The a16z Show

Housing and healthcare make up nearly half of household spending, yet both sectors are riddled with inefficiency and rising costs. In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by a16z Growth partner Alex Immerman and Minna Song and Tony Stoyanov, cofounders of EliseAI, to discuss why they’re tackling these critical industries and how AI can transform everything from leasing and maintenance to patient scheduling and compliance. The conversation covers: Why the U.S. is 5 million housing units short — and how technology can help unlock existing supply How automation can cut waste, reduce labor costs, and improve affordability What fully autonomous buildings might look like, and how that model could extend to healthcare This is about the costs that touch every household, and the role AI might play in finally bringing them down. Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction  0:28 Why Housing and Healthcare? 1:17 Technology’s Role in Housing 3:39 Housing Affordability & Supply Challenges 5:42 Regulatory and Capital Barriers 8:30 Improving Efficiency in Real Estate 13:05 Automation and the Future of Property Management 18:28 The Human Role in an AI-Driven Industry 20:35 Financial Engineering & Data Bottlenecks 21:51 The Future of Housing: Robotics, Mobility, and Flexibility 25:29 R&D and Technology Adoption in Real Estate 27:09 Addressing Criticisms of PropTech 29:24 Maintenance, Repairs, and AI Solutions 31:44 Expanding from Housing to Healthcare 32:38 Parallels Between Housing and Healthcare 36:41 The Future of Healthcare Operations 39:09 Lessons Learned & Ultimate Vision for EliseAI 40:55 Closing Thought Resources:  Link to blog: https://a16z.com/announcement/investing-in-eliseai/ Find Minna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minna-song/ Find Tony on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stoyan-tony-stoyanov-07690a53 FInd Alex on X: https://x.com/aleximm   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do tariffs help rebuild American manufacturing or hold it back?  In this episode, American Compass founder and chief economist Oren Cass sits down with commentator and author Noah Smith and a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg for a lively debate on the future of U.S. industry.  They discuss the case for tariff-driven re-industrialization versus free-market approaches, the role of allies in trade policy, and what the numbers really show about manufacturing jobs, investment, and output. Along the way, they challenge each other’s assumptions and explore what it would take to actually bring more production back to American soil.   Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction & Framing the Debate 1:27 Oren Cass: Economic Philosophy & American Compass 4:02 Manufacturing, Family, and Community 5:00 Free Trade, Comparative Advantage, and Policy 8:30 Tariffs: US vs. China and Historical Context 9:30 Do Tariffs Help US Manufacturing? 15:00 Data, Indicators, and Economic Predictions 22:00 Theory, History, and the Role of Economics 28:00 Trade Deficits, Scale, and Global Competition 38:00 Negotiation, Game Theory, and Policy Tools 46:00 Trade Deficits, Scale, and Global Competition 1:03:23 Negotiating with Allies and the Limits of Tariff Threats   Resources:  Find Oren on X: https://https://x.com/oren_cass American Compass: https://americancompass.org/ Find Noah on X: https://x.com/noahpinion Subscribe to Noah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The AI hardware race is heating up, and NVIDIA is still far ahead. What will it take to close the gap? In this episode, Dylan Patel (Founder & CEO, SemiAnalysis) joins Erin Price-Wright (General Partner, a16z), Guido Appenzeller (Partner, a16z), and host Erik Torenberg to break down the state of AI chips, data centers, and infrastructure strategy. We discuss: Why simply copying NVIDIA won’t work, and what it takes to beat them How custom silicon from Google, Amazon, and Meta could reshape the market The economics of AI model launches and the shift toward cost efficiency Infrastructure bottlenecks: power, cooling, and the global supply chain The rise of AI silicon startups and the challenges they face Export controls, China’s AI ambitions, and geopolitics in the chip race Big tech’s next moves: advice for leaders like Jensen Huang, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk Resources:  Find Dylan on X: https://x.com/dylan522p