a16z Podcast: Hard Forks, Hard Choices for Bitcoin

From artificial limbs to memory foam, many inventions have emerged from our quest to understand the cosmos. In this episode we explore cosmic history, space's impact on technology, and the enduring human fascination with space exploration. To take us on this journey is astrophysicist John Mather, a Nobel Prize winner for his work on the COBE satellite and a key figure in the James Webb Space Telescope project.Prepare to be intrigued and left with a sense of wonder about the universe's influence on our world. Topics Covered:00:00 –  Innovations through the pursuit of space03:52– John’s early life 06:44 – Proving The Big Bang Theory 13:30 – The mysteries of quantum mechanics15:10 –  Leading the James Webb Telescope17:12 – Images from James Webb20:32 – Are we alone? 24:20 – New telescopes25:18 – Engineering in space for earth29:31 –  What would you like to see solved in your lifetime?32:24 – What came before The Big Bang? 25:04 – Misconceptions about space37:17 – Can humans be a multiplanetary species?38:20 - Private vs public spending in space40:24 – What’s the future of space exploration? Resources:COBE satellite imagery: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/cobe_20th.htmlImages from the James Webb Telescope: https://webbtelescope.org/imagesExoplanet transmission spectrum: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2022/032/01G72VSFW756JW5SXWV1HYMQK4 Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain

18 Aug 202342min

With students learning in more places and different ways than we have ever seen, the pace of change in education is dizzying. Can this progress narrow learning gaps exacerbated by COVID-19 or will it fuel divides? How can we make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity?Join our panelists from Khan Academy, PrismsVR, and Minecraft Education as we discuss the classroom of the future, and how important technologies including AI, XR, and gaming should play a role in it. Topics Covered:00:00 – The classroom of 202304:30 – Data on the current classroom05:40– Developing the next gen of STEM talent08:00 –  AI in the classroom 13:10 – The role of gaming in the classroom16:00 – Misconceptions of technology in classroom17:51 – The ways teachers and students use AI21:15 - The future role of a teacher24:25 – Personalization and ownership in education27:11 – Getting hardware into the classroom29:54 - Misconceptions of teacher’s abilities and appetite for tech31:25 – Why implement these changes now?36:05 – Call to action for the classroom of 2050 Resources:Find Sal Khan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/salkhanacademyFind Romy Drucker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/romydruckerFind Allison Matthews on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-matthews-4050677/Find Anurupa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anurupa-ganguly-92790379/Learn more about Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/Learn more about The Walton Family Foundation: https://www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/Learn more about Minecraft Education: https://education.minecraft.net/en-usLearn more about Prisms VR: https://www.prismsvr.com/Watch more panel discussions from The Aspen Ideas Festival 2023: https://www.aspenideas.org/ Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

14 Aug 202340min

With software becoming more important than ever, hardware is following suit.As the world generates more data, unlocking the full potential of AI means a constant need for faster and more resilient hardware. But how much does this all really cost? In this final segment of our AI hardware series, we tackle that question head on. Be sure to check part 1 and 2, where we explore the emerging architectures and the momentous competition for AI hardware. Topics Covered:00:00 – The cost of compute02:20 – Is this sustainable?03:23 – The cost to train a model05:39 – Computation requirements09:05  – The relationship between compute, capital, and technology11:15 – GPT4 commenting on the technology with help from ElevenLabs Resources: Find Guido on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appenz/Find Guido on Twitter: https://twitter.com/appenz Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

7 Aug 202314min

With the world constantly generating more data, unlocking the full potential of AI means a constant need for faster and more resilient hardware.In this episode – the second in our three-part series – we explore the challenges for founders trying to build AI companies. We dive into the delta between supply and demand, whether to own or rent, where moats can be found, and even where open source comes into play.Look out for the rest of our series, where we dive into terminology and technology that is the backbone of the AI, how much the cost of compute truly costs! Topics Covered:00:00 – Supply and demand02:44 –  Competition for AI hardware04:32– Who gets access to the supply available06:16– How to select which hardware to use08:39– Cloud versus bringing infrastructure in house12:43– What role does open source play? 15:47– Cheaper and decentralized compute19:04– Rebuilding the stack20:29– Upcoming episodes on cost of compute Resources: Find Guido on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appenz/Find Guido on Twitter: https://twitter.com/appenz Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

