I studied business for two years at a community college and switched my major to computer science for a semester before dropping out to learn on my own. I ultimately want to found a startup, but I want to work at a startup to gain experience first.

How does someone young without experience or a degree go about getting a job at a startup? For example, if I cold-email founders of startups I love, how can I convince someone to give me a chance versus the Stanford grads they're looking at? What about trying to work at companies like Uber or Airbnb that are far later stage?