Ben Horowitz is the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, Silicon Valley’s largest and most influential venture capital firm, with over $46B in committed capital across multiple funds. He took Loudcloud public with just $2 million in revenue (dubbed “the IPO from hell”), sold it for $1.6 billion, and has backed companies from Facebook to Stripe to Airbnb to OpenAI to Databricks (now worth more than $100 billion). His management philosophy—forged through near-death experiences and refined through coaching hundreds of CEOs—contradicts most conventional startup wisdom. *In our conversation, Ben shares:* 1. Why “founder mode” is half right and half dangerously wrong 2. The story behind “Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager” and why it went viral despite being written in anger 3. Where the biggest AI startup opportunities remain 4. Why you need to run toward fear, never away 5. The one trait that predicts that a founder will fail as CEO 6. Inside Paid in Full, Ben’s nonprofit awarding pensions to pioneering hip-hop artists *Brought to you by:* DX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchers: https://getdx.com/lenny Basecamp—The famously straightforward project management system from 37signals: https://www.basecamp.com/lenny Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life: https://miro.com/lenny *Transcript:* https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/46b-of-hard-truths-from-ben-horowitz *My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers):* https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/172439345/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation *Where to find Ben Horowitz:* • X: https://x.com/bhorowitz • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behorowitz/ • Andreessen Horowitz’s website: https://a16z.com/ *Where to find Lenny:* • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ *In this episode, we cover:* (00:00) Introduction to Ben Horowitz (04:09) Important leadership lessons from Shaka Senghor (10:15) Running toward fear and why hesitation kills companies (19:35) Who shouldn’t start a company (22:36) The Databricks story: thinking bigger (24:54) Managerial leverage and CEO psychology (28:06) When founders should be replaced as CEOs (31:20) Normalizing failure for CEOs (37:57) Counterintuitive lessons about building companies (42:31) “Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager” (48:21) Product managers as leaders (51:16) Why a16z invested in Adam Neumann after WeWork (56:23) Is AI in a bubble? (01:02:43) The biggest opportunities in AI (01:12:51) Why U.S. leadership in AI matters (01:18:53) The Paid in Full Foundation for hip-hop pioneers (01:23:18) Lightning round: book recommendations, products, and life mottos *Referenced:* • Shaka Senghor on The Joe Rogan Experience: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79neOSawKbrxY6Tl2wV1Kx • 1999 Martha’s Vineyard plane crash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Martha%27s_Vineyard_plane_crash • John Reed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._Reed# • LoudCrowd: https://loudcrowd.com/ • Marc Andreessen on X: https://x.com/pmarca • Ali Ghodsi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/ • Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/ • Ion Stoica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ionstoica/ • Hadoop: https://hadoop.apache.org/ • The Sad Truth About Developing Executives: https://a16z.com/the-sad-truth-about-developing-executives/ • Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zuck/ • Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama • Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach • Brian Chesky—Founder Mode & The Art of Hiring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFOGlNL39xs • Bob Iger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Iger • Larry Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Page • Kanye West: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West • Diddy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Combs • Arsalan Tavakoli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arsalantavakoli/ • Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager: https://a16z.com/good-product-manager-bad-product-manager/ • Netscape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape • Jensen Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang/ • David Weiden on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidweiden/ • Raghu Raghuram on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raghuraghuram/ • Adam Neumann on X: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Neumann • WeWork: https://www.wework.com/ • Cluely: https://cluely.com/ ...References continued at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/46b-of-hard-truths-from-ben-horowitz _Production and marketing by https://penname.co/._ _For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com._ Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Do we need a new pay system for the way startup employees are compensated? While many people agree that the current 90-day exercise practice — an outdated relic of when companies used to go public/get liquidity in a much shorter timeframe — is far from ideal, neither are some of the other solutions proposed so far. Because incentives matter, and behavior follows incentives. Which is fine as long as you know all the implications around what you’re incentivizing for and it aligns to what you want as a founder for your company and employees. So “let’s get it out from under the rug, let’s talk about it, and let’s design a system that works for whatever you want your company to be”, argue a16z partners Ben Horowitz and Scott Kupor in this episode of the a16z Podcast. The discussion goes beyond just the question of a 10-year exercise to other configurations — such as Snapchat’s model and Tesla’s model for timing options, as well as radical experiments like “progressive equity“. What are the tradeoffs of each approach? How does the type of company you’re building (a complex hardware or infrastructure-heavy startup for example) change things? How does the broader environment affect all these considerations (and might plans to create a new long-term stock exchange help)? Finally, is it fair to treat tenure as a proxy for the actual value a particular employee contributed to building the company? Or to optimize for earlier vs. later employees, particular if the earlier ones de-risked the company and later ones helped scale it? And what do different employees want — more options, more RSUs, cash, more ownership, more stability, more mobility? All this and more in this episode…
“The only unforgivable sin in business is to run out of cash” [so said Harold Geneen], yet startup CEOs “always act on leading indicators of good news, and lagging indicators of bad news” [according to Andy Grove]; after all, it requires a certain stubborn, headstrong optimism to start a company. So how to reconcile these views? At the very least, pay more attention to leading indicators of running out of cash, “because there’s just no going back”! But doing all this — while also trying to balance growth, advance planning vs. constantly changing strategy, revenue vs. margin, coordination/communication/culture, and so on — is a lot harder than it seems on a finance spreadsheet. It requires understanding that the “math is not the terrain, the spreadsheet is not the business”… yet also knowing when to trade rose-colored glasses for darker rainy-day ones. And that's where a CEO partnering productively with a CFO comes in. In this episode of the a16z Podcast -- moderated by (and based on an internal event for CEOs+CFOs hosted by) Caroline Moon, who leads the financial operations for startups practice on a16z's corp dev team -- Ben Horowitz and Scott Kupor share their personal insights as well as advice for founders: How DO you do it all?
with Ben Horowitz (@bhorowitz) and Sharon Chang (@sychang) What does it really take to start a startup (or work at one)? In this episode of the a16z Podcast -- based on a Q&A with Ben Horowitz as part of an event hosted by a16z's Technical Talent and People Practices team for a16z portfolio company summer interns 2018 -- Ben shares quick thoughts and advice geared towards those early in their tech careers. The conversation covers everything from how to know what kind of company to join early (or when to strike out on one's own); the major platform shifts we should anticipate going forward; and founding (as well as exit) stories, like Microsoft’s acquisition of Github. What was the moral of that story for him, and for the industry?... this short a16z Bytes episode shares a glimpse into (some of) those "earned secrets".
with Ken Coleman, Ben Horowitz (@bhorowitz), and Michel Feaster (@michelfeaster) Everyone talks about the importance of mentorship in our professional development, whether it's networking to broaden career opportunities or learning from someone more experienced. But how does one break into an industry without established contacts or prior exposure? Are things different if mentors/mentees come from different backgrounds? If you're already more established in your career, how can you help up-and-comers... and actually, how could mentees help mentors, too? This episode of the a16z Podcast aims to answer these questions, and more. It's based on a networking event held by Andreessen Horowitz in May 2018 and featuring a Q&A moderated by Usermind CEO and co-founder Michel Feaster in conversation with a16z co-founder and general partner Ben Horowitz (also HER mentor); and Ken Coleman (also HIS mentor). Beginning with their personal journeys and ending with advice for others, they talk about their entry points into the tech world to how mentorship continues to play a role in their careers... both as mentors, and mentees. photo credit: Chris Lyons
