Investing in Human Capital, One Person at a Time
Last week, we got an email from Freakonomics reader Paul Gu, a Thiel 20under20 fellow and founding team member of Upstart, a startup from former Googler Dave Girouard aimed at matching promising young students with financial backers. Here's how it works:
Upstart aims to help you with the most important part of pursuing your dreams -- taking the first step. It may be as simple as applying for an internship, relocating to another city, or spending a few months in a garage working on your idea. Your Upstart backers will provide you with a modest amount of capital, combined with the support and guidance you’ll need. In return, you share a small portion of your income for 10 years. By matching you with the right backers and by providing just a slice of economic freedom - where repayment is based on your future success -- we help you get started on the right path.
In addition to being an Upstart employee, Gu is also a participant. We were curious about why someone with such high potential future earnings was willing to give away a percentage of his hypothetical millions ... here's how he explained his decision:
For me, becoming an upstart is good economics. I'm stepping away from the hedge fund path to build a startup. That's a much higher risk, higher volatility path, and most of the income potential is concentrated years into the future. Taking an Upstart investment makes it possible for me to access the educational and long-term benefits of working on a startup I'm passionate about without the loss of financial security or flexibility to make efficient consumption choices today (e.g. choosing housing with a shorter commute). Since Upstart determines each upstart's funding rate offer based on his or her academic and career achievements, it makes economic sense for individuals all along the talent distribution.