Angelina YangFounder and Host, TwoSetAI · AI builder for visibility and discoverability

The $17M founder who prefers hiring 19-year-olds over senior engineers

29 Jun 2026 · 1 min

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In this interview excerpt, the founder (Speaker A) explains that his company’s average team age is around 23‑24 and that he actively prefers hiring 19‑year‑old employees rather than senior engineers. He argues that younger staff are rapid learners, eager to take ownership, and are already proficient with the latest tools, allowing them to solve problems quickly and produce work comparable to senior staff. When asked about the relevance of university degrees, he states that they are not important to him; about half of his team are degree dropouts, and he himself dropped out of a master’s program. The content highlights his hiring philosophy centered on youth, adaptability, and a de‑emphasis on formal education.

My average team age is maybe 23, 24. So I hired some people who are like 19, which I prefer much more over like old senior people, just because they're just so quick learners. They want to learn a lot. They want to take ownership. Young people, because they are so young and don't know much, they're just so much faster. All those new tools they know perfectly, and so they move very, very quickly and they find solutions to problems. They do great work. They do as great work as like senior people on the team.
Is university degree important to you?
Based on my past hiring decisions, no. I have like half of the team who don't have university degree, who dropped out. Me myself, I dropped out of the master.