One of the ways to damage a fast-growing startup is to not have an HR person. But when is the right time to bring someone on? What qualities should you look for? How can you preserve the company culture and energy that got you where you are -- while still putting in place the processes that HR requires? Ben Horowitz and a16z’s head of technical talent Shannon Schiltz (Callahan) dive into the world of HR for startups. How does a good HR professional partner with a CEO? When you have to fire someone for the first time … and how should it go down? Musical kicker at end: If you thought you couldn’t rhyme Oculus, think again. For Ben’s debut on the a16z podcast, we included an original song provided by friend of the firm Divine (and produced by a16z’s own Chris Lyons). For more on Divine and his relationship with Ben, check out Rap Genius. rapgenius.com/Divine-the-4th-let…en-horowitz-lyrics
The hardest thing about pivots (major shifts in company/product direction) isn't just the actual pivot. It's the courage to make the decision... and being honest with yourself as a CEO. Especially since, no matter how great the team or board or even customers may be, it's lonely: You're the only one in the position to synthesize the knowledge; nobody else has the data and the insight put together in the same way. And sigh, "pivot" has also become such an overused word, it's certainly lost nuance, and perhaps even meaning. So what does "pivoting" a startup really mean? For decision making? Timing (or time left until you run out of cash)? Culture? Are things different for so-called “hard tech” or deep research-based startups? Finally, how do you know when things are working, that you really do have product-market fit? a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz and Lytro CEO Jason Rosenthal discuss (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi) all this and more in this episode of the a16z podcast, sharing war stories and lessons learned. Both witnessed first-hand -- and drove -- pivots: Jason watching Ben at Loudcloud/Opsware post-IPO, and conversely, Ben watching Jason at Lytro. Maybe, all startups -- and ultimately, successful companies -- are really just a series of pivots...
Some of the best management books are actually military books, argues Ben Horowitz. There's just a certain mental toughness and focus that that experience gives you, adds Dick Costolo based on his observations. So how then do you build trust on a team in a company, when it's not (literally) life or death as it is in the military? When giving someone a public "object lesson" -- the equivalent of Sun Tzu's chopping someone's head off -- could mean losing talent ... or being more tyrant than leader? How do you tell the difference? This conversation -- between Horowitz and Costolo (entrepreneur, former CEO of Twitter, comedian and consultant on the HBO show "Silicon Valley") -- took place before a group of 25 veterans who participated in the Breakline education and hiring program (one week of which was hosted at Andreessen Horowitz) for veterans shifting into careers in the tech industry.
The hallmark of many great technical founder/CEOs is that they envision a better way of doing things, and that's why they're building a company that delivers on that better way, often disrupting the way things have always been done before. But this very mindset can backfire when it comes to sales. Why shouldn't they reinvent the sales process?? On this episode of the a16z Podcast -- with a16z's Mark Cranney (head of our sales and market development team), Lars Dalgaard, and Ben Horowitz -- we cover the why, how, and when of sales: why do we even need sales when "a really good product sells itself"; how to organize the sales function depending on what you're building (especially when what you're selling is continually changing); and when to bring on that first sales hire. Finally, how do we wrap our heads around sales culture, competition, and commissions in startups? It doesn't help when everyone in the company -- not just sales reps -- are the ones building the very thing you're selling ... so why the special rewards for sales? It isn't fair! Or is it? All this and more in this episode of the pod.
Teenage siblings Ima, Asha and Caleb Christian from Atlanta, Georgia join Ben Horowitz for a discussion about the motivation and origins of their new app, Five-O. In the aftermath of the tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri, the young developers built Five-O as a tool to rate and document interactions -- good and bad -- with the police. Ben and the Five-O team discuss the origins and technical underpinnings of the app. Rapper Nas makes an appearance, offering his own experience with the police, and why efforts like Five-O work towards a solution that both citizens and police should get behind.
