Intelligent automation is transforming industries by tackling messy, unstructured workflows that traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA) couldnt handle. In this episode, a16z partner Kimberly Tan discusses the shift from rigid RPA systems to AI-powered agents and why this evolution unlocks massive opportunities in legacy markets. Drawing on her article "RIP to RPA: The Rise of Intelligent Automation," Kimberly shares real-world examples of companies revolutionizing referral management, and ...
Jan 22, 2025•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Healthcare is a $4 trillion industry, making up nearly a fifth of the U.S. economybut despite having some of the best doctors and advanced technology, the system often delivers poor outcomes at skyrocketing costs. Why is this the case, and what will it take to fix it? In this episode, a16z cofounder Marc Andreessen and General Partners Vijay Pande and Julie Yoo tackle some of the biggest questions shaping the future of healthcare: Is the solution to our healthcare crisis a policy, technology, or...
Jan 15, 2025•33 min•Ep 838•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Substack cofounder and CEO Chris Best joins a16z General Partner Andrew Chen to discuss the origins and evolution of Substack, a platform redefining media and empowering creators to connect directly with their audiences. They dive into how Substacks early days led to over 3 million paid subscribers, why creators are moving away from traditional platforms to establish direct connections with their audiences, and how the future of media in the AI era is reshaping opportunities for...
Jan 09, 2025•37 min•Ep 837•Transcript available on Metacast with @sambroner @meigga @darenmatsuoka @jneu_net @chrislyons and @rhhackett @smc90 Welcome to our special end-of-year episodes -- which also look ahead to 2025 -- covering our annual Big Ideas lists , where various a16z crypto team members share what they are personally excited about. (You can see the firmwide list, also including all the trends of the crypto team, here .) This episode is part 1 of 2 -- but you don't have to listen to them in any particular order -- covering the trends and theme...
Jan 03, 2025•35 min•Ep 836•Transcript available on Metacast As we prepare to step into 2025, the possibilities for applied AI are reshaping industries in profound ways. In this episode, a16z General Partners Julie Yoo and Angela Strange, and Partner Joe Schmidt, dive into the transformative power of AI across healthcare, fintech, and traditional service sectors. We explore: Super Staffing for Healthcare: How AI can address critical clinical labor shortages and augment care delivery at scale. Regulation Becomes Code: The potential for AI to simplify and s...
Dec 30, 2024•52 min•Ep 835•Transcript available on Metacast The AI race is on, and 2025 could be its most transformative year yet. In this episode, a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Jennifer Li, and Partner Alex Immerman dive into the trends reshaping AI and its impact on search, infrastructure, and devices. We explore: How AI-native tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are challenging Googles search dominance. The rise of infrastructure independence as governments prioritize compute, energy, and data. The future of smaller, on-device AI models driving...
Dec 25, 2024•43 min•Ep 834•Transcript available on Metacast As 2025 begins, industries are evolving at unprecedented speed: robots are revolutionizing manufacturing, terabytes of earth observation data are driving new possibilities, and gaming technology is transforming how we design, train, and innovate across sectors. In this episode, a16z General Partner Erin Price-Wright, Engineering Fellow Millen Anand, and Partner Troy Kirwin discuss the trends reshaping the future of hardware, software, and beyond. We explore: How robots and full-stack engineers a...
Dec 20, 2024•42 min•Ep 833•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Web3 with a16z, Shopify CEO and cofounder Tobias Ltke joins a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz for a conversation recorded live at the a16z crypto Founders Summit. Together, they explore what it takes to build a breakout startup in a competitive market, the changing landscape of retail, and how to drive workplace change while navigating corporate culture and calls for activism. Tobias shares the story behind Shopify's growth from a snowboarding store to a global ecommerce platform se...
Dec 16, 2024•45 min•Ep 832•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know the U.S. nurse labor market is over $600 billion annually, but the dedicated software market for nurses is almost zero? In this episode General Partners Alex Rampell, David Haber, and Angela Strange discuss how AI is revolutionizing labor by automating tasks traditionally done by humans. Theyll trace the evolution of cloud eras from the original to financial services-enabled to the current AI-enabled outcomes era showcasing how AI is creating unprecedented opportunities, allowing st...
Dec 11, 2024•45 min•Ep 831•Transcript available on Metacast Over half of Americans live in childcare deserts, while 90% of brain development happens before the age of five. All the while, education and childcare remain among the most resistant sectors to technological change. Billions of dollars have been spent, but outcomes continue to lag. Why? In this episode, we dive into the systemic issuesmisaligned incentives, political resistance, and the lack of a shared vision around the purchase of an education. We also explore how technology and entrepreneuri...
Dec 06, 2024•41 min•Ep 830•Transcript available on Metacast This episode was originally published on our sister podcast, web3 with a16z. If youre excited about the next generation of the internet, check out the show: https://link.chtbl.com/hrr_h-XC We've heard a lot about the premise and the promise of prediction markets for a long time, but they finally hit the main stage with the most recent election. So what worked (and didn't) this time? Are they really better than pollsters, is polling dead? So in this conversation, we tease apart the hype from the ...
