For a tech reviewer, Marques Brownlee wields an exceptional amount of influence. With over 18 million subscribers on YouTube, the voice behind the wildly popular MKBHD channel can make or break a product launch with his verdicts. But some are now accusing Brownlee of unfairly tarnishing highly-funded startups with his take-no-prisoners assessments.

The latest controversy centers on Brownlee’s scathing review of the Humane AI Pin — a $699 wearable device that projects a smartphone-sized display onto the wearer’s hand. Humane had raised over $230 million from high-profile investors before shipping its first product. When the Pin finally hit the market, most reviewers, Brownlee included, panned it as a disappointing dud.

Brownlee’s video, titled “The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed… For Now,” didn’t mince words. He cited the Pin’s poor battery life, awkward wearability, frequent errors, and the impracticality of its laser-projected display. At one point, Brownlee admits the working title was “This product is either the dumbest thing ever, or I’m an idiot.”

The video, with over 5 million views so far, sparked furious reactions. Former AWS engineer Daniel Vassallo accused Brownlee of potentially “killing someone else’s nascent project” with his massive platform, asking “with great reach comes great responsibility.” Another creator, Alex Finn, tweeted “MKBHD bankrupted a company in 41 seconds.”

But is Brownlee really to blame for any potential Humane downfall? The startup had already raised a $230 million war chest and attracted marquee Silicon Valley investors like Marc Benioff and Sam Altman before consumers ever saw the product. Pinning its fate on one review, no matter how critical or popular, seems misguided.

In a video response, Brownlee countered “All that any honest review actually does is just accelerate whatever was already going on.” He stands by offering an unvarnished critique of what he considers a poor product, despite the company’s pedigree or fundraising success.

The Humane debacle follows on the heels of another Brownlee review sparking ire — this time aimed at struggling EV maker Fisker. After Brownlee slammed the Fisker Ocean SUV as “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed,” the company laid off 15% of its staff and halted production.

But Fisker was already on rocky ground before the video. It had just $121 million remaining, federal regulators were investigating brake problems, and customers had long complained about issues like faulty fobs and random power losses, including one frightening incident on a Los Angeles freeway.

While damning, Brownlee’s critique didn’t substantively change Fisker’s fortunes. If anything, it hastened the inevitable reckoning for a product with serious safety flaws.

Black voices question the backlash

For some in the Black tech community, the heated backlash against Brownlee betrays an uncomfortable double standard. As one founder commented, “If Brownlee were anything other than Black, this would be ‘an honest review that shines a light on the AI bubble.’ Instead, he’s ‘harsh’ and ‘it’s not fair that he can bankrupt such a well-funded company.’“

There are echoes here of “tone policing” — the insidious practice of dismissing Black voices by nitpicking the delivery rather than engaging with the substance. A prominent Black investor noted the reaction exposes two interwoven biases: “Tech has issues with bias against Black people. Tech has issues with media being critics, not cheerleaders.”

In the past, products lived or died by reviews in elite outlets like The Wall Street Journal. Now, Brownlee and a legion of online reviewers offer a democratized counterweight to the hype cycles of the tech industry. As Brownlee reflected in a recent interview, “There are so many more voices now.”

Whether one agrees with his verdicts or not, there’s value in Brownlee using his massive platform to scrutinize ambitious startups making bold promises. With billions in venture funding pouring into speculative new technologies, a critical voice holding companies accountable is vital — especially one that can reach the masses rather than just Silicon Valley insiders.

So while founders may wince at Brownlee’s stinging takedowns, they’d be wise to heed his message rather than merely blame the messenger. In a frothy market rife with vaporware and fanciful claims, someone has to separate fact from fiction — even if it stings.