Palmer Luckey got fired from Meta for backing the wrong candidate—now he's the hero saving American defense, and that shift tells you everything about how fast the ground moved beneath Silicon Valley's feet. For decades, tech and defense were allies, then came 15 years of hostility so visceral that Google employees revolted over a Pentagon AI contract, and when leadership caved, only three people showed up to hear what border security actually involves. But something broke: COVID exposed our inability to make things, Ukraine revealed wars now iterate in days not decades, and suddenly the Harvard dorm room generation realized the people building satellites and drones weren't just necessary—they were the future, while legacy defense contractors still operate on Soviet-style five-year plans that guarantee cost overruns and obsolescence. Now the question isn't whether Silicon Valley returns to its Cold War roots, but whether America wins by becoming more like China's centralized system or doubles down on the chaotic creativity that built nine of the world's ten most valuable companies in 25 years—and the founders flooding into defense, energy, mining, and manufacturing suggest the second American century is just getting started. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 1:32 - When Katherine Boyle Named the Category That Changed Everything 2:54 - Silicon Valley’s Lost Alliance: When Tech and Defense Stopped Working Together 8:50 - “Three People Showed Up”: When Emotional Outrage Replaced Curiosity 14:14 - “It’s Time to Build”: How COVID and The Social Network Defined a Decade 25:28 - Why Hardware Isn’t Hard Anymore: Commodity Parts Meet Advanced Software 29:20 - Space 2.0: Why You Don’t Need to Build Everything Yourself 37:28 - Attributable Systems: Rethinking the Economics of War 44:42 - “The War Won’t Be About Space, It Will Be In Space” 46:33 - Every Country Wants Their Own Silicon Valley 58:01 - Winning by Being More Like Us, Not More Like Them 1:13:51 - Why American Dynamism Founders Are Different Resources: Follow Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Follow Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com Follow Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Follow David on X: https://x.com/davidu Follow Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Stay Updated: Find us on X: https://x.com/a16z Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z/ The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds. PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
Recorded live at the a16z Fintech Connect conference in Deer Valley, Alex Rampell speaks with Ben Horowitz, cofounder and general partner at a16z, about how AI has rewritten the fundamental rules of software competition, why crypto infrastructure will become essential in an AI-dominated world, and what the future holds for venture capital. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:39) The New Laws of Physics for Tech Companies (06:37) Why Not Every Legacy SaaS Company Is Dead (08:17) The Future of Venture Capital (10:30) America's AI Infrastructure Bottleneck (14:27) AI + Crypto: Why They're More Connected Than You Think (19:54) The Future of VC (24:06) AI and the History of Technological Change Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Resources: Follow Alex Rampell on X: https://twitter.com/arampell Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.
David Ulevitch speaks with Ben Horowitz about what it means to lead the technology industry at scale, and the responsibilities that come with it. Following the firm’s largest-ever fundraise, they discuss how venture capital, technology, and national strategy are increasingly intertwined. The conversation covers America’s role in the next technological revolution, from AI to advanced manufacturing, and why maintaining technological leadership is critical not just for economic growth, but for global influence. Horowitz also shares his perspective on working with government, supporting national security innovation, and building systems that give more people the opportunity to contribute. They also discuss how venture capital is evolving, the shift toward larger firms and specialized strategies, and why optimism about technology, and its potential to improve lives, remains essential even amid growing skepticism. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:41 - Why America's Technology Dominance Matters for the World 04:04 - American Dynamism, AI & Catching Up to China 08:50 - The Anthropic Deal: What Really Happened 13:37 - Exporting American Dynamism to Our Allies 16:56 - Power, Responsibility & How a16z Serves Founders 18:58 - The State of Venture Capital & Why Most Firms Can't Scale 23:21 - The New Rules of Media 26:22 - America's AI Optimism Gap Resources: Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Follow David Ulevitch on X: https://x.com/davidu Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.
