Podcasts about a16z

In this episode, Alex Immerman, partner at Andreessen Horowitz, joins CJ to discuss the CFO role and how it's changing in the era of AI. He explains what the components of a company's AI agenda the CFO should own, how and where it should be leveraged in an organization, and why, if you're preparing to go public, AI needs to be mentioned in your S-1. He breaks down how the financial landscape differs greatly between AI-native SaaS companies and traditional B2B SaaS companies in terms of retention curves and gross margins, and how this relates to the ever-important LTV to CAC metric. As someone who has worked with prominent CFOs and interviewed many for a16z's portfolio companies, Alex also describes the qualities of a great CFO, and shares his favorite interview question, before discussing CFOs, CEO, and board dynamics.—LINKS:Alex Immerman on X (@aleximm): https://x.com/aleximmAlex Immerman on a16z: https://a16z.com/author/alex-immermanAlex Immerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/immermanAndreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: http://mostlymetrics.comRELATED EPISODES:So You're Looking for a “Strategic” CFO? Bloomerang's Steve Isom on What That Really Means: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:19) Sponsor – Navan | NetSuite | Planful(05:52) What Separates Good CFOs From Great Ones(11:56) Questions Alex Asks When Interviewing CFOs for Portfolio Companies(15:17) How CFOs Should Engage With Investors During the Hiring Process(17:22) Sponsor – Tabs | Rippling Spend | Pulley(22:22) What a Great CFO-Investor Relationship Looks Like(24:46) The CFO-CEO-Board Dynamic(28:27) How the Role of a CFO Is Changing in the Era of AI(31:41) AI-Native Company Versus Incumbent for Finance Category Leader(33:49) Components of a Company's AI Agenda That the CFO Should Own(38:39) Why the LTV to CAC Metric Is So Important to Investors(41:13) LTV to CAC by Sector(42:41) The Importance of Gross Margin Adjusting Your CAC Payback(43:21 Retention and Churn Patterns in AI-Native Companies(45:23) Gross Margin in AI-Native Companies Versus Traditional B2B SaaS(50:11) What It Takes To Be a Public Company-Ready CFO Today(53:58) How IPO Expectations for the CFO Have Shifted in the Past Few Years(55:05) Wrap—SPONSORS:Navan is the all-in-one travel and expense solution that helps finance teams streamline reconciliation, enforce policies automatically, and gain real-time visibility. It connects to your existing cards and makes closing the books faster and smarter. Visit navan.com/Runthenumbers for your demo.NetSuite is an AI-powered business management suite, encompassing ERP/Financials, CRM, and ecommerce for more than 41,000 customers. If you're looking for an ERP, head to https://netsuite.com/metrics and get the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning.Planful's financial planning software can transform your FP&A function. Built for speed, accuracy, and confidence, you'll be planning your way to success and have time left over to actually put it to work. Find out more at www.planful.com/metrics.Tabs is a platform that brings all of your revenue-facing data and workflows - billing, AR, payments, rev rec, and reporting - onto a single system so you can automate and be more flexible. Find out more at: tabs.inc/metrics.Rippling Spend is a spend management software that gives you complete visibility and automated policy controls across every type of spend, saving you time and money. Get a demo to see how much time your org would save at rippling.com/metrics.Pulley is the cap table management platform built for CFOs and finance leaders who need reliable, audit-ready data and intuitive workflows, without the hidden fees or unreliable support. Switch in as little as 5 days and get 25% off your first year: pulley.com/mostlymetrics.#AINativeSaaS #a16z #CFO #LTVtoCAC #AIinSaaS Get full access to Mostly metrics at www.mostlymetrics.com/subscribe

Apple's WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a lot – just not what you'd expect. Siri's long-awaited AI upgrade was quietly delayed, and instead Apple rolled out a grab bag of long-overdue features, flashy design updates, and deep ChatGPT integrations. Is this a bold product reset, or proof that Apple is falling behind?Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Donald Trump butt heads, Ukraine rewrites warfare with AI-powered drones, and a16z explains how consumer AI startups can finally scale, if they get a few key things right.In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein sift through this huge week of tech news, breaking down the topics that really matter for founders and early-stage operators. In this episode, you will:Understand the real implications of Elon Musk and Donald Trump's public falloutExplore how the Musk/Trump feud could fracture the MAGA-tech alliance and reshape Silicon Valley politicsLearn why Apple is releasing papers criticizing AI reasoning—and what that means for AGI hypeAssess whether Apple's WWDC 2025 was a quiet revolution or just a catch-up actDiscover how Ukraine's AI-powered drone strike changes the future of war and global defense techUnpack why AI consumer startups now have better monetization paths than ever before

The future of coding. We cover multiplying engineering output, vibe coding bottlenecks, agents as reviewer, AI roll-ups, and the future of developing software. Merrill Lutsky is co-founder and CEO of Graphite, bringing AI-acceleration and automation to code review. Founded in 2020 out of New York, Graphite has become a key part of the developer ecosystem — as more code is generated with AI, they enable developers to scale the evaluation, testing, and review process before it is released. A growing bottleneck that has become incredibly important. The startup has raised over $70M from leading VC’s such Accel, A16Z, Menlo as well as a receiving a strategic investment from model provider Anthropic. Last year Graphite grew its revenue 20X and is trusted by over 45,000 developers at top engineering organizations such as Shopify and Figma. His second startup, Merrill has helped develop and manage software products for high output engineering companies such as Square, Oscar Insurance, and SelfMade. He holds a degree in Applies Math and Economics from Harvard. Sign up for new podcasts and our newsletter, and email me on danieldarling@focal.vcSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahmed Nimale, Founder of KYD Labs, is working to disrupt the live events industry with a venue-first approach to ticketing. Having worked at Fan Exchange, Vivid Seats and Ticketmaster, Ahmed brings deep industry knowledge to solving the core problem: venues and artists lack data about their customers while spending heavily on marketing with poor returns. In this episode, Ahmed explains how KYD's platform increases venue revenue by 30-40% through automated marketing and better conversion rates.This episode is brought to you in partnership with LEDNhttps://www.ledn.io/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Matt Perault, Head of AI Policy at a16z, discusses their approach to AI regulation focused on protecting "little tech" startups from regulatory capture that could entrench big tech incumbents. The conversation covers a16z's core principle of regulating harmful AI use rather than the development process, exploring key policy initiatives like the Raise Act and California's SB 813. Perault addresses critical challenges including setting appropriate regulatory thresholds, transparency requirements, and designing dynamic frameworks that balance innovation with safety. The discussion examines both areas of agreement and disagreement within the AI policy landscape, particularly around scaling laws, regulatory timing, and the concentration of AI capabilities. Disclaimer: 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. This podcast may include paid promotional advertisements, individuals and companies featured or advertised during this podcast are not endorsing AH Capital or any of its affiliates (including, but not limited to, a16z Perennial Management L.P.). Similarly, Turpentine is not endorsing affiliates, individuals, or any entities featured on this podcast. 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 Turpentine does not guarantee its accuracy. SPONSORS: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is the next-generation cloud platform that delivers better, cheaper, and faster solutions for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. Experience up to 50% savings on compute, 70% on storage, and 80% on networking with OCI's high-performance environment—try it for free with zero commitment at https://oracle.com/cognitive The AGNTCY: The AGNTCY is an open-source collective dedicated to building the Internet of Agents, enabling AI agents to communicate and collaborate seamlessly across frameworks. Join a community of engineers focused on high-quality multi-agent software and support the initiative at https://agntcy.org/?utm_campaign=fy25q4_agntcy_amer_paid-media_agntcy-cognitiverevolution_podcast&utm_channel=podcast&utm_source=podcast NetSuite by Oracle: NetSuite by Oracle is the AI-powered business management suite trusted by over 41,000 businesses, offering a unified platform for accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR. Gain total visibility and control to make quick decisions and automate everyday tasks—download the free ebook, Navigating Global Trade: Three Insights for Leaders, at https://netsuite.com/cognitive PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing

Rand Fishkin joins Ross Hudgens to unpack the latest acronym craze—GEO, AEO, LEO—and why none may be necessary. They explore the origins of SEO, the rise (and fall) of inbound marketing, and how marketers can avoid falling into the trap of trend-chasing. From naming conventions to the real value of brand clarity, this is a conversation for anyone navigating search in the age of AI. Rand also shares a bold bet on AI's impact on jobs, reflects on his early days in the “promised land of SEO”—and discusses why “SEO for AI” might be the clearest path forward. Plus: Cooking games, Snack Bar Studios, and whether creating a new marketing category is ever worth the effort. Show Notes 0:08 – Why SEO has too many new acronyms 0:44 – The wild origin of SEO in Bend, Oregon 1:29 – Danny Sullivan, Circuit City, and the OG SEO crowd 2:54 – Who coined “zero-click search”? 3:29 – Why naming trends like GEO can hurt clarity 5:00 – Is GEO catching on because A16z backed it? 5:59 – Should we name this shift at all? 6:37 – Why "SEO for AI" is clearer than new acronyms 8:09 – Organic digital vs SEO vs paid—don't confuse your client 9:33 – Naming things doesn't always benefit the person who coined it 10:13 – Why SEO isn't in decline (despite the narrative) 11:07 – Google is still orders of magnitude bigger than any AI tool 12:34 – Rand bets $100K AI won't take half of all jobs 13:39 – “SEO for AI” has 100% clarity, unlike GEO or AEO 14:58 – GEO and AEO should be considered tags under SEO 16:07 – Simplifying your services for buyers: SEO still works 17:11 – SEO can carry baggage—but it's still foundational 18:20 – Organic growth as the category; SEO as the tactic 19:03 – The Snickers bar analogy for misaligned category tags 20:01 – Why HubSpot had the power to rebrand with inbound marketing 20:54 – Applying lessons from game tagging at Snack Bar Studios 22:16 – Final thoughts: ride the wave if you're Mars; otherwise, keep it clear 23:07 – Rand's AI/job displacement bet explained 24:53 – Revisiting his blockchain bet with Dharmesh from 2016 25:21 – What worries Rand more than AI? Government decisions 26:14 – Elon, politics, and the future of tech influence 26:22 – Snack Bar Studios: magical boars and carbonara 26:56 – Sparktoro and “Search Everywhere Optimization” 27:03 – Tagging the cooking game: chill action, story rich, 2D action 27:51 – Geraldine's writing brings it to life Show Link It's Still SEO (SparkToro Blog): (https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/](https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/) a16z: GEO Rewrites the Rules of Search: (https://a16z.com/geo-over-seo/) Rand's Game Studio: (https://snackbarstudio.com/](https://snackbarstudio.com/) Subscribe today for weekly tips: (https://bit.ly/3dBM61f](https://bit.ly/3dBM61f) Listen on iTunes: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174) Listen on Spotify: (https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM](https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM) Listen on Google: (https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA) Follow Siege on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/siegemedia](http://twitter.com/siegemedia) Follow Ross on Twitter: (http://twitter.com/rosshudgens](http://twitter.com/rosshudgens) Directed by Cara Brown: (https://twitter.com/cararbrown](https://twitter.com/cararbrown) Email Ross: (ross@siegemedia.com](mailto:ross@siegemedia.com) #seo | #contentmarketing Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

Drop 1: Metamask + web3authhttps://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/06/02/consensys-acquires-web3auth-to-reinvent-metamask-onboardingDrop 2: a16z Crypto Foundations - end of an erahttps://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/end-foundation-era-crypto/Drop 3: Sunsetting ApeCoin DAOhttps://cointelegraph.com/news/yuga-labs-aims-to-replace-apecoin-dao-with-apecoCircle IPOs with over 160% gain on day onehttps://blockworks.co/news/circle-hits-75-nyse-tradingNBX to use BTC as backing for Cardano stablecoin USDMhttps://live.euronext.com/en/products/equities/company-news/2025-06-02-norwegian-block-exchange-nbx-establishes-bitcoin-treasuryGlobal Dollar Network + The Block: stablecoin use cases reporthttps://www.tbstat.com/wp/uploads/2025/06/20250604_GlobalDollar_Network_Report.pdfUK FCA will lift the ban on cryto ETNs for retail investorshttps://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/06/06/uk-regulator-fca-to-lift-ban-on-crypto-etns-for-retail-investorsUber Explores Global Stablecoin Transfers https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/42bcf-uber-stablecoin-transfers-bitcoin-value. Redes sociais / comms.. https://blockdropspodcast.xyz/.. Instagram.com/blockdropspodcast.. Twitter.com/blockdropspod.. Blockdrops.lens .. https://warpcast.com/mauriciomagaldi.. youtube.com/@BlockDropsPodcast.. Meu conteúdo em inglês twitter.com/0xmauricio.. Newsletter do linkedin  https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7056680685142454272.. blockdropspodcast@gmail.com

Drop 1: Metamask + web3auth⁠https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2025/06/02/consensys-acquires-web3auth-to-reinvent-metamask-onboarding⁠Drop 2: a16z Crypto Foundations - end of an era⁠https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/end-foundation-era-crypto/⁠Drop 3: Sunsetting ApeCoin DAO⁠https://cointelegraph.com/news/yuga-labs-aims-to-replace-apecoin-dao-with-apeco⁠More:Circle IPOs with over 160% gain on day one⁠https://blockworks.co/news/circle-hits-75-nyse-trading⁠NBX to use BTC as backing for Cardano stablecoin USDM⁠https://live.euronext.com/en/products/equities/company-news/2025-06-02-norwegian-block-exchange-nbx-establishes-bitcoin-treasury⁠Global Dollar Network + The Block: stablecoin use cases report⁠https://www.tbstat.com/wp/uploads/2025/06/20250604_GlobalDollar_Network_Report.pdf⁠UK FCA will lift the ban on cryto ETNs for retail investors⁠https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/06/06/uk-regulator-fca-to-lift-ban-on-crypto-etns-for-retail-investors⁠Uber Explores Global Stablecoin Transfers ⁠https://cryptorank.io/news/feed/42bcf-uber-stablecoin-transfers-bitcoin-value⁠. Redes sociais / comms.. ⁠https://blockdropspodcast.xyz/⁠.. ⁠Instagram.com/blockdropspodcast⁠.. ⁠Twitter.com/blockdropspod⁠.. Blockdrops.lens .. ⁠https://warpcast.com/mauriciomagaldi⁠.. ⁠youtube.com/@BlockDropsPodcast⁠.. Meu conteúdo em inglês ⁠twitter.com/0xmauricio⁠.. Newsletter do linkedin  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7056680685142454272⁠.. ⁠blockdropspodcast@gmail.com⁠

