In a February 2025 Shawn Ryan interview resurfaced by a16z, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey said he looks for candidates who have built things outside paid work or school requirements. He treats those projects as evidence that someone will spend personal time and money creating something that otherwise would not exist. Luckey also argued that formal curricula can lag current industry and hobbyist practice. The remarks describe his hiring preference and educational philosophy, not a newly announced company policy or a claim that credentials never matter.