The holy grail of company building is finding product-market fit. But what most people don’t tell you is that once you’ve found it, product-market fit brings its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to scaling rapidly and hiring the right executives at the right time. Drawing from their extensive experiences, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz and Databricks cofounder and CEO Ali Ghodsi sit down to talk about the hardest things about executive hiring and firing, and what is at stake. They dive into the common reasons an exec fails, why sometimes micromanagement is a good idea, and the difference between someone who has written a playbook and someone who has only run one. If you’d like to dive even deeper, the Growth team at a16z has spent the last year compiling insights from dozens of leaders at late-stage startups to literally write the book on hiring executives to scale. You can find that book at: http://a16z.com/executive-hiring-playbook Topics Covered: 00:00 - Post-product market fit 03:07 - When is it time to let someone go? 05:41 - When do you give someone a chance to grow into the role? 07:05- Let go or level? 09:27 - How do you have the tough conversation? 16:39 - Exit packages 18:40 - Setting a new leader up for success 24:27 - The importance of the first quick win 26:24 - The impact a new leader has on culture 32:52 - Common ways new leaders fail 37:35 - Closing thoughts Resources: Read the Executive Hiring: The Key to Scaling in the Growth Stages: http://a16z.com/executive-hiring-playbook Learn more about Databricks: https://www.databricks.com Find Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Find Ali on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alighodsi Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures
AI is changing how companies are built and how venture firms operate, forcing faster decisions, clearer judgment, and new ways of working. In this exclusive conversation, Ben Horowitz shares how Andreessen Horowitz adapts to that shift. He explains why managing GPs is different from running a company, how investors are evaluated at the moment of decision rather than years later, and why verticalized teams help the firm scale without internal politics. Ben also breaks down the current AI cycle, from treating AI as a new computing platform to why application design and model orchestration matter more than raw model size. He discusses the return of M&A and why today’s AI market reflects real demand, not just inflated valuations. Timecodes: 0:00 – Introduction 1:33 – Managing GPs vs. companies 4:33 – Framework for evaluating GP performance 6:23 – Verticalization strategy & firm structure 10:14 – Culture and staying in the details 12:46 – How to identify the right markets 17:49 – Mission: giving people a shot 21:28 – M&A landscape opening up 22:09 – Why foundation models alone aren't enough 25:46 – Ownership and the future of VC 29:03 – Why AI will produce more winners than previous technology cycles 32:01 – Rapid-fire personal questions Resources: Follow Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Follow Jen on X: https://twitter.com/jkhamehl Read Justine’s piece ‘There is No God Tier Video Model’: https://a16z.com/there-is-no-god-tier-video-model-but-there-is-something-better Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X :https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.
In this talk from the American Dynamism Summit, a16z Cofounder and General Partner Ben Horowitz speaks with a16z General Partner David Ulevitch about the qualities that make strong CEOs, the importance of being mission-driven, and the need for a strong alliance between government and the tech sector.
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. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Why a16z Is Going Global 05:06 - Tech as the Arena of National Power 09:36 - Products Travel Faster Than Companies Can 14:01 - American Values in the Models the World Runs On 18:52 - Prioritizing Geos: Japan, Saudi, Mexico & the Indo-Pacific 24:41 - How a16z's International Strategy Differs from Other VCs 29:31 - AI, Cybersecurity & the Dual-Use Dilemma 37:00 - What It Actually Takes to Build a Silicon Valley Resources: Read more about a16z’s global mission: https://a16z.com/a16zs-global-mission/ Follow Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Follow Anne on X: https://x.com/AnneNeuberger Follow Raghu on X: https://x.com/RaghuRaghuram Follow Jen Kha on X: https://x.com/jkhamehl Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see http://a16z.com/disclosures.
Erik Torenberg sits down with Ben Horowitz, Cofounder of a16z, for a candid conversation on venture capital, leadership, and the future of innovation. Recorded live at a16z’s Menlo Park offices in 2023, Ben shares practical wisdom and hard-earned lessons on navigating market cycles, building resilient companies, and why culture is a lasting competitive edge. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 02:20 Building Multi-Generational Venture Firms 03:56 a16z’s unique product-first, investor-second approach 05:55 YC as a16z’s closest spiritual analog 08:47 Ben on why venture firms should stay private 11:40 How a16z scaled fund sizes to market opportunities 12:11 Why a16z went bigger than Benchmark or USV on fund size 16:13 Ben’s view on the future of venture 19:05 How Ben thinks about riding trends like AI, crypto, etc. 26:50 a16z’s AI strategy 32:38 Will a16z expand into multi-asset firms like BlackRock? 33:33 How a16z thinks about their LPs differently from other firms 39:22. Peacetime vs. Wartime VCs Resources: Find Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Subscribe to Turpentine VC: link.chtbl.com/TurpentineVC Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.
