What should I have accomplished by 26?
See what remarkable builders and entrepreneurs achieved at age 26
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Notable Achievements at Age 26
Graduated Harvard Business School (MBA)
Completed MBA at Harvard Business School (graduation year 2011).
Graduated Northwestern University (M.A.)
Received a master of arts in speech and communication from Northwestern University.
Won first NBA championship (2024)
Led Boston Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship, delivering 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds in Game 5 close-out (June 17, 2024).
Earned first Grammy nomination (Best New Artist)
Nominated for Best New Artist at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards (nomination announced Nov. 10, 2023).
Left the Bernie Sanders campaign
Resigned from the role of national press secretary following the end of the 2016 primaries.
Won LVMH Prize for Young Designers (€300,000 + mentorship)
Awarded the prestigious LVMH Prize (includes €300,000 and a year-long mentorship with LVMH executives).
Founded the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL)
Launched AJL to combine art, advocacy, and research to challenge bias in decision-making software.
Broad City TV premiere on Comedy Central
Broad City premiered on Comedy Central; received strong reviews and ratings among young demographics.
Facebook reaches 500 million users
On July 21, 2010 Zuckerberg announced Facebook had reached 500 million users worldwide.
Served as Natalie Portman's dance double in Black Swan
Served as a 'dance double' for Natalie Portman in the 2010 film Black Swan.
Competed in 2008 Beijing Olympics (men's coxless pair)
Rowed with twin brother Tyler in the men's coxless pair at the Beijing Olympics; finished 6th in the final.
Wins Grammy for 'Daydreamin'' (Best Urban/Alternative Performance)
Won Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for 'Daydreamin'' featuring Jill Scott at the 50th Grammys.
Launched 'Air Bed & Breakfast' — first air mattress guests
Hosted conference attendees on inflated air mattresses in their apartment and served Pop‑Tarts; this experiment became the origin of Airbnb.
Launched Shopify (pivot from Snowdevil)
Snowdevil founders shifted focus from retailing snowboards to providing an easy e‑commerce platform and launched Shopify.
Co‑founded YouTube (with Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim)
Steve Chen co‑founded the video‑sharing website YouTube and served as its chief technology officer.
Won Google / O'Reilly 'Hacker of the Year' (OSCON)
Recognized by Google and O'Reilly with the 'Hacker of the Year' award for creating Ruby on Rails.
Graduated University of Michigan (BS in Computer Science & Film/Video)
Completed bachelor's degree after pauses for entrepreneurial work; degree in computer science and film/video.
Graduated Brigham Young University (BA)
Received a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Brigham Young University.
💡 What this means for you
At age 26, you're at a pivotal point where many successful entrepreneurs made their breakthrough. Whether you're building your first company or scaling an existing one, these examples show what's possible with focus and execution.
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