When I arrived in Silicon Valley in 1992 with $500 and a Stanford fellowship to pursue my PhD, starting a company was not common. It was considered risky, unconventional – even irresponsible. Most people told me I was crazy. But when the opportunity came to build something that could change the world, I took the leap – dropped out of my PhD, co-founded VXtreme, and never looked back.
Today, a new generation is doing what took my generation courage to even consider. And they are doing it faster, with fewer resources, and at a younger age than ever before.
A new LinkedIn report sheds light on what is driving this shift – and it does not surprise me.
Two things have changed everything.
- First, AI has democratized who gets to build. For thirty years, entrepreneurship required deep expertise, technical skills, capital, and connections. Today, anyone with an idea and a conversation can build a product. You need to know what problem you want to solve. That unlocks billions of potential builders – not just the privileged few.
- Second, for this generation, entrepreneurship is no longer an unconventional choice – it is a cultural norm. Starting a company is as natural a path as joining one, and the idea of building something from scratch is celebrated in classrooms, on campuses, and across every platform they grew up on. They are right to see it that way.
My advice to every young founder thinking about taking the leap:
- 1. The best time to start is when you have the least to lose and the most energy to give. Don’t wait until you are ready. You will never feel ready. Jump and build your parachute on the way down.
- 2. Find your people first. The idea will change. The market will change. The people you surround yourself with are the only constant. Pick your co-founders, your mentors, and your early team like your life depends on it – and when you find the right mentor, they will be your safety net. Jump, knowing they will catch you.
- 3. Build a painkiller, not a vitamin. Solve a problem that keeps people up at night. If customers can live without your product, they will.
- 4. And remember – company building is a marathon, not a sprint. AI may be accelerating everything around you, but the fundamentals have not changed. There will be highs that make you feel invincible and setbacks that make you question everything. Both are part of the journey.
The generation entering entrepreneurship today has something no previous generation had – AI as a teammate from day one. But what excites me most is who they are – purpose-driven, globally minded, and unafraid to challenge convention. This generation, armed with AI, is a combination no previous generation of founders has ever had.
Originally published on LinkedIn.
