I'm Ryan. I build things with AI.
Currently building Star (YC S22), an AI game builder where anyone can create playable browser games from a description. Previously senior engineer at Google X (Loon), where I helped bring internet to remote parts of the world via stratospheric balloons. Before that, I studied CS at Mizzou and co-founded TigerHacks - still going strong.
I angel invest in founders I believe in, tinker with AI-driven science, and occasionally write about what I'm learning.
I love meeting builders and tinkerers. DM me on X or connect on LinkedIn.
Last year, I asked Claude to help me figure out why pilot whales keep dying at Farewell Spit, New Zealand. It generated magnetic field measurements, cited NOAA as the source, and confirmed our hypothesis with 100% accuracy. The numbers were completely made up.
I was previously a senior software engineer at Google X (Loon), and now I’m a YC founder at Stella who builds software faster than ever, thanks to AI.
100% of my code is written with AI. I accomplish 10x more, way faster. AI prototypes entire products for me, fixes bugs while I’m meeting live with customers, and heck, I even used it to build a multiplayer fish simulation in one single instruction! At this point, I don’t think I could go back to the old way of building.
My goal with this post is simple:
To inspire you and show that anyone can build with AI - no matter your background.
While many people doubt that you can intern at a top company without going to a target school like MIT or Stanford, it’s definitely possible. I go to a midwestern state school that’s not known for its Computer Science department, but I ended up interning at Facebook and Google. Hopefully, these tips will help you to do the same!