Sal Khan
Khan Academy
Mountain View, CA USA
"Other people are going to say what they’re going to say. Only you know what’s going on in your mind. Create your own lane."
Career Roadmap
Sal's work combines: Education, Entrepreneurship, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I didn't think it was in my nature to be an entrepreneur. I'd go to work and then spend hours after work developing what would eventually become Khan Academy. When asked how I was monetizing it, I'd respond that it's just a passion project. But as it grew, I realized the impact that Khan Academy could have and decided to make it a business. My advice to others is to find a job that you enjoy but don't let it consume your life. Leave enough time to do the other things you're passionate about.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Mathematics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bachelor's Degree
Computer Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate Degree
Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate Degree
Business
Harvard Business School
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I went to college for mathematics and computer science, and began my career as a software engineer.
2.
The .com boom and subsequent crash wove a lot of uncertainty in the industry, so I went back to school for my MBA—I decided I liked finance, and started working for a hedge fund.
3.
My entrepreneurial journey began in 2004 when I started tutoring my cousin Nadia remotely, which unexpectedly became the foundation of Khan Academy.
4.
As I continued tutoring more of my cousins, I spent two to three hours daily after work developing what would become Khan Academy.
5.
By 2008-2009, what started as a family project had grown to serve 50,000 to 100,000 users, making me realize its potential impact.
6.
I decided to make Khan Academy a nonprofit, driven by the belief that world-class education should be free for anyone, anywhere.
7.
I took the leap and quit my hedge fund job to focus on Khan Academy full-time, despite financial uncertainties.
8.
Eventually, Khan Academy gained philanthropic support and allowed us to scale and reach millions, ultimately fulfilling our mission of democratizing education.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't have it in me to be an entrepreneur.
How I responded:
I didn't think it was in my nature to be an entrepreneur. I'd go to work and then spend hours after work developing what would eventually become Khan Academy. When asked how I was monetizing it, I'd respond that it's just a passion project. But as it grew, I realized the impact that Khan Academy could have and decided to make it a business. My advice to others is to find a job that you enjoy but don't let it consume your life. Leave enough time to do the other things you're passionate about.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I'm very familiar with imposter syndrome. It's good to feel the tension to be better. But if you're always limited by imposter syndrome, you're selling yourself short and you're selling the world short because you're holding back your gifts.