Lucy Guo is an American entrepreneur, engineer, and social media influencer, renowned for her significant contributions to the tech industry. Lucy Guo has become more than just a tech founder—she's a symbol of possibility. 

Her journey reflects non-linear success, where dropping out of college, trusting your instincts, and building from scratch can lead to immense achievements. She stands for female representation in tech, merging creativity with code, and embracing the entrepreneurial spirit without rules. Lucy continues to inspire a new generation of builders, creators, and dreamers who dare to do things differently.

Early Life and Career Beginning

Lucy Guo was born in 1994 in the United States to Chinese immigrant parents and raised in the heart of Silicon Valley. Surrounded by technology from an early age, she quickly developed a passion for coding and design. By the time she was in middle school, she was already programming and winning hackathons. 

Her natural curiosity and drive set her apart from a young age. Lucy went on to study Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the top engineering schools in the world.

However, driven by a desire to build rather than follow traditional paths, she dropped out after receiving the prestigious Thiel Fellowship—a $100,000 grant that encourages young entrepreneurs to leave college and pursue innovative ventures.

Career Milestones

Internships at Quora, Facebook, and Snapchat- Before diving into her own ventures, Lucy gained valuable experience by interning at top tech companies. At Facebook, she worked on AI and machine learning projects.

At Snapchat, she contributed as a designer, gaining hands-on experience with user-centric product development. These stints at industry giants gave her a solid foundation in both technical and product design aspects of startups.

Co-Founding Scale AI

In 2016, Lucy co-founded Scale AI with fellow Thiel Fellow Alexandr Wang. The company began with a simple but powerful idea: helping businesses label and organize large datasets to train AI models more effectively.

Her contributions in the early days—particularly in product design and foundational tech—were instrumental in getting the company off the ground. Though Lucy exited early, Scale AI went on to become a unicorn, later being valued at over $7 billion, with Wang continuing as CEO.

“School teaches you how to be a good employee.Life teaches you how to be a badass founder.”This captures her ethos perfectly—challenging the norms and pushing others to carve their own paths.

Launching Backend

In 2022, Lucy founded Backend, a venture studio aimed at empowering creators and freelancers to build businesses without needing to write code. The idea was to automate jobs using AI and simplify startup creation.

Backend attracted attention not only for its mission but also for its backers, which included Founders Fund, Paris Hilton, and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez. Lucy described it as “a startup that helps people create startups,” capturing her passion for democratizing entrepreneurship.

Lucy Guo Net Worth and Investments

As of April 2025, Guo's net worth is estimated at $1.25 billion, making her the world's youngest self-made woman billionaire at age 30 .. She has been featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 multiple times across different categories, such as Venture Capital and Consumer Technology. Beyond her own companies, she has become an active angel investor, backing over 50 startups, including well-known names like Deel, Clubhouse, and Figma. Her portfolio reflects a keen eye for innovation and early-stage opportunity.

Personal Brand and Online Presence

Lucy is also a powerful voice online. She’s well known for her unfiltered, candid takes on X (formerly Twitter), where she discusses everything from startup life and hustle culture to the challenges of being a woman in tech. Lucy doesn’t shy away from breaking stereotypes—she’s been involved in modeling and fitness, embracing a lifestyle that fuses creativity, business, and personal growth. Her presence is bold, refreshing, and unapologetically authentic.

Mindset and Philosophy

What sets Lucy apart is her mindset. She believes in speed over perfection and values execution over endless planning. Lucy often speaks about the importance of risk-taking and thinking outside conventional boundaries.