Brent Bushnell
Co-Founder & CEO
Two Bit Circus
Los Angeles, CA USA
“Reject the cultural narrative that there's one road to take. It's different for everybody and changing faster now than ever before.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationBrent Bushnell
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
Went to school for electrical engineering for a while; was in college during the first big "web craze."
Was itching to enter the workforce, so he dropped out of school to move to San Francisco, the epicenter of tech.
Says he wanted to try a bunch of different stuff: worked as everything from a furniture salesman to a sushi chef.
Believes the world presents you with endless opportunities and you can't let yourself get bogged down by what you "should" be doing.
Met his co-founder Eric Gradman; the two started making interactive art, gained more and more traction; turned it into a company.
The goal of their company was to "rebrand what it means to be an engineer," get more kids into the fun side of science.
Encourages combining your interests; says there's a lot of creativity and opportunity to be found "at the intersection of domains."
Loves the quote, "No battle plan survives engagement with the enemy"; you should have a plan, but don't stick to it rigidly.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Did Not Complete
University of Colorado Boulder
Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Did Not Complete
University of Colorado Boulder
Career
Co-Founder & CEO
I run a high-tech circus. We're a band of nerds building big entertainment using modern technology.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Building Things
Day to Day
As the CEO, we joke I'm the "chief email opener". I spend a lot of time meeting with people and figuring out who are partners will be.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
I'm a big fan of random input. Kids should get out there and try to do as many different things as possible. You won't know what you want to work on until you try LOTS of different things.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Did Not Complete
Electrical and Electronics Engineering - Did Not Complete
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Myself:
"We're not artists!"
Challenges I Overcame
Learning Issues
Interviewed By
Whirlwind of Awesomeness
The keys to the Green RV go to three new road-trippers, all interested in design, who kick-start their cross-country journey of self-discovery with a visit to the art-tech spectacle of Two Bit Circus, where founders Brent Bushnell and Eric Gradman share their story of dabbling across domains and finding inspiration at the intersection of their interests.
