William Gurney
Dreamer. Founder. 16 years old.
Self-taught builder from Virginia. I've been building AI systems and apps since I was 15. Currently heads-down on a stealth project I'm keeping under wraps. My goal is financial independence without college.
Xinc Media
Online Video Making Agency
Billy AI
Outbound AI Calling Agent
Rizzly Bot
Billy Bot
Why aren't you going to college? +
I'd rather get my products into the world than work for someone else. The freedom to chase my own passions matters more to me than a degree, and I believe I can learn anything without one. The student debt math doesn't help college's case either.
How did you learn to code? +
Completely self-taught. I took some Python classes my freshman year, but they didn't translate to building mobile apps. Today I lean heavily on AI to build and scale my projects.
When did you start building? +
Middle school. My first projects were things like an unblocked games site that pulled serious daily traffic, and Billy Bot, an offline Raspberry Pi AI with a custom 3D-printed case. Won First Place at Regionals Science Fair, and Most Inspirational in 8th grade. I've been shipping since I realized I could.
What's your stack? +
SwiftUI for iOS. Supabase for backend, auth, and database. RevenueCat for subscriptions. AI APIs for processing. Claude Code for development. I stay on free or low-cost tiers across everything and move fast.
Are you open to work or collaborations? +
Depends. I'm heads-down on my own projects and that's the priority. If something adds real value without becoming a distraction, I'll hear it.
How can I hire you or work with you? +
Reach out and make a real case for why it's a fit. I'm 16, in school, and running my own products. I'm selective.
What's the stealth project you keep mentioning? +
Staying private until launch. Ideas get stolen fast.
How do you balance school and building? +
I just build. School is there, I handle it, but my real focus is shipping products. Headphones in, lock in.
How do your parents feel about this path? +
Supportive. I'm not doing anything reckless. I'm building real products, making real money, and thinking long-term. Hard to argue with that.
What advice would you give other young builders? +
Ship something real. Not a tutorial project, not a clone. Something you'd actually use or pay for. Learn by building, not by watching. And never give a developer backend access without reading the contract first.
What's the goal: exit, lifestyle business, something else? +
Financial independence first. I'm 16 and already moving toward real MRR. The goal is to build something that matters and either gets acquired or scales, not just to have a portfolio. I applied to YC Startup School. Long-term, I'm thinking big.
How do you find ideas to build? +
I build things I'm annoyed don't exist, or that I'd pay for myself. If I'd use it and can't find it, that's the idea.
What does a typical day look like? +
Build, scale, dread school, repeat.