I still can’t help taking screenshots while reading this book, Source Code by Bill Gates, but honestly, I forget a lot of details once I finish. This note only covers Gates’ life before college.

1. Family Values

I don’t see the way the Gates family raised him as the typical “tiger parenting” style common in Asia. This book gave me a clearer picture of his family—wisdom, role models, and knowing when to step back. From what I understand, his family wasn’t part of the first-generation self-made rich, so their approach to raising kids was different. Whether it was hosting family gatherings or regularly seeing a psychologist, their approach to family dynamics and education was ahead of its time. Because of this, Gates didn’t grow up withdrawn or emotionally conflicted.

2. Self-Motivation

A lot of parents reading this book will probably keep bringing up Gates’ self-motivation and the “10,000-hour rule” to compare with their own kids. But the challenges students faced back then were different from those today. When Gates was young, just getting access to a computer was already a rare opportunity made possible by his parents’ connections. But discovering something new and figuring it out from scratch was incredibly rewarding—what we’d now call “inquiry-based learning.” Today, we see more of a high-pressure, structured approach: bundling up methods and techniques that past geniuses have already refined, handing them to kids to practice for the sake of grades and certificates. This kills curiosity, turning learning into a grueling and oppressive challenge.

3. The Drive of a Pioneer—And a Bit of Luck

Gates got into computers at 13, picked up specialized skills, teamed up with a few close friends (sorry for the loss of Kent Evans), and was already doing work meant for adults. He made money from his projects and met great mentors along the way. That sense of fulfillment is always a strong motivator, no matter the era—he never had to struggle with teenage confusion about his future. Today, though, we see endless years of grinding, hitting plateaus, never experiencing the exciting lives of those around us, spending massive amounts of time on exams and repeated failures, or working endlessly out of passion, only to be left anxious and uncertain late at night. After hearing enough of these stories, it’s clear that Gates’ early efforts paid off—not just with success but also with new motivation and fresh opportunities.