Steve Sarowitz
When Steve Sarowitz first came to college, he wanted to study engineering. His first semester went fine.
His second semester did not.
I started dating my first girlfriend and I just was not interested in school at all… I’ve never been great about going to class and I got a lot worse. My second semester I got three D’s, a C, and an E—a straight D average. That was enough to get me on probation. One grade lower, and I would’ve failed out.
—Steve Sarowitz, _UIUC Talkshow Interview
At that point, he faced a decision: either work harder and stay in engineering, or switch to something easier.
I was a typical 19-year-old. I said, no, I’m not going to work that hard. So I switched to economics. It wasn’t because I loved economics—I was just lazy.
—Steve Sarowitz, _UIUC Talkshow Interview
He later went on to build Paylocity, one of the largest business software companies in the world.
You Have More Power Than You Think
When we spoke on The UIUC Talkshow, Steve Sarowitz shared a perspective that stuck with me:
The power of youth—I just, I literally want to cry every time I go to a college campus because I see so much wasted firepower.
You guys can change the world, and yet when I go there, you know, where's everybody? They're in the bars and in their dorm rooms playing video games.
And no—you guys are so powerful and you're not using that power. You can use that power for good.
—Steve Sarowitz, _UIUC Talkshow Interview
Your age isn’t a liability. It’s an asset.
His Bahá’í faith shapes that view. In it, the central idea is the oneness of humanity, no divisions by race, religion, or nationality, and a focus on service over self.
Sarowitz argues that the deeper problem on campuses is not grades or career outcomes, but a lack of meaning. We feed our bodies every day, he says, but rarely think about feeding our inner lives.
He is blunt about what numbs that hunger:
- Using drugs or alcohol to avoid discomfort
- Chasing status or attention instead of purpose
- Playing it safe instead of doing hard, meaningful work
And he doesn’t just challenge students, he challenges the system itself:
Why is someone in the prime of their life, when they have every reason to be happy, trying to numb the pain?
Where’s the pain coming from?
—Steve Sarowitz, UIUC Talkshow Interview
To him, the answer isn’t social media, grades, or external pressure. It’s the absence of purpose. A spiritual emptiness.
He argues that the response does not need to be complicated. It starts with paying attention to what actually matters.
In his view:
- Feeding your inner life through service, reflection, prayer, or creative work
- Refusing to see yourself only as a “student” or a future employee. You’re already powerful enough to change things.
- Use that power for good now, not “after you graduate.”
You can start now, with the capacity you already have.
The Pursuit of Happiness Paradox
Sarowitz often points to a study he encountered to explain why chasing happiness directly can backfire.
In the study, researchers measured students’ baseline happiness and then asked them to spend a weekend doing whatever they enjoyed most. When the students returned, they reported lower happiness levels than before.
The following weekend, the same students were asked to focus on helping others. When they returned, they reported higher levels of happiness.
When you pursue happiness, you actually become less happy. When you pursue service, you become more happy.
—Steve Sarowitz, UIUC Talkshow Interview
What I Took Away
Your GPA won’t matter. Your major probably won’t matter.
But whether you waste or use your energy and attention, that will define everything.
Steve Sarowitz went from nearly flunking out of college to building a billion-dollar company, but his real message isn't about business success. It's about recognizing the power you have right now, as a young person, to change the world.
The question isn't whether you're capable, you are. The question is whether you'll use that capability for something that actually matters.
As Sarowitz puts it: "You guys are so powerful and you're not using that power. You can use that power for good."
The world is waiting for you to figure that out.
Learn more
- Steve Sarowitz’s Wikipedia Page
- The UIUC Talkshow interview with Steve Sarowitz
The appendix keeps the examples, guides, profiles, and source trails close. The book gives them sequence, context, and a way to turn curiosity into action.