Metric	The Humane Stats
Company Name	Humane Inc.
Founders	Imran Chaudhri & Bethany Bongiorno (ex-Apple design legends)
Total Funding Raised	~$230 Million
Valuation at Peak	$850 Million (Estimated)
Lifespan (Product)	April 2024 – Feb 2025 (Acquired by HP)
The Exit	Assets sold to HP for ~$116M (approx. 13% of peak valuation)
Cause of Death	“The Sci-Fi Tax” (High Friction, Low Utility)

In May 2023, Imran Chaudhri stood on a TED stage. He wore a black jacket and no screen. He tapped his chest, and a laser projected a phone call onto his palm. The audience gasped. It looked like Star Trek. It felt like the death of the iPhone.

The pitch was irresistible: “Screens are the enemy. Ambient computing is the cure.”

Investors, including Sam Altman, poured in $230 million. They weren’t funding a gadget; they were funding a religious movement against smartphone addiction.

Fast forward to April 2024. The reviews dropped. Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) titled his video: “The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed.” The device overheated. The laser was invisible in sunlight. The AI was confident but wrong. By February 2025, the dream was sold for scrap parts to HP.

Humane proved a brutal law of hardware: You cannot replace a device (the smartphone) with something that is harder to use than the device you are replacing.

The Outside Story: The “Apple DNA” Arrogance

To the world, Humane was the “Next Apple.” The founders were the people who designed the iPhone interface. The marketing was mysterious, minimalist, and chic (Naomi Campbell wore one on the runway).

The narrative was that these geniuses knew something we didn’t. They were hiding the device in “Stealth Mode” for years, fueling speculation that they had solved the impossible physics of battery life and thermal management.

The price tag—$699 plus a $24/month subscription—signaled confidence. It said, “This is a premium replacement for your phone.”

The Inside Reality: Ice Packs and Silence

Inside the HQ, the reality was frantic. Reports later leaked that executives had to use ice packs to cool down the devices before showing them to investors because the processors generated too much heat for the tiny chassis.

They were fighting the laws of thermodynamics, and they were losing.

Culturally, the “Apple DNA” backfired. Apple’s culture of extreme secrecy works when you are refining a proven product.

But when you are building a new category, secrecy is fatal. Humane didn’t hire a Head of Marketing for years.

They didn’t do public beta testing. They built in a vacuum, convinced that their taste was superior to user feedback.

They weren’t building for users; they were building for a design portfolio.

The Point of No Return: The Embargo Lift

The company died on April 11, 2024. That was the day the review embargo lifted.

Usually, tech reviews are nuanced. These were an execution.

• The Latency: You would ask, “What’s the weather?” and wait 5 seconds. In 5 seconds, you could have checked your phone twice.
• The awkwardness: Standing in a grocery store, tapping your chest, and shouting at your chest, then holding up your hand like a wizard to see a green blurry projection.

The return rates were catastrophic. By August 2024, data leaked that returns were outpacing sales. There were reportedly fewer than 10,000 units in the wild.

The Real Cause: The “Sci-Fi Tax”

Humane didn’t fail because of bugs. Software can be fixed. Humane failed because of the Form Factor.

They imposed a “Sci-Fi Tax” on the user. To use the Pin, you had to pay a tax of social awkwardness and cognitive load.

• Phone: Glance → See info (0.5 seconds).
• Pin: Tap chest → Wait → Speak → Wait → Listen (7 seconds).

They tried to solve “Screen Addiction” (a soft pain) by introducing “High Latency & Friction” (a hard pain).

Key Takeaway: Humans are lazy. We will always choose the path of least resistance. A screen is the most efficient information transfer surface ever invented. A laser on a shaking hand is not.

Founder-Level Lessons (Uncomfortable but True)

1. Stealth Mode is for Cowards

If you are building hardware, secrecy is your enemy. You need to know if the device gets hot before you manufacture 50,000 of them.

• Lesson: Validate the “Ugly Prototype” first. If people won’t use it when it’s ugly, they won’t use it when it’s pretty.

2. “Apple DNA” is a Liability

Ex-Apple founders often fail because they try to replicate Apple’s marketing (secrecy, hype) without Apple’s supply chain and cash reserves.

• Lesson: You are not Steve Jobs. You are a startup. Act like one. Be scrappy, not arrogant.

3. Don’t Fight Physics

Batteries are heavy. Processors get hot. Lasers need darkness. Humane tried to fight all three simultaneously in a device the size of a matchbook.

• Lesson: Innovation must exist within the boundaries of physics.

Red Flag Checklist: 3 Signs You Are Making This Mistake Today

Are you building a “Concept” or a “Product”?

1. The “Magical” Demo: Does your demo rely on ideal conditions (perfect lighting, silent room) to work?

Reality Check: Real life is messy. If your product breaks in the mess, it fails.

2. The “Replacement” Fallacy: Are you trying to replace a “Apex Predator” product (like the Smartphone or Laptop)?

Reality Check: To replace the king, you must be 10x better, not just “different.”

3. The Subscription Trap: Are you charging a subscription for hardware that doesn’t offer recurring value?

Reality Check: Users hate hardware subscriptions. It adds friction to the purchase decision.

Final Reflection: What This Failure Teaches Every Entrepreneur

Humane raised $230 million to answer a question nobody asked: “Can I check my email without looking at a screen?” The answer turned out to be: “Yes, but it’s annoying.”

Technology is a tool, not a religion. The smartphone won because it is the ultimate tool. Humane’s failure is a reminder that Vision without Utility is just hallucination.

Don’t build for the world you wish existed (one without screens). Build for the world that does exist (one that demands speed and efficiency).