Required Reading: Jabroni Capital by Jack Kuveke

There’s a newsletter that lives rent-free in my head, because it roasts tech culture so perfectly that it makes me question my entire career. After reading just one issue, I became more obsessed than a VC who just discovered genAI. That’s Jabroni Capital.

So I interviewed Jack Kuveke, the mastermind behind it all. How does he find the energy to be this hilarious, week-after-week? And how does he so successfully poke good-natured fun of tech and startups while also unironically being part of the ecosystem?

Q: Your newsletter makes tech bros cry in the shower while simultaneously getting them to smash the subscribe button. How do you write copy that both roasts and attracts your target audience?

A: From the very beginning of the newsletter I've made myself the butt of most of my jokes. I show myself as a deeply flawed creature who says crazy things, but then has moments of pure vulnerability.

Those moments of vulnerability are actually me and the self deprecation is genuinely authentic. If I just came out and acted like I was on a pedestal and better than all of the people I make fun of, I would be despised. But I don't pretend to be better than any of the people I'm making fun of. I've made similar mistakes (or the exact same ones) and I'm the first to admit it.

Lastly, I try to write like the guys from South Park. No one is immune from critique, and I don't push a specific ideology. 

Q: How did you develop your distinctive voice, and what advice would you give to writers trying to break free from boring copy?

A: From the time I was very young, my mom always told me I had "voice" when I wrote. I didn't realize it until I was older, but that just meant that I write like I talk. In my opinion that is the key to great writing.

Q: Does your newsletter typically facilitate opportunities for you to make money, or is it just a fun creative endeavor?

A: Absolutely. While I don't focus on making money from advertisements right now, I get lots of clients for a consulting business I run. Eventually I'd like to make a fuck ton of money from ads, sponsors, and all the normal bullshit that newsletters do. But I'm currently at 10k subs and unfortunately selling my soul to the devil just doesn't make sense. In the meantime I'll just keep making content I think is good and will run the numbers up. 

Q: A lot of writers try to be funny and end up sounding like a ChatGPT prompt gone wrong. How do you keep your humor sharp without turning into another tech bro trying too hard? Were you just born like this?

A: I can count on one hand the number of times I've used ChatGPT (none of those times were for content). Since it became popular, I've been worried I would get lazy if I used it, and I also assumed it would take the fun/creativity out of my job. So I avoid it like the plague.

As for how I keep my humor sharp: yes I was born like this. But I have a secret weapon. I live with my identical twin who I have been making jokes and doing skits/characters with for 27 years. He is my secret weapon. 

Q. How do you keep generating fresh ideas without burning out?

A: I wake up early, stretch my body, and then smoke crack. I find that a healthy morning routine like this gets my creative juices flowing. 

Q. Google Ventures acquires Jabroni Capital for a cool billion - you’re now a unicorn. What will you do next?

A: I buy a research vessel and sail down to South America to look at exotic snakes, lizards, and birds in South America with my brother and my friends. 

Q: Your favorite piece of writing? 

A: I wrote this Jabroni Capital post called the 7 layers of hell making fun of Starbucks and I think it's one of the best things I've ever written.

Thank you, Jack! And - if you haven’t subscribed to Jabroni Capital yet - do it. It’s just the best.