Half of today's students will work in jobs that don't even exist yet.
As one of those students, I'm constantly thinking about how to prepare for a future that's still taking shape. That's why I'm thrilled to share my interview with CEO Ivy Xu. Her innovative approach to embracing change, fearless experimentation, and curating the right environment is empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to thrive in this ever-evolving world.
It all started with a class assignment to interview a CEO. Instead of reaching out to Elon Musk or Mr Beast, who have been interviewed countless times, I wanted to interview Ivy, the CEO of my Prequel program, because after having read her blog I wished to know more about how she balances her nomadic lifestyle while running a successful business. My teacher's reaction when he found out I was interviewing his boss was priceless!
I emailed Ivy requesting an interview and was really excited to get a quick response. Here are some of the key points from her interview that really captivated me:
Ivy’s Entrepreneurial Journey
When I was preparing for this interview, I knew I had to dig deeper than just her success story - I wanted to understand how Ivy's childhood experiences impacted who she is today. She shared a fascinating story with me. As a young child, Ivy wanted to be the principal of a school—not because of a love for teaching, but because she wanted to be in charge. Even during her free time, she was busy designing imaginary schools, complete with cafeterias and sleeping quarters. This early desire to lead and organize sparked the entrepreneurial spirit that would later drive her to create successful ventures.
But Ivy’s journey wasn’t a straight path. Growing up, she wasn’t exposed to things like fieldwork or research, and in high school, there was little guidance on exploring different career paths. Her parents ultimately chose her university program for her—a business degree with a high job placement rate. It wasn’t until Ivy entered university that she discovered the vast world of startups, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. This late realization fueled her desire to create Prequel, aiming to help young people explore diverse career paths and passions early on, instead of waiting for a chance they might otherwise miss.
According to Ivy, passions often evolve over time, which is an important lesson for anyone exploring their career path. She also stressed the importance of experimentation in entrepreneurship, advising people to pursue various projects until they no longer find them enjoyable.
Ivy’s advice really resonates with me, as my own interests have evolved since I started at Prequel. I once dreamed of moving to Madagascar to work with lemurs, but through a Prequel project, I did a deep dive into what life there would really be like and realized it wasn’t the right fit. I then considered working at the Duke Lemur Center, but as I explored further, I found myself more drawn to reptiles and amphibians.
Prequel encouraged me to dig deeper and do my own research, helping me refine my passions and choose a path that truly excites me. Ivy’s journey and advice have taught me not to fear change, but to embrace it as part of the adventure.
How Your Environment Shapes Your Ambition
Ivy shared some fascinating insights on how to approach entrepreneurship, drawing inspiration from an article by Paul Graham called Cities and Ambition. [Note: The article was written in 2008, so some of the ideas might feel a bit dated.]
In the article, Graham discusses how different cities send different messages about what success looks like:
New York pushes the idea that you should make more money.
Boston, especially around Harvard and MIT, encourages you to be smarter.
Silicon Valley emphasizes becoming more powerful and making a global impact.
Los Angeles focuses on appearances, driven by the desire of celebrities to look good on TV.
Ivy used this concept to highlight the importance of your environment. She explained that where you live and who you surround yourself with will heavily influence your definition of success.
This idea applies to business as well. For example, if you work at an accounting firm, your idea of success might be to rise through the ranks and become CEO. On the other hand, if you’re part of a startup, success might mean launching your own company.
Ultimately, Ivy’s advice is to think deeply about what success means to you. Once you have a clear vision, seek out the right environment and surround yourself with people who align with your goals. Without this focus, it’s easy to lose sight of your ideals and drift away from what truly matters to you.
Thinking on this encouraged me to evaluate the messaging of my own environment. What message does my town send? Could it be to play more golf, given that Augusta hosts the Masters Golf Tournament, one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world? Or maybe it’s something connected to the large military community? Or southern traditions?
Ultimately, one of the reasons I love my Prequel classes is because of the messaging and environment that Ivy and the teachers have created for my classmates and me. It's really cool to be around kids from all over the world who are motivated and good collaborators. I just wish we could meet up in person someday.
By the end of our conversation, I couldn’t stop thinking about how the places we live and the people around us really shape what we value and focus on (and I was fascinated trying to decipher the messages that different cities and communities send).
Prequel’s Future
While reading Ivy's blog, I learned that she is able to run her business while constantly changing international locations and experiencing new cultures. I wanted to know what her goals for the future of Prequel are and how she manages to balance her nomadic lifestyle with running a growing business.
Ivy is expanding Prequel to reach more kids. However, she’s also addressing questions like: what is the most effective way to engage with kids online, whether to hire more employees or integrate AI into the coaching process, and how to maintain a personalized experience for every student.
When it comes to balancing her lifestyle, Ivy sticks to a consistent work schedule, usually working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, no matter where she’s living. Right now, she’s in San Francisco, which is three hours behind Eastern Time, so she simply starts her day earlier and wraps up earlier, too. After work, she dives into the local culture—whether it’s salsa dancing in Mexico City or surfing in Hawaii—making the most of every place she visits.
Ivy’s lifestyle sounds amazing, and I’d love to travel the world someday, too. But I think I’d eventually want to settle down—I mean, it’s hard to have pets when you’re always on the move!
Takeaways
Talking with Ivy Xu made me rethink how I approach my own passions and goals. Her journey shows that success isn’t about fitting into a mold—it’s about following your curiosity, surrounding yourself with the right people, and staying true to what excites you. As I keep exploring my own path, I’m reminded that it’s okay to change direction and that every experience adds to the bigger picture. I’m excited to see where my journey takes me next, and I hope you feel inspired to do the same.
What does success mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let’s inspire each other!
Finally, thank you Ivy, for letting taking the time out of your interesting and busy schedule to let me interview you!