AI Parenting Institute Podcast
The Teen Who Interviewed Billionaires: Lessons for the AI Generation
13 Oct 2025
“Safe is a fallacy.” That’s the mindset that turned Shamus Madan, a 19 year-old entrepreneur who started his first podcast at 15, into one of Gen Z’s most ambitious builders. In this episode, we dive deep into how Shamus went from sending cold emails as a teenager to building a media company, landing interviews with billionaires like Mark Cuban, and now helping founders grow through AI-powered content. We talk about: 1. Why “safe” is the biggest lie you’ve been told about your career 2. How teens can use AI as a superpower, not a shortcut 3. The truth about networking vs partnering 4. How overdelivering turned his first $5K deal into a full-blown business 5. What parents need to understand about the new generation of builders Whether you’re a teen trying to make your first big move or a parent trying to understand the new world your kids are growing up in, this episode will completely change how you think about ambition, AI, and the future of work. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 01:19 – Who Is Sheamus Madden? The Teen Who Built a Media Company at 15 02:23 – Landing His First Billionaire Interview (and How Mark Cuban Replied) 04:12 – The Sales Lesson That Changed Everything: “Nobody Cares About You” 06:10 – Pivoting at 15: When the First Podcast Failed 07:34 – Deleting “Work-Life Balance” and Building Without Burnout 08:56 – Partnering vs Networking: The Secret to Real Relationships 09:49 – How Overdelivering Turned a $5K Deal into a Business 10:46 – The “Show Up In Person” Rule That Led to a Life-Changing Trip 13:00 – What He Learned from Bumping into Jack Altman 14:56 – From Hustling Cold Emails to Building with AI 15:54 – Is AI Making Gen Z Lazy or Smarter? 17:19 – Why Schools That Punish AI Are Setting Students Up to Fail 18:15 – How Teens Can Stand Out in an AI-Dominated World 19:46 – The 3 Things That Make a Business Stand Out Today 20:31 – What AI Can’t Teach You (and Why Human Mentors Still Matter) 23:09 – The One Thing Every 15-Year-Old Should Do in the AI Era 24:41 – Building Without Code: Why the Future Belongs to Creators 25:08 – Final Message to Teens and Parents: Stop Waiting, Start Building Find Rayyan: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_YveALQKZud6U6wycjqi_w Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19Ens04rVPTbIla73sVxPL?si=96d802812f384582 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-parenting-institute-podcast/id1843665900 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayyan-s-ali/ Find Shamus: Podcast: https://mbitpodcast.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shamus-madan
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