Layer Zero Deep Tech & Founder Psychology with Khosla's Samir Kaul
Aug 19, 2025
Samir Kaul, Founding Partner and Managing Director at Khosla Ventures, is a veteran investor in transformative innovations like AI and sustainability. He shares insights on betting early on breakthrough technologies and the psychology behind high-agency entrepreneurs. The conversation dives into the potential of deep tech in emerging markets, the underfunded areas like fusion energy, and how AI can revolutionize traditional industries. Kaul emphasizes the unique challenges faced by hard science companies as they navigate go-to-market strategies.
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Transcript
Episode notes
Fish Where Others Aren't
- Betting where fewer investors swim yields much better economics for winners.
- Samir Kaul prefers fishing in ponds with less competition to capture outsized returns.
What Makes Deep Tech Thrive
- Deep tech needs entrepreneurs, centers of excellence, and capital to flourish.
- Samir Kaul sees the US and China leading, while Europe and India carve niche strengths like defense tech and manufacturing.
Prioritize Binary Risks First
- Focus first on the binary technical risks that determine whether the company can exist.
- Keep burn low until those risks are resolved and shut down early if the risk is unachievable.
