs question everything. We figure things out ourselves. We build things that don't exist yet.

Those are opposite mindsets.

One teacher figured this out.

His name was Mr. Nicholson. My high school computer science teacher.

He saw that I wasn't like the other students. I never cared about homework because I just wanted to build stuff.

So he made me a deal: work on your apps and side projects for a grade in his class.

That was a pivotal moment.
It gave me huge confidence.
It taught me that I could turn my ideas into real things.

I built my first apps in his class. One of them was Wordle (years before it became the world’s #1 app).

Mr. Nicholson didn't force me into the system. He let me learn by doing.

And that's how I've learned everything since.

I didn't learn app building from a textbook.
I learned by building apps and watching them fail.

I didn't learn marketing from a course.
I learned by posting TikToks every day until something hit.

If you're a bad student, don't feel bad about it.

You just need a different way to learn.

And the best way to learn is by doing.

I teach app building the way Mr. Nicholson taught me: by building, not theory.

Peace,
Steven