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Ben Horowitz and David Solomon: The Sweetest Macro Spot in 40 Years
11 segments available
a16z general partner David Haber spoke with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz on the current macro environment, enterprise AI adoption, and crypto and AI policy. Solomon describes what he calls the "sweetest spot" he's seen in 40 years and explains Goldman's "One GS 3.0" initiative to reimagine core processes with AI. Horowitz discusses why "leads aren't what they once were" in AI and how a16z grew from a startup VC to capturing 18% of all US venture capital. Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 02:09 — Goldman's Evolution from Partnership to Public Company 08:54 — How a16z Went from Top Tier to 18% of All US Venture Capital 15:33 — "As Sweet a Spot" as Solomon Has Seen in 40 Years 19:00 — M&A Outlook: "Whatever the Question Is, the Answer Is Maybe" 21:33 — Why Leads Aren't What They Once Were in AI 23:03 — Crypto Policy: The Genius Act and Clarity Act 25:24 — AI Policy: "Don't Regulate Math" 28:03 — One GS 3.0: Reimagining Processes with AI 32:54 — Will AI Agents Change Investing? 34:00 — Favorite DJ Resources: Follow David Solomon on X: https://twitter.com/DavidSolomon Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Follow David Haber on X: https://twitter.com/dhaber 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.
Segments Timeline
Introduction
"We were the largest wholesale funder in the world 10 years ago. There are a lot of things you want to be the largest in the world. Wholesale fund not one of them. >> We got a lot of criticism like why..."
Goldman's Evolution from Partnership to Public Company
"in World War I? So he's you actually remember your history. Wow. Yeah. >> Um well, yeah, small partnership betting on the future with big hopes and ambitions. I'll I'll leave it at that. Um >> well do..."
How a16z Went from Top Tier to 18% of All US Venture Capital
"wholesale funer in the world 10 years ago. There are a lot of things you want to be the largest in the world. Wholesale fun not one of them. Um and so um that strategically is another thing we were ab..."
"As Sweet a Spot" as Solomon Has Seen in 40 Years
"we think about how we have to develop some horiz. >> Awesome. Maybe maybe we'll transition just a little bit to to markets. Um, you know, David, you know, how would you describe kind of the macro envi..."
M&A Outlook: "Whatever the Question Is, the Answer Is Maybe"
"just I'm not saying it's high but it's much higher than it's been from the last for the last you know kind of 10 20 30 years since the wall fell and um you know look the world is the world is fragile ..."
Why Leads Aren't What They Once Were in AI
"as a traditional M&A. Um I hope not, but but that that may be the case. And then yeah, look, I I think there's going to be a lot of IPOs coming out of our world. So I think there's going to be some ou..."
Crypto Policy: The Genius Act and Clarity Act
"in tech. And so I think that that's actually going to drive a lot of IPOs because people are going to want to get out and have the capital to continue to compete uh because it's really necessary. You ..."
AI Policy: "Don't Regulate Math"
"have these tokens that can represent Pokemon card that can rep represent a stock certificate that can represent a dollar um and there were no rules to say well which one is this token and the approach..."
One GS 3.0: Reimagining Processes with AI
"not reproduce the copywritten work, but just build a model about it so that the kind of software becomes smarter. Um, we think that's very important because China absolutely doesn't respect copyrights..."
Will AI Agents Change Investing?
"processes and so forth in a in a big existing company is no matter what the technology is is complicated Um you know in our firm as you know uh we are kind of taking very aggressive approach to kind o..."
Favorite DJ
"how it works and look one of the things you've got to you've got to wonder why there are handful of people there are a handful of people who have so outperformed as investors over a long period of tim..."