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The New Media Playbook with Marc Andreessen & Ben Horowitz
8 segments available
Erik Torenberg, Ben Horowitz, and Marc Andreessen discuss how the media landscape has fundamentally changed and what a16z is doing about it. They cover why offense beats defense, why individuals now matter more than corporate brands, why speed wins in the new media landscape, and the difference between oral and written culture on the internet. Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction 2:26 — Offense Beats Defense in New Media 7:01 — The Death of the Corporate Brand 12:17 — Long Form as the Ultimate Shield 17:55 — If It's on TV It's a TV Show — If It's on the Internet It's a Viral Post 28:13 — Speed Wins Everything 33:16 — Is the Internet Oral or Written Culture? 37:02 — Building a16z's New Media Machine Resources: Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Follow Marc Andreessen 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.
Segments Timeline
Introduction
"Today's going to be a fun one. We're going to dive into all things new media. What is new media? What the new media team is doing here at 816Z, what we're focused on, and where we're going in 2026. Re..."
Offense Beats Defense in New Media
"that actually I'm pretty sure Bology quit because he thought we were dead because the New York Times had just like ruined the whole firm with that uh article. Um, so it was like that kind of existenti..."
The Death of the Corporate Brand
"nonprofit or a venture firm or a startup is like making decisions and acting in the world that's people like that you know there's there there's there you know there there are some set of people um wh..."
Long Form as the Ultimate Shield
"might have been on the NBC Nightly News 30 years ago. And by the way, you know, the long form of almost anything that's interesting, complex, a systems problem, um, which is most everything in politic..."
If It's on TV It's a TV Show — If It's on the Internet It's a Viral Post
"you know I don't know whatever current events or politics on TV right now which is kind of a running joke which is you know on either party which but it's just kind of like oh you know that you know y..."
Speed Wins Everything
"start out on an even playing field. um you both start your your your your decision-m cycles. Um you operate you you make your decision within an hour. The other guy is still say is inside his own udal..."
Is the Internet Oral or Written Culture?
"play with these formats and and and the kind of impact that you want to have um in a way that, you know, in in the past was kind of determined by exactly fix which fixed media you were in. And look, w..."
Building a16z's New Media Machine
"early on. I was asking you know some of the GPS hey what would where could we make the biggest difference? Like what new product should should we have and you know Syra said if we could guarantee a vi..."