When Monik Pamecha co-founded AI voice startup Toma in early 2024, he hadn't anticipated spending the summer months sweating in Bible Belt car dealerships. He and co-founder Anthony Krivonos were still focused on banking and healthcare customers when the dealers came knocking.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it take to build a venture firm from scratch—and scale it across multiple waves of technological and cultural change?In this special episode recorded at the a16z LP Summit, Marc Andreessen joins Erik Torenberg for a conversation on the origins and evolution of Andreessen Horowitz. From raising Fund I during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis to shaping the firm's multistage, multi-sector strategy, Marc reflects on how the firm was built—and rebuilt—as the tech landscape shifted.They discuss the rise of “Little Tech,” why policy now matters to startups, how scale became a strategic advantage in venture capital, and why the move from generalists to vertical specialists was inevitable.Along the way, Marc shares behind-the-scenes stories on Facebook's near-sale to Yahoo, the evolution of founder archetypes, the global talent arbitrage, and what too many people still misunderstand about tech's role in society.Resources: Find Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarcaFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenbergStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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.

AGNTCY - Unlock agents at scale with an open Internet of Agents. Visit https://agntcy.org/ and add your support. What does it really take to turn cutting-edge AI research into a successful foundation model company?   In this episode of Eye on AI, we sit down with Anjney Midha, General Partner at a16z, to unpack how he helps scientists and researchers transform their breakthroughs into scalable, real-world AI businesses.    From his early backing of Anthropic to launching Mistral and Black Forest Labs, Anjney shares a behind-the-scenes look at how AI infrastructure companies are born.   We dive into the critical challenges of model reliability, evaluation beyond academic benchmarks, and the rise of hybrid architectures combining transformers with diffusion and LSTMs.   If you're building in AI or investing in it, this is the roadmap to what's next. Stay Updated: Craig Smith on X:https://x.com/craigss Eye on A.I. on X: https://x.com/EyeOn_AI   (00:00) Turning AI Research into Real Companies   (02:08) Anjney's Journey into Venture Capital   (05:44) The Birth of Anthropic   (08:26) Backing Mistral and Stable Diffusion   (13:16) Are Transformers Really Enough?   (18:36) Why AI Evaluation Is Broken   (22:10) Making AI Models More Interpretable   (28:38) The Real Potential of AI Agents   (32:43) How a16z Spots AI Breakthroughs   (37:45) Investing Like It's the 1970s   (43:31) What AI Voice Tech Needs Right Now (46:32) Models vs Products   (51:17) What's Holding Back AI Agents   (55:41) Anjney Startup Investing Strategy   

Join Nolan Fortman and Logan Kilpatrick as they sit down with legendary investor and builder Anjney Midha to chat all things AI. From foundation model progress, to evals, to how to find the next generation of AI enabled products, Anjney shares his deep insights around AI as one of the critical figures in the ecosystem.

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 dig into 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.Resources: Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casadoFind Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwangStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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.

This might be the most insane AI founder story you'll hear all year.Dropped out of high school.Met the Queen of England.

Crypto News: Bitcoin's price hits $110K, how high will it go? New XRP Futures ETF launches tomorrow. VanEck builds on Avalanche AVAX Blockchain. Worldcoin raises $135 million from a16z and others.Show Sponsor -

Recorded live at the 2025 a16z LP Summit, this episode is a candid conversation between a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz—hosted by general partner Erik Torenberg.They cover the evolution of a16z from startup firm to multi-practice platform, how the media landscape is shaped by meme-speed narratives, why reorgs—not just returns—determine who wins, and what it takes to build an enduring venture franchise.They also share thoughts on the changing policy landscape for AI and crypto, the firm's bipartisan approach to Washington—and why Marc personally screens social media profiles before anyone joins the team. Resources: Find Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarcaFind Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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.

Are you struggling to scale your cybersecurity sales from mid-market to enterprise? Wondering how to build a high-performance sales team that consistently generates pipeline? Curious about what it really takes to win enterprise clients—and keep them? This episode of the Cybersecurity Go-To-Market Podcast dives deep into those challenges and offers candid, tactical advice from someone who's done it.Mike Ferrari is the SVP Worldwide Sales at Doppel, the social engineering defense platform, and the fastest growing cybersecurity company in the A16Z portfolio.In this conversation we discuss:

Today on the a16z Podcast, we're sharing Marc Andreessen's recent appearance on TBPN.Marc—cofounder and general partner at a16z—joins hosts John Coogan and Jordi Hays for a wide-ranging conversation, recorded live at the a16z's 2025 LP Conference in Las Vegas.They cover the rise of AI, the future of open source models, and how tech is transforming every corner of the economy—from education and defense to healthcare and housing.Marc also shares his thoughts on the evolution of venture capital, the firm's new branding, and what it takes to build enduring companies in a rapidly changing world. Resources:Watch more from TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/Find TBPN on X: https://x.com/tbpnFind Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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.

Corporate spies stealing Slack messages. Adam Neumann raising another $100M (for WeWork 2.0?). AI startups hitting $34B valuations with zero revenue and ordering Ben & Jerry's ice cream over 15 payments with Klarna on DoorDash. April was wild, and Jack Kuveke joins the show to unpack the chaos, controversy, and insanity behind the biggest startup headlines. This is different than our normal episodes— definitely a much lighter twist, to be taken with a grain of salt. Let us know what you think!Why You Should ListenWhy Adam Neumann can raise billions—but you can't raise your seed roundHow a $40B valuation for AI startups might not be as insane as it soundsWhy espionage is moving from Wall St to Silicon ValleyWhat Klarna and DoorDash teaming up says about consumer debt cultureWhy A16Z thinks VCs will be the last job standing when AI takes overKeywordsAdam Neumann, AI startups, Silicon Valley espionage, A16Z, Klarna DoorDash, startup news, corporate spies, consumer debt, tech valuations, VC funding00:00 Intro01:45 Neumann's new $500 M raise and the WeWork déjà‑vu08:20 Deel‑vs‑Rippling spy saga uncovered13:00 11x growth scandal and TechCrunch backlash18:25 Marc Andreessen says only VCs are irreplaceable20:38 ChatGPT's $10 M “please & thank‑you” GPU bill26:10 Safe Super‑Intelligence and the $34 B pre‑revenue club30:00 Klarna × DoorDash lets you finance ice cream37:40 How consumer debt became America's default setting41:55 Quick survival guide for founders (and a few rants)Send me a message to let me know what you think!

