Lee Hower was personally hired by Elon Musk at X.com/PayPal and then co-founded LinkedIn, giving him hands-on operating experience at two PayPal Mafia companies before becoming a venture investor. He's the main architect and public spokesperson for NextView's Everyday Economy thesis, which focuses on how software reshapes ordinary daily activities rather than just flashy frontier technology.

• Fascination with the intersection of AI and physical infrastructure. Looks for opportunities where hardware and software converge, such as the potential to utilize parked electric vehicles as distributed computing clusters rather than just energy storage, or how computer vision is transforming industrial robotics in warehouses.
• Deep interest in macroeconomic history and monetary policy. Frequently discusses the eroding purchasing power of the currency over the last two decades and draws comparisons to historical currency collapses to illustrate the importance of long-term value retention.
• Observations on market anomalies and capital concentration. Notes the strange symmetry where a massive portion of both the public stock indices and venture capital funding is funneled into a tiny number of companies, and critiques the circular logic of big tech giants funding AI startups just to buy more chips from the same suppliers.
• Pragmatic advice on fundraising communication and strategy. Warns founders against using contradictory language in cold emails, such as claiming a round is nearly full while simultaneously asking for a lead investor, and suggests the modern startup playbook relies more on speed and momentum than the traditional slow iteration model.
• Focus on resilience and adaptation in investment themes. Highlights portfolio companies tackling tangible, escalating real-world problems, such as technology designed to mitigate wildfire risks or consumer tools that enhance human health and performance monitoring.