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Today’s edition is what we would call a ‘bonus edition’ of the newsletter. We still have Saturday’s piece coming out, this week, an incredible deep dive, but couldn’t help but put out two cents in on the release of Humane, and their AI pin.

Also worth noting, this edition, had zero proof-reading and was put together between meeting on the final day before I shoot off for a week of leave at Athyna.

10 points to the person who picks out the most spelling and grammatical errors. Anyway, I hope you like it!

BUSINESS STORY 🗞️

Humane … the iPhone killer?

In early July of this year I received an email that told me there was an opportunity for me to invest into a company that was the “evolution of computing beyond mobile smartphones”. I was intrigued.

Not only am I an avid smartphone hater, having lived without a sim card for the last 18 months, I am also a firm believer that I am not alone. The future will be poorer, and we will all have lost, if we cannot invent our way out of smartphone addiction.

Humane is claiming to be that ticket out.

So when I had the chance to invest alongside Open AI’s Sam Altman, Microsoft, Marc Benioff and more I jump at the opportunity. Not only was Humane a piece of technology I believed in, but it was built by the team that actually built the iPhone.

Will Humane kill the iPhone? Will the future be screen-free? Will you be able to scroll TikTok on the palm of your hand? Let’s investigate.

But first, let’s head back to where it all began…

The iPhone

On June 29th, 2007 the trajectory of our lives were changed forever. This was the date of MacWorld 2007 and the date Steve Jobs took the stage and uttered the following words:

Little did we know, how much impact, for better and for worse, this shiny piece of technology would have on all of us. The iPhone, and it’s subsequent releases, took the world by storm. Not only could you surf the web, as one would have called it at the time, but you could listen to music and make calls. Incredible.

But it wasn’t just the iPhone that was a hit. The iPad was meaningful, the Apple Watch came next, and AirPods, well, don’t even get me started on AirPods. There was a rumour circulating a few years ago that if Apple spun the AirPods out they would be one of the biggest companies in the world.

But it wasn’t all sunshine, lollypops and app stores.

The consequences

With the release of the iPhone, came the rise of the Web2 behemoths. A large percentage of those being social media companies. MySpace was early, but then came Facebook, Insta came next, along with Twitter, TikTok and the story goes on.

Now, all of a sudden on Instagram you could early a living by having chiselled cheekbones, and knowing how to work with lighting. Good for some … but not really. Along with this came online bullying and a rise in teen depression.

Instead of coming home from school and reading, or riding your bike, or playing video games (at least it’s kinda social), you would come home and worry about why you weren’t popular enough, or why influencer X’s life was better than yours.

And it wasn’t only teens. We are all the same. Every adult reading this, has had their life negatively affected by social media.

But the good news is, all great technology dies. And so will the phone.

Memento mori - Humane has entered the chat

Enter Humane, one of the buzziest startups in Silicon Valley right now, or at least they were until they came out of stealth. And to be fair, they deserve to be. Check out the chops on the two founders taken from the companies about page.

“Imran Chaudhri is a designer, inventor and innovator. He spent over 20 years at Apple imagining and creating some of the world’s most beloved consumer products, like the Macintosh, iPod, iPad, Apple Watch and iPhone.”

“Bethany Bongiorno led the teams behind some of Apple's most transformational products. As a Director of Software Engineering, she was responsible for all software project management for iOS and macOS and also played a key leadership role in the execution of critical projects such as the launch of the original iPad.”

Ok, so you basically built the Mac, the iPod, the iPad, Apple Watch, iPhone, iOS and macOS. If I were looking at this experience on a candidates resume, it’s safe to say I’d be fast-tracking them to the next round.

Imran was affectionately referred to one one half of Apple’s “Lennon and McCartney of design” duo. I am not sure who the other half, is but I am assuming it’s the mercurial, Jony Ive.

But it’s not just the founders that are impressive. It’s the vision. It’s no coincidence that they named the company Humane.

Humane … ‘Showing concern for pain and suffering’.

Humane currently have 100+ Apple alum on staff, including CTO Patrick Gates. And part of the buzz is the narrative of people joining because they want to undo the harm that the iPhone has caused.

It’s an interesting position for Apple to be in, being in the position of the incumbent, but they have been in this position for a while now. Gone are the upstart days, the days of the famous Apple 1984 ad, when it was Apple who was playing David to the incumbents Goliath.

Apple is now ripe for disruption. Each and every iPhone release now, is followed by a much louder and much more resounding call from Apple fans and haters alike. Tim Cook has delivered more shareholder value than most executives in the history of mankind … but the people want innovation.