Today's Topics: 04:44 Analysis of $3 Billion Windsurf Acquisition 12:39 Will Mega Funds Win the Future of Venture Capital 18:39 Does Every Fund Have to do Pre-Seed to Win Series A and B Today 27:53 Why AI Will Create Massive Unemployment 31:06 The $100,000 Bet on the Future of Work  35:52 Why Venture Has Become a Bundled Good 37:52 Why Stage Specific Firms Will Win: a16z vs Benchmark 40:16 What Does Harvard Losing It's For Profit Status Mean for Venture 42:57 Why AI is Maiming and Not Killing Growth Companies on the Path to IPO 45:41 Decagon Raises 100x ARR: The Breakdown 52:50 Why VCs Are Upside Junkies and What That Means Today 01:03:37 Olo Looking to Sell: What Happens When Public Companies Want to Sell  

In today's episode, Jackson Ellis hosts Melissa Wasser, the Partner and Head of the Fintech Capital Network at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a leading venture capital firm backing bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology. Tune in to hear about: - Melissa's career journey from Goldman Sachs to FT Partners to leading fintech support at a16z - How the Fintech Capital Network helps founders navigate fundraising, M&A, and strategic partnerships - The tradeoffs between equity and debt financing, and how fintech founders can structure smarter capital strategies

In this episode of AI + a16z, Anthropic's David Soria Parra — who created MCP (Model Context Protocol) along with Justin Spahr-Summers — sits down with a16z's Yoko Li to discuss the project's inception, exciting use cases for connecting LLMs to external sources, and what's coming next for the project. If you're unfamiliar with the wildly popular MCP project, this edited passage from their discussion is a great starting point to learn:David: "MCP tries to enable building AI applications in such a way that they can be extended by everyone else that is not part of the original development team through these MCP servers, and really bring the workflows you care about, the things you want to do, to these AI applications. It's a protocol that just defines how whatever you are building as a developer for that integration piece, and that AI application, talk to each other. "It's a very boring specification, but what it enables is hopefully ... something that looks like the current API ecosystem, but for LLM interactions."Yoko: "I really love the analogy with the API ecosystem, because they give people a mental model of how the ecosystem evolves ... Before, you may have needed a different spec to query Salesforce versus query HubSpot. Now you can use similarly defined API schema to do that."And then when I saw MCP earlier in the year, it was very interesting in that it almost felt like a standard interface for the agent to interface with LLMs. It's like, 'What are the set of things that the agent wants to execute on that it has never seen before? What kind of context does it need to make these things happen?' When I tried it out, it was just super powerful and I no longer have to build one tool per client. I now can build just one MCP server, for example, for sending emails, and I use it for everything on Cursor, on Claude Desktop, on Goose."Learn more:A Deep Dive Into MCP and the Future of AI ToolingWhat Is an AI Agent?Benchmarking AI Agents on Full-Stack CodingAgent Experience: Building an Open Web for the AI EraFollow everyone on X:David Soria ParraYoko Li Check out everything a16z is doing with artificial intelligence here, including articles, projects, and more podcasts.

On this episode of The Ben & Marc Show, a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz dive deep into the unfiltered story behind the founding of Andreessen Horowitz—and how they set out to reinvent venture capital itself.  For the first time, Marc and Ben walk through the origins, strategy, and philosophy behind building a world-class venture capital firm designed for the future—not just the next fund. They reveal how they broke industry norms with a bold brand, a full-stack support model, and a long-term commitment to backing exceptional builders—anchored in the radical idea that founders deserved real support, not just checks.  Joining them to guide the conversation is Erik Torenberg—Andreessen Horowitz's newest General Partner—who makes his Ben & Marc Show moderating debut. Erik is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and founder of the media company Turpentine. You can learn more about Erik via Marc's announcement [here].  Together, they explore: - Why traditional VC needed reinvention - How a16z scaled with a platform model, not a partner model - The "barbell strategy" reshaping venture capital today - Why venture remains a human craft, even in the age of AI  We're thrilled to welcome Erik to the team—and we hope you enjoy this inside look at the structure, philosophy, and future of a16z. Resources: Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca Marc's Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz  Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/ Stay Updated: Find us on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/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. 

Hunter Somerville is a Partner at StepStone Group, an asset management firm with over $150BN+ in assets under management. Hunter focuses on venture capital and growth equity investments which includes fund investments, directs, and secondaries.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comStepStone Group - https://www.stepstonegroup.com/Hunter Somerville on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-somerville-2a24117/In this episode we talk about -- The different strategies they invest in at StepStone private equity & VC team- Key things you look for in fund managers- The different risks they are undertaking when backing a fund- Common mistakes new GPs make- How big is the opportunity in the secondary market? - His advice to GPs aspiring to build the Sequoia of tomorrow& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(05:23) Hunter's background and career journey(06:26) StepStone's investment strategies(09:04) Key characteristics and criteria for primary fund investments(11:31) Managing DPI and liquidity in early-stage venture investments(14:09) Evaluating secondary investments and portfolio strategies(16:27) Risks associated with fund investments(20:10) Building relevance and value for venture capital funds(23:03) Common mistakes made by new General Partners (GPs)(24:45) StepStone's approach to growth stage direct investing(27:08) Comparing risk and return across different investment strategies(30:19) The secondary market opportunity and its growth(34:17) Liquidity dynamics in venture capital investments(36:10) Advice for GPs aspiring to build the next Sequoia or A16Z(37:46) Emerging trends and exciting investment areas in venture capital(40:28) Rapid fire round of questions about StepStone's investment approachFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

We're back to opining on the state of tech media! A16z has aqui-hired Erik Torenberg and his newsletter Turpentine, while the Technology Brothers with ties to Founders Fund have created a podcasting empire. Eric and Tom reminisce about the original wave of “going direct,” why it failed, and what's different this time around. Later on, Madeline shares that crypto VCs are growing frustrated with President Trump's meme coin grifts, and how hosting a private dinner for top coin holders doesn't help legitimize the industry. 

Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we are joined by Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. In 2022 Katherine unveiled her thesis - ‘Building American Dynamism' - which has both inspired the tech landscape and provided a central philosophical plank of Trump's America. American Dynamism is defined as “embodying the spirit of innovation, progress, and resilience that drives the United States forward”. Putting her money where her mouth is, Katherine Boyle co-founded Andreessen Horowitz's American Dynamism fund, investing in companies supporting the American national interest across aerospace, defence, manufacturing, energy, and critical infrastructure. She has backed the wildly successful defence tech startup Anduril, Elon Musk's SpaceX and many more. Katherine is one of America's most powerful investors. She previously led seed investing at another top firm, General Catalyst. She's also a big advocate of free speech: she started her career as a reporter on the Washington Post and is now on the board of The Free Press.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

In this episode, we chat with Nile Frater is the founder of Masse, an innovative SEO agency that specializes in high-scale content campaigns for cutting-edge tech companies at Series A, B, C, and beyond. In just 12 months, Masse has grown from $0 to over $1.5 million in ARR, leveraging a unique human-AI hybrid approach to SEO.Nile's journey in the tech world began with NoCode.Tech, a hub for the no-code movement that was acquired by A16z-backed Stacker in 2022. With a background in engineering and coding, Nile has consistently pushed the boundaries of SEO, focusing on delivering tangible business results for startups and tech companies.We interviewed him about how AI is changing SEO, local SEO ranking factors, common SEO mistakes, and much more.Med Rank Interactive: https://medrankinteractive.com/  Website: https://www.masse.marketing/ #healthcaredigitalmarketingpodcast #nilefrater #lamarhull #AISEO #medicalseo #dentalseo #medrankinteractive #doctorpodcast #practicesprodcast #dentalpodcast #massemarketing

