Gurley says venture funding is now completely preemptive with investors forcing money on companies.
“So the the the the days when the company would run out of money or get close to running out and decide, oh, we're gonna go raise now is over. Like, the the it's preemptive.”
Gurley says the current AI bubble is unlike anything he has seen in his career including previous tech waves.
“Yes. And in a way, I've, I mean, I've seen a lot of waves and a lot of bubbles, and this is like nothing I've ever seen. Yeah. Like when Amazon was losing a billion”
Gurley fed AI descriptions of abnormal AI transactions and it flagged patterns similar to Enron and WorldCom.
“And I just described those things to CHIGBT and ask it for its analysis both as an accountant and as a financial investor.”
Gurley says boards and CFOs feel competitive pressure to engage in questionable AI transactions.
“So I think there are many boards and many CFOs who have been put in a position where they say, well, if we don't do it, everyone else is doing it, you might fall behind.”
Gurley criticizes Microsoft-OpenAI deal where credits become revenue without cash changing hands.
“That's a rev that's a cashless transaction. Like, there's no cash, but it becomes an income statement revenue item for Microsoft.”
Gurley says hyper-competition with every AI coding player having $400M can reduce venture returns despite market enthusiasm.
“Having crazy money in the market is not necessarily consistent with creating positive return for your venture capital portfolio.”
Gurley notes Adept raised $415M and argues such acqui-hire structures cannot generate portfolio returns for VCs.
“I mean, we need to be realistic. Like if you're a venture capitalist and every one of your deals turned into one of these weird human acqui hires with a licensed deal back, you're not going to generate a return for your portfolio. Like, it's best case, you're this company had raised $415,000,000”