Gabriel Petersson's early years mirrored those of countless Gen Z kids: trading Pokémon cards, crafting elaborate Minecraft worlds, and treating thoughts of college or careers as distant, abstract concerns.
But something shifted during his teenage years in a quiet Swedish town of roughly 5,000 residents. Petersson grew less fascinated by simply playing games and more captivated by the mechanics behind them. That curiosity rapidly evolved into a deep dive into startups, software development, and artificial intelligence, which he recognized as the defining technological wave of his generation.
Instead of walking the well-trodden path—graduate high school, earn a computer science degree, climb the corporate ladder—Petersson chose a different route. At 17, during his senior year, he dropped out of high school to co-found Depict.ai, an e-commerce data startup, with classmates who would later join companies like Lovable and LEGO.
Five years later, that gamble has yielded remarkable returns. Now 22, Petersson earns a six-figure salary as a researcher at OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT (most recently contributing to the Sora project before its wind-down). More than that, he's emerged as an unconventional advocate for a straightforward principle: the credential gap isn't permanent—if you're willing to demonstrate your abilities through tangible work.
The Playbook: Show, Don't Just Tell
Securing a role at one of Silicon Valley's most elite companies without a degree—let alone a high school diploma—demands a nontraditional approach. For Petersson, success meant proving competence before anyone even requested a résumé.
After his stint at Depict, he joined Y Combinator-backed AI startup Dataland and moved to New York in 2021. By many metrics, he was thriving. But a visit to San Francisco changed everything.
"I still remember the first week," Petersson recalled. "I just couldn't sleep… You could go anywhere, and people would discuss programming, startups, all these things I love talking about. I was completely mind-blown."
That experience reshaped his ambitions. Yet the obstacle remained: how could a high school dropout compete against candidates from Ivy League schools and top-tier engineering programs? His solution was to stop competing on credentials altogether—and start competing on proof.
Rather than relying on standard application portals, Petersson crafted a direct outreach strategy built on three pillars:
1. A concise, authentic introduction
2. Genuine enthusiasm for the company's mission
3. A custom-built project created specifically for them
"You can say something like, 'I was so excited about your company that I built a side project—a functional website showcasing what you do,'" he explained. "That way, I demonstrate capability directly, without having to compete on the same terms as everyone else."
This method helped him secure his role at Dataland—and he refined it further when targeting Midjourney, a prominent AI research lab. Despite continued rejections through traditional channels (including an early "no" from OpenAI), Petersson committed fully: he spent a full week working 16-hour days to build a bespoke website for Midjourney, then sent a video walkthrough of the code.
The effort worked. Midjourney hired him as a software engineer in 2023.
"When I create a video demo of a product I've built, I showcase my technical understanding, my communication skills, my professionalism," Petersson said. "They see that I'm reasonable, capable, and proactive. I check more boxes than any credential ever could."
The Door Opens—Again
The Midjourney role became a catalyst. A mutual connection introduced him to OpenAI's research team—the same organization that had rejected him a year prior. This time, armed with a stronger portfolio and a refined approach, he succeeded. He joined OpenAI in December 2024.
For Petersson, the experience underscored a vital lesson: don't accept a "no" as final. Reapply when you've grown, learned, and have more to offer.
A Message for Gen Z: Elite Careers Aren't Gatekept—They're Earned
Petersson views his trajectory not as an anomaly but as evidence that high-impact careers are accessible to those willing to demonstrate value through action. He now shares this perspective widely with young professionals navigating a hiring landscape increasingly fixated on formal credentials.
"Anyone can compete if you position yourself in the right scenarios and focus on the right things," he said.
He cautions against a common trap: staying in a role too long for the sake of stability. Having worked at nearly half a dozen companies before turning 23, Petersson believes early careers should prioritize learning velocity over tenure.
At a time when many young people fear AI will eliminate the very jobs they're pursuing, Petersson argues the opposite: opportunity abounds for those who embrace the technology as a tool, not a threat.
And perhaps most reassuringly, he notes that even the most respected voices in tech "don't have everything figured out." The field is still being written—and there's room for those willing to build their own path, one line of code, one project, one bold outreach at a time.
