Why is a tennis ball a key to finding a job you love? No, this isn’t an unfunny riddle (it’s a riddle, I suppose, just not one with a punchline). According to Drew Houston, CEO of a little company (ha) known as Dropbox, the tennis ball symbolizes obsession. In a recent NYT piece , he asserted, “The most successful people … I know are all obsessed with solving a problem that really matters to them. I use the tennis ball … because of my dog, who gets this crazy, obsessed look on her face when you throw the ball for her.”

For all you college kids and recent grads, whether on your own or with help, it’s time to find your tennis ball.