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AI inference costs are creating a new financial barrier for consumer startups. Reaching 100,000 monthly active users may now require significantly more upfront capital (e.g., $25M) than in previous software eras.

Impact: Changes the venture capital model, as startups may skip seed rounds and move straight to larger, high-capital rounds.

— from AI-Driven Software Development and the Evolution of Consumer Moats · a16z Podcast· Apr 19, 2026