Episode #377 of The VentureFizz Podcast is Victor D. Lombard (aka DIVINE), CEO & Co-Founder of Notes. As the host of this podcast, I have the honor of being able to help tell the story of so many founders and investors and each story is unique. But this one is a whole new level. DIVINE's full story is probably the most unique entrepreneurial story that has been told on our podcast.  From the streets of NYC to incarceration to master networker to fintech entrepreneur, this story has it all… including how one of Silicon Valley's top venture capitalists, that being Ben Horowitz helped change his life and built a friendship, plus his rap song that was the intro for the A16Z podcast. Oh… and it just so happens that the co-founder of his latest startup called Notes is Rakim. Yes, that same Rakim from the 80's hip-hop duo of Eric B & RAKIM… with legendary songs like Don't Sweat the Technique and Paid in Full… which is why you are hearing their song Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em for this podcast intro and outro. Notes is a fintech and AI-powered platform empowering independent urban music artists and creators with access to capital, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and music business education, and more, for financial independence, and career growth and sustainability.  The company is in pre-launch. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast including: * DIVINE's full background story * His journey into the tech industry including working with Greg Selkoe at Karmaloop * How he connected with Ben Horowitz * The details of his own career as a rap artist * The journey into entrepreneurship * All the details on Notes * And more!

幻冬舎の暗号資産（仮想通貨）/ブロックチェーンなどweb3領域の専門メディア「あたらしい経済 www.neweconomy.jp/ 」がおくる、Podcast番組です。 ーーーーー 【番組スポンサー】 この番組は、モジュール型のイーサリアムL2チェーンを提供する次世代金融インフラ「Mantle」の提供でお届けします。 【Mantle】 Mantleは、モジュール型のイーサリアムL2チェーンを提供する次世代金融インフラ。Mantle Networkには、DeFi・ゲーム・NFTなど多数のDAppsが展開中。28億ドルを超えるDAOのトレジャリーが、Mantle NetworkやmETH Protocolをはじめ、多数のパートナーを支援しています。信頼、透明性、そして革新を携えたMantleと共に、次世代の経済に参加しませんか？ Web3/DeFiの未来を、Mantleと共に。 ーーーーー 【Mantle 関連リンク】 Website: https://www.mantle.xyz/ja Discord : https://discord.com/invite/0xmantle Twitter:https://x.com/0xmantlejp Medium :https://medium.com/0xmantle-jp TG: https://t.me/mantlenetwork/69759 Email: marketing@mantle.xyz ーーーーー 【紹介したニュース】 ・NTTデータとセキュリタイズJP、デジタル証券プラットフォームで「社債購入者情報提供サービス」提供開始 ・a16z crypto、LayerZero独自トークン「ZRO」を55Mドル相当取得 ・Binance Japan、Launchpoolで「イニシア（INIT）」取扱い開始 ・Solana上のDEX「Raydium」、トークンローンチパッド「LaunchLab」リリース ・EthenaとSecuritize、RWA特化チェーン「Converge」のテックスペックとロードマップ公開 ・バリュークリエーション、3度目のビットコイン購入、1億円で8.141BTC追加 ・VanEck、デジタル資産関連企業に特化したETF「NODE」を5/14にCboe BZXで上場へ ・香港SFC、ChinaAMCの「イーサリアム現物ETF」にステーキング機能承認 ・JASRAC、楽曲情報管理システム「KENDRIX」をSoneiumに対応 ・Tether社、ビットコイン分散型マイニングプール「OCEAN」へハッシュレート割り当てへ、アフリカ展開も ・a16z、登録投資顧問に対する「暗号資産カストディ規則」見直し提言 ・中国、違法取引で押収の暗号資産処理めぐる議論活発化 【あたらしい経済関連リンク】 ニュースの詳細や、アーカイブやその他の記事はこちらから https://www.neweconomy.jp/

Jason Lemkin is one of the leading SaaS investors of the last decade with a portfolio including the likes of Algolia, Talkdesk, Owner, RevenueCat, Saleloft and more.  Rory O'Driscoll is a General Partner @ Scale where he has led investments in category leaders such as Bill.com (BILL), Box (BOX), DocuSign (DOCU), and WalkMe (WKME), among others. In Today's Episode We Discuss: 04:23 What is Wrong with Billionaires on Twitter: Are They Depressed? 08:49 Why Does product Market Fit Mean Less Than Ever 11:50 Why is Venture Capital More Risky Than Ever and No One is Discussing It 16:17 Will Private Equity Save a Generation of SaaS Companies and VCs 23:53 a16z's $20BN Fund: Seriously? 31:29 Why Josh Kushner and Thrive Capital are Masters of the World 38:21 Why is Seed Investing for Suckers 45:49 Why Are $50 Million Seed Funds Useless 46:21 Founders Fund Raises $4.6BN: Analysis 52:00 How WIll LPs Change Their Approach to Venture in the Next Five Years 59:53 When Will IPOs Comeback? 01:09:15 Why Does it Not Make Sense for the Best Companies to IPO 01:09:51 Lost Ethics and Morals in Founder Secondaries and Term Sheets 01:22:58 Quickfire: OpenAI, Cursor, Deel vs Rippling      

This week on Turpentine VC, we are releasing an episode from The Cognitive Revolution, hosted by Nathan Labenz. Nathan sits down with Olivia Moore and Anish Acharya from Andreesen Horowitz to discuss the trends, investment strategies, and future potential of AI voice technology in both B2B and consumer sectors, exploring its implications for various industries including call centers, SMBs, and personalized AI companions. — 

Welcome to the AI Rollup, your weekly ride through the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence! This week, we're joined by frontier tech enthusiast Josh Kale to unpack the drama around Meta's controversial launch of Llama 4, scrutinized for potentially overstating its capabilities. We dive into “AI 2027,” a provocative roadmap predicting espionage, geopolitical turmoil, and runaway intelligence, and explore Shopify's bold move making AI usage mandatory for employees. Plus, we cover Claude Education's groundbreaking efforts to boost student performance with tailored AI tutors and a16z's massive $20 billion AI startup fund aiming to shape the industry's next era.------

In this week's episode of This Week in Games, we're joined by special guest Chris Sides for a jam-packed conversation covering everything from transmedia storytelling to the latest moves in the gaming industry. We dive into the surprising momentum behind the Minecraft movie, explore Gen Z trends and market predictions, and unpack Netflix's bold push into interactive fiction. Plus, we break down A16Z's new Speed Run initiative, take a close look at Supercell's evolving investment strategy, and compare War Robots to the newly launched Steel Hunters. 00:00 Introduction and Host Introductions01:58 Special Guest Chris and His Background02:49 Transmedia and Pop Culture Discussion03:48 Industry Updates and News07:03 Podcast Highlights and Recent Episodes09:21 Minecraft Movie Success16:54 Gen Z and Market Predictions20:48 Netflix's Interactive Fiction Strategy28:44 Speed Run Initiative by A16Z30:22 Supercell's Investment Strategy31:19 Supercell's Investment Philosophy32:54 Supercell's Investment History and Performance43:14 Blueprints: The Best Rated Game of 202549:21 RE's Latest Deck Recap53:36 Steel Hunters: Early Access and Unreal Engine01:03:02 War Robots vs. Steel Hunters01:05:02 Conclusion and Farewell