The US legal system was built on predictability, but it is now a political battleground. Ben Horowitz explains how prosecutors and judges have become above the law. They discuss why a16z left Delaware for Nevada and why the only neutral future is the rule of code. If these ideas interest you, we're building startup societies at Network School. You can apply online at https://ns.com. OUTLINE 4:15 - The digital is inspiring the physical 6:40 - Communities Ben Horowitz would like to see 11:01 - The Special Elon Zone 20:48 - What the state cares about is power 26:34 - Huge strength of US has been rule of law 29:52 - Rule of law into rule of code REFERENCES I. Books * The Hard Thing About Hard Things: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building-ebook/dp/B00DQ845EA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0 * The Network State: https://www.amazon.com/Network-State-How-Start-Country-ebook/dp/B09VPKZR3G II. Studies and Articles * Netscape: How the First Commercial Web Browser Shaped the Internet: https://yourstory.com/2023/07/netscape-journey-first-commercial-web-browser * Wyoming's DAO law: https://www.wyoleg.gov/2021/Introduced/SF0038.pdf * Tennessee's DAO law: https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0748.pdf * Worldcoin is surging in Argentina: https://restofworld.org/2024/worldcoin-argentina/ * Malaysia collaborates with Worldcoin to enhance digital ID verification: https://dig.watch/updates/malaysia-collaborates-with-worldcoin-to-enhance-digital-id-verification * "Leaving Delaware" by Elad Gil : https://blog.eladgil.com/p/leaving-delaware * a16z on moving from Delaware: https://a16z.com/were-leaving-delaware-and-we-think-you-should-consider-leaving-too/ * Cryptocurrency's growing role in US elections: https://www.eiu.com/n/cryptocurrencys-growing-role-in-us-elections/ * The GENIUS Act of 2025 - Stablecoin Legislation Adopted in the US: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1582/text * Apple forced to ease rules on crypto applications: https://dig.watch/updates/apple-forced-to-ease-rules-on-crypto-apps SOCIALS https://x.com/ns https://x.com/bhorowitz https://ns.com/
Lecture Transcript: http://tech.genius.com/B-horowitz-lecture-15-how-to-manage-annotated You are not the only one whom your decisions impact. Ben Horowitz, founder of Andreessen Horowitz and Opsware, discusses this important management perspective that founders miss, with, of course, the gratuitous rap lyric or two sprinkled in. See the slides and readings at http://startupclass.samaltman.com/courses/lec15
#startup #founder #ceo
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, joins Patrick to discuss the changing landscape of technology and the future of America. They explore how AI is altering the "laws of physics" for company building and why Ben remains optimistic about the US tech sector. The conversation covers the founding principles of a16z, lessons on management from Andy Grove, and why corporate culture is defined by actions, not values. Ben also details his initiative with the Las Vegas Police Department to use advanced technology for safer community policing. #a16z #venturecapital #ai #benhorowitz #technology #business #leadership #startups #investing #siliconvalley Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:00 The US Tech Advantage 2:49 A Solution for Everything 4:21 The Fragility of Success 7:14 The New Physics of Company Building 10:48 "Alchemistic" Talent 12:57 Inequality and the Kobe Bryant Effect 17:01 Automation History & The Future of Jobs 20:06 American Leadership in the AI Era 22:42 Andy Grove & High Output Management 26:02 The Hardest Part of Being a CEO 29:56 Founding a16z 35:11 Scaling the Firm & Early Mistakes 39:19 Broken Capital Markets 41:23 Why We Don't Do Private Equity 43:29 Culture Is Action, Not Platitudes 49:54 Coding & Art 52:08 Learning from Nas 56:36 Las Vegas: The Future of Tech-Enabled Policing 1:01:03 The Kindest Thing Presented by Ramp: https://ramp.com/invest Sponsored by WorkOS, Rogo, Vanta and Ridgeline: https://workos.com/ https://rogo.ai/invest https://www.vanta.com/invest https://www.ridgelineapps.com/ ****** Patrick O'Shaughnessy is the CEO of Positive Sum. All opinions expressed by Patrick and podcast guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinion of Positive Sum. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of Positive Sum may maintain positions in the securities discussed in this podcast. To learn more, visit psum.vc