a16z Podcast a16z

From air-defining radar and electronic systems that helped the Allies win World War II, the origins of Silicon Valley are deeply rooted in government and defense.

In today's episode, we get the chance to revisit that relationship with the United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks.

Deputy Secretary Hicks has spent decades of her career focused on defense policy and in her keynote address from a16z's second annual American Dynamism Summit in Washington, D.C., you'll get an inside look into the priorities of the DoD and how it views its past, present, and future.

In the second half of the episode, you’ll hear highlights from Deputy Secretary Hicks' fireside chat with Wall Street Journal’s National Security Editor, Sharon Weinberger, where they dive into the numerous issues facing our country today, from Ukraine to the use of AI on the battlefield.

“If America is going to be America in the next one hundred years, we have to get this right.” - Ben Horowitz
This week on “The Ben & Marc Show”, a16z co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen take on one of the most hot button issues facing technology today: tech regulation and policy.

In this one-on-one conversation, Ben and Marc delve into why the political interests of “Big Tech” conflict with a positive technological future, the necessity of decentralized AI, and how the future of American innovation is at its most critical point. They also answer YOUR questions from X (formerly Twitter). That and much more. Enjoy!

From judging inventions on “Shark Tank” to reshaping the image of NBA ownership, Mark Cuban is known for many things. In this chat with a16z General Partner David Ulevitch, he discusses the importance of entrepreneurship for maintaining America’s status as the most innovative place on the planet. This includes making big bets, like he’s doing with Cost Plus Drugs, his latest venture that seeks to upend the prescription drug markets.

At the a16z LP Summit, we brought hundreds of our limited partners and portfolio founders together in Las Vegas.

The event was truly overflowing with stories of how founders are challenging the status quo and harnessing technology to make the world a better place. Amidst these stories, it became clear that in the realms of public safety and healthcare, the stakes couldn't be higher—these sectors not only hold lives in balance but also stand as fertile ground for technological breakthroughs.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Vijay Pande chats with Ed and Todd Park, the visionary siblings behind Devoted Health. Their mission? To overhaul a healthcare system they describe as critically essential yet deeply flawed. The Park brothers delve into the genesis of their ambition to construct a healthcare system from scratch, underscoring the sector's urgent need for technological innovation and the game-changing role of AI.

Kicking off with an American dream story, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in how technology can reshape healthcare for the better.

Generative AI has initiated a transformative shift, reshaping our world in unprecedented ways. In a16z's AI Revolution series, we engage some of the most impactful builders in the field of AI discussing and debating where we are, where we’re going, and the big open questions in AI.

In this episode, General Partner David George chats with Adam D'Angelo, the CEO and founder of Quora, wade into this fast-moving AI landscape, and specifically touch on how building infrastructure for creators can democratize AI.

Adam, who is now building AI aggregator Poe and is on the board of OpenAI, has long been paying attention to this AI wave. He recounts this evolving fascination, and together Adam and David explore the dynamic synergy between humans and AI, highlighting the critical role of experimentation for founders in the AI realm.

As a reminder, this conversation comes from our AI Revolution series, which you can dive into more deeply at a16z.com/ai.

Nuclear energy accounts for 20% of the electricity in the United States, but remarkably, 2023 marked the commissioning of the U.S.'s first new nuclear reactor in over three decades. The past few years have been a story of changing public opinion, but equally, innovative startups crafting groundbreaking reactor designs and an ambitious announcement by the U.S. government to triple nuclear power production by 2050.

In this episode recorded at a16z’s American Dynamism Summit in Washington DC, a16z podcast host Steph Smith is joined by a16z General Partner David Ulevich, Doug Bernauer – CEO of microreactor company Radiant – and Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Nuclear Energy.

From energizing the country's data centers to propelling the electric vehicles on our roads or powering the factories crafting tomorrow's innovations, they discuss why expanding our nuclear capacity is a national imperative.

Stay tuned for more exclusive conversations from a16z's second annual American Dynamism Summit in Washington DC.