Silicon Smokers: Meet the tech founders who think that cigarettes are their edge

David Butow/Corbis via Getty Images Stephen Campbell knows the cigarettes didn't land him one of his biggest deals, but they certainly lit the match. The cofounder of the startup Revamp AI was in Shenzhen, meeting with what he calls an "enormous" Chinese tech company. (He's under NDA with them.) The initial meeting was stressful, especially because of the language barrier, he says. Then came Chinese barbecue, rounds of Baijiu, and countless cigarettes. It took the relationship from vendor-customer to something more personal, says the 27-year-old. They made their way to a cocktail bar (where they smoked), and then a KTV karaoke bar (where they smoked). "By the end of the night, it's us and our prospects ripping cigs in the karaoke lounge," Campbell says. "We're belting out Oasis, because that was their favorite band." Campbell knows that cigarettes are bad for you. He also sees the positives: breaks from the founder grind to go outside, and more chats with strangers. It's how he's met most of his neighbors in San Francisco's Rincon Hill neighborhood and the European tenants in his office building. Cigarette smoking has been snuffed out across America. In 1966, more than 40% of US ad