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Because having Twitter followers and some cash doesn't make you a tech expert, and the media loves to portray him as both that and a social media guru.

Furthermore, there's a big difference between making an investment and "joining the team."

I totally agree with you, and while I am not a fan of anything Ashton has ever acted in or done with that career -- I can say I think he is doing a fantastic job with his investment choices.

Now, that appears to largely be attributed to the people he has been able to surround himself with.

With that said, I don't think any of us would be any different. If you have them money - and you get introduced to people who are very tech savvy, and you have a fairly intense interest in where tech is heading - which it would appear he does -- then this is an obvious and intelligent path one would take.

Further, the more that he is surrounded by these other savvy tech investors, speaks with and joins teams like AirBnB - the more I would imagine he would learn and think up additional things.

So, I have respect for what he is doing in this area.

Also, I would like to point out someone who is thought of as a tech expert and social media guru (by many, not me) - Kevin Rose.

Here is a guy who, in my mind, is milking hi tech media status. Even his fucking incubator for his pet projects is called MILK for god sakes.

The guy is portrayed as someone who should be setting trends - yet I have yet to see an original idea (And if you think Digg was original, then you have not been online long enough - it was a better skin on /. and a less sophisticated user-base thus giving it wider appeal)

So, I say good on Ashton for pursuing something other than acting.

Maybe Kevin should pursue something other than tech.

I think angel investing is cool precisely because it is a bad investment. Ashton Kutcher could give all of his money to a responsible financial planner but why not gamble some on the next big thing? AirBNB seems like a good choice for him to bet on, and they'll benefit from his notoriety.

From what I've seen Ashton Kutcher tends to invest in companies that make tech that he really wants use. I don't think profit is really the number one thing on his mind - he already has money. And since it was revealed that he was involved in the Skype deal I bet his portfolio isn't hurting anyway.

Investing in products and services that you like and use is a profit-driven investment strategy.

Maybe the blog post just read disingenuously. "New media expert", really?

I've got lots of respect for the AirBnB team. They've done a great job building their business and if this helps then good for them.

'New media expert' is a pretty lame title, but he definitely has something to add. He is an internationally recognized celebrity, and Airbnb is a company crossing the chasm and trying to pull in the laggards. Convincing people to use Airbnb is going to take more than ranking high in Google and having the proper precautions in place. Ashton brings insight to the rest of the world. If anything, I'd say he's an 'old media expert'. Or, maybe a branding and publicity expert.

'Celebrity spokesperson'?

I think that's a fitting description.

I know the drama kids didn't sit with the computer club kids at the high school lunch table

We did at my school.

He's no William Shatner.

Your post is spot-on, especially on the comments here being amusing! This is so obviously a huge win that could change the game for AirBNB. Any kind of popular service can be made or broken by a cool, famous person using it or not using it. The most popular draw on Twitter is celebrities!

I think it's because he has no expertise on technology, can give you zero advice, will actually probably give you the wrong advice, cannot help you with your scaling or implementation issues, cannot refer you to the right technical people when you need it. The one thing that silicon valley has that none of us in the rest of the world have is a vibrant network of like minded, able and willing to help people. It's perfectly ok to invest, but I guess that doesn't make you part of the silicon valley. Plus it's the old nerds/jocks war.

Airbnb does not need technical advice right now.

What they want is cheap publicity, and it's exactly what they're getting with the actor.

It's a serious and common mistake to think that the majority of the challenges faced by a startup are technical, especially in a consumer facing startup. More than half the battle is getting people to know about your product, and AK knows marketing and promotion well.

This, this, this. Ashton Kutcher is, in all likelihood, a much better representative of one of the demographics Airbnb would like to access (wealthy hipsters) than any VC would be. The whole game is understanding your audience.

He's a professional entertainer and producer - someone very skilled at connecting with the customers Airbnb want, half of whom probably grew up watching Punk'd - with ungodly reach on Twitter.

That's rarer, and harder to buy, than deep technical skill. That you can buy with cash and equity.

Exactly - 6 million Twitter followers and nearly 10 million Facebook fans make for a powerful strategic investor. In a crowded market flush with capital this kind of exposure is far more valuable than another funding round from a highly technical VC.

Ashton has been a very helpful angel for us and he uses so many tech products that he actually gives great advice.

Him not being part of the valley is a plus! Every VC knows the same exact execs at Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, etc, so you get little benefit from having multiple Sand Hill Road VCs on your team. Ashton can connect you to a whole different world of people and influencers who could really help your company.

I want more Ashtons.

What about Bruce Willis?