DeepSeek's AI boom: How a GenZ hiring bet overtook ChatGPT in the US

DeepSeek's CEO Liang Wenfeng rejects traditional hiring norms, recruiting Gen Z talent and book lovers to build a $1 billion AI startup that outpaced OpenAI in the US

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has gained rapid traction under the unconventional leadership of CEO Liang Wenfeng, who distinguishes the company from traditional Silicon Valley models by prioritizing Gen Z talent, according to a Fortune report.

 

Founded in 2023, DeepSeek prioritise creativity over industry experience. Since its launch, the company has soared to the top of Apple’s App Store rankings, even surpassing OpenAI’s ChatGPT in the US.

 

In less than two years, DeepSeek has reached an estimated valuation of $1 billion.  

 

Raised on the southern coast of China in Zhanjiang, Liang (40) actively recruits young professionals and bookworms, particularly those with humanities backgrounds. He has openly advocated for including literature enthusiasts on engineering teams to enhance the company’s AI models.  

 

 

Professional experience is not a primary hiring criterion at DeepSeek.  “If you are pursuing short-term goals, it is right to find people with ready experience,” Liang said in a 2023 interview with Chinese media outlet 36Kr, as cited in the report. “But if you look at the long-term, experience is not that important. Basic skills, creativity, and passion are much more important.”  

 

His perspective stems from the belief that “having done a similar job before doesn’t mean you can do this job.”  

 

He further explained that younger, less experienced employees often bring more innovation than veteran AI professionals, who may be constrained by their existing knowledge.  “When doing something, experienced people will tell you without hesitation that you should do it one way,” he said. “But inexperienced people will repeatedly explore and think seriously about how to do it, and then find a solution that suits the current actual situation.”  

 

Unlike prominent tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Marc Benioff — who actively curate their online presence — Liang maintains a low profile. He rarely engages with the media and primarily uses social platforms to promote DeepSeek rather than build a personal brand.

 

Road to AI excellence

DeepSeek’s foundation is closely linked to the success of High-Flyer, one of China’s leading quantitative hedge funds. Established in 2015, High-Flyer was the first fund to raise over 100 billion RMB (about $15 billion), though its capital has since decreased to around $8 billion. While its primary focus was on financial data analysis, the fund also quietly accumulated a significant number of GPUs and developed supercomputers for deep-learning research. In this environment, Liang identified an opportunity to create something larger.  

 

In 2023, after years of building up computational power, Liang chose to pivot. He redirected the hedge fund’s resources toward founding DeepSeek, which would focus on developing advanced AI models and working toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). “It was as if Jane Street decided to become an AI startup and burn its cash on scientific research,” Liang remarked, acknowledging the boldness of the shift.