Shubham Goel, co-founder of the highly successful company Affinity, which is now valued at over half a billion dollars, shared a profound life lesson that he credits for his success. Graduating early from the esteemed Stanford University alongside his partner Ray Zhou, Goel revealed this crucial insight during a recent roadside interview with social media influencer Viraj Ala, emphasizing that it was a principle he did not acquire during his time at Stanford, but rather embraced through his life experiences.

The core of Goel's advice revolves around an algebraic analogy: "Slope is always more important than the Y intercept." While rooted in mathematics, he explained that this concept holds significant implications for personal and professional growth. He elaborated that if one plots two lines on a graph, the line with the steeper slope will almost invariably surpass the other line, irrespective of their initial starting points on the graph. This fundamental truth, he asserted, translates directly to life's journey.

In this analogy, Shubham Goel defines the "Y intercept" as an individual's starting point in life – their initial circumstances, advantages, or disadvantages. He passionately argued that this initial position is less critical than one's "slope," which he equates to the capacity for learning and growth. "What matters is how fast are you able to learn something and grow compared to the other people," said the Affinity founder, who has been recognized on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 List. This perspective underscores the importance of continuous improvement and adaptability over initial privilege or lack thereof.

Beyond this overarching philosophy, Shubham Goel offered direct advice tailored for young individuals aspiring to achieve success. He championed an unconventional approach, stating, "The reality is nobody knows what the right direction is. Just pick something, pick a direction that you have some conviction in and just go run at it." When confronted with the interviewer's observation that this advice contradicted the common wisdom often dispensed to youngsters, Goel provided a clear rationale. He distinguished between general exploration and entrepreneurial pursuits, noting, "If you're exploring life, but you're starting a company, then you cannot be generalist about your approach to solving problems." This highlights the necessity of focused dedication when building a venture.

Delving into his personal journey, Shubham Goel’s LinkedIn profile indicates his acceptance into Stanford University in 2013, following his education at DPS RK Puram in New Delhi. He made the pivotal decision to leave Stanford in 2015, having accelerated his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, to embark on the entrepreneurial path with Ray Zhou. It was at this juncture that Affinity was conceived, and together, the duo successfully scaled it into a formidable $600 million enterprise. When questioned about his audacious decision to forgo a comfortable academic position at Stanford for the potentially "broke" existence of a business owner, Goel candidly described himself as a "masochist." He further articulated his perspective on fear, stating, "Fear doesn't help you in any way, drive things forward, it just occupies your brain. So if you realise it as an emotion and you're able to process it as an emotion, then you can put it to the side and focus on the problem at hand." This reveals his philosophy of confronting and managing fear to maintain focus on objectives.