Going to business school is not an easy decision - the amount of research, essay editing, application fees, and interviews makes a daunting journey. Leaving after you’ve been admitted is a whole other choice. Guillaume Delepine did the latter after getting into Harvard Business School’s joint degree Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) program with the Harvard Kennedy School. Delepine’s decision was principled and well-thought-out, but others who heard of his choice did not approve. John A. Bryne of Poets & Quants dedicated a full article as to why Guillaume leaving HBS was a “dumb move.” The Ivy-league educated Delepine has more to share behind his decision to leave HBS to join Skydio, a drone robotics company.

Frederick Daso: I read the letter you published on LinkedIn describing your reasons for leaving Harvard Business School (HBS). To start, can you tell us a little bit more about your background? 

Guillaume Delepine: Sure, here's a brief overview. I grew up in California and went to Princeton for undergrad. After graduating from college, I started at KPMG Strategy. I found myself a part of a nascent, entrepreneurial group that was focused on emerging technologies, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and strategy work. At KPMG, I developed a desire to be a leader and operator and thought of enrolling in HBS three-year joint MBA/MPA degree program with the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). The first-year of the joint degree takes place at HKS.

Daso: Interesting, you had walked a traditional path in your journey to HBS. Why did you decide to change course and leave business school?

Delepine: Throughout my first year at HKS, I was working on a drone startup with a colleague of mine. The experience was going well, and we continued throughout the summer. At that point, I met Adam Bry, CEO of Skydio. He convinced me to join the team. It was an easy decision given the work that they were doing with drones to help improve public safety. Working at Skydio throughout the summer was an incredible growth experience right from the start and made me expect more out of myself and my work.

I want to be precise – leaving Harvard is not an indictment on the school at all. The lessons from my first year at HKS continue to benefit the work I do, and there’s no path to my current role at Skydio that doesn’t go through Harvard.

Daso: Fantastic. Even with hindsight, I'm sure it wasn't easy choosing to leave business school. For those who are considering taking a road less traveled in life, what advice would you give to them? 

Delepine: In my case, I felt that Skydio's mission to help first responders keep their communities safer with drones strongly aligned with my calling to have a positive impact on society. I realized that if I didn't join this team, the outcomes I wanted to happen wouldn't happen. There was nobody to pass the buck to.

These decisions are case by case for everyone. I think everyone in the program feels the itch to get out in the world and start solving problems, but not everyone has an opportunity like Skydio come their way. Everyone has a unique path and timing for success, and it is up to them to decide to pursue their next opportunity. Nobody is cooler for taking an unconventional path, and nobody is boring for sticking out a curriculum they’ve started. We all find our own way to make the world better.

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This article was originally published on Forbes.