Why I always remember exam results day
It’s the time of year when people receive their exam results. Parenthood is one hell of a journey, and moments like these are markers on your journey through life. You should enjoy them, good or bad. As you have no idea where they will lead.
Here is my story of bad exam results and where it led me!
My early passions
None of my family showed much academic interest before me, so my Dad was surprised when I asked for a computer—especially since home computing wasn’t really a thing yet.
I was more into sports, showing a strong competitive spirit in everything I tried. I wasn’t exceptional, but I gave it my all. Academics just didn’t excite me.
That changed when a friend got a Commodore PET. Seeing my name loop on the screen hooked me instantly.
Convincing my Dad to invest in a computer when money was tight wasn’t easy, but I eventually scraped together enough to get one. I took to it naturally, quickly moving from BASIC coding to Z80 and 6502 assembly.
My first ever business venture was in my teens, coding game editors and selling through popular computing magazines.
My Dad worried I was wasting time on games, but I was actually writing them!
My first attempt at sports modelling
One of the first things I did was catalogue football matches—probably because of my love for the sport at the time. I collected thousands of match records, trying to understand and model them.
The power of having all that data at my fingertips was thrilling, but it was a bit lonely. Eventually, I found a friend who shared my passion, and we started working together. Our skills quickly advanced as we learned assembly language and pushed the limits of those early computers. Suddenly, this became the thing I knew I wanted to do!
My first hurdle
My school had limited facilities, and no proper I.T. teacher. I had to send punched paper cards to the local Polytechnic, which would process my simple instructions. A week later, I’d get the output back by post. Unfortunately, I couldn’t submit any Z80 or 6502 code because there was no one to assess it.
Despite this, I managed to earn an O level in ‘computer studies,’ which allowed me to move on to A levels at college.
A much bigger hurdle
To my shock, when I went to college, they refused to let me do an A level because my maths wasn’t deemed good enough. This was bizarre, considering I was already writing assembly language code and tackling complex problems. In fact, learning computing and logic had actually improved my maths, not the other way around. My passion for problem-solving pushed me to relearn the basics.
Looking back, I wish I’d focused more on maths earlier, but my unconventional path blocked my progress. I went to college, but it wasn’t enjoyable because I couldn’t pursue what I was truly passionate about. Despite pushing the boundaries of early computing, I was told I wasn’t good enough, which killed my motivation and made me question everything.
My friend, who coded with me, had more support and a brighter future. He easily pursued a career in the city and thrived in financial markets. We’ve stayed close friends since those early days, tapping away in his bedroom until the early hours.
A non-academic life
What’s the difference between a PhD and a pizza? You can feed a family with a pizza!
I chose not to go to university—though my Dad reminded me he wouldn’t fund it anyway, so it wasn’t really an option. After college, I took a short-term job before landing a role with a software distributor. There, I began to fulfil my ambitions by starting a software house and a direct-to-consumer mail-order division.
In a two fingered salute to the system, I returned to do my A-level in computer science through an adult education course, passing easily without much effort or attendance.
Despite not being “qualified” for my chosen career, I quickly found my way into the role I wanted just months after leaving academia. It was a valuable life lesson.
From there, my career took off. Although I wasn’t an out-and-out coder, I had developed a diverse skill set that helped me excel, particularly on the commercial side of the business. I spent many successful years climbing the career ladder across various companies.
I lived the dream, working for international businesses, flying all over the world, managing deals. Reflecting on it, it was the most fascinating yet stressful part of my career.
Compared to the pressure and workload of that time, trading feels like a breeze.
Going full circle
Eventually, I was at my highest earning job when I packed it all in.
Now with three children and a wife, I decided to become a professional Betfair trader and complete the loop and fulfil my long-term desire to do something original that nobody had done before.
The first thing I did was revisit all my football stats from all those years before and start pricing up markets. The rest, as they say, is history.
It turns out that this would be the last major decision I would make, as everything is a choice now.
What I learnt about exam results
Given my life so far, I feel that if you don’t get dealt the cards you want or don’t get the academic results you require, your path is blocked. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t progress. Regardless of whether you have the qualifications, the path is often ambiguous.
Those bits of paper just show that you should be able to do something, not that you can. The reverse is also true. A lack of paper doesn’t mean you can’t do something.
The Intelligence trap
I believe a “good” education can sometimes be counterproductive. It can give you a false sense of superiority, causing you to miss obvious opportunities and dismiss valuable insights. Specialising too much doesn’t foster creativity or problem-solving skills, which are crucial in an illogical world.
I’ve often seen people packed to the rafters with qualifications look down on those that aren’t. “Look I have a PhD, so I know I’m right” appears to be their mantra. Never bothering to question if they are wrong. I’ve had some run in’s with well qualified people, who can’t even look beyond their nose to see that, in fact, they were spectaculary wrong.
That’s one thing about betting or investing. You get a measure of whether you are right and if you don’t have, that’s why chasing targets was an important part of what I did. Not the reason I did it!
Starting from my unconventional path, I understood logic. But the biggest leap in my career came from realising that the world isn’t logical. Once you grasp how the world truly works, it becomes easier to navigate, and new opportunities emerge.
Ultimately, there are two types of intelligence: intellectual and emotional. To succeed, you need a balance of both, not an extreme of either.
My message to you
My main message is simple: don’t let anyone stand in your way, and use your time to pursue your passion, no matter the obstacles. The satisfaction of overcoming challenges far outweighs the value of a piece of paper.
Sure, qualifications can help, but the most interesting people often take unconventional paths to success. On the other hand, I’ve met many intelligent people who fall into the trap of relying solely on their intellect, which isn’t a guaranteed path to fulfilment. If you’re good at something, passionate, and determined, everything else tends to fall into place.
Life will throw challenges your way—people will try to block you, and unexpected things will happen. But I’ve learned that with a positive mindset, passion, and persistence, you’ll eventually get where you want to be.
I had big dreams, but I never imagined achieving half of what I have—and it all came from focusing on the positives. So whatever you choose to do, start your journey today!