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: Apple’s big reveals, OpenAI’s multi-step reasoning, and Adobe Firefly’s 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...
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 a...
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 healthcare—twice that of any other developed nation—our outcomes still lag behind. In this episode, we explore why technologists must step into the healthcare ring. Solving medicine isn’t enough; we need to make healthcare a consumer-focused industry. a16z’s Vijay Pandey and Daisy Wolf discuss the rise of tech founders in healthcare, the potential of AI to transfor...
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 won’t 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 appro...
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: ...
Aug 18, 2024•22 min•Ep 807•Transcript available on Metacast This episode from Web3 with a16z Crypto, is all about innovation on a global scale, exploring both ecosystem and individual talent levels. We examine what works and what doesn’t, how certain regions evolve into startup hubs and economic powerhouses, and what constitutes entrepreneurial talent. We also discuss the nature of ambition, the journey to finding one’s path, and broader mindsets for navigating risk, reward, and dynamism across various regions, with a particular focus on London and Europ...
Aug 14, 2024•46 min•Ep 806•Transcript available on Metacast Once criticized for lacking ambition, French founders are now aiming to create the world’s largest companies. With a thriving ecosystem attracting talent from across Europe and the US, France is becoming a major player on the global stage. In this episode, we cover the unique advantages of building startups in France. Roxanne Varza, Director of Station F; Antoine Martin, co-founder of Amo and Zenly; and Brian Kim, a16z consumer partner, discuss the key factors driving this transformation, includ...
Aug 09, 2024•37 min•Ep 805•Transcript available on Metacast Waymo's autonomous vehicles have driven over 20 million miles on public roads and billions more in simulation. In this episode, a16z General Partner David George sits down with Dmitri Dolgov, CTO at Waymo, to discuss the development of self-driving technology. Dmitri provides technical insights into the evolution of hardware and software, the impact of generative AI, and the safety standards that guide Waymo's innovations. This footage is from AI Revolution, an event that a16z recently hosted in...
Aug 05, 2024•39 min•Ep 804•Transcript available on Metacast The Olympics features over 11,000 athletes competing in 32 sports, attracting an audience of more than 10 million. In this episode, Charlie Ebersol, co-founder of the Alliance of American Football and Infinite Athlete, explores how new innovations like AI and bespoke broadcasting technologies are shaping the future of sports. Charlie also reflects on the storytelling legacy of his father, Dick Ebersol, a legendary sports producer who transformed how we experience the Olympics. We discuss the imp...
Aug 03, 2024•36 min•Ep 803•Transcript available on Metacast On June 27th, the a16z team headed to New York City for the first-ever AI Artist Retreat at their office. This event brought together the builders behind some of the most popular AI creative tools, along with 16 artists, filmmakers, and designers who are exploring the capabilities of AI in their work. In this episode, we hear from the innovators pushing the boundaries of AI creativity. Joined by Anish Acharya, General Partner, and Justine Moore, Partner on the Consumer team, we feature insights ...
Jul 30, 2024•43 min•Ep 802•Transcript available on Metacast Gaming is not just entertainment—it's a revolution reshaping our culture, technology, and economy. a16z’s Jonathan Lai and Andrew Chen dive into the current gaming renaissance and its future impact. Joining them are Michael Chow, CEO and Steven Snow, CPO of The Believer Company, and Eros Resmini, Founder and Managing Partner of The Mini Fund. They explore the intersection of tech, art, psychology, and design in gaming, discussing how startups can navigate intense competition, distribution challe...
Jul 25, 2024•26 min•Ep 801•Transcript available on Metacast Former gymnast and current investor Aly Raisman joins general partner Julie Yoo and investment partner Daisy Wolf of a16z Bio + Health. In this episode, Aly Raisman shares her quest for healthier living—physically, mentally, and financially—on her journey from gymnast to a business investor. Having transitioned from an intensely structured routine, Aly emphasizes the need for more open conversations about mental health and financial literacy. She speaks passionately about the gap in women’s heal...
Jul 17, 2024•22 min•Ep 800•Transcript available on Metacast Less than two years since the breakthrough of text-based AI, we now see incredible developments in multimodal AI models and their impact on millions of users. As part of New York Tech Week, we brought together a live audience and three leaders from standout companies delivering AI-driven products to millions. Gaurav Misra, Cofounder and CEO of Captions, Carles Reina, Chief Revenue Officer of ElevenLabs, and Laura Burkhauser, VP of Product at Descript discuss the challenges and opportunities of d...
Jul 12, 2024•46 min•Ep 799•Transcript available on Metacast "The Ben & Marc Show," featuring a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz. In this special episode, Marc and Ben dive deep into the REAL story behind the creation of Netscape—a web browser co-created by Marc that revolutionized the internet and changed the world. As Ben notes at the top, until today, this story has never been fully told either in its entirety or accurately. In this one-on-one conversation, Marc and Ben discuss Marc's early life and how it shaped his journey into technol...
Jul 08, 2024•2 hr 43 min•Ep 798•Transcript available on Metacast We know that technology has changed art, and that artists have evolved with every new technology — it’s a tale as old as humanity, moving from cave paintings to computers. Underlying these movements are endless debates around inventing versus remixing; between commercialism and art; between mainstream canon and fringe art; whether we’re living in an artistic monoculture now (the answer may surprise you); and much much more. So in this new episode featuring Berlin-based contemporary artist Simon ...