Ethan Hu holds a PhD in computer graphics and AI from MIT, he is the CEO at Meshy a Silicon Valley based startup creating an AI-powered tool that generates textured 3D models from images or text, in under a minute. Meshy is the ONLY 3D AI tool featured in A16Z's 2024 AI Tools Survey and only in 2024 Over 20 million 3D assets were generated thanks to Meshy. In this conversation, we will dive into the world of 3D Gen AI. We will discover:- How are professionals using 3D assets generated with AI- How is the industry reacting to the rapid advancements- Look more broadly at 3D content for various use cases, from visualization to full games generated with AI- An ambitious prediction about the future of 3D GenAISubscribe to XR AI Spotlight weekly newsletter

Martin Casado is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), where he focuses on AI and infrastructure investments. He previously co-founded Nicira which was acquired by VMware for $1.2 billion in 2012.In this episode of World of DaaS, Martin and Auren discuss:Economics of open source AIChinese AI innovation with DeepSeekModel collapse and data moatsRegulatory challenges in AILooking for more tech, data and venture capital intel? Head to worldofdaas.com for our podcast, newsletter and events, and follow us on X @worldofdaas.You can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Martin Casado on X at @martin_casado.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Last year, AI-powered sales automation startup 11x appeared to be on an explosive growth trajectory. However, nearly two dozen sources – including investors, current and former employees – tell TechCrunch that the company has experienced financial struggles, largely of its own making.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Cognitive Revolution, host Nathan Labenz speaks with Andreessen Horowitz partners Olivia Moore and Anish Acharya about the rapid evolution of voice AI technology and its real-world applications. The conversation explores how multimodal models, reduced latency, and improved emotional intelligence are enabling more natural voice interactions across various platforms including Hume AI's Octave model, Google's NotebookLM, and Sesame. Nathan and his guests discuss compelling business use cases—from Happy Robot handling complex negotiations with truckers to SMBs deploying voice AI for after-hours support—while also addressing philosophical questions about labor displacement and the urgent need for responsible innovation to protect consumers from potential AI voice scams. SPONSORS: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle's next-generation cloud platform delivers blazing-fast AI and ML performance with 50% less for compute and 80% less for outbound networking compared to other cloud providers. OCI powers industry leaders like Vodafone and Thomson Reuters with secure infrastructure and application development capabilities. New U.S. customers can get their cloud bill cut in half by switching to OCI before March 31, 2024 at https://oracle.com/cognitive Shopify: Shopify is revolutionizing online selling with its market-leading checkout system and robust API ecosystem. Its exclusive library of cutting-edge AI apps empowers e-commerce businesses to thrive in a competitive market. Cognitive Revolution listeners can try Shopify for just $1 per month at https://shopify.com/cognitive NetSuite: Over 41,000 businesses trust NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud ERP, to future-proof their operations. With a unified platform for accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR, NetSuite provides real-time insights and forecasting to help you make quick, informed decisions. Whether you're earning millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite empowers you to tackle challenges and seize opportunities. Download the free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at https://netsuite.com/cognitive RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Second Opinion. Join Christina Farr, Ash Zenooz and Luba Greenwood as they bring influential entrepreneurs, experts and investors into the ring for candid conversations at the frontlines of healthcare and digital health every week. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A8NwQE976s32zdBbZw6bv Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/second-opinion-with-christina-farr-ash-zenooz-md-luba/id1759267211 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SecondOpinionwithChristinaFarr PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing CHAPTERS: (00:00) About the Episode (03:39) Introduction and Welcome (03:50) AI Scouting Methods (08:25) Best Voice AI Experiences (11:34) Voice AI for Seniors (14:27) Sponsors: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) | Shopify (16:54) Voice Technology Challenges (20:48) Human-Like Conversation Dynamics (24:13) AI Voice Negotiations (27:34) Apple's Siri Delays (31:13) Voice AI Stack Evolution (Part 1) (33:16) Sponsors: NetSuite (34:49) Voice AI Stack Evolution (Part 2) (37:57) Context Assembly Challenges (40:48) Enterprise Voice Applications (46:30) Labor Market Impact (49:36) SMB Voice Solutions (50:53) Creator Voice Tools (52:17) AI for Children (56:18) AI Companionship and Romance (58:58) Ethical Guidelines Discussion (01:02:46) Future of Voice Computing (01:04:49) Outro SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/ Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk

Edo Liberty left a high-paying job at AWS—where he was building AI at the highest level—to start Pinecone, a company no one understood. He pitched 40+ VCs, got rejected by every single one, and nearly ran out of money. Then, he flipped the pitch, raised $10M, and built one of the most important infrastructure companies in AI.Then ChatGPT dropped.Suddenly, Pinecone was the must-have database for AI apps, with thousands of developers signing up daily. The company exploded, leading to a $100M round led by Andreessen Horowitz and a 10x revenue surge.If you're an early-stage founder, this episode is a must-listen.Why you should listen:•How he went from from 40 VC Rejections to a $10M Seed Round• Why he quit a High-Paying Job at AWS to start a Startup• The game-changing shift that made VCs finally “get it”•What really happened inside Pinecone when AI took off•Why most founders misunderstand market timing and what to do about itKeywordsAI, Machine Learning, Startups, Entrepreneurship, Vector Databases, Fundraising, SageMaker, AWS, Technology, Innovation, Pinecone, vector database, seed funding, ChatGPT, startup growth, business model, AI, infrastructure, early stage foundersTimestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:07:50) Edo's Story(00:12:27) The Early Days of Machine Learning(00:32:23) Seed Funding(00:42:09) Unsustainable Scaling(00:53:41) Told You So(00:59:24) A Piece of AdviceSend me a message to let me know what you think!

AI powered apps are growing fast, with ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and coding assistants leading. Reports from SimilarWeb, SensorTower, and A16Z show that AI tools for coding, data analysis, and content creation are getting the most traction. Apps like Cursor, Bolt, and Lovable make building software easier for coders and non-coders. DeepSeek's chatbot has quickly become a major player, forcing competitors to rethink pricing. Before that in the Headlines, Google cofounder has a new AI startup. Brought to you by:KPMG – Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.kpmg.us/ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about how KPMG can help you drive value with our AI solutions.Vanta - Simplify compliance - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://vanta.com/nlwThe Agent Readiness Audit from Superintelligent - Go to https://besuper.ai/ to request your company's agent readiness score.The AI Daily Brief helps you understand the most important news and discussions in AI. Subscribe to the podcast version of The AI Daily Brief wherever you listen: https://pod.link/1680633614Subscribe to the newsletter: https://aidailybrief.beehiiv.com/Join our Discord: https://bit.ly/aibreakdown

Joining us this week is Alex Thorn to break down why crypto markets are taking a hit. Major hacks, bearish macro signals, and fresh tariffs from the U.S. all played a role. But it's not all bad news: the SEC is backing off from lawsuits against Coinbase, OpenSea, and Uniswap, signaling a potential shift in regulatory pressure. Plus, Bybit suffered the biggest crypto hack ever, losing $1.5B—how did it happen, and who's behind it? Follow Alex: https://x.com/intangiblecoins ------

