In the bustling hallways of NeXT Computer in the early 1990s (later merged with Apple in 1997 for $427 million), one young intern likely went unnoticed by most as he went about his duties fetching coffee and running errands. His name was Chet Kapoor, a fresh graduate eager to learn all he could about the tech industry. Little did he know that he would one day become the CEO of a company acquired by Google for over half a billion dollars.

Kapoor’s story is one of the bold career moves, calculated risks, and eventually, tremendous success. It all started with securing what must have felt like the opportunity of a lifetime at the time — an internship at NeXT working indirectly under none other than Steve Jobs. Though Kapoor was far removed from the action as he describes it, simply being in the orbit of such an icon in those early days made a significant impact.

After his internship, Kapoor wasted no time getting his career off the ground. He quickly transitioned into more substantive roles, leading engineering teams at innovative but small startups. Within his first decade in tech, he achieved the title of CEO with enterprise software company Gluecode. His leadership soon attracted interest from larger players, and IBM acquired the company shortly after.

The IBM deal served as a springboard, providing invaluable experience and capital to take even bigger swings in tech. Kapoor next founded Apigee, an analytics API platform that eventually went public. But his greatest success was yet to come. In 2016, Apigee caught Google’s eye, and the tech giant purchased the company for a staggering $625 million.

For most people, this would be the happy ending to an unlikely career in tech. But Kapoor continues to build new companies and pass on lessons to the next generation. His advice for young people might come as a surprise though — be willing to pay to work for admirable industry leaders. Kapoor argues that no amount of education can compare to spending time alongside respected mentors and innovators early in your career, even if that means working for free or potentially paying for the privilege.

While controversial, it’s hard to argue with Kapoor’s results. His rapid career trajectory demonstrates that learning from the best early on can unlock massive potential. While few may be able to copy his exact path, Kapoor believes investing in relationships with tech luminaries in any capacity can generate outsized returns.

The next time you come across an enthusiastic intern fetching coffee and running errands, consider the possibility that with a little luck and some valuable connections, they may be a future tech mogul in the making. The story of Steve Jobs’ former assistant turned $625M CEO Chet Kapoor shows that unlikely journeys can take extraordinary turns in technology.