The New Era of Entrepreneurial Storytellers with Wesley Wang

How do you make a feature film as a high school student? What is the role of school when you demonstrate excellence outside the classroom?

Wesley Wang is a filmmaker, an 11-time national chess champion, and a sophomore at Harvard. His first significant film, nothing, except everything, a coming-of-age short movie that has won many awards and gone viral on YouTube with 2.7 million views.

We talk about Wesley's approach to learning and building his career in film. He treats every film like a startup and constantly improves his skills and products.

At Avalanche, one of our theses is that everyone is an entrepreneur or will have to learn to think like one. We like businesses that are platforms and tools that catalyze this reality. The internet is the great equalizer as the gatekeepers are removed.

We cover:

• How Wesley thinks about building his career and reputation in filmmaking

• How technology played a role (or not) in his path to playing chess at a globally competitive level

• Wesley reflects on his choice to stay in high school and enroll in Harvard instead of homeschooling or going to Hollywood

• What is better validation: Film festival awards or views on YouTube?

• Wesley flips the conversation and asks us about our experience on the frontier or low-cost private education and why Katelyn founded Avalanche VC

• Preserving optionality is a trap. Why finding your passion and niche can help you grow.

nothing, except everything.

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We’d love to hear your thoughts, reactions, and questions.

Show Links:

• Wesley Wang’s YouTube Page

• Watch now: nothing, except everything

• Wesley Wang on IMBd

• A24 Films

• Pearson's Quest to Cover the Planet in Company-Run Schools

• Wesley’s Book Recommendation: Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting

• Film recommendations: Mulholland Drive and Sound of Metal