Gurley says AI startups worrying about regulation from the beginning is unprecedented except for SBF.
“Prior I to SBF, I've never seen a startup worry about regulation this much from the very beginning. Now we're seeing it again here.”
Gurley reports SMR startups face $60 million in fees just for NRC approval before building anything.
“And the other tough part, the NRC, which we haven't talked much about, but the regulatory commission here in The U. S.”
Gurley says SEC's well-intentioned response to fewer IPOs risks institutionalizing private investing for average investors.
“I personally don't think it's healthy because a minute that happens and everyone realizes that there's less companies going public and companies staying private longer, then the SEC, I think in a well intentioned way goes, oh my god. The average investor's missing out on this asset class.”
Gurley warns SEC's well-intentioned response to fewer IPOs—institutionalizing private company investing—will fail massively.
“But what they wanna do to fix it is then some kinda institutionalized investing in private companies, which I think will fail massively.”
Gurley says billion-dollar revenue threshold for IPOs fundamentally changes venture game and reduces accessibility.
“Anyone can start a company that can go public. If you have to get to a billion in revenue, it's just it's a totally different game.”
Gurley argues regulation typically locks in incumbents who write rules blocking new entrants.
“regulation's the friend of the incumbent. Most of the time when Washington DC leans into a new to to a new industry, you lock in the incumbents, and and the rules are written by the incumbents and make it very hard for new entrants to come up behind them.”