Dec 02, 2024•2 hr 50 min•Ep 829•Transcript available on Metacast Sales is evolving. AI-native systems are replacing traditional CRM tools, capturing unstructured insights from emails, Slack, surveys, and more in real time. These systems automate early-stage tasks like prospecting and qualification, enabling sales teams to focus on high-value workwhile AI provides live coaching and drives decisions across sales, marketing, and product teams. In this episode, a16z partners Joe Schmidt and Marc Andrusko explore the evolution of sales tools and strategies, sharin...
Nov 25, 2024•17 min•Ep 828•Transcript available on Metacast What if the biggest challenge of our time isnt living longer, but living better? In this episode, were tackling one of humanitys greatest accomplishmentsand perhaps its most overlooked challenge: longevity. As more people live past 100, our systemshealthcare, finance, career planning, and even our cultural perceptions of agingneed a fundamental overhaul. Were joined by Dr. Andrew Scott, author of The Longevity Imperative, and Vijay Pande a16zs Bio & Health general partner, to explore how a shift...
Nov 18, 2024•41 min•Ep 827•Transcript available on Metacast America is a country of immense wealth, but our manufacturing infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. In this episode, we discuss the overlooked crisis of American manufacturing and what it means for our national resilience. a16zs Oliver Hsu hosts a conversation with founders Jordan Black (Senra Systems), Chris Power (Hadrian), and Bryon Hargis (Castelion) on why we need to revive our industrial base and fast. From outdated regulations to the adoption of automation, they break down the death ...
Nov 11, 2024•33 min•Ep 826•Transcript available on Metacast 2024 has been a milestone year for autonomous tech. Waymos fully autonomous driver has surpassed 20 million miles, while FAA approvals now allow commercial drones to fly without visual observers, advancing air autonomy in unprecedented ways. In this special live recording from SF Tech Week, a16z partner Erin Price-Wright moderates a panel of experts from three key domainsair, land, and seato explore the latest real-world deployments of autonomous systems, the impact of new chips on cost and effi...
Nov 04, 2024•48 min•Ep 825•Transcript available on Metacast We take you behind the scenes of our newly released, annual State of Crypto Report a16z crypto's analysis of the latest data and trends that have defined the industry in 2024. This year's report features some brand new insights, from estimating the number of real crypto users globally, to understanding how much interest in crypto swing states may have ahead of the U.S. election. We also dig into infrastructure improvements to blockchains and key applications including stablecoins, AI, and so-cal...
Oct 29, 2024•54 min•Ep 824•Transcript available on Metacast What does Rich Suttons "Bitter Lesson" reveal about the decisions Tesla is making in its pursuit of autonomy? In this episode, we dive into Teslas recent "We, Robot" event, where they unveiled bold plans for the unsupervised full-self-driving Cybercab, Robovan, and Optimustheir humanoid robot, which Elon Musk predicts could become the biggest product ever. Joined by a16z partners Anjney Midha and Erin Price-Wright, we explore how these announcements reflect the evolving intersection of hardware ...
Oct 24, 2024•37 min•Ep 823•Transcript available on Metacast In 2024, marking 10 years since its launch, Apple Pay now boasts hundreds of millions of consumers in 78 markets, at checkout on millions of websites and apps, in tens of millions of stores worldwide, and is supported by more than 11,000 bank and network partners. In this episode, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell sits down with Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, to explore how Apple has transformed digital payments. Jennifer reveals how Apple Pay and Apple Wallet have grown beyo...
Oct 22, 2024•32 min•Ep 822•Transcript available on Metacast Lisa Su has transformed AMD into a global leader in AI and high-performance computing. In this episode of the AI Revolution (AIR) series , Bob Swan, a16z Operating Partner and former CEO of Intel, sits down with Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, to discuss how her leadership has propelled AMDs growth and positioned the company at the forefront of AI innovation. They explore AMDs pivotal role in democratizing the benefits of gen AI, the evolution of AI computing, and the importance of open ecosystems and part...
Oct 17, 2024•31 min•Ep 821•Transcript available on Metacast DeepfakesAI-generated fake videos and voiceshave become a widespread concern across politics, social media, and more. As they become easier to create, the threat grows. But so do the tools to detect them. In this episode, Vijay Balasubramaniyan, cofounder and CEO of Pindrop, joins a16zs Martin Casado to discuss how deepfakes work, how easily they can be made, and what defenses we have. Theyll also explore the role of policy and regulation in this rapidly changing space. Have we lost control of t...
