I dropped out of college to work at Trivago. Now I run the company.

"I was in my third year of university, nearing completion of a four-year degree in economics and tourism. I had started a digital travel company on the side, and I planned to learn from the internship and apply the new skills to my own company. The internship came with a steep learning curve. Back then, the company had about 50 employees, many of whom were interns. I had a lot of responsibility and room to grow."

"My father was an entrepreneur who ran a tour company in Germany. I considered joining the family business, but I was interested in the digital side of tourism. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I was taught to follow my curiosity. Still, my mother wasn't thrilled when I dropped out of school. She argued that I only had one more year, and I should just finish. I have no regrets about not getting my degree, however."

Johannes Thomas began a six-month internship at Trivago in 2011 while nearing completion of a university degree in economics and tourism. He started a digital travel company on the side and used the internship to gain practical online marketing skills, particularly in Google's performance marketing. The small company of about 50 employees offered steep learning, significant responsibility, and room to experiment. He left university, accepted a job, and progressed over fourteen years to CEO. He comes from an entrepreneurial family, changed jobs every two to three years to keep learning, and prioritizes demonstrable portfolios over formal degrees when hiring.

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