(I wrote this a while ago, took it down cuz it's offensive, but am reposting it since the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 was just published.)
If you want to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, bookmark this page, and look no further.
After years of research, helping select each class, attending U30 events, and befriending the Forbes staff, I wrote this post to serve as the end-all, definitive guide.
The Forbes 30 Under 30 isn't just some random award. Not many people know this, but the 30 Under 30 is Forbes’s single most profitable list. Companies and even governments spend millions to sponsor Under 30 events, attended by thousands of young, trendy influencers, entrepreneurs, and tech gurus. And you know it's a money-maker when it inspires countless other (inferior) “X Under X” lists.
Due to the obsession with making the list, Forbes 30 Under 30 bears a load of controversy, with plenty of scammers who not only make the list, but grace the cover of Forbes magazine. Yet, despite the countless salty posts and spicy memes (we get it: 6 billion people make the list each year), Forbes 30 Under 30 still takes the cake for the ultimate Gen Z resume-booster. Every year, millions of people check out the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 list with feelings of awe, jealousy, and disgust.
Before I share with you the best advice for making Forbes 30 Under 30, please note that my advice is offensive but true. It’s not the advice that Forbes would want you to know. This post isn’t endorsed by anything except for caffeine and chocolate. And beneath the sugar is a layer of reality that may leave a bad taste in your mouth.
Okay, without further ado!
How to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 List:
Step 1: Have a rich daddy.
I am (unfortunately) dead serious. A significant number of “entrepreneurs” on the Forbes 30 Under 30 are trust fund kids who inherited - or are about to inherit - their daddy’s massive fortune. I would link to some examples, but it's not my place to judge or hate.
Speaking of wealth, I used to hate the kids of billionaires. Cuz while I spent a decade struggling and begging their parents for money, they got everything and more on Day 1. But it’s not their fault that they were born as modern-day royals. (And I'd like to thank my therapist for the new perspective LOL.) If you were a parent, wouldn't you do anything to help your kids? We can debate about what it means to cross the line, but I do applaud famous parents for risking their empire to help their loved ones. And I applaud the kids for using the resources they have to get ahead in life.
Mewtwo was wrong: the circ*mstances of your birth do dictate your future success, especially if you want to be a business-owner (or any profession that requires a lot of upfront money).
Like they say, the easiest way to make a million dollars is to inherit 2 million dollars from your parents and start a business.
"Rich daddy" is #1 on my list, because you'd be shocked by how many listmakers have one.
Step 2: Have a killer professional photo.
I know folks with zero job, education, or experience (aka NEETs) who made Forbes 30 Under 30 based on a professional picture alone. But not your generic office portrait. I’m talking about a killer photo that turns heads, that makes you look like a celebrity. A photo that looks like it could be on the cover of Forbes. If your photo sucks, it can significantly impact your chances of making the list. I know this, because a judge once told me to get a less-ugly portrait, “or else.”
(These are real listmaker photos courtesy of Forbes.)
Step 3: Date a 30 Under 30 lister.
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve met a lister who is dating someone who made the list last year. That’s right. Nepotism exists within companies, governments, and Forbes 30 Under 30.
Do they deserve it? I don't know, and who am I to judge? ...But since you’re the average of the people you spend time with, hanging out with the Forbesies can increase your odds significantly.
Step 4: Attend an in-person Under 30 event.
If you buy a $5,000 VIP pass, you get access to the VIP tent where you can schmooze with judges, reporters, listmakers, and celebrities over a glass of Macallan whiskey. It’s a fun time for all. Flashback to the Asia conference where they had Nobu cater Michelin-star sushi that no one ate, because people were too busy networking.Usually I'm the first in line for free food, but so many things were happening at once that I left the event with an empty stomach.
"Let's do this photoshoot together!" "Oh, there's Kim Kardashian, let's go say hi!" "They're handing out Tiffany's bracelets over there." "Wait, Kendrick Lamar is on stage!" "But there's a whiskey-tasting over there." "But I wanna go jogging with Michael Phelps!"
Being serious for a moment: I actually enjoyed the Forbes Under 30 events. The new friends, deep conversations, food, singing, and laughter made it worth every trip. The next Forbes Under 30 Summit is taking place in Botswana, and I’m seriously considering hauling my butt halfway around the globe just to experience it again.
(I took this photo at Forbes Under 30 in Boston, inside the VIP "tent". That's Skylar Grey, just one of the many celebs who popped in that day. Yes, I hate pop culture as much as the next person, but there's something surreal about chilling with someone you normally see on TV.)
If you can’t afford it, know that the listmakers get a free guest pass to each event, and speakers get 5 guest passes. Dating one really helps here.
Speaking of paying...
