3 Things Wharton School Won’t Teach You

Hey, Arjun here.

The other day, I was sitting on the living room floor, tossing a chewed-up tennis ball back and forth with my dog. And out of nowhere, my mind went back to college.

Well, I studied at Wharton. I did my undergrad at the University of Pennsylvania, dual degree between the College of Arts and Sciences (I majored in math) and the Wharton School of Business, where I earned a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in statistics.

And I really thought my learnings here at college would make me ready to run a business.

But it didn’t. Unfortunately.

I didn’t learn how to build a startup in my classroom. To put it bluntly, no case study, no textbook, no lecture truly prepares you for the chaos of real-world entrepreneurship.

Everything that’s helped me survive as a founder, everything that helped us raise over $13 million for doola, I learned after I graduated..

And it wasn’t smooth.  It was confusing, messy, painful. But this journey  taught me more than any class ever could.

So, let me give you three things, three harsh truths, that I had to learn after leaving Wharton.

1. Moderation is the only thing worth doing in moderation.

In college, there’s this whole concept of breadth.

We’re told we’re getting a “holistic education”, taking multiple classes, hitting requirements across different sectors. You’re learning physics and math and history and English, building your brain.

And sure..in business, having that foundation is important!

But the truth is…You also need to be UNBALANCED.

You need to be so obsessed.

To an insane level… with one problem space.

Ideally, you actually know that space better than anything else in the world.

So yeah, I HONESTLY think this whole idea of “balance” or “moderation”—it completely goes against what it actually takes to succeed in business.

Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be well-rounded. You’ll still have to wear different hats; sales, product, marketing, customer success, because at the start, you’re probably the only person running the show.

But I really believe: Business school doesn’t teach you to go all-in.

To cut everything else out. To laser-focus on one thing that actually matters.

And now, tactically, here’s how I think about it:

If I’m doing something… I’m doing it. For example, if I’m going to record content, I’m going to record a hundred minutes. Not just two.

Don’t get me wrong, starting on anything is good. But anything worth doing…is worth doing in excess.

So now I ask myself:

Am I doing this just to check the box? To look productive? To please someone else?

Or…

Do I actually think this is worth doing?

And if the answer is yes?

Then I’m doing it. In excess.

Remember, you’re not supposed to balance everything. You’re supposed to burn for the thing that matters!

2. A bold dumbass beats a shy genius. Every. Time.

Wharton was full of brilliant people.

You show up thinking you’re the big fish… and suddenly realize—you’re not.

That slap in the face? It’s humbling. And honestly, it’s necessary.

But later, I started noticing something weird:

The smartest people I met weren’t always the best entrepreneurs.

Why?

Because they think too much. They overanalyze, overplan, build models, run mental simulations—want everything to be perfect before they take the first step.

But they don’t actually do.

They delay action. They wait.

Meanwhile, the bold dumbass? They ship a half-baked idea. Get real feedback. Adjust. Win.

At the end of the day, action produces information. Not overthinking.

So now, anytime I catch myself spiraling in perfectionism…

I pause and ask: Am I being the shy genius right now?

Or do I just need to take action?

Honestly?  I’d bet on the person with the lower IQ, who didn’t perform as well on tests, but who’s out there taking action. Shipping landing pages. Showing up at events. Talking to people. Talking to customers.

Versus the person who wrote a really polished white paper…and kept it to themselves.

You get my point, right?

3. Ignore the crabs. Even if they’re people you love.

This is the hardest one. Because no one warns you that when you start growing, some people will try to pull you back.

It’s not always obvious. It’s subtle.

The friend who jokes about your “startup life.”

The relative who keeps asking when you’ll get a “real job.”

The group chat that goes silent after your LinkedIn post goes viral.

But it’s real.

It’s the crab-in-a-bucket thing. You start climbing, and the rest try to pull you back.

Not always out of malice. Sometimes it’s insecurity. Your growth reminds them of their own stagnancy.

And yeah, it sucks. Because sometimes those crabs are the people you thought would be in your corner forever.

But this journey? This founder path? You have to protect your vision, even from people who don’t understand it yet.

Surround yourself with people who get it. Find your tribe..online, in Slack groups, at weird founder dinners where everyone’s underdressed and overstressed.

Remember, the world doesn’t need more polished robots. It needs more real builders who are willing to climb out of the bucket, and not look back!

If this story resonated with you, even just a little, please know:

You’re not alone. You’re not “too intense.” You’re not behind.

You’re just on the ONLY path that actually builds something real.

I’d honestly love to hear your story, the real behind-the-scenes of your entrepreneurial journey.

What’s been your biggest challenge lately? What are you learning the hard way?

Hit reply and share it with me. I read every single one.

Let’s doola it. ⚡

— Arjun