From Sun Microsystems to OpenAI: Vinod Khosla on Bold Bets & Building Enduring Companies

“If you believe what everybody else believes, you're going to build an interesting company, not something revolutionary.” Vinod Khosla, Founder of Khosla Ventures and Co-founder of Sun Microsystems, champions contrarian thinking and urges founders to challenge conventional wisdom in order to build enduring companies. In this chat with Rajan Anandan, Managing Director at Peak XV, Vinod shares his investment philosophy, emphasising the importance of bold ideas and exceptional founding teams. Vinod dives into investments such as Juniper, OpenAI, and Impossible Foods, highlighting his journey on backing emerging categories and founders with a clear vision. The discussion further explores the role of failure in innovation, and his perspectives on the future of AI. This conversation was recorded as part of our Surge Immersion in the Bay Area in February 2025.