Pierre Omidyar’s father advised him, "Whatever future you're building… Don't try to program everything." Omidyar used this principle to solve problems that many of us struggle with, such as difficulties related to career building.
When his hobby creation AuctionWeb began to earn him a steady income, he had to choose between quitting his stable job at General Magic and devoting all of his efforts to the auction site. In one of his speeches he shared with the audience what he called “a simple concept that has served me well since my time at Tufts: When you don’t know what to expect… Prepare for unexpected’. He later added, “To truly prepare for unexpected, you’ve got to position yourself to keep a couple of options open – so when the door of opportunity opens, you’re close enough to squeeze through.”
Jennifer Viegas, Pierre Omidyar: The Founder of Ebay (Internet Career Bios), 2007