Surprisingly, the list itself is NOT a pay-to-play scheme. It's a popular myth that people pay Forbes to make the list. Or that they have to sponsor an event. Or that there's an entrance fee or an annual membership fee. The myth is so widespread, that when a judge told me that I made the list, my first reaction was, "What's the fee?" "No seriously, what's the catch?"
I haven't paid Forbes a dime, to this day. Their events are free for listmakers, so I'll admit that Forbes has helped my career more than any other shiny trophy out there. But more on that later.
Step 5: Be an entrepreneur.
Most Under 30 listmakers are entrepreneurs, except for old-school lists like finance. For the finance list, since it’s hard to figure out which Goldman Sachs analyst is the best, you just gotta date and schmooze your way in.
Step 6: Mention big numbers.
Millions. No, billions! Unicorn status! Forbes requires numbers for many of their lists, whether it’s the number of lives you’ve saved, or the amount of money you’ve raised.If you're too embarrassed to disclose how little money you make, then you're not making the list.
Forbes asks for revenue figures, but they could do a much better job of verifying those numbers. Ever year, a scammer falls through the cracks and onto the list. Not your borderline questionable classmate who dated a lister, or hired a photographer, or inherited their daddy's trust fund. I'm talking about criminals who should be in jail for fabricating their entire resume.
Step 7: Have a lot of friends.
Swallow your pride and admit to your friends that you're applying to Forbes 30 Under 30. Hopefully you have good friends who won't laugh too hard, and are willing to spend the time to nominate you, year after year.
Some people will create a Google Doc with answers for friends to copy and paste. But please, do not fake your nominations. One of my friends reached out to me for the first time in 8 years, asking for a nomination. I hesitantly said yes, and they immediately submitted a nomination from "me" without my permission, without showing me what they wrote. Guys, that's not how it works. When a friend says yes, you can give them examples of things to copy-paste, but they need to submit the nomination, or at least green-light what you've written for them.
I have no idea what my friend wrote on my behalf, but they made the list that year.
Is it just me, or is this much more unethical than having a rich daddy and a pretty photo? I can tolerate honest assholes, but I draw the line at dishonest assholes.
Today, I make it known that I no longer nominate or recommend anyone, so the judges know that any nomination from "me" is fake.
Step 8: Have a media presence.
More followers and news articles equals more exposure, which equals higher chances of the judges noticing you. The judges do tend to gravitate toward "influencers" in every category. It'll be the influencers who promote the Forbes brand and sponsors. So it helps if you're marketable and media-ready.
I hate to say this, but being photogenic does make a difference. I was gonna post a photo of the MIT Under 30 listers, to show you how I'm the ugliest one in the group, but for privacy reasons I had to take it down. You can still Google MIT Forbes Under 30 and see how fabulous everyone is.
The first time I heard Gen Z openly talk about botox injections, liposuction, and other forms of plastic surgery, was at the Forbes Under 30 conference in Boston. It helped to normalize that cosmetic surgery is a common and acceptable thing, but it also reminded me that the Under 30 crowd is more self-conscious than the average population. That they're more willing to invest in their outer appearance through expensive and painful procedures.
Step 9: Have stellar references.
Not your college professor, unless they're a Nobel laureate. And not your best friend, unless they’re famous. Someone had Michelle Obama as a reference. Another friend had Mark Zuckerberg. The bigger your references, the better.
Putting a nobody like me as your reference will only hurt your application.
Step 10: Apply year after year.
Learning to handle rejection is one of the most important traits of an entrepreneur. You may see our outer success, but what you don’t see is the thousands of rejections that we receive every day. It’s easier said than done, but just keep applying until you make it.
Or until you turn 30 and no longer qualify. But there's always the 50 Over 50 to look forward to!
Some final thoughts.
You could argue that Forbes 30 Under 30 represents everything that's wrong with our society today. With the glamorization of material wealth, good looks, privileged families, and celebrity idolization, Forbes sensationalizes the world of elites, which, in turn, helps them make money.
But the 30 Under 30 helped my career in ways that I never could've imagined. It introduced me to my best friends, to investors, startups, resources, new perspectives, and to a world where I feel empowered for once. The U30 community lifted me out of bed during the worst days of my life. Of course, not everyone benefitted from it as much as I did. Some folks don't even put it on their resume, because they're so much more than that. At the end of the day, it's a great community and resource for those who need it.
You have every right to win trophies, medals, praises, likes, cookies from grandma, and more. Sure, getting that gold star is only a means to an end, but it’s nice to have others acknowledge your hard work. Whether it's to find investors, or to get a promotion, or maybe you just want the attention... Sometimes you gotta play the game in order to get what you want. So what are you waiting for? Go get ‘em!
