How Andreessen Horowitz Disrupted VC & What’s Coming Next

a16z Podcast

a16z

Science, Innovation, Business, Entrepreneurship, Culture, Disruption, Software Eating The World, Technology

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 7 July 2025

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On this episode, taken from The Ben & Marc Show, a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz dive deep into the unfiltered story behind the founding of Andreessen Horowitz—and how they set out to reinvent venture capital itself. For the first time, Marc and Ben walk through the origins, strategy, and philosophy behind building a world-class venture capital firm designed for the future—not just the next fund. They reveal how they broke industry norms with a bold brand, a full-stack support model, and a long-term commitment to backing exceptional builders—anchored in the radical idea that founders deserved real support, not just checks. Joining them to guide the conversation is Erik Torenberg—Andreessen Horowitz’s newest General Partner—who makes his Ben & Marc Show moderating debut. Erik is a technology entrepreneur, investor, and founder of the media company Turpentine.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We met with one firm, Ben. You might remember one of the partners said,
0:03.0	venture capital is like being at the sushi boat restaurant.
0:05.0	A thousand startups come through and you just meet with them and then every once in a while,
0:08.0	you kind of reach down and you just pluck a startup out of the sushi boat and you invest in it.
0:12.0	And I was like, oh my God.
0:14.0	The sushi there is typically not great.
0:19.0	What does it take to build a venture firm from scratch? and how should it evolve as the world changes around it?
0:23.7	I recently sat down with Mark and Ben for a wide-ranging conversation on the origins of A16Z, the evolution of the venture capital industry, and the structural choices that have shaped the firm from platform to federation and beyond.
0:35.2	We talk about everything from how A16Z got started in 2009
0:39.0	to how we think about platform media governance
0:41.8	and why venture is more barbell shaped than ever.
0:44.6	As it happens, this conversation took place during my first week,
0:47.8	so it was the perfect moment to reflect on where the firm has been
0:50.3	and where it's headed.
0:51.6	This episode originally aired on The Ben and Mark Show, which you can
0:55.1	follow for more candid conversations from inside the firm. Let's get into it.
1:04.1	The content here is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business,
1:08.9	tax, or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any
1:12.1	investment or security and is not directed at any investor or potential investors in any A16Z fund.
1:19.0	Please note that A16Z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed in this podcast.
1:25.0	For more details, including a link to our investments, please see
1:27.9	A16Z.com slash disclosures. Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of The Ben and Mark
	...

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