The a16z Show

We're excited to share a special feed drop from The a16z Crypto Show. In the first episode of First Principles: The Scientific Roots of Blockchain Technology, Tim Roughgarden and Ittai Abraham trace the decades of computer science research that laid the foundation for modern blockchains. Long before Bitcoin, researchers were studying one of distributed computing's hardest challenges: how independent machines can reliably agree on a shared state, even when some participants are faulty or malicious. Bitcoin didn't invent that problem, but it introduced a breakthrough solution in a radically different, permissionless setting. The conversation explores Byzantine agreement, state machine replication, proof of work, proof of stake, Tendermint, Casper, DAG-based protocols, and why concepts developed decades ago continue to shape the design of today's fastest and most secure blockchain networks.

As part of our summer replay series, we're revisiting one of our favorite conversations from the past year. Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan join Ben Horowitz, Vineeta Agarwala, and Erik Torenberg to discuss the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's ambitious effort to help cure, prevent, and manage disease by the end of the century. Rather than funding individual breakthroughs, CZI is focused on building the tools and infrastructure that can accelerate scientific discovery across entire fields. The conversation explores Biohub, Cell Atlas, virtual cell models, open biological datasets, and the growing role of AI in helping researchers better understand human biology. They discuss why biology still lacks a "periodic table of elements," how AI could help scientists test hypotheses before running expensive experiments, and why pairing frontier biology with frontier AI may unlock a new era of medical discovery.

Adam Neumann joins Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Erik Torenberg for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, failure, and building Flow. Neumann reflects on his childhood, military service, immigration to the United States, the rise and fall of WeWork, and what he learned from one of the most scrutinized founder journeys in technology. He explains why Flow is focused on rethinking housing, community, and belonging, and why he believes technology can fundamentally improve how people live. The conversation explores resilience, company building, leadership, real estate, software, flexible living, and the global housing crisis. Along the way, Neumann discusses rebuilding trust, designing for community, and why some of the biggest entrepreneurial opportunities emerge from deeply personal experiences.

Seema Amble, Steven Sinofsky, and Elena Burger unpack one of the biggest questions facing enterprise software: what happens when AI agents become the primary users of software instead of humans? The conversation explores the rise of "headless" software, why APIs and agentic workflows are reshaping enterprise applications, and whether traditional SaaS products are becoming systems of record rather than systems of engagement. They discuss Salesforce's Headless 360 announcement, MCP, enterprise software architecture, and why AI may fundamentally change how businesses interact with their data. Along the way, they examine what actually makes enterprise software sticky, why replacing systems like SAP and Salesforce is harder than it appears, and where startups have the greatest opportunity as AI reshapes the software stack.

In this commencement address to Columbia University's Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Class of 2015, Ben Horowitz challenges some of the most common advice given to graduates. Rather than urging students to “follow their passion,” Horowitz argues that people should focus on developing their strengths and making meaningful contributions to the world. Drawing on stories from his own time at Columbia, the founding of technology companies, and investments in startups like Airbnb, he explores the importance of independent thinking, conviction, and pursuing ideas that others may initially dismiss. Along the way, Horowitz discusses technological progress, entrepreneurship, opportunity, and why he believes today's graduates are entering a world defined less by unprecedented challenges than by unprecedented possibilities.

Ben Horowitz is joined by Anne Neuberger, Raghu Raghuram, and Jen Kha to discuss a16z's expanding international strategy and the growing role technology plays in economic growth, national security, and global partnerships. The conversation explores why America's technology leadership matters beyond Silicon Valley, how AI is reshaping relationships between governments and the private sector, and why countries around the world are looking to adopt frontier technologies while building stronger innovation ecosystems of their own. They discuss AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, defense technology, startup expansion, and what it takes to build enduring technology ecosystems. Along the way, they examine the role of trusted partnerships, the importance of Western technology, and why helping founders expand globally has become an increasingly important part of company building.

What does it take to build a global mobility company from a country of just 1.3 million people? Markus Villig, founder and CEO of Bolt, joins the show to share how he scaled from Estonia to 50+ countries, navigating early scrappy days, a near-bankruptcy from expanding too fast, and the hard-won lessons behind Bolt’s capital-efficient growth. They also discuss building in Europe vs. the U.S., competing against much better-funded rivals, and why culture and ambition matter more than regulation. Finally, Markus lays out what’s next: autonomy, robotaxis, and why the future of mobility will be a hybrid of human drivers and self-driving fleets.

Rick Rubin joins Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Anjney Midha, and Erik Torenberg to discuss creativity, artificial intelligence, and his book The Way of Code, which reimagines the Tao Te Ching for the age of AI. The conversation explores vibe coding, remix culture, artistic process, entrepreneurship, and what AI changes, and doesn't change, about creativity. Rubin argues that AI is best understood not as a replacement for artists, but as another creative tool, one that expands what's possible while making taste, curiosity, and individual perspective even more valuable. Along the way, they discuss music, philosophy, startup building, collective intelligence, and why the most enduring creative work begins with staying true to yourself rather than trying to satisfy an audience.

