Introduction:

Larry Ellison, the speaker at the University of Southern California’s 2016 commencement address, highlights how dreams and societal expectations influenced his early life. Ellison aims to share important lessons he learned through his own experiences to enlighten the graduating class.

Initial Dreams and Societal Pressure:

Growing up in a lower-middle-class community in the south side of Chicago during the 1960s, Ellison had a dream centered on the University of Southern California. Influenced by family, teachers, and friends, he aspired to attend USC’s Medical School and become a doctor, which was considered the epitome of professions in his community. Over time, the dreams of those around him became his own dreams.

Struggles with Pre-Med:

As he pursued his pre-medical studies, Ellison found himself disinterested and unhappy. Courses like comparative anatomy felt torturous to him, and he realized he couldn’t force himself to study something he wasn’t passionate about. He began to question his discipline and felt as though he couldn’t mold himself into the person he thought he should be based on societal expectations.

The Turning Point:

At age 21, Ellison made a pivotal decision: he dropped out of college. Packing his belongings into his car, he moved from Chicago to Berkeley, California. The move represented his willingness to abandon the dream that was imposed on him, retaining only the part that genuinely appealed to him, which was moving to California.

Conclusion:

Ellison’s speech emphasizes the importance of authenticity in pursuing one’s career and life goals. His journey demonstrates the complexities of navigating dreams that are heavily influenced by societal norms and expectations, and underscores the value of listening to one’s own desires when making significant life choices.

Context of Berkeley in the 1960s:

Larry Ellison describes Berkeley during the 1960s as a hub of social and political movements like the anti-war campaign, free speech, and human rights. He highlights how this dynamic environment provided him a suitable backdrop to find himself and explore what he truly cared about.

Finding a Cause: Environmentalism:

Although Ellison was not an active anti-war protester, he found a cause that resonated deeply with him: environmentalism. Upon discovering the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite Valley, he joined the Sierra Club and started to work as a river guide and rock climbing instructor. These experiences cemented his love for nature.

Balance Through Computer Programming:

While passionate about the outdoors, Ellison faced financial constraints. He took up part-time work as a computer programmer in Berkeley, a skill he learned during his college years. Although not his primary passion, programming offered him mental satisfaction similar to solving math problems or playing chess.

Family Tensions and Personal Discovery:

His diverging interests caused strain in his marriage. His wife was displeased with his lack of focus on a stable career. Eventually, she divorced him, calling him irresponsible and ambitionless. This marked a turning point in Ellison’s life, as he realized that he had been trying to live up to others’ expectations rather than his own.

Sailing and Self-Assurance:

Ellison took a sailing class at UC Berkeley and fell in love with the Pacific Ocean. Despite his wife’s opposition to buying a sailboat, he went ahead after their divorce. For the first time, he felt confident in his ability to survive and thrive in the world, feeling a sense of relief and happiness.

Defining Personal Success:

Ellison wraps up by acknowledging that his journey involved him defying societal expectations and even failing to meet the dreams that others had for him. However, he learned to distinguish between his dreams and those imposed upon him by others, leading to an eventual sense of happiness and self-assurance.

Conclusion:

Larry Ellison’s account is a tale of self-discovery through trial and error. He learns to balance his financial needs with his passions, navigates complex family and societal expectations, and ultimately finds contentment by living true to himself. His journey underscores the importance of individual exploration and authentic living.

Early Career in Silicon Valley:

Larry Ellison talks about his early career in programming, starting at Silicon Valley-based companies like Amdahl, Ampex, and Precision Instruments. These ventures exposed him to cutting-edge technology and high-impact projects, such as developing the world’s fastest mainframe computer and large digital data storage systems.

Seeking Fulfillment:

Despite enjoying his work, Ellison found it was not as fulfilling as his passion for sailing. This led him to create his own company, Oracle, with the aim of crafting his ideal work environment and working on exciting software projects. His initial goal was modest; he didn’t expect Oracle to grow beyond 50 employees.

The Genesis of Oracle:

Ellison assembled a talented team of software engineers and pursued what many considered a “crazy idea” at the time: the world’s first relational database. Contrary to prevailing wisdom that relational databases would be too slow, Ellison proved the experts wrong. Oracle not only built the world’s first relational database but also played a key role in shaping the information age.

Unplanned Growth:

Oracle’s success led to unprecedented growth, disrupting Ellison’s plans for a small, manageable company. Instead, he found himself at the helm of a rapidly expanding corporation. Oracle’s unexpected growth led Ellison away from programming into the responsibilities of managing a large company.

