As much as I love meeting and talking with tech-y people (and sometimes talking tech with unfortunate non-techie friends and family, heh), I sometimes check myself re: whether I’m spending too much time talking the talk and not walking the walk.

That is, am I just spouting off on different technologies I might’ve heard about/learned about/used quite briefly, or have I truly done a lot of work on that technology — enough to show something off?

I see parallels in other places too, regardless of industry. For example, compared to studying engineering or business or being “pre-med”, those who “major in English” have suffered their fair share of deriders who think that a humanities concentration is less valued in the job market. And yet, some of the most celebrated young people I know have been English majors (or at least non-STEM majors) — and have written strong, inspiring words — or given strong, inspiring speeches — or created passionate drawings on Youtube. I’m not sure what value each of them put on the classes they took or the degrees on their diplomas, but what I do know is that each of them would not have found the success they currently have if they had not sought to publish their thoughts and creations.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t matter what you majored in in college as long as you were passionate enough about something to create something and make an impact.

I remember a job interview I had, once, during my senior year of college. What was the outcome? the interviewer asked. He might as well have been asking, How many people did you influence? How many people cared?

… Yes, I realize that in business, traffic value is influenced in some measure by Eyeball Faith — the faith that eyeball numbers can magically convert into dollars. It’s why SuperBowl ads are so expensive to purchase, companies with millions of users have sold for billions of dollars despite not being in the clear outside of VC funding, and why YouTube videos gone “viral” have launched the careers of many a pop musician/actor/director/author/figure. For better or worse, our creations are always subject to the vagaries of shareability and public traffic.

But let’s ignore traffic for now, and just consider this idea: it’s *way* more satisfying being the creator of a TV show than spending all your days only consuming your peers’ competing TV shows.

It’ll take work, but hey — that film/arts/English/tech concentration you’re so passionate about? Probably worth more than a 2.7 average GPA in a subject you’re terrible at, as long as you’ve created something to show for it at the end.