GATEWAY GROWTH CONVERSATIONS

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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