CNBC Make It: How I Built A $1.4 Million/Month AI App At Age 18

At 18, Zach Yadegari is the co-founder and CEO of Cal AI, an innovative app that calculates calories and macros from a photo of your food. His app generates about $1.4 million monthly after app store fees, proving age is no barrier to success.

Beyond business, Zach embraces a balanced life. He recently bought a Lamborghini, a childhood dream, but plans to shift focus to savings. He’s also preparing for college life, aiming to blend entrepreneurship with social experiences, while building a community of app founders called the 'App Mafia.'

Cal AI’s unique selling point is its AI-powered food scanner, eliminating tedious manual logging. Inspired by early struggles with calorie apps requiring food weighing, Zach and his co-founders leveraged AI to simplify nutrition tracking, launching to positive user feedback.

Scaling Cal AI involved reinvesting profits and strategic influencer marketing, which accounts for most of their spending. Zach highlights common misconceptions about AI capabilities and payment processing, emphasizing user education for optimal app use and refund policies.

Zach’s entrepreneurial journey began early, learning to code at 7 and building projects through high school. He balanced school with 40-hour weeks on Cal AI, prioritizing his startup over traditional academics, even skipping AP tests to focus on his vision.

Looking ahead, Zach’s goal is to make Cal AI the leading calorie tracking app, automating health management for users. He envisions building a generational company that extends his impact beyond this venture, proving that with passion and persistence, age is just a number.