--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some of the best projects to ever come…" description: "\"Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy had been in jail.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/nolan-bushnell-5525_atari_some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-o_105010.png" --- # Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or… ![“Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy had been in jail.” quote by Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/nolan-bushnell-5525_atari_some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-o_105010.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/nolan-bushnell-5525_atari_some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-o_105010.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8da/nolan-bushnell-5525_atari_some-of-the-best-projects-to-ever-come-o_105010.png) > “Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. One guy had been in jail.” [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Innovation often emerges from unconventional backgrounds; many successful tech projects stem from people who left formal education or faced legal troubles, showing that non‑linear paths can fuel creativity. **In simple terms:** Success can come from dropouts and rebels. Key Takeaway Non‑traditional routes can yield breakthrough ideas. Themes innovation education entrepreneurship rebellion Mood optimistic inspirational Type motivational business When to use this quote - a high‑school dropout founding a startup - a former inmate creating a tech product - a self‑taught programmer entering a hackathon Key Concepts alternative pathways creativity under constraint Practical Applications - Encourage inclusive hiring that values experience over credentials - Provide mentorship for non‑traditional talent Questions to Reflect On - What factors enable dropouts to succeed in tech? - How can institutions better support unconventional talent? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atari/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [High school dropout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school-dropout/) [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School dropout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-dropout/) ## Related quotes > [Eighty-two percent of prisoners in the United States are high-school dropouts. A high-school dropout between the ages of 30 and 34 is two-thirds more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/eighty-two-percent-of-prisoners-in-the-united-states-are-high-school/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [High school dropouts are forfeiting their opportunity to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/high-school-dropouts-are-forfeiting-their-opportunity-to-pursue-the/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [College dropouts with significant debt struggle with repayment over the course of their lives and do not receive the benefits afforded to their peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-johnson/college-dropouts-with-significant-debt-struggle-with-repayment-over/) [Hank Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-johnson/) > [Subsidies and grants throw off the natural market signals that are supposed to allow students to make informed decisions on the true value of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kirk/subsidies-and-grants-throw-off-the-natural-market-signals-that-are/) [Charlie Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kirk/) > [“Govt to help dropouts study further’ 98 words Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani Saturday said the government will roll out a programme by this year-end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/govt-to-help-dropouts-study-further-98-words-union-hrd-minister/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“only 1 of every 3 young black male high school dropouts was able to obtain any type of employment during the average month in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-alexander/only-1-of-every-3-young-black-male-high-school-dropouts-was-able-to/) [Karl Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-alexander/) > [“Expansion Leads To Fewer High School Dropouts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/expansion-leads-to-fewer-high-school-dropouts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Heckman discovered that when you consider all kinds of important future outcomes—annual income, unemployment rate, divorce rate, use of illegal drugs—GED recipients look exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tough/heckman-discovered-that-when-you-consider-all-kinds-of-important/) [Paul Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tough/) > [Right now, in every big city ghetto, tens of thousands of yesterday's and today's school dropouts are keeping body and soul together by some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/right-now-in-every-big-city-ghetto-tens-of-thousands-of-yesterday-s/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Children deprived of words become school dropouts; dropouts deprived of hope behave delinquently. Amateur censors blame delinquency on reading immoral books and magazines, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-jennison/children-deprived-of-words-become-school-dropouts-dropouts-deprived/) Peter S. Jennison > [In 1971, Bossier City, Louisiana, there was a teenage girl who was pregnant with her second child. She was a high school dropout and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/in-1971-bossier-city-louisiana-there-was-a-teenage-girl-who-was/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [I ended up dropping out of high school. I'm a high school dropout, which I'm not proud to say, ... I had some teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-swank/i-ended-up-dropping-out-of-high-school-i-m-a-high-school-dropout/) [Hilary Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-swank/) > [High school dropout rates nationally - Not enough is being done on this issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-richmond/high-school-dropout-rates-nationally-not-enough-is-being-done-on-this/) [Cedric Richmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-richmond/) > [I was 19 years old, pumping gas and going nowhere. I was kind of a high school dropout at that point because I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-oates/i-was-19-years-old-pumping-gas-and-going-nowhere-i-was-kind-of-a-high/) [Adam Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-oates/) > [The University of North Carolina-Greensboro has ordered a Christian club to allow non-Christians as leaders. While we're at it, let's put high school dropouts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-thompson/the-university-of-north-carolina-greensboro-has-ordered-a-christian/) [Fred Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-thompson/) ## More by Nolan Bushnell > [I guess I'd like to be known for being an innovator, fostering creativity, thinking outside the box. You know, keeping people playful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-guess-i-d-like-to-be-known-for-being-an-innovator-fostering/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I've always been a tech-head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-ve-always-been-a-tech-head/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [In 1980, Atari was bringing in around two billion dollars in revenue and Chuck E. Cheese's some five hundred million. I still didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/in-1980-atari-was-bringing-in-around-two-billion-dollars-in-revenue/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I