The AI-written deluge I get of the "I've long admired your ability to _______. From _____________ to __________ you've consistently ______________" format is very obvious and isn't getting you funded.
6:29 AM · Jun 28, 2026 · 16.4K Views
776 founder Alexis Ohanian warns that AI-generated cold outreach templates fail to secure venture funding
Story Overview
Alexis Ohanian at 776 is fielding a wave of unsolicited founder emails that slot into an obvious fill-in-the-blank AI format, and he is flagging them as dead on arrival for anyone hoping to raise capital.
3711441516.7K
FYI
Why the pattern stands out
The messages follow the same predictable scaffolding, which makes them feel low-effort and inauthentic to recipients already sifting through high volumes of inbound.
Open Question
Satire that drives the point home
Bojan Tunguz answered with an identical template praising Ohanian for calling out the tactic, leaving the effectiveness question open since no response rates or funding outcomes were shared.
Sentiment
Positive users praise the VC for spotting low-effort AI-written pitches, while negative users resent the accusations as they force unnecessary self-censorship and overlook authentic craft.
Pos
31.6%
Neg
68.4%
19 comments with sentiment.
Cluster Engagement
Digg Deeper
No Digg Deeper questions have been answered for this story yet.
Posts from X
Most Activity
Most Activity
VIEWS660LIKES9RETWEETS1REPLIES1
Bojan Tunguz@tunguz
@alexisohanian I've long admired your ability to call out this BS online. From VC funding to Twitter grifters you've consistently stood up for honesty and authenticity.
Alexis Ohanian 🗽@alexisohanian
The AI-written deluge I get of the "I've long admired your ability to _______. From _____________ to __________ you've consistently ______________" format is very obvious and isn't getting you funded.
3hViews 660Likes 9Bookmarks 0
BOOKMARKS1
Sugabelly 🌕@sugabelly
This AI accusation thing is really annoying.
As someone who was a good writer from childhood, edited a literary magazine, and wrote published articles, what is really happening now is that people who write well are being accused by people who never wrote well of using AI.
The formats that people now clock as “AI Writing” are real writing formats from human beings who are good writers which is why their writing styles were stolen for AI training in the first place.
Now it’s so overused that everyone automatically believes it’s AI output.
Same has happened with the em dash and semi-colon.
People who took the time to learn to use proper punctuation in school are now being penalised socially with accusations of being AI.
There’s no end in sight.
4hViews 288Likes 5Bookmarks 1
Alexis Ohanian 🗽@alexisohanian
@KimiSchmitz I'd prefer that!
4hViews 194Likes 3Bookmarks 1
Kimi Schmitz✨@KimiSchmitz
@alexisohanian They need to start with “I admire your pancake skills” and go from there.
4hViews 149Likes 1
Stuxnet@stuxnet_vt
@alexisohanian Ouch, that…yeah…that lacks any sort of pertinent information or (heaven forbid) personality. Albeit, I’m not exactly fantastic at a pitch myself (@JacobMGEvans can vouch). 😅
4hViews 57Likes 1
Jacob MG Evans@JacobMGEvans
@stuxnet_vt @alexisohanian You pitch yourself fine when you are enthusiastically telling me about what you’re working on and how it’ll vastly impact and benefit people… Just need to figure out how to do that in front of other people, well also organized but you aren’t far from fantastic as you think
4hViews 18Likes 1
Sean Bonner🔥@seanbonner
@alexisohanian I’ve long admired your ability to spot AI-written messages.
4hViews 123Likes 2
Adam Gaweda, Dr. Sensei@amgaweda
@alexisohanian Huh. Those are the same paragraphs I see from students asking for 'research opportunities'🤣
4hViews 57Likes 1
Vass@Va77ss
@alexisohanian soft begging and template essays both get ignored tbh
the bar is in hell and somehow still being missed
4hViews 62
Jake Fleshner@JakeFleshner
@alexisohanian Or they should start with “this isn’t AI”
3hViews 53
AIBuildersDaily@aidailybuilders
@alexisohanian If it reads like a LinkedIn template, it’s already competing at zero attention.
4hViews 16Likes 1
nateguppy@nateguppy
@alexisohanian "I'd like to lead authentically and tell you why despite not liking you, why funding me is good for us both"
Actually, shit, thought this was a joke. That lead would get my full attention oddly enough lol.
4hViews 49
NCD@Jokerbernrin
@alexisohanian People spot it instantly
4hViews 48
Michael Wreath@MichaelWreath
@sugabelly @alexisohanian I sigh every time I consider removing a semi-colon or em dash because they might think it’s AI.
1hViews 14Likes 1
Tom Zarebczan 🛡@TomZarebczan
@alexisohanian Do you like coffee? I've got a great consumer product in the works that could use some funding 🫡
4hViews 46
Avii@AviiWeb3
@alexisohanian Spot on, those intros are everywhere and zero effort.
4hViews 46
Kayode@Kayodeodeleye
@alexisohanian Too many people have bought the hype about AI being a magic wand
To disastrous consequences
4hViews 40
onarici@onarici_nft
@alexisohanian People will use AI next just to say GM
4hViews 39
FP Marcil@FPMarcil
@alexisohanian Nigerian princes are jealous
4hViews 37
T.Pieper@Tri_Stanisaurus
@alexisohanian Wonder how many people think that everyone else just uses AI to read their email for them
3hViews 34
Load more posts