Histoire
juillet 14, 2026
Menlo Ventures Partner Describes Unhappiness in Silicon Valley Amid AI Boom
A partner at Menlo Ventures commented on a sense of unhappiness and existential dread among many in Silicon Valley, despite the wealth generated by the AI boom. The partner noted that widespread layoffs and job insecurity due to AI are contributing to a general malaise, even for those who have achieved financial success.
Despite record-breaking valuations and overnight fortunes in artificial intelligence, a growing chorus inside Silicon Valley says the boom is leaving people anxious, hollow, and unsure what comes next.
Early signals of an AI-era malaise
On May 16, TechCrunch highlighted a long social media post by Menlo Ventures partner Deedy Das, who described San Francisco as “pretty frenetic right now,” with “the divide in outcomes … the worst I’ve ever seen.”1 Das estimated roughly 10,000 founders and employees at leading AI firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia have already reached “retirement wealth” above $20 million, while the rest fear they could work well-paid (but under-$500,000) jobs for life and “never get there.”1
Das warned that layoffs are “in full swing” and that “many software engineers feel that their life’s skill is no longer useful,” fueling confusion over career paths and “a deep malaise about work (and its future).”1
A bleak snapshot of Silicon Valley mood
A day later, Business Insider amplified the same theme, reporting Das’s assessment that “no one is happy in Silicon Valley these days,” including average tech workers, middle managers, and even newly rich founders.2 The AI boom has “skyrocketed” the fortunes of a small group at top AI firms, but Das said those who “made it” often feel a “profound” lack of purpose as their net worth jumps from under $150,000 to more than $50 million in just a few years.2
Meanwhile, what he calls the under-$500,000 “bourgeoisie” feel stuck as AI-linked layoffs at companies like Cloudflare and Coinbase hollow out once-secure roles and middle management, a new wave of the “Great Flattening.”2
Pushback and competing interpretations
Not everyone is sympathetic. TechCrunch noted eye-rolling responses on X, including entrepreneur Deva Hazarika’s argument that “most of the people in this post” are “incredibly fortunate and can simply make a choice to be happy.”1 Another commenter called it “pretty damn novel & also kinda nasty” that AI is simultaneously “the lottery ticket & the thing eating your fallback,” capturing the tension between windfall gains and widespread insecurity.1