Hey there. Orianna here from Fortune.
Learning to code was once a fast-track ticket to success. It’s the self-taught skill that launched the careers of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. Even former President Barack Obama urged young people to learn to code. But according to one former Google CMO who started coding at 12, AI has just killed it.
Alon Chen built a $2 billion product line at Google by 28, walked away from a seven-figure equity package, and went on to found Tastewise—an AI food intelligence company now trusted by PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Mars. He knows better than most what it takes to make it in tech. And he’s no longer recommending coding as the way in.
“Coding is becoming obsolete. It’s not needed today,” Chen recently told me. “You can operate an extremely successful business without having any ability to write even one line of code.”
Chen suggested young people would even be better off leveraging their ice skating skills than learning to code in the current climate.
In fact, he said the skills that will matter tomorrow have nothing to do with technology—and everything to do with creativity, obsession, and the courage to go all in young.
Take Chen, for example. After teaching himself to code, he built computers while other kids played. By 15, he already had a thriving business, selling computers to small and medium-size businesses across Israel.
Likewise, Bill Gates learned to code at about age 13, sneaking into his school’s computer lab at night to practice. Zuckerberg had built his first networked software, ZuckNet, at 12. Musk taught himself BASIC at 10, and sold his first video game two years later for $500.
That early ambition, Chen said, is far more valuable than any single technical skill. “Starting young with a lot of responsibility was something that built up my characteristic today as an entrepreneur,” he said.
The tools will change. The skills will evolve. But being able to see an opening, teach yourself what you need, and launch before your competition does is still a surefire way to get ahead.
—Orianna Rosa Royle
Success Associate Editor, Fortune
Got a career tip or dilemma? Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com. You can also find me on LinkedIn, TikTok, X, and Instagram.