Find Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright Find Guido on X: https://x.com/appenz Learn more about SemiAnalysis: https://semianalysis.com/dylan-patel/ Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Genie 3 can generate fully interactive, persistent worlds from just text, in real time. In this episode, Google DeepMind’s Jack Parker-Holder (Research Scientist) and Shlomi Fruchter (Research Director) join Anjney Midha, Marco Mascorro, and Justine Moore of a16z, with host Erik Torenberg, to discuss how they built it, the breakthrough “special memory” feature, and the future of AI-powered gaming, robotics, and world models. They share: How Genie 3 generates interactive environments in real time Why its “special memory” feature is such a breakthrough The evolution of generative models and emergent behaviors Instruction following, text adherence, and model comparisons Potential applications in gaming, robotics, simulation, and more What’s next: Genie 4, Genie 5, and the future of world models   This conversation offers a first-hand look at one of the most advanced world models ever created.   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction & The Magic of Genie 3 0:41 Real-Time World Generation Breakthroughs 1:22 The Team’s Journey: From Genie 1 to Genie 3 5:03 Interactive Applications & Use Cases 8:03 Special Memory and World Consistency 12:29 Emergent Behaviors and Model Surprises 18:37 Instruction Following and Text Adherence 19:53 Comparing Genie 3 and Other Models 21:25 The Future of World Models & Modality Convergence 27:35 Downstream Applications and Open Questions 31:42 Robotics, Simulation, and Real-World Impact 39:33 Closing Thoughts & Philosophical Reflections   Resources: Find Shlomi on X: https://x.com/shlomifruchter Find Jack on X: https://x.com/jparkerholder Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/anjneymidha Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins Find Marco on X: https://x.com/Mascobot   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

a16z General Partners Martin Casado and Anjney Midha join Erik Torenberg to unpack one of the most dramatic shifts in tech policy in recent memory: the move from “pause AI” to “win the AI race.” They trace the evolution of U.S. AI policy—from executive orders that chilled innovation, to the recent AI Action Plan that puts scientific progress and open source at the center. The discussion covers how technologists were caught off guard, why open source was wrongly equated to nuclear risk, and what changed the narrative—including China's rapid progress. The conversation also explores: How and why the AI discourse got captured by doomerism What “marginal risk” really means—and why it matters Why open source AI is not just ideology, but business strategy How government, academia, and industry are realigning after a fractured few years The effect of bad legislation—and what comes next Whether you're a founder, policymaker, or just trying to make sense of AI's regulatory future, this episode breaks it all down. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction & Setting the Stage 0:39 The Shift in AI Regulation Discourse 2:10 Historical Context: Tech Waves & Policy 6:39 The Open Source Debate 13:39 The Chilling Effect & Global Competition 15:00 Changing Sentiments on Open Source 21:06 Open Source as Business Strategy 28:50 The AI Action Plan: Reflections & Critique 32:45 Alignment, Marginal Risk, and Policy 41:30 The Future of AI Regulation & Closing Thoughts Resources Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Anjney on X: https://x.com/anjneymidha Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re sharing an episode from ChinaTalk that dives into one of the biggest recent reversals in U.S. tech policy. The U.S. banned Nvidia’s H20 AI chips to China in April. Now, just months later, they’re being sold—with a 15% export fee. What happened? Why the reversal? And what does it mean for the future of AI competition between the U.S. and China? Chris Miller—author of Chip War—and Lennart Heim from RAND join ChinaTalk host Jordan Schneider to unpack the policy flip-flop, why China is publicly downplaying interest in the H20, and why high-bandwidth memory and semiconductor manufacturing tools may be even more important than the Nvidia chips themselves. Resources: Listen to more from ChinaTalk: https://link.chtbl.com/chinatalk Check out the Horizon Fellowship to work in DC on emerging tech policy issues like AI chip export controls: https://horizonpublicservice.org/applications-open-for-2026-horizon-fellowship-cohort/ Outro Music: It's a Shame, The Spinners, 1970 Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

