Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk, reveals how a high school dropout became leader of the $10B software company powering design for cars, buildings, and games. He shares his turbulent teen years, the pivotal mentors who saved him, his fight for the CEO role, and why empathy isn't weakness—it's essential business strategy. Anagnost credits his transformation from troubled teen to Stanford PhD to mentors who believed in him, demonstrating that surrounding yourself with people who tell you hard truths shapes success more than individual effort.