Jul 03, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 797•Transcript available on Metacast Is it time to hand over cybersecurity to machines amidst the exponential rise in cyber threats and breaches? We trace the evolution of cybersecurity from minimal measures in 1995 to today's overwhelmed DevSecOps. Travis McPeak, CEO and Co-founder of Resourcely, kicks off our discussion by discussing the historical shifts in the industry. Kevin Tian, CEO and Founder of Doppel, highlights the rise of AI-driven threats and deepfake campaigns. Feross Aboukhadijeh, CEO and Founder of Socket, provides...
Jun 26, 2024•44 min•Ep 796•Transcript available on Metacast Brooke Boyarsky Pratt, founder and CEO of knownwell, joins Vineeta Agarwala, general partner at a16z Bio + Health. Together, they talk about the value of obesity medicine practitioners, patient-centric medical homes, and how Brooke believes the metabolic health space will evolve over time. This is the second episode in Raising Health’s series on the science and supply of GLP-1s. Listen to last week's episode to hear from Carolyn Jasik, Chief Medical Officer at Omada Health, on GLP-1s from a clin...
Jun 19, 2024•45 min•Ep 795•Transcript available on Metacast In this latest episode on the State of AI, Ben and Marc discuss how small AI startups can compete with Big Tech’s massive compute and data scale advantages, reveal why data is overrated as a sellable asset, and unpack all the ways the AI boom compares to the internet boom. Subscribe to the Ben & Marc podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/benandmarc 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://ww...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep 794•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past decade, usage-based pricing has soared in popularity. Why? Because it aligns cost with value, letting customers pay only for what they use. But, that flexibility is not without issues - especially when it comes to predicting revenue. Fortunately, with the right process and infrastructure, your usage-based revenue can become more predictable than the traditional seat-based SaaS model. In this episode from the a16z Growth team, Fivetran’s VP of Strategy and Operations Travis Ferber a...
Jun 10, 2024•38 min•Ep 793•Transcript available on Metacast On May 21, the California Senate passed bill 1047. This bill – which sets out to regulate AI at the model level – wasn’t garnering much attention, until it slid through an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 32 to 1 and is now queued for an assembly vote in August that would cement it into law. In this episode, a16z General Partner Anjney Midha and Venture Editor Derrick Harris breakdown everything the tech community needs to know about SB-1047. This bill really is the tip of the iceberg, with over ...
Jun 06, 2024•32 min•Ep 792•Transcript available on Metacast Consumer AI is moving fast, so who's leading the charge? a16z Consumer Partners Olivia Moore and Bryan Kim discuss our GenAI 100 list and what it takes for an AI model to stand out and dominate the market. They discuss how these cutting-edge apps are connecting with their users and debate whether traditional strategies like paid acquisition and network effects are still effective. We're going beyond rankings to explore pivotal benchmarks like D7 retention and introduce metrics that define today'...
May 27, 2024•47 min•Ep 791•Transcript available on Metacast a16z General Partner David Haber talks with Marty Chavez, vice chairman and partner at Sixth Street Partners, about the foundational role he’s had in merging technology and finance throughout his career, and the magical promises and regulatory pitfalls of AI. This episode is taken from “In the Vault”, a new audio podcast series by the a16z Fintech team. Each episode features the most influential figures in financial services to explore key trends impacting the industry and the pressing innovatio...
May 22, 2024•36 min•Ep 790•Transcript available on Metacast This was a big week in the world of AI, with both OpenAI and Google dropping significant updates. So big that we decided to break things down in a new format with our Consumer partners Bryan Kim and Justine Moore. We discuss the multi-modal companions that have found their voice, but also why not all audio is the same, and why several nuances like speed and personality really matter. Resources: OpenAI’s Spring announcement: https://openai.com/index/hello-gpt-4o/ Google I/O announcements: https:/...
May 19, 2024•24 min•Ep 789•Transcript available on Metacast Make sure to check out our new AI + a16z feed: https://link.chtbl.com/aiplusa16z a16z General Partner Anjney Midha joins the podcast to discuss what's happening with hardware for artificial intelligence. Nvidia might have cornered the market on training workloads for now, but he believes there's a big opportunity at the inference layer — especially for wearable or similar devices that can become a natural part of our everyday interactions. Here's one small passage that speaks to his larger thesi...
May 16, 2024•40 min•Ep 788•Transcript available on Metacast In 2009 Discord cofounder and CEO, Jason Citron, started building tools and infrastructure for games. Fast forward to today and the platform has over 200 million monthly active users. In this episode, Jason, alongside a16z General Partner Anjney Midha—who merged his company Ubiquity6 with Discord in 2021—shares insights on the nuances of community-driven product development, the shift from gamer to developer, and Discord’s longstanding commitment to platform extensibility. Now, with Discord's re...
May 10, 2024•42 min•Ep 787•Transcript available on Metacast Human nature fears the unknown, and with the rapid progress of AI, concerns naturally arise. Uncanny robocalls, data breaches, and misinformation floods are among the worries. But what about security in the era of large language models? In this episode, we hear from security leaders at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind. Matt Knight, Head of Security at OpenAI, Jason Clinton, CISO at Anthropic, and Vijay Bolina, CISO at Google DeepMind, are joined by Joel de la Garza, operating partner at a1...
May 06, 2024•1 hr•Ep 785•Transcript available on Metacast In recent years, the AI landscape has seen huge advancements, from the release of Dall-E 2 in April 2022 to the emergence of AI music and video models in early 2024. While creative tools often steal the spotlight, AlphaFold 2 marked a groundbreaking AI breakthrough in biology in 2021. Since its release, this pioneering tool for predicting protein structures has been utilized by over 1.7 million scientists worldwide, influencing fields ranging from genomics to computational chemistry. In this epi...
May 01, 2024•56 min•Ep 784•Transcript available on Metacast 