What I like

Well, for starters, I like this meme.

Other than this meme, I like the tech. I think it’s a revolutionary way for us to experience the world, or technologies place in it. It’s not dissimilar to how I feel about visionOS, The new Apple operating system powering the Vision Pro.

Although, I think the tech is revolutionary, I am yet to be convinced that the hardware accompanying the underlying operating system will be what we use to experience this new type of OS. It’s the same way I feel about the Vision Pro.

What I don’t so much like

What I don’t like so far is the performance of the front man, Imran. His energy is that of an unripe avocado. Solid, stoic, difficult to enjoy. Imran and Humane launched at the same time in history that Sam Altman stood on stage and told us how we will interact with the internet from now on.

Sam’s opening keynote was a masterclass in presentation. Imran’s was a disaster. Maybe not a disaster, but somewhat of a miss.

The thing that is really strange to me is we are yet to hear really anything from the CEO, Bethany. She seems to hold a better presence and, well, she is the CEO after all.

I think their PR team will find ways to improve this over time, as will Imran, but what Humane are trying to do here is going to be difficult. Insanely difficult.

You need someone who can hold your hand and show you the future. Someone who oozes charisma and tells you the transition will be bumpy but there is a better path. You need a cult leader.

I am yet to believe that Imran can be that guy. I for one, would love to hear a lot more from the CEO Bethany. Now and into the future.

The challenge ahead

The road ahead is daunting. You need not only take a pattern that has been entrenched for 15 years … the pattern that we use our phone to interact with the world, and change that. But you need to do so whilst fighting with a junkie. An addict. Us.

It can be done. Habits can be broken. Better outcomes can prevail. History is littered with such stories. Let’s take a look at some successful examples.

1. The iPhone (2007): Apple's introduction of the iPhone revolutionised the smartphone market and consumer behaviour regarding mobile internet, apps, and touch interface.

2. Netflix (2007): Netflix's shift from DVD rentals to streaming services transformed how people consumed media, leading to the decline of traditional rental stores and impacting cable TV.

3. Tesla: Tesla's high-performance electric vehicles disrupted the automotive industry, pushing many traditional manufacturers to accelerate their own electric vehicle programs.

4. Spotify & streaming: Spotify altered the way people accessed music, moving from owning (CDs, downloads) to streaming, affecting the entire music industry's revenue model.

But for an man great disruptions as we have seen in the past we have seen equal companies famously fail. For example.

1. Google Glass (2013): While innovative, Google Glass failed to create a significant shift in consumer behaviour due to privacy concerns, limited functionality, and high cost. They may have been early.

2. Segway (2001): Initially hyped to revolutionise personal transportation, Segway failed to significantly impact consumer behaviour, largely due to its cost and practicality issues

3. Amazon Fire Phone (2014): Amazon's attempt to enter the smartphone market didn't gain traction due to its limited app ecosystem and features that didn't resonate.

4. Microsoft Zune (2006): Microsoft's attempt to challenge Apple's iPod in the digital music player market was unsuccessful, largely due to the iPod's established dominance and better integration with iTunes.

Today the battle Humane has in front of it is not with Apple. It is with TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and to a lesser extend Twitter. My hope is that quality of life will prevail. The younger generation skew social more than any other generation before.

But so did we. And when a better alternative, where are not glued to our screens, is possible, it should win. The phone and the social apps will become like toys for young adults.

When you grow into a mature adult, just like you did when you grew from a toddler to a teenager, and a teen to a young adult, you will outgrow your toys. Or at least that is my hope. 

Future

The future for me seems bright. I am a techno-optimist and I do think cool heads will prevail over time. Whether it is Humane’s AI pin, Meta’s RayBans, a slimmer, mature Vision Pro, or other, the writing is on the wall.

The time on the phone is over. The time for the future is now.

Fun facts

• If you add up all the time people spend on screens, the average person will spend over 7 years of their life watching TV and over 5 years on social media.

• People in the Philippines spend the most time on social media, averaging over 4 hours a day, while Japan averages the least, at less than an hour.

Extra reading

• Go Behind the Scenes of Apple's First iPhone Release - January, 2007

• Which Generation is Most Addicted to Their Phones and What Are They Doing - June, 2021

• Humane AI: Pin Futuristic Features - November, 2023

And that's it! You can learn more about Humane on their website here and follow the founders on X here: Bethany / Imran.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK 🐣 

BRAIN FOOD 🧠 

Just caught an episode of Lenny's podcast with Airbnb's Brian Chesky. It's awesome – Chesky's candid take on building a tech giant from scratch is definitely one of the best listens lately for anyone in tech.

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