I switched from a corporate career to launching an AI-native company with no tech background. I knew the time was now.
Tim DeSoto, formerly a senior director at Walmart, decided to leave his corporate role to create an AI-native startup in San Francisco. He believes that founding an AI-driven company today is one of the least risky career moves possible.
“This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tim DeSoto, a 49-year-old AI-native startup founder, based in San Francisco.”
From Fortune 500 to a solo startup
Last year, Tim transitioned from working at Walmart, the number one company on the Fortune 500 list, to becoming the sole employee at his own AI startup. Although he had always been an early adopter of consumer tech, it was his first time stepping into the creator’s role.
Discovering the AI movement
Living in San Francisco, he began attending evening meetups to learn how others were experimenting with generative AI. These encounters convinced him that a technological shift was underway and that now was the moment to act.
Changing views on career security
“Like many people my age, I was told growing up that one of the safest career choices was to go work for a large company, and now there are mass layoffs that I can set my clock to.”
Tim realized that the traditional idea of job security no longer held true. As layoffs spread across industries, he concluded that starting his own business was actually the safer bet.
Betting on himself
Although he didn’t have the resources to take big risks early in life, Tim focused on finding roles that would teach him how to build and run a business. Now, he feels that his decision to create an AI startup is the most rational move for his future.
“People tell me that this is a huge risk, but I think it’s the least risky thing I could do.”
Author’s summary
Tim DeSoto left a stable corporate role to found an AI startup, believing that embracing AI innovation now offers greater security than remaining in traditional corporate work.