This is a great read, but for the feedback, I stopped here: “I cannot say this enough: pick your peer group wisely because you’re giving them write access to both your conscious thoughts and your entire worldview.”

I’ve heard this, but here there’s an ulterior motive, which may not benefit. Stripe benefits from startups, and if you hangout with successful professionals and mentors and people that don’t bring you down, that will probably make the startup community successful and that in turn will help Stripe grow.

But would you ignore your family member that needs your time and attention? How about your friend that seems to be tanking? If Warren Buffett were to have serious health problems, I seriously doubt Bill Gates would be like “whatever- I don’t have time for that.” He’s going to be there. Because that’s what you do. Sure, there are times when you need your space, and friends change, or tend to abuse. Maybe you need to withdraw some, get off of social media. But, being a fair weather friend or family member just because someone else is not on their A game or never was is B.S.

I’m not discounting the advice; if you’re only goal is to have what is generally perceived to be worldly success, having only peers that boost you is a way to do it. But the greatest person that ever lived had a bad friend that got him killed. He wasn’t like, “sorry, I have dinner plans.”