How do you turn a research idea into a successful BioTech startup? What does it take to raise funding and scale in Silicon Valley? How can a PhD background shape an entrepreneur's journey?  In this episode, Nurlybek Mursali, founder of Biodock, shares his journey from being a Stanford PhD student to launching an AI-powered biotech company. He talks about the ups and downs of fundraising, how his team secured half of their investment round in just one day, and what it was like going through Y Combinator. We also get into the Kazakh startup scene, the future of Biodock, and what makes Stanford such a unique place for entrepreneurs. Plus, Nurlybek opens up about the lessons he's learned, the historical figures that inspire him, and some of his most unconventional takes on startups and innovation. Enjoy the conversation! Arman Suleimenov: https://www.instagram.com/armansu/ Nurlybek Mursali: https://www.instagram.com/nurlybek_mursaliyev/ Produced by Daniyar Akhmetzhanov: https://www.instagram.com/good.years/ Our Telegram channel: https://t.me/nfactorialpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nfactorialpodcast/ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@nfactorialpodcast

Technology doesn't grow in isolation—it evolves in waves. Just as mobile, cloud, and SaaS shaped the internet of the past 20 years, so too could crypto, AI, and new hardware usher in an era of the internet that's pro-innovation, pro-startup, and pro-creator. Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, a16z crypto Founder and Managing Partner Chris Dixon breaks down his vision for a new internet, from using crypto to decentralize AI infrastructure and kickstart network effects, to why AI will be this era's native form of media just as film was in the 1930s. He also explores why the internet's original covenant—where content creators traded free access for search traffic—is breaking today, and how a better internet could introduce entirely new business models for creators. Right now, we have a choice to make: will the next era of the internet be shaped by a handful of centralized players, or transformed into an open ecosystem where power and control flow to creators across the globe?Resources:Watch the conversation here: https://youtu.be/gioxu1CVjhM  Read more, including the full transcript, here: https://a16z.com/ai-crypto-internet-chris-dixon/Chris's recent article on blockchain innovation: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/blockchain-ai-internet/Find Chris's book, Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet:Penguin Random House: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744504/read-write-own-by-chris-dixon/Penguin UK: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/459860/read-write-own-by-dixon-chris/9781804949245For more resources on AI & crypto visit: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/?tag=ai-crypto,web2-to-web3Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease 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 week's episode of the Coin Stories News Block, we cover these major headlines related to Bitcoin and global finance: Will Tether have to sell its Bitcoin? VanEck: Bitcoin reserve bills at state level could ppark $23B in demand Government ppending surges 15% year-over-year Where more than 60% of government spending is going A16z's Brian Quintenz to be nominated for CFTC Chair ---- Join my mailing list and subscribe to our free newsletter: thenewsblock.substack.com  ---- References mentioned in the episode: Tether May Have to Sell Its Bitcoin Holdings  Tether's Q4 2024 Attestation Report Tether Made $13 Billion in Profits in 2024 Tether Announces Bitcoin Stacking Strategy Paolo Ardoino's Tweet on “Salty” JPM Analysts Bitcoin Chart Highlighting State Reserve Bills  VanEck's Sigel Estimates Impact of State Adoption State-level Bitcoin Reserves Could Drive $23B in Bitcoin January CPI Inflation Comes in Hotter Than Expected  The Era of Fiscal Dominance: Full Steam Ahead  The Federal Spending Boom Rolls On  Fiscal Deficit Is On Track To Top Last Fiscal Year Dalio: Cut Fiscal Deficit or Face 'Economic Heart Attack GAO Sends Warning in Report on U.S. Fiscal Health  Trump Plans to Nominate a16z's Quintenz as CFTC Chairr Brian Quintenz Responds to Trump's Nomination ---- Natalie's Promotional Links:  Genius (NYSE $GNS) is a Bitcoin-first business delivering AI-powered education and acceleration solutions for the future of work. Learn more and enter for a chance to win a whale pass to Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas: https://www.geniusgroup.ai/coinstories Secure your Bitcoin with collaborative custody and set up your inheritance plan with Casa: https://www.casa.io/natalie  For easy, low-cost, instant Bitcoin payments, I use Speed Lightning Wallet. Get 5000 sats when you download using this link and promo code COINSTORIES10: https://www.speed.app/sweepstakes-promocode/ River is where I DCA weekly and buy Bitcoin with the lowest fees in the industry: https://partner.river.com/natalie  Safely self-custody your Bitcoin with Coinkite and the ColdCard Wallet. Get 5% off: https://store.coinkite.com/promo/COINSTORIES Master your Bitcoin self-custody with 1-on-1 help and gain peace of mind with the help of The Bitcoin Way: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie Bitcoin 2025 is heading to Las Vegas May 27-29th! Join me for my 4th Annual Women of Bitcoin Brunch! Get 10% off Early Bird passes using the code HODL: https://tickets.b.tc/affiliate/hodl/event/bitcoin-2025   Protect yourself from SIM Swaps that can hack your accounts and steal your Bitcoin. Join America's most secure mobile service, trusted by CEOs, VIPs and top corporations: https://www.efani.com/natalie  Connect with Bitcoiners and Bitcoin merchants wherever you live and travel on the Orange Pill App: https://signup.theorangepillapp.com/opa/natbrunell ---- This podcast is for educational purposes and should not be construed as official investment advice. ---- VALUE FOR VALUE — SUPPORT NATALIE'S SHOWS Strike ID https://strike.me/coinstoriesnat/ Cash App $CoinStories   #money #Bitcoin #investing

This week on Techish, Michael and Abadesi break down DeepSeek, China's open-source AI rival, what the rise in AI agents means for jobs, and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) hiring Daniel Perry, the man who placed Jordan Neely in a lethal chokehold on a NYC subway. They also discuss Kendrick Lamar's Grammy sweep for his Drake diss track and why Bianca Censori, Kanye West's wife, never seems to be wearing any clothes. Chapters00:30 The Rise of Deepseek: A Game Changer in AI 07:33 Job Ads for AI Agents12:55 Kendrick Wins 5 Grammys for Dissing Drake 19:28 Andreessen Horowitz Hires Daniel Penny 26:48 Kanye West's Wife Bianca Censori Is Naked Again Extra Reading and Resources Drake Withdraws ‘Not Like Us' Petition Against Spotify And UMG [POCIT]EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Penny Gets Hired by Andreessen Horowitz [The Free Press]Donate now to The First Woke War play by Abadesi at tinyurl.com/abadesikickstarter ————————————————————Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast episode represents the personal opinions and experiences of the presenters and is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered professional advice. Neither host nor guests can be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss incurred by applying any of the information. Always do your own research or seek independent advice before making any decisions. ———————————————————— Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@techishpod/Support Techish at https://www.patreon.com/techishAdvertise on Techish: https://goo.gl/forms/MY0F79gkRG6Jp8dJ2————————————————————Stay in touch with the hashtag #Techishhttps://www.instagram.com/techishpod/https://www.instagram.com/abadesi/https://www.instagram.com/michaelberhane_/ https://www.instagram.com/hustlecrewlive/https://www.instagram.com/pocintech/Email us at techishpod@gmail.com...

