After watching Warren Buffett’s final annual shareholder meeting, one question kept looping in my mind:
Will I be replaced by AI?
But more importantly: Do founders still need us?
That day, Buffett didn’t talk about technology, AI, or the next big trend. Instead, he shared three words: Clarity. Judgment. Long-term thinking. None flashy. All essential. And in today’s world of automated tools and endless information, more relevant than ever.
Because let’s face it, nearly every traditional VC skill can now be replicated by machines. AI can analyze markets, generate research memos, model financials, and even offer operational suggestions. But it still can’t do the one thing this job truly demands: to see potential in a founder before they can fully articulate it themselves and choose to believe in them anyway.
Early-stage investing has always been about navigating ambiguity. It’s not about betting on who looks the best today, but on who has the drive and vision to become something meaningful tomorrow. Our role is to make that call when the product is unfinished, the data unclear, and the team still coming together.
When I invested in Hims, its founder Andrew had just come off a failed startup. He didn’t sugarcoat it, he walked me through everything that went wrong and what he learned. His new idea? A direct-to-consumer brand for men’s hair loss treatment. Most investors dismissed it. A niche product in a crowded market. But I saw something else.
In that failure, Andrew had developed a sharp instinct for consumer behavior, a refined sense for brand and storytelling. And in that pitch, I didn’t just see a product. I saw a platform in the making. A company that could reshape how men view their health and identity.
I was extremely fortunate to become Andrew’s first and only investor in his angel round.
Sure, AI could’ve dissected his pitch deck. But it couldn’t have picked up what he didn’t say aloud: the fire to prove himself, the insight shaped by past mistakes, the conviction to solve a long-standing, deeply personal problem. That emotional clarity turning pain into purpose is invisible to algorithms. But not to us.
Over the years, I’ve realized our best investments rarely came from the most polished pitches. They came from moments when we saw a spark the data couldn’t explain, and the founder trusted us enough to walk the hard road together. The journey doesn’t begin with a term sheet. It begins with two people daring to believe in a future not yet written.
So no, I’m not worried about being replaced by AI. Because the heart of this job has never been about having the best tools. It’s about being the best human. It’s about whether we’re willing to stand in uncertainty with a founder and stay there as they figure it out.
When we choose to trust someone over a spreadsheet, when we walk with a team through their darkest months instead of waiting for their breakout moment, when we ask not “Is this a smart investment?” but “Is this someone worth walking alongside?”
That’s when AI stops being a threat and becomes just another tool. That’s when our real value shows up.
As we look ahead, here are three questions we should all ask ourselves if we want to grow into the kind of investors founders truly need:
Are we sharpening our human instincts?
Not just observation, but the ability to sense drive, values, and unspoken fears. That comes from deep listening, shared time, and reflection—on what we feel, not just what we hear.
Are we training our judgment muscles?
When AI gives us more data than we can absorb, we need stronger internal compasses to choose what—and who—to back. Every investment decision reflects the kind of future we believe in.
Do we have the courage to sit in uncertainty with founders?
Our job isn’t to hand out answers. It’s to hold space while they find their own. That takes empathy. Patience. And above all—trust.
Ultimately, our ambition isn’t just to write the biggest checks.
It’s to be the person a founder calls when nothing’s working, and everything’s at stake.
That’s our real edge.
That’s the part no machine will ever replace.
