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Zion’s Bio

Zion is an 18 y/o founder. He is building Ponder: help youth build real-world skills by working on projects guided by AI simulation of their future selves. 

He believes education in 2035 will be radically different, and we are already seeing signals with AI and homeschooling. He started Ponder to accelerate this transformation. 

We talk about the following and other items

• Zion's Background and Ponder's Origin 
• Learning and Self-Teaching 
• Purpose and Vision for Ponder 
• Parental Support and Future Plans 
• Cold Emailing and Networking 
• Building a Technical Co-Founder Relationship 
• Generational Differences in Learning Homeschooling and Public Education 
• The Role of AI in Education 
• Department of Education and Education Reform 
• Education Funding and Inequality
• School Choice and AI in Education 
• College Education and Its Purpose 
• Challenges in Education and Ponder's Vision 
• Navigating Investor Relations and Company Goals 
• Executing Ponder's Vision 
• Future of Education and Personal Growth 

Zion’s Social Media

Zion’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zion-zhang-984345262/

Ponder Website: https://ponder.school/

Zion’s X: https://x.com/ZheyunZhangJ

Zion’s Advice

I want to talk more about the idea of agency. I believe agency is going to become increasingly important in the next couple of decades AND especially in education.

To me, agency is about disagreeability in a positive sense—meaning the willingness to challenge assumptions andcombined with clear, critical thinking, and the ability to take action. And honestly, agency is something that most people aren’t talking about enough, even though it’s had a huge impact on my own life.

For example, when I was 17, someone told me I should go to a networking event. The very next day, without overthinking it, I just went. I didn’t really know how networking was “supposed” to work, and 

I was definitely a little socially awkward. I was super direct, like, “Hey, what’s your LinkedIn? What do you do?” I was trying really hard to have meaningful conversations, even though I didn’t quite know how to go about it.

At the time, I thought something was wrong with me because I would always just do the thing I wanted to do, even if the outcome wasn’t perfect. I often made mistakes or didn’t get the result I hoped for right away. But later, I realized that this was actually an example of agency in action just taking initiative and figuring things out through experience.

Now, when I catch myself overthinking or procrastinating, I recognize that as a signal of low agency. Instead of getting stuck in my head, I remind myself: just go do it. That’s how you build high agency, by acting, learning, and repeating the cycle.

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