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Hi and welcome to the A16Z podcast.

This episode which originally took place as a live event is a conversation

between Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner and A16 Z Cultural Leadership

Fund partner Chris Lyons. The two discuss everything from how to identify standout companies and talent, for better or worse, to the growing influence of cultural leaders in tech.

They begin by talking briefly about the parallels between pro sports and the tech sector,

given that Wagner most recently negotiated

his own contract extension to become

the highest paid middle linebacker in the NFL.

Chris's question is the first voice you'll hear.

So you know how to negotiate your own contracts,

but now like you're starting to also get into,

you know, investments in the private side too.

How do you negotiate when you're working with

startups, when you're working with founders, what is the sum of the things that you

look for? It's kind of the same, trying to figure out is your team a good team?

You look and you see what's the culture and do you believe in the person

that is controlling the product? Because there's a lot of good products out there, but not good leaders and they can

lead them into the ground, but it's not so great products that a good leader could turn to

to amazing things and so what I look for is you know do I believe in the culture

do I believe in the person that's building a product and is it somebody I want to take a chance on?

...