I learned more about AI from YouTube than Harvard
I'm attending YouTube University for a degree in Practical AI
I got my bachelor's degree from Harvard University, but I got all my practical AI knowledge from YouTube University.
Last weekend, I spent 3.5 hours watching Andrej Karpathy's latest lecture on how LLMs work. It wasn't just the most productive time I've spent online in the past year—it was more valuable than anything I learned in Harvard classrooms.
The abundance of free, high-quality knowledge about AI on YouTube is astounding. With a few clicks, I can turn the world's leading AI practitioners into my personal, on-demand tutors.
My "YouTube University" curriculum reads like a who's who of tech visionaries:
Learned how LLMs work from world-class AI researchers like Andrej Karpathy
Explored AI's impact on the future of work through conversations with Satya Nadella
Discovered AI's societal implications through Fei-Fei Li's insights
Studied how to build startups in the AI era from founders of Perplexity and Harvey
Learned about how AI is revolutionizing coding from the founders of Cursor
Absorbed AI-native product design principles from the minds behind NotebookLM and Granola
Glimpsed the future of AI agents through researchers at OpenAI and Anthropic
…
I used to be perplexed by the popularity of long-form video podcasts—those hour-long interviews with little more visual interest than two talking heads. Who has the patience for that?
Turns out, I do. Nearly all my practical AI knowledge—and countless "aha" moments—have come from spending undistracted time with these in-depth conversations.
I often enter a state of "flow" while watching these knowledge-dense videos, similar to what I experience when reading a good book. The field of AI is evolving so rapidly that most cutting-edge knowledge hasn't been captured in books yet. These video podcasts fill that gap, becoming the equivalent of essential reading.
I'm immensely grateful to the creators and educators who share such high-quality content freely online. This culture of open knowledge sharing represents what I love most about Silicon Valley.
When a technological revolution arrives, it resets the playing field: Because everyone needs to learn something new, fancy degrees matter less than curiosity and drive. What you need isn't an elite university acceptance letter—it's an internet connection and the willingness to learn.
The great equalizer of our time isn't just AI itself, but the democratized access to learning about it.
P.S. Here’s a list of the specific YouTube channels that I’ve found to be the most useful in my AI learning journey:
Shows focused on AI:
Shows focused on broader startup/product building, but often feature AI luminaries as guests:
But a YouTube degree doesn't get you a job at GGV -- Harvard does. ;)
100% agree !