Ben Thompson: Anthropic, the Pentagon, and the Limits of Private Power

On the show Long Strange Trip, Sequoia Capital partner Brian Halligan speaks with a16z’s Ben Horowitz about what separates great founder CEOs from everyone else. Ben explains why first-time founders lose confidence, defer too much to senior hires, and let decision debt paralyze their companies. They discuss where founder mode works and where people are taking it too far, why the VP of Sales is the hire founders mess up more than any other, and why Andy Grove's "constructive confrontation" matters more than most CEOs realize. Ben also shares what he's learned working with Zuckerberg, what Jensen Huang and Elon Musk actually have in common, and why culture is defined by behavior, not values. Resources: Follow Brian Halligan on X: https://twitter.com/bhalligan Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Listen to more from Long Strange Trip: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOhHNjZItNnNu8wknSuVtcSJRs7Q4xqOE Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube Find a16z on X Find

Jack Altman sits down with Martin Casado, General Partner at a16z, to unpack the shifting dynamics of venture capital and why media matters more than ever. They cover a16z’s evolution from generalists to specialized platforms, the rise of AI infrastructure, and why today’s fiercest battles are often for talent, not market share. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 0:27 Importance of Media for VC 3:50 Evolution of a16z 7:00 Specialization 10:32 Value of Distribution 13:16 Staying Power in Infrastructure 19:49 The Conflicts Dynamic 26:32 State of Play in AI 30:48 The Future of Coding 34:58 Significance of Open Source 39:48 Marc Andreessen’s Leadership 44:02 The Only Sin in VC 48:37 Scaling a Lot of Board Seats Resources: Listen to more from Uncapped: https://linktr.ee/uncappedpod Find Jack on X: https://x.com/jaltma Find Uncapped on X: https://x.com/uncapped_pod Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on

In this feed drop from the Internet History Podcast, host Brian McCullough speaks with Chris Dixon, general partner at a16z, about his path from 1980s hobbyist programmer to one of the most prominent venture capitalists in tech. Chris traces his career from quantitative finance to founding SiteAdvisor, cofounding Founder Collective, starting an early machine learning company, and eventually building a16z's crypto practice from the ground up. They also discuss his framework for spotting unconventional investments, the current state of crypto regulation, and why New York is becoming a serious tech hub. Resources: Follow Chris Dixon on X: https://twitter.com/cdixon Follow Brian McCullough on X: https://twitter.com/brianmcc Listen to Internet History Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@internethistorypodcast Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twi