Virtual reality is coming fast, and everyone seems to assume that it will be gamers who get to have all the fun first. But there are other applications for VR that could also bring it into the mainstream. “It could very well be business users,” says 16z’s Chris Dixon. “It’s anything where you would want time travel or teleportation.” Dixon is joined on this segment of the podcast by Saku Panditharatne and Kyle Russell, both on the firm’s deal team, to offer their perspective on how virtual reality is likely to enter all of our lives. This year promises to be the moment when more than a very small number of people will get their first taste of VR. What that looks and feels like, and what that shared experience sets in motion on this segment of the a16z podcast. Chris Dixon starts the conversation.
This episode of the a16z Podcast goes deep on various trends in cryptocurrencies -- from mental models for understanding tokens and what may give them long-term value; to the role of stablecoins in the ecosystem; to scaling, on-chain and off-chain protocols, forks, and more. The discussion features general partner Chris Dixon in conversation with Nick Tomaino, the founder of early-stage crypto venture fund 1confirmation, editor of The Control, and former business development at Coinbase. (He is also an investor in Basecoin, Cosmos, Ethereum, and MakerDAO.) You can also check out past episodes in this series, covering everything from investing in cryptocurrencies and protocols to accelerating research and practical applications to why crypto tokens matter -- as well as a video covering the building blocks of all things crypto -- at a16z.com/crypto.
Suppose you develop a new technology that is valuable to some industry. The old approach was to sell or license your technology to the existing companies in that industry. The new approach is to build a complete, end-to-end product or service that bypasses existing companies. Andreessen Horowitz’s Chris Dixon, Balaji Srinivasan and Benedict Evans discuss the reasons behind, and advantages of, going “full stack.”
Why do some consumer products explode into networks that reshape the internet, while others fade away? Today on the podcast, a16z general partners Anish Acharya and Chris Dixon take on that question. Anish invests in AI-native consumer products and the next wave of consumer tech. Chris is best known for his work in Web3 and network economies, and he’s also led some of a16z’s biggest consumer bets. Together, they cover the history and power of consumer networks, the exponential forces that shape how they grow, and what it all means for founders building in the age of AI. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 0:33 The Power of Networks & Network Effects 2:08 Composability and Open Source Growth 5:35 The Rise of Consumer Tools & Networks 6:50 Advice for Founders 10:08 Brand, Pricing, and Defensibility in Tech 14:58 Movements, Niche Communities, and Investing 19:57 The Impact of Timing of Networks 21:02 What are the Second Order Implications? 24:06 The Emergence of 'Narrow Startups' and Platform Shifts 30:55 Native vs. Skeuomorphic Technologies 34:20 New Art Media and Prompt Engineering 36:54 Open-Source AI & The Future of Technology Resources: Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience Read Chris' Come for the Tools, Stay for the Network': https://cdixon.org/2015/01/31/come-for-the-tool-stay-for-the-network Stay Updated: Find a16z on X: https://X.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Find us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX?si=3E8B3qT9TyiwAHJ7JnaKbg Find us on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://twitter.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.
