Tyler Bel ツ

ive been hanging out with founders under 22 lately living in sf/nyc and they're built different. my observations of these young founders getting rich with AI: 1. these kids grew up watching YT creators flexing Porsches and private jets from their bedrooms. but when they looked at their own reality, they saw $200k college tuition and $45k entry-level jobs. the math didn't work. so they decided to skip the broken system entirely. 2. that economic reality shaped everything about them. they're unapologetically capitalistic in a way that reminds me of the 80s Wall Street era. pure survival capitalism. they think they need millions just to live comfortably, they look at $4,000 studio apartments in ny, and they're not wrong. tons of economic pressure for everyone right now and inflation worries. 3. so they formed group chats with other founders. their mentors are podcasts. they're plugged in and learning 24/7, treating business like a multiplayer video game they're trying to beat. 4. sam altman said something that stuck with me: older generations use ChatGPT as a Google replacement, but these kids use it as an operating system. they see this AI era as their gateway out of economic reality. 5. everything they do is optimized for virality. their startup journey reads like a Netflix documentary with built-in trailers. every product decision considers "will this clip work on X?" they reverse engineer social algorithms with their business models. it's like NELK Boys meets Spielberg meets YC demo day. 6. they build products designed to go viral on specific platforms. they'll time launches around trending topics. they'll create TikToks showcasing their SaaS tool like entertainment content. 7. some go the cash flow route, building consumer mobile apps like nikita or build saas portfolios. others raise millions in VC funding. the more the vc the better they think. 8. they document every failure, breakthrough, and late-night coding session. their businesses are performance art for the algorithm age. 9. they're not trying to fix the broken system that priced them out. they're building entirely around it. and they're winning because they accepted the new rules while everyone else is still playing by the old ones. 10. a lot will fail in public and end up working at companies. it'll be crushing. especially the ones that raise tons of vc. that's the game. but some will succeed in ways we've never seen before. 11. they think in portfolios from day one. not “this is my startup,” but “this is one bet.” apps, tools, experiments, accounts. they expect most to die and one to change their life. 12. many are hyper-capitalistic. michael douglas in wall street energy, but with claude, cursor, and viral clips instead of suspenders and cigars. theyve got big dreams and aren't afraid to go after them. 13. the same inflated world that crushed previous generations might have created the most resourceful generation of entrepreneurs we've ever seen. they are turning systemic failure into competitive advantage. pretty genius when you think about it. the kids are alright.