The a16z Podcast Returns

The long-standing (and chart-topping) a16z Podcast returns to cover the most important topics within the world of technology. Brought to you by the minds at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and hosted by Steph Smith, each episode goes beyond headlines, giving listeners insider access to the edge of innovation. Subscribe to be the first to receive upcoming episodes featuring industry leaders like Steve Wozniak, Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, and Neal Stephenson, and covering a range of topics, from AI to space to the metaverse to genomics, and beyond.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Steph Smith?

  Consider this, 20 years ago, our reality today would have seemed unimaginable. From the ability to work from anywhere, to computers that fit in your pocket, to the cost of sequencing the entire human genome for less than that same pocket computer. And today, all of that is just the status quo. Looking ahead, we've barely scratched the surface of what's possible with new technologies like reusable rockets, large-scale AI models, new kinds of communities and studies, and so much more. So we continue to go through the cycle of science fiction to science reality. And unlike memes, our reality often outperforms our expectations. But progress doesn't just happen, nor is it guaranteed. Behind every innovation are bold entrepreneurs and builders that are not satisfied with the status quo, and they work hard to shift our collective trajectory.

• 0:45Steph Smith?

  We're here to tell those stories. It's with this mission that the chart-topping A16C Podcast returns, giving you a behind-the-scenes look into what's coming next. We're back with new episodes and new video. Oh, and a new host. That's me, Steph Smith. Each week, you'll hear directly from the people building the future, from AI to space to genomics to climate to distributed work and beyond. Even the metaverse, from the guy who coined the term 30 years ago and is now building towards it. There are so many important technological inflection points happening right now, and we want to give you insider access so that you can be part of the solutions. Because the truth is, you're not too late to the party, and there is so much left to be done. Along the way, you'll hear some familiar voices, and many more that you may not be familiar with. But the common thread is that they're all on the ground, doing the critical work of

• 1:29Steph Smith?

  turning ideas into reality. Each episode will zoom past the headlines and drop you, the listener, at the edge of innovation, where the work of building the future is happening right now. We have a feeling you'll learn a thing or two.

• 1:40Speaker 01

  They would have had an extra billion dollars in revenue last quarter, had more of their parts being delivered on time.

• 1:45Balaji Srinivasan?

  Had somebody actually said, "Oh, I'm gonna found a currency in 2007, 2008," almost every VC would have looked at them like they had four eyes.

• 1:53Speaker 03

  Content creators, we pray to the algorithm.

• 1:56Speaker 04

  I'm closer to low Earth orbit. Then I am to you. And I think that's what people just don't realize.

• 2:03Speaker 05

  The amount of memory that would hold a song cost about a million dollars. Do you think we saw it today where you have a device in your hand with a thousand songs on it even? No, but the whole idea was we'll move towards the future and we'll be a part of it.

• 2:15Speaker 01

  A lot of smart people are working on something. It's like virtually guaranteed that it's going to happen. It's just a question of when.

• 2:21Steph Smith?

  Our guests will help you understand where technology is today, where it's going and where there remain big challenges and opportunities so that ambitious people like you can get involved. Because as Peter Drucker once said, "The best way to predict the future is to create it." Welcome back to the A16Z Podcast. We're turning on November 9th with episodes weekly wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to subscribe on YouTube to get our exclusive video content. You can find all of the above at a16z.com/podcast.