You’re a teen trying to start something this summer...

maybe a design hustle, a content page, a community project.

So you reach out to people.
Clients. Mentors. Collabs.
But no one replies to your DMs.

Why?

Because you’re asking for trust without proof.

And that’s the trap:

“You need experience to get experience."
But no one wants to be your first “test run.

Got a burning question? I’m all ears.

Stuck on a startup idea? Wondering how to use AI without sounding like a robot? Trying to figure out what actually matters after high school?

Every week, I hear from teens building cool things, chasing big goals, and feeling a little overwhelmed by all the noise.

So I’m opening up a space just for you.

I’ll be answering your questions right here in the newsletter. No gatekeeping. No boring advice. Just real talk from someone who's been where you are—and wants to help you get where you're going.

Ask Me Anything

Seriously. Nothing’s off limits.

But FIRST

If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:

📈

Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You

Best tools for building your passion project

The Future Belongs to Borderless Thinkers

When I first started my property management biz, I thought:
If I just explain the value, people will say yes.
Wrong.

Pitch after pitch, 100s of cold calls… silence.
They didn’t care about potential.
They wanted proof.
And I had none.

Until I flipped the script.

It’s called an Asymmetric Offer.

Here’s the cheat code:

Give way more than they expect.
So much, they’d feel dumb saying no.

For example, if you are starting a social media marketing business, you can offer proof like this:

“Hey — I’ll create 5 UGCs (User-Generated Content) for free.
If you like them and they convert, we can talk rates after.”

You spend 1 hour.
Small business owners get $500 worth of social media content - no up front cost.
That’s asymmetric.

Low risk for them.

High proof, content, and leverage for you.

People underestimate how hard it is to get someone to bet on your vision.
They’ve been burned before.
They’re busy.
They don’t want to teach you.

And that’s fair.

So what do you do?

You don’t ask for opportunities.
You create one so good…
They have to say yes.

This is how businesses are built from scratch.
No audience. No connections.
Just undeniable value.

The first YES always feels impossible — until you make an offer no one can ignore.

Let the others write cover letters.
You? Build proof, not pitches.

Like what you read? Share with friends!

PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in?

We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders.

OCE Summer Cohort

You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database.

Get Curious.

Lena

https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/