You Better Have a 30-Year Goal (with Eigen Labs)

web3 with a16z crypto

Andreessen Horowitz

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4.4 • 66 Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 75 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From computational genomics research to building "humanity's coordination engine," Eigen Labs founder Sreeram Kannan shares his path — and lessons learned along the way — in conversation with a16z crypto General Partner Ali Yahya.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Web3 with A16Z.
0:06.0	Today we're talking about a founder's journey from academic research to the tech startup world,
0:11.0	along with the many lessons he's learned along the way.
0:14.0	We dig into big ideas, like what people mean when they call blockchain's, quote, truth machines.
0:20.0	We also share practical advice and
0:22.2	insights, like how to go about deciding on your life's work, what you can do to keep increasing
0:26.8	and compounding your leverage, plus how a bungled interview question can change your life.
0:33.0	Today's episode features a conversation between Eigen Labs founder Sri Ram Kanan, formerly an associate professor
0:39.3	at the University of Washington, where he led its blockchain lab, and A16Z Crypto general partner
0:44.6	Ali Yaya. This conversation originally took place in the fall at our CSX crypto startup
0:51.2	accelerator in New York. If you like what you hear, subscribe to the A16Z
0:55.6	crypto YouTube channel for this video and others like it. As a reminder, none of the content
1:00.7	should be taken as tax, business, legal, or investment advice. Please see A16Z.com slash
1:07.5	disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.
1:15.9	But let's start maybe just with a big picture about eigenlayer.
1:20.1	What is your latest framing for the problem that eigen layer solves?
1:25.2	Eigen layer.
1:25.6	What is eigen layer?
1:26.5	Eigen in German for your own, your own layer.
1:28.9	Anybody can build whatever they want.
1:30.7	The core thesis of eigen layer is open innovation.
1:34.6	So what is open innovation?
	...

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