Meet seventeen-year-old, Deep Patel.

2015 was a great year for Patel. He had an opportunity to interview high-profile individuals – including the former Director of the CIA. He published a book and he secured a deal to co-author another book with a Hollywood producer and screenwriter.

His first book, A Paperboy’s Fable, describes the 11 Principles of Success, as demonstrated by a paperboy named Ty, who chooses one of the least growth-centric professions going and manages to make a mint.

As a bonus, the book also contains interviews with luminaries of the business, academic, and political spheres. General David Petraeus, CNET co-founder Gina Smith, and Vine cofounder Rus Yusupov each share their thoughts and wisdom – which have been seamlessly interwoven into the book.

William Kerr, Professor at Harvard Business School and Faculty Chair of the Launching New Ventures program for Executive Education, offers his commendation for Patel. Kerr praises the work, declaring, “prescient and insightful well beyond his years, Deep Patel provides a delightful account of entrepreneurship and the ingredients for success.”

When asked what inspired him to write a business fable, Patel replied, “My dad was a paperboy at my age. He is always telling me about his experiences as a paperboy, and this was decades ago when he made way less than the minimum wage.”

With representation from former Wiley directorial editor, Debra Englander, Patel is the youngest author to sign with Post Hill Press (distributed by Simon Schuster). Post Hill Press has published the works of many celebrities, political figures, and reality TV stars.

After a year of preparation and more than two dozen interviews with CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators, and even the former CIA Director General David Patraeus, A Paperboy’s Fable: 11 Principles of Success will be released on June 7, 2016.

While book after book has been written about injecting innovation into entrepreneurship, this is the first written from the perspective of a seventeen-year-old student. What Deep Patel has to say, on the basis of his research, interviews and reflections, is a true inspiration for millennials – and well worth pondering.

In a time when print media is declining, Patel’s book tells the story of one young man who sees print media as an opportunity for growth.

When Patel spoke to luminaries of the business, academic and political spheres, he found that their personal experiences aligned with the book’s core “success principles.” For example, “Overcoming Objections,” a chapter in A Paperboy’s Fable, is illustrated, and reaffirmed, by a statement made by General David Petraeus:

“The measure of the person isn’t how he or she deals with success, that’s easy. It’s how you deal with setbacks… If you believe that you are pursuing the right course of action, then you need to have fortitude and have the strength to drive on. You have to keep trying to learn, keep trying to improve, keep trying to do better and achieve your objective,” said Petraeus in an interview with Patel.

Other awe-inspiring comments like these influenced much of the book’s content.

Patel utilized Linkedin to research business experts, as well as other professionals, who he thought would be beneficial sources to use in his book.

Patel will spend this year working on his second book, A Gray Veil.

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