Burgum inspires students to succeed
Doug Burgum’s lecture to NDSU students Wednesday in the Century Theater was an inspiration to students who are undecided about their futures.
Taking risks while making good decisions has put Burgum in the successful spot he’s in today.
Doug Burgum, a native of Arthur, N.D., earned an honorary doctorate from NDSU in 2000 and is now the senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions Group, one of Microsoft’s seven core businesses.
Prior to working at Microsoft, Burgum served as chairman and CEO of Great Plains Software Inc. at age 26.
Burgum said he literally bet the farm on Great Plains, referring to himself as an “adrenaline junky.”
He took a mortgage out on farmland that had been in the family for 100 years. The company eventually merged to form Microsoft Business Solutions.
Burgum directed his speech to students and spoke about education, entrepreneurship, leadership and life long learning.
Burgum earned a degree from NDSU in university studies. One key point Burgum wanted students to understand is the value of being undecided.
He said he tried to take classes from the most interesting professors he could find on campus.
Burgum didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do so graduate school seemed like a good idea. He attended Stanford and even worked for Disney. He said there is value to being open-minded and curious.
“ By being those things it may lead to interesting lives for all of you,” Burgum said. “The only thing stopping people from starting a business here today is their imagination.”
Burgum also explained that the foundation for everything he has achieved is gratitude.
He is grateful for many things such as working for organizations that are mission driven, growing up in a small North Dakota town, the access to talent in this area and for all of the opportunities this area has offered him.
“ There is great education and great resources in this country,” Burgum said.
That’s why Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions were a great idea here because there is so much access to talent in this area, Burgum said.
Burgum encourages people who are young to pursue their ideas.
He told students to be willing to take risks and he encourages entrepreneurial opportunities.
Culture in the Midwest often emphasizes that people should never be a part of something that fails.
Burgum explained that the people who get hired for key jobs today have been part of something that has failed.
“(Job interviewers) want people that have taken risks and failed. That’s what they interview for,” Burgum said. “Your education begins when you are facing failure.”
People sometimes think of Burgum as a visionary, but he said “you are not much of a visionary if you’ve sort of been hit in the head with a giant two-by-four.”
Burgum will be leaving Microsoft June 30, 2007, and is excited to “start over again, sort of become a student again and think about new things in the world to pursue.”
Burgum also created the Doug Burgum Family Foundation that focuses charitable giving on youth and education. The foundation has directed most of its resources back to this area.
Burgum currently lives near Fargo with his three children.