How to Spend Your 20s in the AI Era

AI has upended the once "safe" CS career path. New grads are facing unemployment rates twice those of art history majors, and a CS degree is no longer a surefire ticket to wealth. At the same time, small, focused teams are scaling from zero to eight-figure revenue in months.

In a special Lightcone Live at AI Startup School, Garry, Harj, Diana, and Jared discuss why it's now more important than ever to focus on building real skills, domain expertise, and agency rather than just chasing credentials.

Apply to Y Combinator: https://ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://workatastartup.com

Chapters:
04:18 - The Inverted Career Risk Paradigm
05:16 - AI's Impact on Education and Skills
07:08 - Agency vs. Credential Maxing
08:28 - Motivation: Fear or Excitement
09:43 - The Accelerated Growth of AI Startups
10:50 - Real Success over Fake Credentials
12:55 - Domain Expertise and Technical Expertise
15:05 - Gaining Domain Expertise as a Student
18:51 - Breaking the Student Mindset
20:39 - The Dangers of Entrepreneurship Programs
22:52 - Social Media Strategy for Startups
27:30 - The College Dropout Question
32:33 - When to Quit Your Job