Interview, Fireside Chat
Tim Urban tells the origin story of Wait But Why
- Anticipates intense ambition for the presidency between ages 13 and 15, with the expectation that this desire will dissipate by age 17 following a class president run due to the role's perceived pressure and bureaucratic nature.
- Plans to permanently shift focus to creative fields, specifically music or writing, starting around age 16 or 17, driven by a goal to maintain total freedom and avoid external scheduling constraints.
- Forecasts a life trajectory balancing the risk of "instant gratification" with self-imposed structure to secure creative work, including an immediate post-college relocation to Los Angeles to write music.
- Intends to launch a project called "Wait But Why" as a full-time endeavor (60 hours per week) in the summer of 2013, following a predicted one-year delay caused by procrastination.
- Projects the initial business phase will consist solely of the individual to maximize monetary efficiency, with eventual plans to expand into a media empire by hiring writers and establishing domain names and social media integration.
- Predicts the potential for the creative venture to evolve into an influential platform, noting its potential interest to third parties like Andrew Finn as a business opportunity.