AI startups are increasingly hiring dropouts, and one writer says college degrees matter less
DavidCahn6 · x · 2026-07-28
A long piece argues that college degrees matter less in the AI era because universities cannot adapt quickly enough. It claims the pattern is already visible across AI startups: companies such as Mercor, Etched, and Scale (now MSL) are led by dropouts, staffed heavily by dropouts and fresh grads, and even major labs like OpenAI and Anthropic are hiring more dropouts at junior levels.
The broader thesis is that smart young people can see the opportunity gap and are increasingly opting out of traditional degrees in favor of building or joining AI companies early.
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