Keith Rabois explains why he gave up laptops and desktops

Keith Rabois, the former COO of Square, said he uses his iPad and smartwatch more than his computer. Bloomberg/Getty Images 2026-04-15T08:17:03.717Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Keith Rabois said he doesn't rely on a laptop or desktop computer. The former Stripe COO said he prefers working with an iPhone, smartwatch, and iPad. Computer sales still bring in billions — but startups are rethinking their desk-bound setups. AI-generated summary Summaries are generated by an AI model trained on Business Insider's articles. AI may make mistakes or provide inaccurate/incomplete information. We're unable to load that answer right now. Please try again. Why does Rabois prefer mobile devices? What is "vibe coding"? How significant are computer sales today? How are startups rethinking tech setups? Who is Alexis Ohanian? While many executives live on their laptops, Keith Rabois says he doesn't rely on one at all. Loading audio narration... In an interview with "Lenny's Podcast," the famed executive — a former COO of Stripe, vice president at LinkedIn, and member of the PayPal mafia — said he prefers smaller, more mobile devices.It's a preference that's been in the making for more than 15 years, he said. "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," he said. "Everything I do in my life is either done from my phone, my watch, or my iPad."His approach comes as parts of Silicon Valley rethink their reliance on traditional computers. In the past year, a wave of AI tools has pushed more work onto mobile devices, including so-called "vibe coding" apps that let users build software by prompting AI. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, for example, invested $9.4 million in seed funding for Vibecode, an iOS app that lets users create new features — all on their iPhones.This isn't the first time Rabois has talked about moving away from computers. Since 2010, on what was then Twitter (now X), he's talked about using his "iPhone as a persistent computer, not as a 'phone.'" I haven’t used a computer since 2010. (Other than booking Barry’s workouts before they released an app last month.)— Keith Rabois (@rabois) November 9, 2018 During the podcast, Rabois said he prefers smaller devices because they're less distracting and more portable."Like, taking a laptop with you anywhere is super easy," he said. "There's no reason to use a more powerful, heavier-weight, less flexible machine." It should be noted that, despite recent trends, laptops and desktop computers remain popular overall — Apple reported $8.39 billion in revenue from Mac sales in the first quarter of 2026.