Housing and healthcare make up nearly half of household spending, yet both sectors are riddled with inefficiency and rising costs. In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by a16z Growth partner Alex Immerman and Minna Song and Tony Stoyanov, cofounders of EliseAI, to discuss why they’re tackling these critical industries and how AI can transform everything from leasing and maintenance to patient scheduling and compliance. The conversation covers: - Why the U.S. is 5 million housing units short — and how technology can help unlock existing supply - How automation can cut waste, reduce labor costs, and improve affordability - What fully autonomous buildings might look like, and how that model could extend to healthcare This is about the costs that touch every household, and the role AI might play in finally bringing them down. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 0:28 Why Housing and Healthcare? 1:55 Technology’s Role in Housing 3:30 Housing Affordability & Supply Challenges 5:29 Regulatory and Capital Barriers 8:13 Improving Efficiency in Real Estate 12:50 Automation & The Future of Property Management 18:15 The Human Role in an Automated Future 20:35 Financial Engineering & Data Bottlenecks 21:51 The Future of Housing: AI, Robotics, and Mobility 25:33 R&D and Technology Adoption in Real Estate 27:40 Addressing Criticisms of PropTech 29:30 Tackling Repairs, Maintenance, and Operations 30:49 Expanding from Housing to Healthcare 33:04 Parallels Between Housing and Healthcare 37:46 The Ultimate Vision Resources: Link to blog: https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-eliseai/ Find Minna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minna-song/ Find Tony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoyan-tony-stoyanov-07690a53 FInd Alex on X: https://x.com/aleximm 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.
On this episode of The Ben & Marc Show, a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with Erik Torenberg— General Partner at a16z and founder of the media company Turpentine—to unpack how the internet shattered the old media order and reshaped the way power works in America. What begins as a look at the evolution of media quickly becomes something bigger: a conversation about truth, trust, and the collapse of institutional authority. They explore how social media became both an x-ray and an engine, why authenticity now beats polish, and how the rules of politics, and journalism, have permanently changed. Together, they break down: - Why 2017 marked a structural break between tech and the press - The tension between objectivity, activism, and “speaking truth to power” - Why podcasters. not pundits, are setting the agenda - How the barbell strategy is reshaping media: short-form virality meets long-form depth With stops at Watergate, the rise of Rogan, the fall of legacy gatekeepers, and the media playbooks behind Obama, Trump, and the Kardashians—this episode explores how we got here, what’s next, and what it means for founders, voters, and anyone trying to build (or tell) a story. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 00:40 The Evolution of Media: From Centralization to Disruption 02:33 The Internet’s Impact on Legacy Media 09:32 Activism in the Modern Tech Press 12:30 The Rise and Fall of Institutional Trust 15:07 Recognizing the Shift in Legacy Media 20:51 Journalism: Objectivity vs. Activism 25:08 Martin Gurri and the Collapse of Authority 28:30 The Trump Era and the Media Paradigm Shift 32:23 Decentralization: From Talk Radio to Social Media 37:04 Is Social Media an Engine or a Camera? 43:50 Ben’s Early Perspective on Media and Politics 49:49 Trump as a Bridge Between Legacy and Social Media 55:44 Media Training vs. Unfiltered Authenticity 57:57 Reality TV, Professional Wrestling, and the New Playbook 1:01:04 Drama, Partisanship, and the Age of Personality 1:03:13 How Cable News Became 24/7 Entertainment 1:09:27 The UFC’s Early Struggles for Media Access 1:14:44 The Barbell Effect: Short Clips vs. Long-Form Podcasts 1:29:30 The Tools of Subversion When Out of Power 1:32:00 Media Strategy for Founders 1:37:16 The Power of Going Direct: Founders, Brands, and Audiences Listen to Us! Apple: https://bit.ly/3SdsfNt Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3SclPOr Resources: Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/ Stay Updated: Find us on X: https://x.com/a16z Find us on LinkedIn: / a16z This information is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any investment or financial product. Turpentine is an acquisition of a16z Holdings, L.L.C., and is not a bank, investment adviser, or broker-dealer. Individuals and companies featured during this podcast are not endorsing AH Capital or any of its affiliates (including, but not limited to, a16z Perennial Management L.P.). Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described in this podcast are not representative of all a16z investments and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by a16z is available at https://a16z.com/investment-list/. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but a16z does not guarantee its accuracy.
