Against a backdrop of record AI fundraising, some founders are deliberately prioritizing tactile, social experiences over screen-first products.
AI Quick Take
- Mirror founder Brynn Putnam raised funding for Board, which focuses on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences.
- Viral DIY 'cyberdeck' creators are promoting whimsical hardware that encourages tactile, offline time.
TechCrunch reports a small but notable countertrend: some startups and creators are deliberately building products that get people off their phones. The piece calls out Board, a new venture backed by Mirror founder Brynn Putnam, which raised money to run in-person games and social experiences; it also points to a viral DIY movement crafting 'cyberdecks'-playful, hand-built computers that encourage tactile, offline activity.
The coverage situates these projects against continuing, record-breaking investment into AI-focused companies, framing them as an intentional pivot toward physical and social interaction. Board’s stated focus is organizing real-world games and gatherings that bring people together, while the cyberdeck makers produce small hardware builds and project write-ups that emphasize touch, whimsy, and stepping away from constant phone use.
For product teams, creators, and investors, the practical implication is a potential reallocation of attention toward community operations, event logistics, and hobbyist hardware support. Whether this fuels a durable market shift or remains a collection of niche experiments will depend on whether these efforts convert viral interest and seed funding into repeatable engagement and viable business models. Watch for follow-on fundraising, adoption metrics from organized in-person offerings, and any commercialization efforts around cyberdeck hardware as signals of momentum.