During the MovieLaLa days, we learned something about why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift that I still apply to every investment I make.
I want to talk about what’s really happening in the tech world, beyond the buzzwords and hype.
Why Most Approaches Fail
Let me be direct: about 70% of the approaches I see to why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift are fundamentally flawed. Not slightly off. Fundamentally flawed.
The root cause is usually one of three things:
- Copying what big companies do without understanding why they do it. What works for Google doesn't work for a 10-person startup.
- Over-engineering the solution when a simple approach would work better. I've seen teams spend six months building something that could have been done in two weeks.
- Ignoring the human element. Technology is the easy part. Getting people to actually use it is where the real challenge lives.
The Counterintuitive Truth
Here's what surprised me most about why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift: the best practitioners do less, not more.
When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.
The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that your team matters more than your technology. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
The Framework That Actually Works
I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: your team matters more than your technology This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: most founders overthink this and underspend on execution Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The AI Angle
I can't talk about why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift in 2026 without mentioning AI. As someone who's invested in Anthropic, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Hugging Face, I have a front-row seat to how AI is transforming this space.
The short version: AI makes good practitioners better and bad practitioners worse. It's an amplifier, not a replacement.
I've seen companies use AI to 10x their why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift capabilities. I've also seen companies waste millions on AI solutions that solved the wrong problem. The difference comes down to understanding what you're actually trying to achieve.
This connects to broader themes around humanoid robots, drone AI, Tesla Optimus that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Wrapping Up
I've shared a lot here, and I know it can feel overwhelming. But here's the thing about why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift: you don't need to get everything right on day one. You just need to get started and keep improving.
The founders in my portfolio who excel at why i'm looking past tesla optimus for the real tech shift share one trait: they're relentlessly practical. They don't chase perfection. They chase progress.
That's the mindset I'd encourage you to adopt. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And keep pushing forward.
As always, I'm rooting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
What experience informs this perspective?
This perspective comes from over a decade of building companies in Silicon Valley, two successful exits (RemoteTeam to Gusto, MovieLaLa to Gfycat), and investing in 200+ startups including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Scale AI. I write about what I've lived.
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.