Kevin Rose is a highly influential venture capitalist and general partner at True Ventures. He’s causing something of a tsunami in the world of artificial intelligence investment. Rose has a strong track record of making early investments in breakout companies like Peloton, Ring and Fitbit. Here’s how he knows which technologies are groundbreaking and which aren’t. Since joining True Ventures in 2017, he’s developed a stellar reputation. The pace of AI and the need to quickly vet and develop potential investments means he brings extra thoughtfulness and intensity to his work.
Rose’s philosophy towards AI hardware investment is straightforward: “If you feel like you should punch someone in the face for wearing it, you probably shouldn’t invest in it.” It’s a blunt appraisal, but it speaks to his faith in the transformative potential of emotional impact. He asserts that it’s equally as critical as technological innovation for consumer products. He argues that the right technology is the one that makes people most comfortable. This disdain truly encompasses rising worries of privacy and convenience in the modern digital age.
Prior to his time at True Ventures, Rose was an early member of Google Ventures, which was his first foray into the world of institutional investing. During his time at KPCB, he co-founded the social news platform Digg, further boosting his entrepreneur bonafides. This experience provides him with a strong appreciation for the nuances in starting and scaling a tech business. He is no Luddite either. Rather, he sounds the alarm over AI’s dystopian trajectory and argues for a new way forward.
Rose thinks the AI landscape is a lot like the early days of social media. In hindsight, unproven concepts often received broader acceptance far too quickly. He warns, “We’re gonna look back and be like, ‘Wow, that was weird. We just slapped AI on everything, and thought it was a good idea.’” Further skepticism inspires him to take a more contrarian approach to AI investment. Rather than rush into what is becoming an AI hardware gold rush in Silicon Valley, he spends time hunting down entrepreneurs. He seeks out people who possess what he terms “a healthy disregard for the impossible.”
Rose has found that this mindset is essential to the process of innovating. “We want founders that aren’t just sanding down the rough edges, but they’re really swinging for the fences with big, bold ideas that everyone else says, ‘That is a horrible idea. Why are you doing this?’” This focus on emotional intelligence (EQ) speaks to a deeper change in what he now values and looks for in a person or prospective partner. His prediction is that EQ-strong venture capitalists will be the startups’ best partners. Founders will continue to depend on them to help them through the murky emotional waters of entrepreneurship.
And with those barriers to entry for entrepreneurs getting smaller every day, Rose sees fertile ground for investment that makes a real difference. He asserts that “it’s really going to change the world of VC, and I think for the better.” He foresees a future where emotional considerations will play an increasingly significant role in how investors assess new technologies and their potential impact on society.
Rose’s investment strategy In telling the story of his strategy, Rose emphasizes the importance of understanding the emotional hurdles that entrepreneurs must traverse. “At the end of the day, the entrepreneur is going to have issues that are not technical. They’re very emotional problems,” he explains. This idea connects to his overarching belief that technology should improve human experience, not make it more complex.
Rose’s nuanced, sober take on AI technology is particularly welcome during a time of rising concerns about the overreach of the industry. He expresses well-founded alarm about the proliferation of “always on” devices that push forward tech innovation while ignoring the impact on the user experience. “And for me, a lot of that is lost in all the AI stuff,” he states. It’s just kind of always on, always listening, always needing to be the smartest guy in the room. And it’s just not healthy.
As he navigates this complex landscape, Kevin Rose remains committed to fostering innovation while maintaining an awareness of its emotional and ethical implications. If successful, his singular approach could change the way venture capitalists engage with new technology altogether. This change, unfortunately, occurs at a moment when AI is fundamentally reshaping industries and daily life.