Samir Kaul

Founding Partner & Managing Director, Khosla Ventures

Search every verified Samir Kaul interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Samir Kaul, a general partner at Khosla Ventures, appeared on a podcast on August 7, 2026, to discuss the firm’s investment in Jeff Dean’s Discovery Loop, an AI-focused scientific research venture. He described the investment as a significant honor and responsibility, noting that Dean could have chosen any venture capital firm and that Khosla was selected as one of two co-leads. Kaul also commented on the potential for AI to be applied to scientific research with tangible outcomes. During the appearance, Kaul shared his views on venture capital strategy, arguing that investors should not base decisions on the possibility of an acqui-hire or merely returning capital, given the high failure rate of startups. He stated that a failure rate of 60 to 70 percent is acceptable and that not failing at that rate would indicate insufficient risk-taking. He also expressed concern about current private-market dynamics, comparing the frequency of new unicorns to the dot-com era, and suggested that inflated valuations may not have delivered corresponding returns to investors.