believe that in games, when you're talking about pitting my wits and my brain against your wits and your brain, that simplicity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-believe-that-in-games-when-you-re-talking-about-pitting-my-wits-and/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The subtle generational cues that make one thing cool and another uncool aren't always obvious to a parent. My children are my dinner-table sounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-subtle-generational-cues-that-make-one-thing-cool-and-another/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [The truly creative people tend to be outliers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/the-truly-creative-people-tend-to-be-outliers/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I'm a big believer in the Wii. I love the physicality of the Wii controller, and how you can get the feeling of throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-wii-i-love-the-physicality-of-the-wii/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Women were very, very good at 'Pong'. It was part of the dating scene. The number of people who told me they met their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/women-were-very-very-good-at-pong-it-was-part-of-the-dating-scene-the/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Learning ballroom dancing is great for your brain. But it only works for three to six months. After that, you've got all the benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/learning-ballroom-dancing-is-great-for-your-brain-but-it-only-works/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Walk to work, even if it's four miles. Ride a bike to work. Drive a different way. On your way there, try to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/walk-to-work-even-if-it-s-four-miles-ride-a-bike-to-work-drive-a/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Hire for passion and intensity; there is training for everything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/hire-for-passion-and-intensity-there-is-training-for-everything-else/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [When I was running Atari, violence against humanoid figures was not allowed. We'd let you shoot at a tank... but we drew the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/when-i-was-running-atari-violence-against-humanoid-figures-was-not/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [You wanna build your IQ higher in the next two years? Be uncomfortable. That means, learn something where you have a beginner's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/you-wanna-build-your-iq-higher-in-the-next-two-years-be-uncomfortable/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [People hate to and will not read instructions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/people-hate-to-and-will-not-read-instructions/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [My sweet spot is figuring out how to make a product that people love and how to refine it to make them love it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/my-sweet-spot-is-figuring-out-how-to-make-a-product-that-people-love/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) [Explore all 100 Nolan Bushnell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) ## More Atari quotes > [In 1980, Atari was bringing in around two billion dollars in revenue and Chuck E. Cheese's some five hundred million. I still didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/in-1980-atari-was-bringing-in-around-two-billion-dollars-in-revenue/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I restore vintage Atari XY arcade video game machines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-avary/i-restore-vintage-atari-xy-arcade-video-game-machines/) [Roger Avary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-avary/) > [When I was super young, I had an Atari and used to play 'Space Invaders.' Then I fell in love with 'Mario Bros.,' 'Sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-rose/when-i-was-super-young-i-had-an-atari-and-used-to-play-space-invaders/) [Amber Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-rose/) > [When I was little, we used to have Atari.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-dratch/when-i-was-little-we-used-to-have-atari/) [Rachel Dratch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-dratch/) > [When I was running Atari, violence against humanoid figures was not allowed. We'd let you shoot at a tank... but we drew the line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/when-i-was-running-atari-violence-against-humanoid-figures-was-not/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I founded Atari in my garage in Santa Clara while at Stanford. When I was in school, I took a lot of business classes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/i-founded-atari-in-my-garage-in-santa-clara-while-at-stanford-when-i/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Atari always was a technology-driven company, and we were very keen on keeping the technological edge on everything. There's a whole bunch of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/atari-always-was-a-technology-driven-company-and-we-were-very-keen-on/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/so-we-went-to-atari-and-said-hey-we-ve-got-this-amazing-thing-even/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Atari is a very sad story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/atari-is-a-very-sad-story/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [We had some really powerful technology - Atari always was a technology-driven company, and we were very keen on keeping the technological edge on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/we-had-some-really-powerful-technology-atari-always-was-a-technology/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [I was a little hesitant at taking the job at Atari. I had never programmed for a living and I worried it might get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crane/i-was-a-little-hesitant-at-taking-the-job-at-atari-i-had-never/) [David Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crane/) > [Growing up in Florida, it rained a lot, so we spent a lot of time indoors. I used to love Frogger. I got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-sky/growing-up-in-florida-it-rained-a-lot-so-we-spent-a-lot-of-time/) [Jennifer Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-sky/) > [Everybody copied Atari products. So we started messing with them and it was fun. We bought enough chips that we could get them mislabeled.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/everybody-copied-atari-products-so-we-started-messing-with-them-and/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [Selling Atari when I did - I think that's my biggest regret. And I probably should have gotten back heavily into the games business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/selling-atari-when-i-did-i-think-that-s-my-biggest-regret-and-i/) [Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/) > [When I was a kid, I had an Atari 2600, and I would play Pac Man, Frogger, all that kind of stuff. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcbrayer/when-i-was-a-kid-i-had-an-atari-2600-and-i-would-play-pac-man-frogger/) [Jack McBrayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcbrayer/) [Browse all 29 Atari quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atari/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some of the best projects to ever come out of Atari or Chuck E. Cheese's were from high school dropouts, college dropouts. 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