The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone

A countertrend is emerging in the startup ecosystem as founders pivot away from AI-driven digital products toward in-person social experiences. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam's new venture Board exemplifies this shift, focusing on bringing people together through physical games, while DIY computer projects like Cyberdecks gain popularity by encouraging offline engagement.

The tech startup landscape traditionally gravitates toward whatever captures venture capital's attention, and AI has dominated funding conversations for the past 18 months. However, an intriguing countermovement is taking shape among founders who recognize saturation in the digital-first model and are building experiences designed to pull users away from screens. Brynn Putnam's Board represents a deliberate pivot from the founder of Mirror, a fitness-tech platform, suggesting that successful entrepreneurs are recognizing diminishing returns in screen-based engagement strategies.

This trend reflects deeper market dynamics. Consumer fatigue with constant digital connectivity has created a genuine appetite for analog experiences. The Cyberdeck phenomenon—where enthusiasts craft whimsical, tactile computing devices—indicates this isn't driven by nostalgia alone but by a desire for intentional, tangible interactions. Unlike reactive "AI-free" movements that position themselves purely as resistance, these startups are building affirmative experiences with their own value propositions.

For the investment community, this represents a meaningful correction in founder thinking. Venture capital has finite bandwidth, and enthusiasm for foundational alternatives could redistribute capital away from incremental AI applications toward experiences that solve genuine human needs. This may indicate a maturing market where novelty-driven funding becomes less dominant.

Looking forward, the viability of this countertrend depends on execution and scalability. While in-person experiences inherently resist network effects and geographic scaling, successful companies in this space could establish new venture categories focused on human connection rather than digital optimization. Investors should monitor whether this represents a durable shift in founder priorities or a temporary aesthetic preference.

• →A growing cohort of startups is deliberately building offline, in-person experiences as an alternative to AI and digital-first models.
• →Brynn Putnam's Board and viral Cyberdeck projects demonstrate that consumer demand for tactile, intentional interactions remains underserved.
• →This countertrend reflects genuine market saturation in digital products rather than mere nostalgic or contrarian backlash.
• →The shift may indicate a broader recalibration in venture capital priorities toward experiences solving tangible human needs.
• →Scalability challenges for in-person experiences could limit the venture size of these companies compared to software platforms.