What happens when every software company needs to be a hardware company first? And how are leading VC firms potentially predicting that the 2000s will be repeating themselves?SHOW: 756CLOUD NEWS OF THE WEEK - http://bit.ly/cloudcast-cnotwCHECK OUT OUR NEW PODCAST - "CLOUDCAST BASICS"SHOW SPONSORS:CloudZero – Cloud Cost Visibility and Savings​​CloudZero provides immediate and ongoing savings with 100% visibility into your total cloud spendDatadog Application Monitoring: Modern Application Performance MonitoringGet started monitoring service dependencies to eliminate latency and errors and enhance your users app experience with a free 14 day Datadog trial. Listeners of The Cloudcast will also receive a free Datadog T-shirt.AWS Insiders is an edgy, entertaining podcast about the services and future of cloud computing at AWS. Listen to AWS Insiders in your favorite podcast player. Cloudfix HomepageSHOW NOTES:AI’s $200B Question (Sequoia)5 years and $15B later, a fiber venture fails (Global Crossing)Dot com bubbleThe history of Switch Data CentersInterest rates over the last 30 yearsThe Cost of Cloud, A Trillion Dollar Paradox (a16z)VCs vs the Cloud (Eps.656)BACK IN THE DOT COM DAYS, WE ASSUMED THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE INTERNETLet's remember how we transitioned from the late 1990s to the early 2000sVCs used to have a $50M "hardware tax" on investmentsCloud and Low Interest Rates changed everythingNew Technology with Simple UI + Infrastructure Buildouts + Unknown Business ModelsNOW WE ASSUME THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE AI (and GPUs)Interest rates have come back up to 2001 levelsVCs are back to paying the "hardware tax", and aren't happyNew Technology with Simple UI + Infrastructure Buildouts + Unknown Business ModelsLet's see if history repeats itself.FEEDBACK?Email: show at the cloudcast dot netTwitter: @thecloudcastnet