Interview with Zack Kass, Former GTM for Open AI Why you can deep-six the DeepSeek hype Gemini 2.0 is now available to everyone OpenAI has undergone its first ever rebrand, giving fresh life to ChatGPT interactions AI Has Shown Me My Future. Here's What I've Learned. Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek Hugging Face researchers aim to build an 'open' version of OpenAI's deep researh tool Anthropic makes 'jailbreak' advance to stop AI models producing harmful results WSJ: The Manhattan Project Was Secret. Should America's AI Work Be Too? EU AI Act: Ban on certain AI practices and requirements for AI literacy come into effect Cathy Gellis: When It's Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too a16z slides on AI and voice Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman poaches three Google DeepMind former colleagues, including two who built NotebookLM's Audio Overviews and worked on Astra Meta's CTO said the metaverse could be a 'legendary misadventure' if the company doesn't boost sales, leaked memo shows The Salvadoran Mega-Prison Offering to Take America's Worst Criminals Hilarious analyst on Tesla How the DJI Flip uses AI Marketers will have to market to AI agents AI systems could be 'caused to suffer' if consciousness achieved, says research Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Mike Elgan Guest: Zack Kass Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security

Interview with Zack Kass, Former GTM for Open AI Why you can deep-six the DeepSeek hype Gemini 2.0 is now available to everyone OpenAI has undergone its first ever rebrand, giving fresh life to ChatGPT interactions AI Has Shown Me My Future. Here's What I've Learned. Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek Hugging Face researchers aim to build an 'open' version of OpenAI's deep researh tool Anthropic makes 'jailbreak' advance to stop AI models producing harmful results WSJ: The Manhattan Project Was Secret. Should America's AI Work Be Too? EU AI Act: Ban on certain AI practices and requirements for AI literacy come into effect Cathy Gellis: When It's Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too a16z slides on AI and voice Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman poaches three Google DeepMind former colleagues, including two who built NotebookLM's Audio Overviews and worked on Astra Meta's CTO said the metaverse could be a 'legendary misadventure' if the company doesn't boost sales, leaked memo shows The Salvadoran Mega-Prison Offering to Take America's Worst Criminals Hilarious analyst on Tesla How the DJI Flip uses AI Marketers will have to market to AI agents AI systems could be 'caused to suffer' if consciousness achieved, says research Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Mike Elgan Guest: Zack Kass Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security

Interview with Zack Kass, Former GTM for Open AI Why you can deep-six the DeepSeek hype Gemini 2.0 is now available to everyone OpenAI has undergone its first ever rebrand, giving fresh life to ChatGPT interactions AI Has Shown Me My Future. Here's What I've Learned. Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek Hugging Face researchers aim to build an 'open' version of OpenAI's deep researh tool Anthropic makes 'jailbreak' advance to stop AI models producing harmful results WSJ: The Manhattan Project Was Secret. Should America's AI Work Be Too? EU AI Act: Ban on certain AI practices and requirements for AI literacy come into effect Cathy Gellis: When It's Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too a16z slides on AI and voice Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman poaches three Google DeepMind former colleagues, including two who built NotebookLM's Audio Overviews and worked on Astra Meta's CTO said the metaverse could be a 'legendary misadventure' if the company doesn't boost sales, leaked memo shows The Salvadoran Mega-Prison Offering to Take America's Worst Criminals Hilarious analyst on Tesla How the DJI Flip uses AI Marketers will have to market to AI agents AI systems could be 'caused to suffer' if consciousness achieved, says research Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Mike Elgan Guest: Zack Kass Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security

Interview with Zack Kass, Former GTM for Open AI Why you can deep-six the DeepSeek hype Gemini 2.0 is now available to everyone OpenAI has undergone its first ever rebrand, giving fresh life to ChatGPT interactions AI Has Shown Me My Future. Here's What I've Learned. Senator Hawley Proposes Jail Time for People Who Download DeepSeek Hugging Face researchers aim to build an 'open' version of OpenAI's deep researh tool Anthropic makes 'jailbreak' advance to stop AI models producing harmful results WSJ: The Manhattan Project Was Secret. Should America's AI Work Be Too? EU AI Act: Ban on certain AI practices and requirements for AI literacy come into effect Cathy Gellis: When It's Not Just A Coup But A CFAA Violation Too a16z slides on AI and voice Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman poaches three Google DeepMind former colleagues, including two who built NotebookLM's Audio Overviews and worked on Astra Meta's CTO said the metaverse could be a 'legendary misadventure' if the company doesn't boost sales, leaked memo shows The Salvadoran Mega-Prison Offering to Take America's Worst Criminals Hilarious analyst on Tesla How the DJI Flip uses AI Marketers will have to market to AI agents AI systems could be 'caused to suffer' if consciousness achieved, says research Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Mike Elgan Guest: Zack Kass Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: zscaler.com/security

Today's blockchain and cryptocurrency news  Bitcoin is up slightly at $104,758 Eth is up half a percent at $3,305 XRP, up half a percent at three dollars and twelve cents Nasdaq files amendment to allow in-kind redemptions BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust Litecoin and XRP ETFs files. NoOnes CE confirms security breach. a16z shutters UK office Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Emilie Choi, president & COO of CoinbaseAfter the collapse of FTX in 2022, “the whole industry was tarnished,” recalls Coinbase COO Emilie Choi. “Politicians came out criticizing crypto, saying it was a fraud.”But unlike FTX, Coinbase was a public company in the U.S. So when the SEC served it a Wells notice, announcing its intent to charge the company with violating securities laws, the executive team took an unusual step: They went on the offensive, publicly calling BS on the agency.“Well-regarded CEOs from TradFi, they were like, ‘You don't do that,'” Emilie says. “'You don't antagonize your regulator.' ... It was a combination of chutzpah and maybe desperation that we were like, ‘We have to go tell our story, because if we don't, nobody else will.'”Chapters: (01:14) - Working with founder CEOs (04:12) - Mission first (07:16) - Reviewing candidates (09:48) - Unusual hiring (11:22) - Crypto after FTX (16:29) - Operation Choke Point 2.0 (19:19) - Grin and bear it (21:24) - Channeling negativity (24:21) - Going to war with the SEC (26:20) - Donald Trump and Gary Gensler (28:38) - Was it worth it? (31:19) - Shipping challenges (34:03) - OKRs and personal goals (36:41) - Brian Armstrong and structure (40:56) - The COO guidebook (43:30) - Removing bureaucracy (46:50) - Investing in crypto (49:41) - After Coinbase (53:03) - Constantly on (54:53) - Favorite interview questions (56:28) - Who Coinbase is hiring (58:28) - Standing for something Mentioned in this episode: Google Chat, executive coaches, Mark Zuckerberg, LinkedIn, Jeff Weiner, speed reading, Warner Bros., Elizabeth Warren, Sam Bankman-Fried, Wells notices, Paul Grewal, Chris Lehane, Airbnb, OpenAI, FOIA requests, Balaji Srinivasan, Dan Romero, Kevin Scott, Microsoft, Patrick McHenry, Ritchie Torres, Fairshake PAC, A16z, Ripple, Stand With Crypto, Dogecoin, Robinhood, Charles Schwab, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Paul Ryan, Faryar Shirzad, Kara Calvert, Elon Musk, Earn.com, Ben Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Claire Hughes Johnson and Scaling People, Directly Responsible Individuals, Fidelity, BlackRock, Yahoo!, Stewart Butterfield, Brad Garlinghouse, Alibaba, Flickr, cognitive tests, and Loom.Links:Connect with EmilieTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm