This past Tuesday, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian confirmed what students have been told for ages: you will try and you will fail, but ultimately you will be better because you at least tried.

The mixed students and faculty crowd listened to many Reddit-related jokes, sometimes laughing and sometimes wondering when Ohanian’s book was going to come into play. However, after about 30 minutes of talking about Reddit, the co-founder reached the serious point of his talk: doing what must be done without others’ permission to do it.

His book, “Without Their Permission: How the 21st Century Will Be Made, Not Managed,” talks extensively on this issue. Ohanian brought to light that the first time he and his partner had approached a company that backs start-ups, they were turned down. Through persistence and determination, the pair returned with the idea for the massive community-oriented website and received funding.

They didn’t let their initial failure deter them from creating something great. And initial failure shouldn’t deter anyone from achieving their goals. Because, according to Ohanian, millennials will need to break some barriers to get what they truly want.