Raghav Saraf joined Zamp as a high school intern in 2022 and skipped college to stay, eventually becoming cofounder of the Bengaluru-based agentic AI startup. His path challenges the traditional venture capital playbook: instead of recruiting seasoned executives, Zamp's founder Amit Jain, a former Sequoia managing director, bet on raw talent and mentorship. Four years later, Saraf leads product strategy for a company serving top banks globally, proving that unconventional career paths can thrive in the AI boom. What Makes This Different From Typical Venture Capital Hiring? The story of Zamp's founding team reveals a shift in how AI startups are building their leadership. Amit Jain left his role as managing director at Sequoia India and Southeast Asia, where he worked from Singapore, to start his own company. Rather than hiring experienced executives, he took a chance on a teenager he met at a blockchain hackathon. Saraf had built a payment gateway at the hackathon that resembled Jain's vision for Zamp, and the two connected through the hackathon organizer. When Saraf first joined Zamp, the company had only five to ten employees. He was supposed to do a three-month summer internship before heading to the United States for college. But during those three months, Saraf realized he was learning faster in a startup environment than he expected to in a traditional university setting. "I was able to take on large projects and maximize my learning during those three months," Saraf explained. "At the end of the summer, I realized I was learning much faster than I would in college and was sold on the idea of staying at the company". The decision to skip college wasn't easy. Saraf's parents had concerns about their son abandoning a traditional education path. Jain recalls the moment Saraf's father wanted to meet him: "I remember getting 'interviewed' by Raghav's dad in a coffee shop under my office after he decided to join us. Very politely, his dad just wanted to do a pulse check on who I am and why his son wanted to join me before allowing him to work for us. I was lucky to have passed that interview and fortunate that Raghav could join us". How Did a Teenager Become a Cofounder at an AI Startup? The promotion to cofounder didn't happen overnight. Saraf spent roughly four years working at Zamp, gradually taking on more responsibility. By 2025, when Jain formally announced Saraf as cofounder, the move surprised no one internally. Jain explained his philosophy on cofounders: "Timing is a minor factor in deciding who becomes a cofounder, and it doesn't need to happen at the time a company is founded. I think a startup is a journey, and a cofounder is somebody who has played and will play or continues to play a critical role in that direction of that startup. So, looking back at the last four years, it was more about the role Raghav plays". Today, Saraf leads everything related to product at Zamp, while Jain handles sales, customer relations, and hiring. The company has grown to approximately 80 employees and serves a global customer base that includes top banks. Saraf's team was supportive of his promotion, telling him he had already been acting as a leader. His school classmates were surprised but happy for him. Most importantly, the cofounder title gave his parents confidence in his decision. Steps to Building a Career in AI Without a Traditional Degree - Find a Mentor in Your Field: Saraf connected with Jain through a hackathon, which gave him access to someone with deep venture capital and startup experience. Seeking out industry leaders and learning from them directly can accelerate your growth beyond what a classroom offers. - Prove Yourself Through Projects: Saraf's payment gateway project at the hackathon demonstrated his technical ability and aligned with Jain's vision. Building real products and showcasing them to potential mentors or employers is more valuable than credentials alone. - Learn on the Job and Fill Your Gaps: Saraf taught himself product development, go-to-market strategy, and team leadership through hands-on work. He actively identified gaps in his knowledge, read books about business topics, and applied what he learned immediately in his role. - Build Trust With Your Team: Saraf maintained close relationships with his colleagues while establishing clear boundaries at work. He explained, "I'm close with the people on my team, and we hang out often and spend weekends together. One of my colleagues is also my flatmate. But I maintain a balance: When we're at work, everyone recognizes that I'm leading the team". Why Does This Matter for the Venture Capital World? Saraf's journey reflects a broader trend in AI startups where traditional credentials matter less than demonstrated ability and learning speed. Venture capitalists have long valued founders who can move fast and adapt, but Saraf's story shows that age and educational background are becoming less relevant filters. Jain's willingness to invest time in mentoring a teenager, and Saraf's ability to deliver results, challenges the assumption that startup leadership requires years of corporate experience. The fact that Zamp now employs 80 people and serves major financial institutions suggests that Saraf's unconventional path didn't hinder the company's growth. Instead, his fresh perspective and hunger to learn may have contributed to Zamp's success in building agentic AI solutions, a rapidly evolving category where traditional experience can sometimes be a liability rather than an asset. For young people considering their own career paths, Saraf's story offers a counterpoint to the college-or-bust narrative. "I always knew that college was important, not for the actual textbook learning but because of the people and the environment I'd be in," Saraf reflected. "I'm 21 now, and it's been almost four years since I decided to miss college, and friends from my cohort have started graduating. When I talk to them, I'm pretty happy with my decision. They say college was a good experience, but they don't feel prepared to apply what they learnt to the professional world".
