Advancing AI, Approaching VC's & Crypto Scandals: Ask Us Anything!
12/05/23 • 80 min
Welcome to “The Ben & Marc Show”, featuring a16z co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen. In this week’s episode, Marc and Ben answer YOUR questions from X (formerly Twitter).
In this one on one conversation, Ben and Marc discuss the best way to approach a VC, how their views on crypto have evolved over the past few years, and whether we should be using AI to bring iconic musical artists back from the dead. That and more! Please enjoy.
Topics Covered:
00:00:01 Teaser
00:00:31 What is the best way to approach VCs for potential funding?
00:04:53 Which of your foundational investment dogmas have withstood the test of time?
00:13:31 What are your thoughts on the creator economy blending into startup territory?
00:21:32 What happens when the cost of AI goes to zero?
00:27:18 How will generative AI change public education?
00:34:33 How soon before AI advancement allows ALL people to access their greatest creativity?
00:38:53 Are data centers in a position today to accommodate the growth of AI apps?
00:43:49 Could AI replace governments in the future?
00:49:20 What are your thoughts on AI being used to create new songs by mimicking deceased artists?
00:53:57 Is the issue of a growing wealth gap in society solved through techno-optimism? 01:00:35 How do you assess the future economic and technological growth potential in the Middle East?
01:07:29 Do you see recent crypto scandals (like FTX) leading to more government regulations?
01:11:41 How have your views on crypto changed over the past 5 years?
01:15:08 What was your last strongly held belief that you’ve changed your mind on?
01:20:25 Sign off
Resources:
Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Book mentioned on this podcast:
– “The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Bryan Kaplan https://amzn.to/47HOSOO
Films mentioned on this podcast:
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” https://amzn.to/3Ne2uZU
“Tropic Thunder” https://amzn.to/41bVzXg
Stay Updated:
Find us on X: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds.
PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
Welcome to “The Ben & Marc Show”, featuring a16z co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen. In this week’s episode, Marc and Ben answer YOUR questions from X (formerly Twitter).
In this one on one conversation, Ben and Marc discuss the best way to approach a VC, how their views on crypto have evolved over the past few years, and whether we should be using AI to bring iconic musical artists back from the dead. That and more! Please enjoy.
Topics Covered:
00:00:01 Teaser
00:00:31 What is the best way to approach VCs for potential funding?
00:04:53 Which of your foundational investment dogmas have withstood the test of time?
00:13:31 What are your thoughts on the creator economy blending into startup territory?
00:21:32 What happens when the cost of AI goes to zero?
00:27:18 How will generative AI change public education?
00:34:33 How soon before AI advancement allows ALL people to access their greatest creativity?
00:38:53 Are data centers in a position today to accommodate the growth of AI apps?
00:43:49 Could AI replace governments in the future?
00:49:20 What are your thoughts on AI being used to create new songs by mimicking deceased artists?
00:53:57 Is the issue of a growing wealth gap in society solved through techno-optimism? 01:00:35 How do you assess the future economic and technological growth potential in the Middle East?
01:07:29 Do you see recent crypto scandals (like FTX) leading to more government regulations?
01:11:41 How have your views on crypto changed over the past 5 years?
01:15:08 What was your last strongly held belief that you’ve changed your mind on?
01:20:25 Sign off
Resources:
Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Book mentioned on this podcast:
– “The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Bryan Kaplan https://amzn.to/47HOSOO
Films mentioned on this podcast:
“Who Killed the Electric Car?” https://amzn.to/3Ne2uZU
“Tropic Thunder” https://amzn.to/41bVzXg
Stay Updated:
Find us on X: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds.
PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
Previous Episode
Why It's Time to Be A Techno-Optimist
Last week, Marc Andreessen released his new vision for the future – “The Techno-Optimist Manifesto” (https://a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-manifesto/). In an article that has sparked widespread conversation across the media and social media, Marc challenges the pessimistic narrative surrounding technology today, and instead celebrates technology as a liberating force that can lead to growth, progress and abundance for all.
In this one-on-one conversation based on YOUR questions from X (formerly Twitter), Ben Horowitz and Marc discuss how technological advancements can improve the quality of human life, uplift marginalized communities, and even encourage us to answer the bigger questions of the universe.
We hope you’ll be inspired to join us in this Techno-Optimist movement. Enjoy!
Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/HCfwKBwxLYk?si=c5HaDwI-_nlKxRsb
Resources:
Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Book mentioned on this podcast:
– “When Reason Goes on Holiday: Philosophers in Politics” by Neven Sesardic https://amzn.to/455zYRv
– “The Ultimate Resource” by Julian Lincoln Simon https://amzn.to/3Ft2MIi
Stay Updated:
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds. PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
Next Episode
Tony Robbins on the Future of Health & Longevity
Welcome to “The Ben & Marc Show”, featuring a16z’s co-founders Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen. In this week’s episode, Marc and Ben are joined by special guest Tony Robbins to discuss the future of longevity.
Tony Robbins is an entrepreneur, #1 NY Times bestselling author, philanthropist, and the nation’s #1 life & business strategist. For over four and a half decades, Tony has empowered more than 50 million people from 100 countries around the world through his audio programs, educational videos, and live seminars. He’s also the author of six international bestsellers, including “Money: Master the Game” (2014), “Unshakable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook” (2017) and “Life Force: How New Breakthroughs in Precision Medicine Can Transform the Quality of Your Life and Those You Love” (2022).
Joined by a16z’s own Dr. Vijay Pande, PhD – General Partner since 2014, and founder and leader of a16z Bio + Health – the group discusses new breakthroughs in regenerative medicine, AI, biohacking, gene editing, mindset and confirms why this might be the best time to be alive. Enjoy!
Watch the full video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/V8h11baC_ok
Resources:
Marc on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/
Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Dr. Vijay Pande on X: https://twitter.com/vijaypande
Learn more about Tony Robbins https://tonyrobbins.com
Tony’s Time to Rise Summit (Jan 25-27, 2024): https://timetorisesummit.com/join-now
Pre-order Tony’s upcoming book “The Holy Grail of Investing” (Feb 2024): http://theholygrailofinvesting.com
Stay Updated:
Find us on X: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
The views expressed here are those of the individual personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any a16z funds. PLEASE SEE MORE HERE: https://a16z.com/disclosures/
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