Going Public and Challenges:

Oracle’s tremendous growth culminated in going public. While exciting, it was also overwhelming. Ellison felt as if he was “sailing in a hurricane,” dealing with complexities he had never anticipated.

Personal Evolution:

Though Ellison initially missed the creative joy of programming, he found his new role intriguing. He notes that every day presented a new challenge, making the job captivating if not necessarily lovable. He gained a new sense of purpose and his family’s approval, dispelling earlier accusations of lacking ambition.

Friendship with Steve Jobs:

Ellison also reminisces about his long-standing friendship with Steve Jobs. One of their memorable walks involved discussing the possibility of buying Apple, which was struggling at the time. Ellison had arranged the finances, but Jobs had a different plan: to have Apple acquire Next Computer.

This summary captures Larry Ellison’s journey from a programmer seeking fulfilling work to the CEO of a transformative tech company, as well as his enduring friendship with another tech icon, Steve Jobs.

Early Career Choices:

Larry Ellison spoke about his early career, starting in Silicon Valley at companies like Amdahl, Ampex, and Precision Instruments. These were all cutting-edge companies in fields like mainframe computers and data storage systems. Despite enjoying his work, Ellison was not fully satisfied.

Oracle’s Genesis:

In pursuit of job satisfaction, Ellison founded Oracle with the intention of creating a small company where he could control his work environment. The company started with the audacious goal of creating the world’s first relational database. Despite skepticism, Oracle proved the critics wrong and became a technology cornerstone, leading to unexpected and exponential growth of the company.

Unintended Consequences:

Ellison had originally aimed for a controlled, small-scale company. However, Oracle’s success made that impossible. The company’s rapid expansion changed his role from programmer to executive, forcing him to relinquish his dream job for new responsibilities that he described as “sailing in a hurricane.”

The Steve Jobs Connection:

Ellison discussed his long-lasting friendship with Steve Jobs. He revealed a significant moment when they considered buying Apple in 1995, which was then in decline. Jobs insisted on not focusing on the financial gain, but on standing on “the moral high ground.”

Lesson on Purpose over Money:

Ellison concluded by reflecting on the lesson from Steve Jobs that after a certain point, the pursuit can’t be about money. Ellison echoes this sentiment, admitting that he has tried but found it impossible to spend all his money. The real drive for people like him and Jobs, he suggests, is a sense of purpose and the ambition to accomplish something significant.

Moral High Ground:

Ellison touched upon the theme of moral responsibility in decision-making, emphasizing that beyond financial success, there’s a value in doing something impactful. Jobs chose to return to Apple not for the money but to save a company he created, which ultimately became one of the most valuable companies on earth.

This segment encapsulates the journey from youthful ambition in technology to the realization that purpose and impact are greater driving forces than financial gain. It underscores the importance of adaptability, moral conviction, and the pursuit of a greater goal.

Primal Desire for Importance:

Larry Ellison begins by suggesting that a deep, innate urge within everyone drives them to want to do something significant with their lives. He invokes Freud’s notion that love and work are the two most important aspects of life.

Work, Love, and Passion:

Ellison distinguishes between his feelings for work and love. While he is passionate about his work, he reserves the term “love” for family, friends, and specific interests. He emphasizes that passion for work gives him a sense of identity but it differs from love.

Work as an Adventure:

Ellison describes his years in Silicon Valley as an “all-consuming adventure,” borrowing a phrase from a U.S. Navy advertisement. He notes that he is fully aware the adventure will one day come to an end for him, as it will for everyone.

Advice to Graduates:

Addressing graduates, Ellison encourages them to embrace their “great adventure.” He asserts that they will not only change the world but also be changed by it. He advises them to be open to experimentation and challenges, and not to be discouraged by naysayers or so-called experts.

Moving Target of Possibility:

Ellison advises the graduates that in a constantly changing world, the boundaries of what is possible are always shifting. Being afraid to experiment or challenge the status quo will only hinder their potential for impact and personal growth.

Commitment to Righteous Causes:

Ellison urges graduates to commit to a cause that not only elevates them but also contributes to the betterment of humanity and the planet. He emphasizes the importance of finding work that offers both challenge and satisfaction, suggesting that if the first job doesn’t fulfill these criteria, one should keep searching.

Conclusion:

He closes by congratulating the graduates and wishes them to find a job that ignites their passions or even better, one that they will love. Ellison highlights the importance of individual quests for purpose and the obligation to contribute positively to society.

This segment serves as a guidepost for individuals entering the workforce, stressing the importance of aligning personal and professional pursuits for a fulfilling life. It emphasizes the fluid nature of opportunity and the need for adaptability and courage.