a16z partners Olivia and Justine Moore unpack the latest in consumer AI including:  - Grok’s “Imagine” and its instant, social-first creative tools - Google’s Genie 3 and the future of 3D worlds - GPT-5: what’s new, what’s missing, and why some want their old chatbot back - AI-generated music from ElevenLabs - Olivia’s vibecoded Jensen Huang selfie app   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction & This Week's Topics 0:24 Grok Imagine: Social AI Image & Video Generation 4:48 GPT-5 Release & GPT-4 Deprecation 5:36 Comparing GPT-5 and GPT-4: Coding vs. Personality 9:13 AI for Mental Health: Illinois Law & Industry Impact 12:29 Genie 3: Interactive World Models from Google 16:53 ElevenLabs Music Model: Licensed AI Music Generation 19:16 Vibecoding: Consumer Experiments & Platform Evolution 24:14 The Future of Vibecoding & AI Tools 27:05 Conclusions    Resources: Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins Read Anish and Justine’s  vibecoding post: https://a16z.com/specialized-app-gen-platforms/   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fresh off the announcement of his move from Shopify to a16z, Alex Danco joins TBPN to talk about the “trade deal” that brought him here and his mission to make the firm’s written content truly world class. He discusses why he believes writing still matters in the age of AI, how great prose can act as “power transfer technology” for founders, and why he’s betting on the overlooked art of speechwriting. Alex also reflects on his years as a founder, investor, and longtime blogger, and shares the formats he’s most excited to explore, from deal memos to launch speeches.   Timecodes:  0:00 Joining a16z 0:41 The Power of Writing & Speechwriting 2:45 Reflections on Blogging & Communication 5:10 Writing as Power Transfer Technology 6:46 Formats & Content at a16z 8:09 The Underrated Art of Speechwriting 11:21 The Evolution of Blogging & Audience 12:23 Looking Forward: Brand & Legacy   Resources: Find Alex on X: https://x.com/Alex_Danco Watch TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/ Follow TBPN on X: https://x.com/tbpn   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s been a wave of M&A deals lately - Meta and Scale, Windsurf and Google - and a lot of it points to something bigger: how regulation, capital, and innovation are colliding in 2025. In this episode Erik Torenberg brings together Steven Sinofsky, former Microsoft Executive and Balaji Srinivasan, founder of the Network School, and author of the Network State to break it all down.  From acquihires to “acquifires,” from FTC crackdowns to the deeper battle between the state and the network, this is a sharp conversation on the future of tech and power.   Resources Find Balaji on X: https://x.com/balajis Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi Learn more about The Network State: https://thenetworkstate.com Learn more about The Network School: https://ns.com   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Marc Andreessen joins TBPN for an unfiltered conversation spanning everything from ads in LLMs to why Apple’s AI strategy may be risky for anyone not named Apple. Marc breaks down the current state of AI: why open source is resurging, how foundational research is (or isn’t) turning into product, and whether we’ve hit the moment when phones start to fade as dominant platforms. He also shares his candid thoughts on Meta’s wearable wins, Vision Pro’s imperfections, and how humor and deep research are his two favorite use cases for AI today. Timecodes: 0:00 Intro   2:41  The Pace of AI and Technology Cycles   4:03  Research vs. Productization in AI Companies   5:15  Apple’s Strategy: Last Mover Advantage   7:09  The Future Beyond Smartphones   10:23  Open Source AI: Progress and Challenges   13:49  Ads in AI: Business Models and User Experience   15:52  Legal Frameworks for AI and Data   17:53  Lightning Round: How Mark Uses AI   19:01  Breaking into Venture Capital in 2025   20:34  M&A, Survivorship Bias, and Company Resilience   Resources Watch TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/ Marc on X:   https://x.com/pmarca Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg   Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.