‘Prioritise passion over perfection,’ says AI godmother Fei-Fei Li: What professionals need to know

"I do find many of the young people today think about every single aspect of an equation when they decide on jobs at some point, " Fei-Fei Li, Stanford professor and CEO of AI startup World Labs, told Lenny’s Podcast. The statement reflects a growing concern in the AI community: Young professionals often get lost in minute details, rather than focusing on what truly matters—their passion, mission, and the impact they can create. For Li, aligning with meaningful work is more important than overanalyzing credentials or roles. A pioneer in computer vision and the creator of ImageNet, she has spent decades shaping AI research and mentoring emerging talent. Her approach emphasizes long-term vision, creativity, and human qualities over mere technical proficiency, underscoring a philosophy t