Dive Brief:

• Erik Finman, a 15-year-old programmer and entrepreneur, used the $100,000 he made through Bitcoin investments to launch his new education startup, Botangle.  
• Aligned with Finman's affinity for self-taught education, Botangle is an exploratory learning site that matches "students" with "experts" and "tutors."
• A key component of the site is its promise to offer "resources that just do not exist in a normal classroom setting." This push to expand learning beyond the confines of a traditional classroom comes from Finman's own dissatisfaction with his local school experiences.  

Dive Insight:

Currently, Finman is homeschooled and he has struck a deal with his parents that if he makes $1 million by the time he turns 18, he doesn't have to go to college.  

While the Botangle site has a lot to offer — the startup is not the only story here. How people choose to educate their youth and what they have decided is important is just as significant. Finman is successful not because he did really well on a bunch of standardized tests but rather because he experimented and explored and created new paths to educate himself. He took a $1,000 gift from his grandmother and felt comfortable taking a risk investing in Bitcoins — a move that paid off when he was able to cash in and make $100,000.  

Is the education system we've set up preparing students to be risk takers and independent thinkers?

According to Finman, the answer is no. The young entrepreneur told Business Insider, "I wasn't happy with my local schools in Idaho, even one of my teachers said I would be working in the fast food industry for the rest of my life."