a16z General Partners Martin Casado and Anjney Midha join Erik Torenberg to unpack one of the most dramatic shifts in tech policy in recent memory: the move from “pause AI” to “win the AI race.” They trace the evolution of U.S. AI policy—from executive orders that chilled innovation, to the recent AI Action Plan that puts scientific progress and open source at the center. The discussion covers how technologists were caught off guard, why open source was wrongly equated to nuclear risk, and what changed the narrative—including China's rapid progress. The conversation also explores: - How and why the AI discourse got captured by doomerism - What “marginal risk” really means—and why it matters - Why open source AI is not just an ideology, but a business strategy - How government, academia, and industry are realigning after a fractured few years - The effect of bad legislation—and what comes next Whether you're a founder, policymaker, or just trying to make sense of AI's regulatory future, this episode breaks it all down. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction & Setting the Stage 0:47 The Policy Shift: From Fear to Action 1:47 The Pause AI Movement & Industry Response 2:28 Historical Parallels: Internet vs. AI Regulation 3:34 The SB 1047 Bill & Cultural Shifts 6:28 Open Source AI: Risks, Debates, and Misconceptions 13:39 The Chilling Effect & Global Competition 18:55 Changing Sentiments: From Caution to Pragmatism 21:18 Open Source as Business Strategy 28:45 The AI Action Plan: Reflections & Critique 32:41 Alignment, Marginal Risk, and the Future Resources Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha 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.
AI’s breakout moment is here, but where is the real value accruing, and what’s just hype? Recorded live at a16z’s annual LP Summit, General Partners Erik Torenberg, Martin Casado, and Sarah Wang unpack the current state of play in AI. From the myth of the GPT wrapper to the rapid rise of apps like Cursor, the conversation explores where defensibility is emerging, how platform shifts mirror (and diverge from) past tech cycles, and why the zero-sum mindset falls short in today’s AI landscape. They also discuss the innovator’s dilemma facing SaaS incumbents, the rise of brand moats, the surprising role of prosumer adoption, and what it takes to pick true category leaders in a market defined by both exponential growth and accelerated wipeouts. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 0:49 The AI Landscape: Growth & Fragmentation 2:36 Foundation Models vs. Apps: Who’s Winning? 7:52 The Rise of AI-Native Companies 10:23 Defensibility & Moats in AI 12:51 Case Study: Cursor & Tangible ROI 16:10 Prosumer to Enterprise: Market Evolution 18:03 Winners, Wipeouts, and Investment Lessons 19:51 China’s Impact & Open Source 20:52 What to Look for in AI Investments 21:58 Spicy Takes & Closing Thoughts Resources: Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwang 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.
In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by the a16z Consumer team—General Partner Anish Acharya and Partners Olivia Moore, Justine Moore, and Bryan Kim—for a conversation on the current state (and future) of consumer tech. They unpack why it feels like breakout consumer apps have slowed down, how AI is changing the game, and what might define the next era of products. Topics include: - The rise of AI-native consumer tools and companion apps - Why users are now spending $200+/month on AI products - The missing AI-powered social graph - Why speed and iteration may matter more than traditional moats - And what it means to build for a world where software touches everything From shifting business models to new behavior patterns, this is your pulse check on where we are—and where consumer is heading next. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction to Consumer AI 00:28 The Evolution of Consumer Breakouts 03:18 The Shift in Consumer Spending 08:00 The Future of Social Networks with AI 13:00 Enterprise Adoption of AI 20:42 The Rise of Voice Technology 23:06 AI's Role in Enterprise Conversations 25:25 AI in Education and Personal Development 26:34 AI Companions: The New Norm 31:52 The Future of AI Companions 38:50 Speculating on New AI Platforms 42:07 The Social Norms of AI Integration Resources: Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins Find Bryan on X: https://x.com/kirbyman01 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.