Read Write Own (readwriteown.com) is a new book by Chris Dixon, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and founder of the largest crypto fund in the world. It's an important work that is simultaneously the best crypto tutorial for newcomers and an accessible reference for experts. Balaji and Chris are long-time friends and worked together at a16z for years. Here they discuss Read Write Own and the state of crypto in 2024. OUTLINE 0:20 - Read Write Own 5:04 - Why Books Are Much Harder than Essays 11:43 - Five Sections of Read Write Own 17:49 - Open RSS vs Proprietary Social 25:36 - Every Protocol Gets Global State 32:10 - Web3 Helps Developers 35:10 - Proprietary Network Lockdown 38:30 - Crypto Subsidizes Creatives 42:34 - Online Status and Virtual Goods 43:56 - Own Usernames like Domain Names 47:35 - What Digital Ownership Means 48:32 - You Don't Own Kindle Ebooks 58:11 - Collaborative Storytelling 1:01:07 - Digital Identity 1:09:24 - A Sincere Long Form Discussion AUDIO Apple: https://bit.ly/3udD08T Spotify: https://bit.ly/3HB7qoD SOCIAL https://readwriteown.com https://thenetworkstate.com/podcast https://twitter.com/cdixon https://twitter.com/balajis
Chris Dixon is the perfect example of how learning in public can catapult you to success. Come learn how he went from writer to owner, and how you can, too. SPEAKER LINKS: Website: https://cdixon.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cdixon Blog: https://cdixon.substack.com/subscribe Book: https://www.amazon.com/Read-Write-Own-Building-Internet/dp/0593731387 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoAeFr1JnlHwQ1ex7WlWi-g WRITE OF PASSAGE: Want to learn more about the next class Write of Passage? https://take.writeofpassage.school/writing-sprints TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:56 Early Career 00:06:40 Social Networks 00:10:11 Engineering and Writing 00:17:30 Writing and coding 00:18:30 Structuring 00:21:00 Editing 00:25:00 Software as lego bricks 00:31:50 Read Write Own 00:35:17 Writing a book 00:39:30 Writing process 00:43:45 Editing process 00:48:10 Business models of writing 00:59:35 What is your secret? 01:01:30 Your core idea 01:05:30 1000 true fans, or not? 01:11:30 Internet creators 01:14:30 AI and writing 01:20:55 Recency bias PODCAST LINKS: Website: https://writeofpassage.school/how-i-write/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv ABOUT THE HOST: I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible.
What happens when two of the biggest tech waves—AI and crypto—start to converge? In this LP Summit conversation, a16z General Partners Chris Dixon and David George explore how stablecoins are creating a new global financial layer, why generative AI is reshaping market structures, and how the next tech giants will be built. From network effects to native AI business models, this is a sharp look at the future of innovation and investing. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 00:46 State of Crypto Today 01:53 The Rise of Stablecoins 06:14 Generative AI: Initial Impressions 10:08 AI's Second-Order Effects and Future Media 12:36 AI and Crypto: Coordination and Collective Action 15:54 Google's Innovator Dilemma 18:34 Google's Business Model and the Internet Pact 20:52 Future Business Models in the AI Era 23:54 Advertising and Business Models in the Digital Age 26:11 Network Effects and Competitive Moats 28:11 The Future of AI Applications and Infrastructure 31:33 Investment Strategies and Market Structures 35:25 Evaluating Founders and Venture Capital Insights Resources: Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon Find David on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83 Watch ‘What is an AI Agent?’: https://youtu.be/xGEUPLLuEIo?si=RM-tD-R8H9XfbIP 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.
Technology doesn’t grow in isolation—it evolves in waves. Just as mobile, cloud, and social shaped the internet of the past 20 years, so too could crypto, AI, and new hardware usher in an era of the internet that’s pro-innovation, pro-startup, and pro-creator. Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner Chris Dixon breaks down his vision for a new internet, from using crypto to decentralize AI infrastructure and kickstart network effects, to why AI will be this era’s native form of media just as film was in the 1930s. He also explores why the internet’s original covenant—where content creators traded free access for search traffic—is breaking today, and how a better internet could introduce entirely new business models for creators. Right now, we have a choice to make: will the next era of the internet be shaped by a handful of centralized players, or transformed into an open ecosystem where power and control flow to creators across the globe? Read a full transcript here: https://a16z.com/ai-crypto-internet-chris-dixon/ [00:00:30] How technology evolves [00:02:54] How crypto and AI interact [00:08:39] Breaking the economic pact of the internet [00:12:57] From mobile, social, and cloud to crypto, AI, and hardware [00:14:49] Using crypto to bootstrap network effects [00:16:33] Is AI frosting or sugar? [00:19:57] Come for the tool, stay for the network [00:20:39] Skeuomorphic vs. native technologies [00:26:07] AI as the creative substrate of our era [00:30:11] Balancing supply and demand in AI [00:35:03] What decides consumer adoption of AI? [00:36:05] What is the ideal future state of the internet? In our conversation series AI Revolution, we ask industry leaders how they’re harnessing the power of generative AI and steering their companies through the next platform shift. Find more content from our AI Revolution series on www.a16z.com/AIRevolution. Chris Dixon’s book is now available in paperback at readwriteown.com. 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, digital asset, 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.