Zach Yadegari · Cal AI Story

Zach Yadegari

18 · CEO & Co-founder Cal AI

$1.4M / month

Revenue after app store cut · Cal AI

Who he is

Zach Yadegari is 18 years old, co-founder and CEO of Cal AI — an app that calculates calories and macros from a photo of your food. He started coding at age 7, built a viral gaming website as a freshman, and now runs a business that brings in over a million dollars a month.

"I think a lot of people will use age as something that is a self-limiting belief, but I didn't buy into any of that. When I've wanted to do something, I will just go and do it."

— Zach Yadegari

Why Cal AI exists

Zach struggled to track his food. He downloaded a popular app, but it required weighing everything on a scale and typing it in. He quit after three days. When ChatGPT and AI tools emerged, he and his co-founders saw an opportunity: take a picture, AI does the rest. They launched and the response was immediate — positive and strong.

The turning point

🏠

Hacker House · San Francisco

July — slept in the office, built the team, found the rhythm that carried them through the next year. "That month was the real turning point."

Key numbers

Personal dividend

$100k

most recent payout

Work week

40 hrs

on Cal AI + school

Most revenue is reinvested. When enough cash is left, dividends are paid to co-founders. Zach spent most of his earnings — including buying a Lamborghini, a dream he believed would have "diminishing returns" later.

What makes them different

Influencer marketing is the "special sauce." The majority of spending goes there. Competitors? "They suck." That's exactly why they built Cal AI.

Misconceptions

The app doesn't have X-ray vision — ingredients must be clearly visible.
Payments and refunds are handled by Apple, not Cal AI directly.

Balancing school & startup

For the first time, Zach prioritized the app over school. He put in 40 hours weekly on Cal AI while attending high school. He took his AP tests — sat for 12 hours — and didn't answer a single one. "I didn't think I was going to go to college at this point."

"I always felt like I was pushed down a very narrow path in the school system… I decided if I could skip all of those steps and just make money, then I wouldn't be stressed anymore."

— Zach Yadegari

What's next

Zach is going to college — but on his own terms. He's getting a house near campus with other app founders, calling it "the App Mafia." Content, parties, teaching others to build apps. A dual life between entrepreneurship and student life. His only concern? "I'm not going to want to do any college work whatsoever."

The long-term goal for Cal AI: become the biggest calorie tracking app. "When we are helping people on autopilot is when I would consider the job really complete." After that, he wants to build a generational company.

"I think entrepreneurship is really cool because at the end of the day, age doesn't really matter much. You're either good or not good at what you do, and then the market will decide the rest."

— Zach Yadegari