The a16z Show

The holy grail of company building is finding product-market fit. But what most people don’t tell you is that once you’ve found it, product-market fit brings its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to scaling rapidly and hiring the right executives at the right time. Drawing from their extensive experiences, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz and Databricks cofounder and CEO Ali Ghodsi sit down to talk about the hardest things about executive hiring and firing, and what is at stake. They dive into the common reasons an exec fails, why sometimes micromanagement is a good idea, and the difference between someone who has written a playbook and someone who has only run one. If you’d like to dive even deeper, the Growth team at a16z has spent the last year compiling insights from dozens of leaders at late-stage startups to literally write the book on hiring executives to scale. You can find that book at: http://a16z.com/executive-hiring-playbook Topics Covered: 00:00 - When is it time to let someone go? 05:41 - When do you give someone a chance to grow into the role? 07:05-  Let go or level? 09:27 - How do you have the tough conversation?  16:39 - Exit packages 18:40 - Setting a new leader up for success 24:27 - The importance of the first quick win  26:24 - The impact a new leader has on culture 32:52 - Common ways new leaders fail 37:35 - Closing thoughts Resources: Read the Executive Hiring: The Key to Scaling in the Growth Stages: http://a16z.com/executive-hiring-playbook Learn more about Databricks: https://www.databricks.com Find Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Find Ali on Twitter: https://twitter.com/alighodsi Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. 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.

Demand for electric cars is booming. More than 10 million electric cars were sold worldwide in 2022, and consumer behavior is changing as more people embrace alternative and sustainable modes of mobility. While the electrification movement is a critical element of climate action, it also presents new challenges - from the sky to the sea. In this episode, industry experts Gregory Davis, CEO of Eviation Planes, Mitch Lee, co-founder and CEO of Arc Boats, and Duncan McIntyre, founder and CEO of Highland Electric Fleets, dive into how the electrification movement is shaping the future of transport and technology. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 03:29 - The sustainable aviation industry 04:47 - Electric school, municipal and government vehicles 07:57 - Electric boats 10:49 - What can be transferred from the EV car market? 14:06 - Battery challenges and architecture 19:06 - Providing grid services  22:55 - Building a multimodal business 33:19 - Gaps in the market 46:16 - Do you make, buy, or borrow? 57:26 - What does the future look like for each industry? Resources: Learn more about Arc Boats: https://arcboats.com Learn more about Highland Electric Fleets: https://highlandfleets.com Learn more about Eviation: https://www.eviation.com   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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.

Today’s episode is with Magi Richani, founder and CEO of Nobell Foods. She is joined by a16z Bio + Health general partner Vijay Pande. Together, they talk about the details of engineering plants to create the future of food, why Nobell started with soybeans to produce their cheese, and her dream of finding a cheese pizza—with Nobell cheese—at any pizza shop across the country. 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.

Many companies today are grappling with a few things: an economic downturn, potential layoffs and restructuring, and trying to keep up with the latest tech trends… all while still maintaining a growth trajectory. In this episode, you’ll learn which companies are uniquely designed to weather this storm and what attributes these exponential organizations have. We’re joined by the co-authors of Exponential Organzations, Peter Diamandids and Salim Ismail, both also well-known for their involvement in XPrize and Singularity University, among many other companies. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 03:11 -What is an ‘Exponential Organization’? 04:46 - What has changed in business since 2014 07:06 - Building companies with minimal cost supply *** 11:49 - Can  incumbents become exponential organizations? 16:27 - Massive Transformative Purpose (MTPs) 19:04 - How can you tell if you have a good MTP 22:34 - Unilever’s MTP 23:27 - Staff on demand 29:35 - Building interfaces and dashboards 30:36 - The importance of experimenting 34:19 - The economic downturn and restructuring 38:00 - Peer-to-peer collaborative technologies 42:30 - Digitizing your business 43:53 - Kodak example 45:37 - Automation and the humans role 52:06 - How have you seen companies integrate AI? 56:56 - Emerging roles due to exponential trends 59:56 - The framework and diagnostic survey 01:00:02 - Creating APIs you can build on 01:05:00 - Opportunities in the market Resources: Attend the Exponential Organization workshop on June 6: https://www.diamandis.com/exo Learn more about Peter: https://www.diamandis.com/about Learn more about Salim: https://salimismail.com/   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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, you’ll hear directly from 6 founders trying to reinvent the healthcare system with the help of Fintech. They’re tackling everything from the lack of price transparency, the complexity of billing, getting clinics paid on time, mental health support for the masses, virtual first-care, and the millions of Americans about to lose access to Medicaid.   Topics Covered: 00:00 - The biggest problems in healthcare 02:22 - The lack of price transparency 07:13 - The complexity of medical billing 14:32 - Getting health clinics paid on time 20:00 - Mental health support for the masses 24:58 - Millions about to lose Medicaid 29:12 - Adopting virtual-first care Resources: Learn more about the intersection of Healthcare and Fintech: https://a16z.com/healthcare-meets-fintech/ Check out Turquoise: https://turquoise.health/ Check out Cedar: https://www.cedar.com/ Check out Camber Health: http://camber.health/ Check out Headway: https://headway.co/ Check out Propel: https://www.joinpropel.com/ Check out Firefly: https://www.firefly.health/ Find Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/crsevern?lang=en Find Florian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/flottobrasil?lang=en Find Jade on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadeyychan/ Find Andrew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewlangadams?lang=en Find Jimmy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmychen?lang=en Find Fay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/fyietc   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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.