2 Aug 202321min

In 2011, Marc Andreessen said, “software is eating the world.” And in the last year, we’ve seen a new wave of generative AI, with some apps becoming some of the most swiftly adopted software products of all time.So if software is becoming more important than ever, hardware is following suit. In this episode – the first in our three-part series – we explore the terminology and technology that is now the backbone of the AI models taking the world by storm. We’ll explore what GPUs are, how they work, the key players like Nvidia competing for chip dominance, and also… whether Moore’s Law is dead?Look out for the rest of our series, where we dive even deeper; covering supply and demand mechanics, including why we can’t just “print” our way out of a shortage, how founders get access to inventory, whether they should own or rent, where open source plays a role, and of course… how much all of this truly costs! Topics Covered:00:00 – AI terminology and technology03:44 - Chips, semiconductors, servers, and compute04:48 - CPUs and GPUs06:07 - Future architecture and performance07:01 - The hardware ecosystem09:05 - Software optimizations12:23 - What do we expect for the future?14:35 - Upcoming episodes on market  and cost Resources: Find Guido on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/appenz/Find Guido on Twitter: https://twitter.com/appenz Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

27 Juli 202315min

Despite the ease of product building, sustainable growth has become increasingly challenging as many traditional channels no longer deliver the same results.In these challenging times, we explore the remaining growth opportunities. How can we achieve a balance between efficiency, profitability, and growth? Which channels are still relevant and how can they be effectively mastered in 2023?Join us as we discuss these questions with three seasoned experts who have successfully navigated similar confusing times in the past: Gina Gotthilf, leading Latitud and renowned for her impressive tenure as the VP of Growth at Duolingo; Kieran Flanagan, a long-time SVP of Marketing at HubSpot; and Bryan Kim, Consumer Partner at a16z, who held various leadership roles during Snap's hypergrowth phase up to its IPO. Topics Covered:00:00 – What growth opportunities exist in 2023?03:00 – What still works in growth?05:02 – The fundamentals and framework of growth07:02 – Assessing growth potential and product lead growth09:33 – Distribution11:15 – Your moat and growth14:00 – Integrating AI for product lead growth16:23 –Trust as a moat17:23 – B2C growth - discovery and breaking through18:51 – Can you get ahead of the incumbents?22:03 – Examples of companies and products24:59 – How do you foster a growth culture?28:38 – Experimentation  34:20 – How companies using AI in distribution44:43 – Growth challenge: What would you do with $10K? Resources:Check out Latitud: https://go.latitud.com/Check out Zapier: https://zapier.com/Find Bryan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kirbyman01Find Kieran on Twitter :https://twitter.com/searchbratFind Gina on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginag Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

21 Juli 202346min

Today’s episode is with Mark Cuban, founder of multiple businesses, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, one of the sharks on Shark Tank, and cofounder of the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. He is joined by Vijay Pande, founding partner of a16z Bio + Health. Together, they talk market forces in healthcare, the importance of trust to patients, and Mark’s ideas to tackle the Gordian knot that is American healthcare. Listen to our last two episodes on Healthcare x Fintech:When Two Giants Intersect: Healthcare Meets FintechHow Fintech is Reshaping Our $4T Healthcare Industry Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

12 Juli 202341min

Remote work is a big, divisive topic right now. Some think it’s the future, while others think it was an experiment gone wrong.But it’s also not the only way to attract top talent. And the equation for doing so has only gotten more confusion as a myriad of trends intersect, from layoffs to emerging technologies like AI.So how can companies navigate this storm and truly attract the talent that matters? Listen in to find out.Topics Covered:00:00 – Introduction03:26 – What it takes to attract top talent in 202306:36 – What employees really care about14:13 – Positives and negatives of benefits17:32 – Generational differences27:44 – Will the return to office work?34:35 – Differentiating through benefits38:35 – Advice to attract top talent44:16 – Closing thoughtsResources:A-Team study referenced:https://www.a.team/mission/college-grads-surveyiCIMS study referenced: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2q3hepreozaurte/iCIMS-Class-of-2021-Report.pdfMost recent iCIMS study: https://www.icims.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/iCIMS-2023-Workforce-Report-FINAL.pdfFind AJ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ItsAJThomasFind Rob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobFrohweinFind Hung on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HungLeeCheck out Keep Financial: https://keepfinancial.com/Check out Recruiting Brainfood: https://www.recruitingbrainfood.com/

6 Juli 202342min