a16z Podcast

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!

  1. 21 HR AGO

    Meta CMO: How Advertising Works Under the Hood

    Ads pay for the internet—and they’re about to change again. a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg, entrepreneur and author Antonio García Martínez, and Meta CMO Alex Schultz dive into growth and performance marketing, privacy myths, retail media, and the AI future of “audience-of-one” advertising—plus Instagram what-ifs, WhatsApp as a super-app, and how Meta’s feed shifted from social graphs to AI-ranked content.   Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction  0:38 Book Inspiration & Positive Perspective on Advertising 4:43 Critiques of Online Advertising & Data Privacy 7:34 The Evolution of Media Business Models 10:12 Content Moderation and Platform Shifts 11:43 Connected vs. Unconnected Content & The Rise of AI 13:34 The Future of AI, Personalization, and Advertising 28:18 Retail Media Networks & First-Party Data 38:18 Alternative Histories: Instagram, Libra, and Industry What-Ifs 46:31 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Company Structure 55:00 The Metaverse, VR, and Future Platforms Resources: Make sure to get Alex’s book here! Follow Alex on X: https://x.com/alexschultz Follow Alex on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexschultz Follow Alex on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@alexorig Follow Antonio on X: https://x.com/antoniogm   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.     Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 3m
  2. The Common Thread of All Technology: Monitoring the Situation, Ep.1

    2 DAYS AGO

    The Common Thread of All Technology: Monitoring the Situation, Ep.1

    Announcing our new show, Monitoring the Situation, hosted by a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg and Katherine Boyle, with guest Eddie Lazzarin, CTO of a16z crypto.  In this first episode, we ask how American Dynamism, consumer, games, and crypto all fit together, from Palmer/Oculus to Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto, while also exploring crypto × AD values, parenting in the AI era, and how internet subcultures shape the news.   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction 1:25  Tech Coherence: American Dynamism & Consumer Crypto 4:55 The Hero’s Journey in Tech 5:59 Games, Toys, and Defense Innovation 6:38 Crypto & American Values 11:25 Decentralization, Federalism, and Tech 13:08 AI, China, and Competing Values 14:18 Medicine, Parenting, and the Wisdom of Crowds 20:47 ADHD, Diagnosis Incentives, and Education 27:31 Alternative Schooling & AI Tutors 35:46 Parenting, Family, and Modern Support Systems 42:24 Zoomer Culture, Internet Fragmentation, and X 54:38 Media, Social Networks, and Cultural Shifts   Resources:  Find Eddy on X: https://x.com/eddylazzarin Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1 hr
  3. From Vibe Coding to Vibe Researching: OpenAI’s Mark Chen and Jakub Pachocki

    4 DAYS AGO

    From Vibe Coding to Vibe Researching: OpenAI’s Mark Chen and Jakub Pachocki

    What comes after vibe coding? Maybe vibe researching. OpenAI’s Chief Scientist, Jakub Pachocki, and Chief Research Officer, Mark Chen, join a16z general partners Anjney Midha and Sarah Wang to go deep on GPT-5—how they fused fast replies with long-horizon reasoning, how they measure progress once benchmarks saturate, and why reinforcement learning keeps surprising skeptics. They explore agentic systems (and their stability tradeoffs), coding models that change how software gets made, and the bigger bet: an automated researcher that can generate new ideas with real economic impact. Plus: how they prioritize compute, hire “cave-dweller” talent, protect fundamental research inside a product company, and keep pace without chasing every shiny demo.   Timecodes:  0:00  Introduction & Goals of Automated Researcher 0:43  The Evolution of Reasoning in AI 1:46  Evaluations: From Benchmarks to Real-World Impact 5:15  Surprising Capabilities of GPT-5 6:56  The Research Roadmap: Next 1, 2, 5 Years 7:46  Long-Horizon Agency & Model Memory 9:44  Reasoning in Open-Ended Domains 11:18  The Role and Progress of Reinforcement Learning 13:14  Reward Modeling & Best Practices 14:21  The New Codex: Real-World Coding 16:20  AI vs. Human Coding: The New Default 20:07  What Makes a Great Researcher? 21:14  Persistence, Conviction, and Problem Selection 26:00  Building and Sustaining a Winning Research Culture 31:45  Balancing Product and Fundamental Research 39:00  The Importance of Compute and Physical Constraints 45:50  Maintaining Speed and Learning at Scale 47:18  Trust and Collaboration at OpenAI   Resources:  Find Jakub on X: https://x.com/merettm Find Mark on X: https://x.com/markchen90 Find Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwang Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    52 min
  4. Software finally eats services - Aaron Levie

    5 DAYS AGO

    Software finally eats services - Aaron Levie

    Should the US put a price on H-1B visas, or would that block the flow of new talent? Are AI coding agents actually making teams way more productive, or is it just hype? And in the AI platform shift, will the big winners be incumbents or new AI-native startups? Erik Torenberg is joined by Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie, a16z board partner Steven Sinofsky, and a16z general partner Martin Casado to debate the biggest questions in tech. They unpack pricing vs lottery for H-1Bs and what we’re actually optimizing for, why Box now ships a third of its code from AI, the shift from writing to reviewing code, and why bottom-up personal AI tools succeed where top-down “AI pilots” struggle.   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction 1:07  Latest immigration policy and who benefits 1:39  Debating the Price on H-1B Visas 2:11  Startups vs. Big Tech: Who Benefits from Policy? 2:31  Market Dynamics and Wage Impacts 3:44  The Lottery System and Startup Challenges 12:25  Labor Markets to Labor Productivity with AIs 14:47  Startups Achieving 10x Productivity with AI 16:43  Early Adopters, Hype, and Measuring Productivity 33:50  AI’s Impact on Professional and Creative Work 37:56  The Rise of AI-Native Startups 40:58  Platform Shifts: Startups vs. Incumbents 42:12  Disruption, Incumbents, and New Opportunities 53:00  The Future of Work and AI Adoption 54:38  Brand Effects and Early Leaders in AI 55:22  Will Incumbents or Newcomers Win the AI Race? Resources: Find Aaron on X: https://x.com/levie Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1 hr
  5. America's Autism Crisis and How AI Can Fix Science with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya

