Keith Rabois reveals total abandonment of traditional laptop computers

Keith Rabois, the prominent venture capitalist and former chief operating officer of Stripe, has revealed that he has entirely abandoned the use of laptop computers in his professional life.

Speaking during an interview on "Lenny's Podcast," the "PayPal Mafia" member explained that he prefers the portability and focus offered by smaller, more mobile hardware

 This transition began over fifteen years ago when he joined Square and observed the habits of the company's leadership.

"When I started working at Square, Jack Dorsey was running the company off of an iPad. And so, I immediately converted in September of 2010, and haven't looked back," Rabois stated.

He confirmed that every aspect of his daily routine is now managed through a combination of his smartphone, tablet, and smartwatch.

Rabois argued that traditional machines are increasingly unnecessary, noting: "There's no reason to use a more powerful, heavier-weight, less flexible machine."

This mobile-centric philosophy aligns with a broader shift in Silicon Valley, where artificial intelligence tools are enabling complex tasks, such as "vibe coding," to be performed on handheld devices.

For instance, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently backed an iOS application designed for building software on iPhones.

Rabois has long championed this approach, famously posting on social media that he views his "iPhone as a persistent computer, not as a 'phone.'"

Despite this individual trend, desktop computing remains a massive industry, with Apple reporting $8.39 billion in Mac revenue during the first quarter of 2026. Rabois continues to serve as a managing director at Khosla Ventures.