How come many of million-dollar lottery winners, well-paid athletes and well-managed entrepreneurs wake up one day to find they are broke? How come a student works hard and smart in school to attain ‘A’ grade to get the best and well-paying jobs, to afford basic needs and luxurious desires and be financially stable, but never achieves such desires fully?
Why is it that some people work for other people? But why is it that money works for other people (a few) and other people (many) work for money? But how comes that ‘A’ students work for ‘C’ students, and ‘B’ students work for the government?
Robert Kiyosaki, the author of a book, Why “A” students work for “C” students and “B” students work for the government asks: “How does a “C” student work for “A”? and frankly answers: “By studying what “A” students do not study.”
We are in trouble, he says. But the trouble is not that of money. The real trouble is in the e̩ducation sector. The e̩ducation systems we have teaches students how to be a successful employee rather than start their own business.
This situation is caused by e̩ducation systems that orient students towards finding a high-paying job rather than creating high-paying jobs, climbing the corporate ladder rather than how to create companies and corporate ladders, jobs security rather than financial freedom, and teach little to nothing about money.
It persuades students to believe that with good grades they will earn a decent job that comes with a great salary.
The students upon graduation turn out to be intellectually capable but are financially daft. After a degree, the students go back to school to get masters and even a PhD to climb up the corporate ladder.
He says that the e̩ducation system has always focused on two types of e̩ducation: academic and professional e̩ducation , and rarely financial e̩ducation.
That academic e̩ducation supports the general skills of learning such as how to read, write and solve arithmetic problems. Professional e̩ducation provides specialised skills to earn a living. Out of this e̩ducation, we get doctors, engineers, lawyers, business executives and accountants, among others.
According to Kiyosaki, the mantra, ‘go to school, get a decent job, earn more and be rich’ is an outdated and obsolete financial advice. This is because the Return on Investment (ROI) on e̩ducation is now minimal.
But that is not to say, one should abandon going to school. The point is that one should change the approach and perspective of e̩ducation . That is, go to school not to get a job but to create jobs.
These ‘A’ students are conditioned to think that making mistakes is bad and therefore, they avoid risks of making mistakes.
They say: “Give a man a fish and you feed him a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Kiyosaki asks: “Are our schools failing to teach students to fish? Or are our schools teaching students that they are entitled to their daily fish?”
This could be the reason so many students come out of college looking for jobs. That is why so many people are dependent upon the government to provide jobs and basic life support.
Types of students
‘A’ students: These are the academic-oriented students. He refers to ‘A’ students as managerial capitalists (CEOs & directors) running large corporations. They are employees and not entrepreneurs. They graduate from the finest schools. They did not start the business and do not own the business. They get paid whether they do a good or a bad job.
These ‘A’ students are conditioned to think that making mistakes is bad and therefore, they avoid risks of making mistakes. That most of them are content to know that 2 + 2 = 4. But most do not know how to turn 2 + 2 into four dollars or millions more.
‘B’ Students: Refers to bureaucrats who run the government. They know how to spend money but do not know how to make money. For them to get more money to spend, they increase taxes.
The ‘B’ students are taught by ‘A’ students. They get paid whether they do an excellent job or a bad job. When you give a bureaucrat one dollar, they will spend a hundred.
‘C’ Students: These are true capitalists. They are entrepreneurs who know how to take a dollar and turn it into a hundred dollars. They invest in businesses, products and services that create jobs and opportunities.
Unlike ‘A’ students, the ‘C’ students want to know how to make 2 + 2= $4,000, 000. To the capitalist, that kind of math is worth studying.
Reading this book without taking it with a pinch of salt can turn out to be one of those motivational books that will impart you with enthusiasm as after reading you will realise that enthusiasm without knowledge is no good.
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Ask yourself:
How do I quit my 8am – 5pm job?
How do I get some capital to invest in a business?
Am I willing to take some risks?
Are you willing to go from failure to failure?
Know that entrepreneurship is not for everybody. But the most important thing is to be financially intelligent. For instance, if you are employed or own a small business, how do you spend your money?
He says: “One reason why so many people struggle financially is that they cannot delay their gratification. Most people would run out and buy the Porsche (read Mercedes, Range) on credit, using bad debt.”
Being employed as a junior worker, senior manager or a CEO or running a small business doesn’t imply that you are an ‘A’ student forever. You simply need to learn the basics of a ‘C’ student: Know how to invest, take risks and learn from your mistakes.
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