How I taught myself to code, quit my consulting job, and started an AI robotics firm by age 25

At just 25 years old, Oscar Brisset, a French-Australian entrepreneur based in San Francisco, has already made significant strides in the tech industry by co-founding Remy AI, a company specializing in warehouse robotics. This remarkable journey began when he was a student at the University of Oxford, where the release of GPT-3 ignited his fascination with artificial intelligence and its transformative potential. After graduating in 2022, Oscar took a gap year to hone his skills, with aspirations of someday launching his own tech startup. In September 2023, he joined Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as part of their private equity team. Juggling demanding hours often stretching until midnight, he dedicated his weekends to learning coding. Using tools like Claude and ChatGPT, he engaged in a unique method of self-education, prompting these AI systems to guide him with questions rather than direct answers. YouTube and textbooks also became invaluable resources in his learning journey. About a year and a half into his consulting role, Oscar transitioned to an AI engineering position, which further fueled his passion for technology. However, a personal crisis one weekend led him to reevaluate his career path. This moment of reflection was pivotal; alongside his co-founder Ben Kaye, he conceptualized Remy AI, designed to enhance warehouse operations with adaptive robotics. Unlike traditional robots that require specific programming for each object, Remy AI’s technology allows for real-time adaptation to varying conditions, merging AI with the physical logistics world. By July, Oscar shifted his focus from coding to business development, actively networking and pitching the startup to potential investors on platforms like LinkedIn. In October, the duo traveled to San Francisco to seek funding, where Oscar's relentless networking paid off. They not only secured interest from investors but also received an invitation to join Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch, which comes with an investment of $500,000. This financial backing enabled Oscar to resign from BCG in November and fully commit to growing Remy AI. Oscar’s advice to budding entrepreneurs is clear: embrace the challenge of learning technical skills. Many shy away from coding, believing it to be inaccessible, but with the advent of advanced language models and educational tools, self-teaching has never been more feasible. Dive in, and you may just find your path to innovation.