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He's 18, a pro dunker, and already a co-founder

Dylan Haugen on AI, personal branding, and success — building a company at 18 while competing as a pro dunker.

Dylan Haugen 2026-07-21

Key ideas

  • How relationships with veteran dunkers like Jordan Kilganon accelerated his progress
  • Quitting his high school team to chase dunking full-time
  • Going from no personal brand to a Google Knowledge Panel with Dennis Yu's help
  • Becoming a co-founder of Local Service Spotlight at 16
  • Why AI rewards people who define the goal, even without knowing how to execute it

Dylan Haugen

Every Gateway Growth Conversation with Dylan Haugen.

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The Bounce and the Business: Inside Dylan Haugen's Double Life

Dylan Haugen quit his high school basketball team to chase a sport that barely had a career path two years ago. Now he's the youngest athlete in Shaq's new pro dunk league — and running a business on the side.

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