Hi 👋 I’m Hila Shmuel.

I’m one of the very few people who chose to leave Apple. Twice.

I started writing code in 2006. I was lucky to earn my first B.Sc. in Computer Science while still in high school, and later studied Math and Physics simply because I loved understanding how things work. My path began in cybersecurity and eventually led me to Apple, where I had the privilege of managing Data and AI infrastructure teams and helping build systems that support products used by billions of people.

The first time I left, it wasn’t for another job. I spent six months sleeping in a van across the U.S. and Canada, hiking national parks and saying yes to experiences I never would have planned. Then I continued for another six months across Asia. A year of curiosity. Of listening. Of perspective.

I eventually returned to Apple - to an incredible role, meaningful work, and talented teams. And still, after a lot of reflection, I chose to leave again.

Not because something was missing - but because something was calling.

AI is reshaping how we build. And I felt deeply that this was a once-in-a-generation moment to step out and build from scratch. To experience the full journey myself - product, marketing, growth, distribution - to take an idea from zero to real, in this new era.

Along the way, I became curious about others who had done the same. That’s how Builders was born - the first Hebrew podcast about bootstrap entrepreneurship and AI-powered startups. In each episode, I sit with founders who built meaningful companies without outside funding, and together we unpack how ideas become products - especially now, with AI changing the rules.

If you’re building something you care about, I’d truly love to hear your story.