Beyond the Advisor Halo: Students Are the Real Protagonists
docmilanfar · x · 2026-07-18
This repost responds to Russ Salakhutdinov proudly showcasing his students' career trajectories. The original post lists alumni who went on to become founders or key company members, including:
- Zhilin Yang: Founder and CEO of Moonshot AI
- Jimmy Ba: Co-founder of xAI
- Devendra Chaplot: Founding member at Thinking Machines / Mistral
- Along with several alumni at Apple and other startups
The reposter argues that these achievements shouldn't be credited solely to the advisor. Top programs attract exceptionally talented students, and the advisor's role is often just providing a platform and bandwidth for them. When evaluating "who contributed more," one should carefully distinguish between advisor influence and the students' inherent capabilities.
Related event: Moonshot Founder's Academic Lineage Sparks Discussion(3 posts)→
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