From .com to Long Blockchain to Physical AI: The Market for VC Buzzwords
arian_ghashghai · x · 2026-09-12
In 'The Market for Words,' Laurie Owen dissects venture's naming trades with historical data: companies adding '.com' in 1999 returned +74% in 10 days; Long Island Iced Tea became Long Blockchain for +289% in a day in 2019; 1,600 funds renamed toward ESG and mostly renamed back with unchanged portfolios. Drawing on her years in 3D/VR watching 'metaverse' get minted, peak and die, she argues 'physical AI' is an unquantifiable-TAM buzzword parroted to sell to LPs, and warns against buying your vocabulary at the top.
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