The road to success is never a straight line, yet many high school students still tend to follow a linear course: graduate high school, go to college, get a job = instant success, right? 

But young entrepreneur Max Bogdan chose a different path, and it’s one that didn’t include formal education. Max started his first tech company when he was just 14 years old and knew instantly he was destined for an unconventional career. “I had my own long-term goals that I knew I couldn’t achieve the old-fashioned way,” Max revealed in a recent interview. “I had big aspirations and college wasn’t the answer.”

So what does a non-linear path to fame and success look like for a young entrepreneur? Here’s a closer look at Max’s journey and how he feels about the decisions he made in high school.

“I Never Graduated High School.”

When Max made the decision to quit his formal education, he wasn’t surprised that very few people supported him. “I was motivated to go my own way and do the things I wanted to do, but not everyone was behind me.”

Max recalls an event on a bus that triggered his feelings toward what success really means and how it’s created. “I saw a group of kindergartners on a bus with their teachers, and started thinking about how the formal school system works on addressing problems, but doesn’t really build on strengths. How can each person truly develop their potential if they’re sharing one educator with dozens of other students and following a pre-charted course that doesn’t individually support each student?” 

Max faced a lot of criticism in the beginning, largely because it wasn’t considered “the norm” to drop out of school AND be an instant success. But Max’s ideas were keeping him up at night, and he wanted to give all of his energy and attention to them. The only way to do that is to create more time in his day, which meant removing school from his daily responsibilities. 

By the time he turned 18, Max had founded three companies and developed a personal website to highlight his entrepreneurship.

Trading Formal Education for Dreams — and Killing It!

Max doesn’t hide the fact that he didn’t finish high school, but he also knows that such a bold move isn’t a guarantee of success, either. “Finishing school or not finishing school — there’s no single right path for everyone. This worked out in my favor, but it might not be the right thing for others. You need to get comfortable with your long-term goals, know how to concentrate on those goals and bring them to life. If you’re not a self-starter, don’t have a plan, and don’t have unwavering confidence, then you might want to consider taking a different path.”

For Max, success came in a non-traditional form that caters to his specific interests and goals. Learn more about Max at MaxBogdan.com.