How Gen Z are quitting jobs to create next-gen AI startups

Illustration of a robot talking to a person.

This story was first reported on, and published by, Digiday sibling WorkLife

Gen Zers are already positioning themselves to be ahead of the next wave of generative AI. And some young professionals, and students, are even quitting their jobs and studies to create AI tech which will help shape the future of work.

Malik Drabla, 24, and Riley Walz, 20, are among them. Drabla recently quit his job at Google to join an AI accelerator program founded and funded by tech entrepreneur Dave Fontenot, and run out of a Victorian mansion, in Alamo Square, San Fransisco. Walz also took a leave of absence during his senior year at Baruch College, to join the program, which has been dubbed the “monastery of hackers.”

Those who apply to this 12-week residency program, called or Hacker Fellowship Zero – or HF0 – get an injection of $250,000 investment in exchange for 2.5% in ownership of their company. The program takes care of everything they need, including food, amenities, and laundry. To get in, interested entrepreneurs can pitch their products in an online application process.

“My friends like to call it the ‘programmer Hype House,’” said Drabla.

To read the full story click here

More in Media

Graphic of a dollar sign-shaped key unlocking a lock, symbolizing the key to unlocking successful performance marketing through the seven stages of development

Google rolls out pay-per-value AI licensing program to publishers

Google has been quietly scaling a pay-per-value AI licensing scheme for publishers. But critics say the program looks less like a meaningful payout and more like a legal fig leaf.

What we’ve learned from the creator snafus at this year’s US Open

Everyone’s hating on creators at the US Open, but they’re here to stay in the tennis world, just perhaps with some adjustments.

Molson Coors ditches its TV-era workflow to move at creator speed, quadrupling engagement

Molson Coors partnered with Movers+Shakers’ new consultancy group to completely overhaul its approach to creators, and it’s working.