Yoko Li speaks with Luma's Head of Applied Research Matt Tancik and Phota Labs cofounder and CTO Zach Xia about how AI is changing creativity, photography, and the tools people use to make art. The conversation explores the evolving relationship between artists and AI, from image generation and personalization to creative workflows, controllability, and agentic design tools. They discuss personalization, photography, creative software, model design, evaluation, and why the future of creative tools may depend less on generating content and more on helping people express ideas they couldn't easily realize before. Along the way, they explore AI agents, interfaces, and how creators are already using these tools in unexpected ways.

Marc Andreessen joins CSIS's Navin Girishankar for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, productivity growth, industrial policy, and America's technological future. Andreessen argues that while AI has already begun reshaping the economy, the largest impacts are still ahead. He explores how AI could dramatically expand access to expertise, improve productivity, and transform industries ranging from healthcare and education to law and software development. At the same time, he warns that many of the biggest barriers to progress are not technological but institutional, driven by regulation, policy choices, and infrastructure constraints. The discussion also covers the global AI race, U.S.-China competition, export controls, data centers, energy, reindustrialization, defense technology, and the role of government in fostering innovation. Along the way, Andreessen shares his views on technological progress, national competitiveness, and why he believes America still has an opportunity to lead the next wave of economic growth.

Kevin Weil, the previous CPO & Vice President of Science at OpenAI, joins Speedrun to discuss the future of AI, scientific discovery, and startup building. After helping build products at Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, Weil is now focused on one of AI's most ambitious applications: accelerating science itself. He explains why modern AI models are beginning to solve problems that sit beyond the frontier of existing human knowledge, and how advances in reasoning, coding, and autonomous research could reshape fields ranging from mathematics to medicine. The conversation explores scientific discovery, robotic labs, AI agents, product design, startup opportunities, and why the current wave of AI may create entirely new categories of companies. Along the way, Weil shares lessons from scaling products used by billions of people and explains what founders should understand about building in a world where AI capabilities continue to improve at an unprecedented pace.

Michael Malice sits down with Marc Andreessen to discuss artificial intelligence, technological progress, economic growth, and the future of human flourishing. Drawing on decades of experience spanning the birth of the commercial internet through today’s AI boom, Andreessen argues that many of the most common fears about technology are rooted in a misunderstanding of how innovation creates opportunity. He explains how modern AI systems work, why large language models differ from earlier visions of artificial intelligence, and why he believes AI will ultimately expand human capability rather than replace it. The discussion covers AI, automation, productivity, cybersecurity, economic growth, creativity, and the recurring historical pattern of technological disruption. Along the way, Andreessen shares his views on optimism, abundance, and why he believes technological progress remains one of humanity’s most powerful tools for solving problems.

Anish Acharya speaks with Microsoft VP of Design John Maeda and Impeccable founder and CEO Paul Bakaus about how AI is changing the practice of design. The conversation explores the relationship between design and technology, the rise of AI-powered creative tools, and whether automation raises the floor, the ceiling, or both. Maeda and Bakaus discuss software craftsmanship, taste, creative judgment, and why some aspects of design may become increasingly automated while others become more valuable. They also examine agentic workflows, the future of user experience, the role of designers in an AI-native world, and how new tools may reshape the relationship between designers, engineers, and software itself.

Anish Acharya sits down with Josh Elman to discuss the future of consumer technology and Josh's decision to join a16z. Over the past two decades, Elman has helped shape some of the most important consumer technology products and companies, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Robinhood, Discord, Musical.ly, TikTok, and Apple. Drawing on those experiences, he reflects on how technology has evolved from a niche industry into a central force in everyday life. The conversation explores consumer AI, product design, distribution, social networks, creator ecosystems, and the changing relationship between technology and human behavior. They discuss why AI may unlock an entirely new generation of consumer products, how discovery and distribution are changing, and what founders can learn from previous platform shifts. Along the way, Elman shares his views on retention, network effects, product-market fit, and the opportunities he believes remain underexplored in consumer technology.

Jake Paul and Geoff Woo join the podcast to announce Anti Fund’s new $100 million growth fund and discuss the evolution of their investment strategy. The conversation covers the fund’s portfolio, including investments in companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic, Anduril, Cognition, Etched, and Modal, as well as the lessons they’ve learned backing founders and identifying emerging technologies. They discuss founder psychology, resilience, ambition, and why they believe attention, culture, and distribution are becoming increasingly important advantages in the AI era. Along the way, Jake reflects on his path from creator to entrepreneur, athlete, and investor, while Geoff shares his views on venture capital, technology, and how AI is reshaping opportunity for founders and builders.