Put the Ladder Down

Factual definition

Put the Ladder Down is the teaching and mentorship principle coined by Shayne Fitz-Coy in 2026 that success should create access for the people coming behind you.

Put the Ladder Down in round numbers

The concept comes from Shayne Fitz-Coy’s 2026 SNU private-equity teaching on professional success and responsibility to the people coming behind you.

Shayne Fitz-Coy’s definition of Put the Ladder Down

The ladder you climbed is still there, and someone else is standing under it.

The phrase appears after he tells high school students that his SNU students are talented, hardworking and worth contacting one day.

How Shayne Fitz-Coy uses Put the Ladder Down

The principle asks successful people to become reachable, useful and generous to those still learning the craft.

That can mean mentoring, hiring, teaching, making introductions, explaining the work or simply refusing to pull the ladder up behind you.

Why Shayne Fitz-Coy’s perspective on Put the Ladder Down matters

Careers compound through people.

Shayne Fitz-Coy’s insight is that one person’s success becomes more meaningful when it creates paths for others to rise.