# Why No Company Will Win the AI War: The "Rebel Alliance" Thesis | Nick Grossman

An episode of [The Pomp Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1434060078), 20 Jul 2026, 52 min.

Audio: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO2752294580.mp3

Nick Grossman is a General Partner at Union Square Ventures. In this conversation, we break down his "Rebel Alliance" thesis for AI — why he believes the industry is too big for one or two companies to dominate. We also discuss USV's internal multi-agent platform, model routing economics, AI's growing role in venture capital and financial markets, data privacy risks, and what happens to jobs and society as agents get smarter. ===================== BitcoinIRA: Buy, sell, and swap 80+ cryptocurrencies in your retirement account. Take 3 minutes to open your account & get connected to a team of IRA specialists that will guide you through every step of the process. Go to https://bitcoinira.com/pomp/ to earn up to $2,000 in rewards. ===================== Looking for a better place to trade? BloFin gives traders access to deep liquidity, advanced futures products for crypto AND TradFi assets, fast execution, and a clean, intuitive interface—all in one platform. To celebrate their partnership with us, they're giving away $100,000 in Deposit & Trade Rewards. Deposit, trade, and earn rewards based on your activity during the campaign. Check them out at ( https://partner.blofin.com/d/Pomp ). ===================== Simple Mining makes Bitcoin mining simple and accessible for everyone. We offer a premium white glove hosting service, helping you maximize the profitability of Bitcoin mining. For more information on Simple Mining or to get started mining Bitcoin, visit https://www.simplemining.io/pomp ===================== Arch Public is an agentic trading platform that automates investment strategies across Stocks, Commodities, ETFs and Crypto. Whether you’re rotating into AI & Gold, allocating to the S&P 500, or accumulating Bitcoin, Arch Public executes your plan 24/7 without ever taking custody of your assets or funds. Sign up today at https://www.archpublic.com, and start your FREE automated trading strategy! ===================== • 0:00 - Intro • 0:42 - The "Rebel Alliance" thesis: why one company won't dominate AI • 7:15 - General-purpose vs. specialized models in USV's portfolio • 8:40 - Compute costs & the rise of model routing • 11:14 - Inside USV's internal multi-agent system • 16:25 - AI's role in venture capital & autonomous investing • 22:50 - How AI reshapes market signals & information edges • 27:06 - Apps building models & the fight over your data • 35:31 - Five-year outlook for the AI stack • 37:57 - US vs. China: the "philosophy" of AI models • 40:30 - Personalized AI & where the Rebel Alliance thesis plays • 43:53 - The dark side: jobs, data centers & society • 47:44 - AI as a personal superpower & neural implants

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.