Oct 11, 2024•35 min•Ep 819•Transcript available on Metacast Last week was another big week in technology. Googles NotebookLM introduced its Audio Overview feature, enabling users to create customizable podcasts in over 35 languages. OpenAI followed with their real-time speech-to-speech API, making voice integration easier for developers, while Pikas 1.5 model made waves in the AI world. In this episode, we chat with the a16z Consumer teamAnish Acharya, Olivia Moore, and Bryan Kimabout the rise of voice technology, the latest AI breakthroughs, and what it...
Oct 08, 2024•32 min•Ep 818•Transcript available on Metacast In 1995, just 2% of couples met online. Today, that number has surged to over 50%, making online dating the top way couples connect. In this episode, a16z General Partner Andrew Chen chats with Tinder founder Sean Rad about how he built an app that changed culture. Sean shares why seamless experiences matter, how startups often get marketing wrong, and how Tinder became the catalyst for online dating's explosive growth. This conversation was recorded live in LA at a16zs Games third Speedrun prog...
Oct 03, 2024•29 min•Ep 817•Transcript available on Metacast What if the key to unlocking AI's full potential lies not just in algorithms or compute, but in data? In this episode, a16z General Partner David George sits down with Alex Wang, founder and CEO of Scale AI, to discuss the crucial role of "frontier data" in advancing artificial intelligence. From fueling breakthroughs with complex datasets to navigating the challenges of scaling AI models, Alex shares his insights on the current state of the industry and his forecast on the road to AGI. Resource...
Sep 24, 2024•31 min•Ep 815•Transcript available on Metacast Fei-Fei Li and Justin Johnson are pioneers in AI. While the world has only recently witnessed a surge in consumer AI, our guests have long been laying the groundwork for innovations that are transforming industries today. In this episode, a16z General Partner Martin Casado joins Fei-Fei and Justin to explore the journey from early AI winters to the rise of deep learning and the rapid expansion of multimodal AI. From foundational advancements like ImageNet to the cutting-edge realm of spatial int...
Sep 19, 2024•45 min•Ep 814•Transcript available on Metacast This week in consumer tech: Apples big reveals, OpenAIs multi-step reasoning, and Adobe Fireflys video model. Olivia Moore and Justine Moore, Partners on the a16z Consumer team, break down the latest announcements and how these product launches will shape the tech ecosystem, transform AI-powered experiences, and impact startups competing for attention in a fast-moving market. Resources: Find Justine of Twitter: https://x.com/venturetwins Find Olivia on Twitter: https://x.com/omooretweets Stay Up...
Sep 14, 2024•32 min•Ep 813•Transcript available on Metacast Vijay Pande, founding general partner, and Julie Yoo, general partner at a16z Bio + Health, come together to discuss the grand challenges facing healthcare AI today. The talk through the implications of AI integration in healthcare workflows, AI as a potential catalyst for value-based care, and the opportunity for innovation in clinical trials. They also talk about the AI startup they each wish would walk through the door. Resources: Find Vijay on Twitter: https://x.com/vijaypande FInd Julie on ...
Sep 07, 2024•38 min•Ep 812•Transcript available on Metacast with @NoahRFeldman , @ahall_research , @rhhackett Welcome to web3 with a16z . I'm Robert Hackett and today we have a special episode about governance in many forms from nation states to corporate boards to internet services and beyond. Our special guests are Noah Feldman, constitutional law scholar at Harvard who also architected the Meta oversight board (among many other things); he is also the author of several books. And our other special guest is Andy Hall, professor of political science at ...
Sep 02, 2024•2 hr 36 min•Ep 811•Transcript available on Metacast Half of prescribed medications are never taken, and 88% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy. Despite spending 20% of our GDP on healthcaretwice that of any other developed nationour outcomes still lag behind. In this episode, we explore why technologists must step into the healthcare ring. Solving medicine isnt enough; we need to make healthcare a consumer-focused industry. a16zs Vijay Pandey and Daisy Wolf discuss the rise of tech founders in healthcare, the potential of AI to transform pa...
Aug 28, 2024•41 min•Ep 810•Transcript available on Metacast Latin America is emerging as a tech powerhouse, but it's not a one-size-fits-all market. In this episode, we explore why what works in Argentina wont necessarily fly in Brazil or Mexico, and how companies are adapting to these unique regional dynamics. Join Dileep Thazhmon, Cofounder and CEO of Jeeves; Santiago Suarez, Cofounder and CEO of Addi; Gabriel Vasquez, a16z investment partner; and Angela Strange, a16z General Partner, as they discuss the future of fintech in LatAm and the unique approa...
Aug 24, 2024•33 min•Ep 808•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we cover the recent data breach of nearly 3B records, including a significant number of social security numbers. Joining us to discuss are security experts Joel de la Garza and Naftali Harris. Incredibly enough, Naftali and his team were able to get their hands on the breached dataset and were able to validate the nature of the claims. Listen in as we explore the who, what, when, where, why but also how a breach of this magnitude happens and what we can do about it. Resources: R...
Aug 18, 2024•22 min•Ep 807•Transcript available on Metacast 