    6 DAYS AGO

    America's Autism Crisis and How AI Can Fix Science with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya

    Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is one of the country’s top medical experts and a 24-year professor of medicine at Stanford. After being censored and deplatformed during COVID for his role in opposing harsh lockdowns, he was appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health by President Trump in 2025. a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg, Vineeta Agarwala, and Jorge Conde join Dr. Bhattacharya to discuss the administration’s role in tackling the autism crisis, how to restore public trust in health authorities, how to make the NIH more dynamic and efficient, and how to streamline publishing and restore academic freedom. Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction 1:30 Autism Initiative & New Research 2:45 Drug Discoveries: Leucovorin & Tylenol Caution 4:35 Preterm Birth & Broader Health Initiatives 5:45 The Replication Crisis in Science 8:50 Reforming NIH Funding & Scientific Culture 14:00 Allocation vs. Execution at NIH 17:30 Political & Scientific Decision-Making 22:30 Addressing Life Expectancy & Chronic Disease 27:00 Supporting Early Career Investigators 34:50 Academic Freedom & Open Science 37:30 Rebuilding Public Trust in Public Health 41:00 Communicating Science Amid Uncertainty 47:50 NIH Priorities: Nutrition, Chronic Disease, AI 50:00 The Future of AI in Science & Medicine 53:30 Advice for Rising Scientists 55:00 The Role and Limits of AI in Science   Resources: Find Dr. Bhattacharya on X: https://x.com/DrJBhattacharya and https://x.com/NIHDirector_Jay Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Find Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio Find Vineeta on X: https://x.com/vintweeta Learn more about the NIH: https://www.nih.gov/ Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    58 min
  6. Dylan Patel on the AI Chip Race - NVIDIA, Intel & the US Government vs. China

    22 SEPT

    Dylan Patel on the AI Chip Race - NVIDIA, Intel & the US Government vs. China

    Nvidia’s $5 billion investment in Intel is one of the biggest surprises in semiconductors in years. Two longtime rivals are now teaming up, and the ripple effects could reshape AI, cloud, and the global chip race. To make sense of it all, Erik Torenberg is joined by Dylan Patel, chief analyst at SemiAnalysis, joins Sarah Wang, general partner at a16z, and Guido Appenzeller, a16z partner and former CTO of Intel’s Data Center and AI business unit. Together, they dig into what the deal means for Nvidia, Intel, AMD, ARM, and Huawei; the state of US-China tech bans; Nvidia’s moat and Jensen Huang’s leadership; and the future of GPUs, mega data centers, and AI infrastructure.   Resources:  Find Dylan on X: https://x.com/dylan522p Find Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwang Find Guido on X: https://x.com/appenz Learn more about SemiAnalysis: https://semianalysis.com/dylan-patel/   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    1h 40m
  7. 21 SEPT

    Charlie Kirk and the Rise of Political Violence

    In this episode of Honestly with Bari Weiss, we share a special conversation featuring a16z general partner Katherine Boyle in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s shocking assassination. Katherine reflects on what courage means in a culture where words and debate are increasingly met with violence. Drawing on faith, history, and her own response to recent tragedies, she discusses the idea of martyrdom, not only in its most extreme sense, but also in the small, everyday choices to speak the truth despite risk.   Timecodes:  0:00  Introduction  0:49  Remembering Charlie Kirk 2:46  The Meaning of Martyrdom 4:49  Courage and the Choice We Face 9:16  Returning to Normalcy 10:35  The Age of Extremes 12:15 Words, Violence, and the Next Generation 14:10  Reclaiming the Center 18:18  The Power and Danger of Rhetoric 21:55  The Call to Speak Up   Resources:  Listen to more from Honestly: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/honestly-with-bari-weiss/id1570872415 Find Bari on X: https://x.com/bariweiss Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    24 min
  8. The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI

    17 SEPT

    The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI

    The web is unhealthy, and AI agents are about to rewrite how we shop. In this episode, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell and Partner Justine Moore explore how AI agents will change commerce and the implications for Google’s business model, affiliate marketing, online shopping, and more.   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction  0:12 The Role of AI Agents in Commerce 1:28 Affiliate Marketing & Impulse Buys 4:02 Observing Consumer Behavior & AI 6:08 Dynamic Pricing & E-commerce Trends 7:20 Online vs. Offline Shopping Behaviors 10:09 The Challenge of Attribution in Commerce 12:19 Aggregators, Brands, and Business Models 15:24 Trend Cycles & Single SKU Retailers 17:49 Google, Search, and the Freemium Model 22:41 The Unhealthy Web & Commercialization 26:04 Video Reviews & Trust in Commerce 29:10 The Costco Model & Consumer Trust 33:15 AI’s Impact on Different Types of Purchases 39:56 The Future: Specialized Shopping Agents 40:16 Opportunities for New Durable Companies 44:18 The Merchant Side: Infrastructure for AI Agents   Resources:  Read the article: http://a16z.com/ai-x-commerce/ Find Alex on X: https://x.com/arampell Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins   Stay Updated:  If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    45 min

About

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This podcast is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!

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