2022 was a breakout year for AI. While machine learning had already been integrated into applications for millions of users, for many, these tools still felt like their first real-world encounter with AI. As AI continues to revolutionize industries, CEOs are discussing how to integrate this new superpower. They are also considering important questions around data privacy, competition, cost, accuracy, and speed. In today's episode, we talk with Cresta, Hex, and Sourcegraph, three companies at the forefront of integrating AI into their existing products. From navigating data privacy concerns to optimizing accuracy and managing costs, these leaders are navigating the complexities of this new superpower. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 02:51 - How AI can enhance customer service 08:26 - Using AI to shape data and analytics 09:33 - Solving the challenges on contextual understanding 12:01 - Giving AI the right information and context 13:31 - Tools that help build language Models (LLMs) 15:39 - Building open source tools 18:40 - Constructing prompts 22:26 - How do you differentiate? 23:48 - Customization as a moat 25:26 - Privacy challenges 29:14 - Language models and search engines 30:41 - Cost and pricing of models 32:48 - What does the contact center look like in 2028? Resources: Find Barry McCardel on Twitter https://twitter.com/barrald Find Beyang Liu on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyang Find Zayd Enam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zaydenam Recent AI episodes: From Promise to Reality: Inside a16z's Data and AI Forum Beyond Avatars: How AI is Reshaping Online Identity Unlocking Creativity with Prompt Engineering Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. For more details please see     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.

Most people don’t need a reminder of the state of healthcare in America. But it’s not just the consumer that’s hurting.  Medical debt is increasing, billions are lost in unpaid claims, hospitals are in the red, service prices can range up to 30x….  In this episode, a16z GPs Julie You and David Haber explain where the healthcare system breaks down and how the three party system — between payors, providers, and consumers — can be rethought through the lens of Fintech. Learn more about Healthcare x Fintech here: https://a16z.com/healthcare-meets-fintech/ Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 02:50 - The intersection of healthcare and fintech  05:40 - The problems within US healthcare  09:00 - The stats behind US healthcare 12:10 - Where do the problems stem from in healthcare? 15:50 - New opportunities and regulatory changes 17:50 - Pushback on regulations 19:40 - Provider and patient models and transparency 21.10 -  The ‘No Surprises Act’ and the ‘Cures Act’ 23:20 - Applying fintech infrastructure to healthcare 26:00 - Example: how Juniper in embedding fintech in healthcare 30:10 - Opportunities in the healthcare/fintech market 33:05 - Payvidors unbundled  34:55 - The financial operating system for healthcare 37:40 - How founders can approach the problems 39:23 - The investor standpoint on company opportunities 41:00 - Unsolved problems in the market 45:25 - The bridge between start-ups and incumbents  47:20 - Healthcare incumbent stats   48:50 - The window of opportunity for healthcare and fintech Resources: Read the article ‘Healthtech x Fintech’s Biggest Prize: The Financial Operating System for Healthcare: https://a16z.com/2023/02/07/healthtech-x-fintechs-biggest-prize/ Read the article ‘ Payvidors, Unbundled: Opportunities in Healthcare Fintech’:https://a16z.com/2022/06/01/payvidors-unbundled-opportunities-in-healthcare-fintech/ Find Julie on Twitter :https://twitter.com/julesyoo Find David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dhaber Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. 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.

Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang declared in a recent keynote, “we are in the iPhone moment of AI.” This special episode will give you an inside look into a16z’s Data and AI Forum, hosted the day GPT-4 came out, featuring many of the most influential builders in the space – from the companies building foundational models like OpenAI to those building the underlying infrastructure like AWS.   Resources: Check out CoactiveAI: https://coactive.ai/ Check out CharacterAI: http://character.ai/ Check out Hex: https://hex.tech/ Follow Cody on Twitter: https://twitter.com/codyaustun Follow Myle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/myleott Follow Barry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/barrald   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. 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 a recent episode, we delved into the first wave of technology that was used to create digital influencers like 'Lil Miquela back in 2016. Fast forward to today, we're presented with a whole new set of tools that enable almost anyone to build their own digital influencer.  In this episode, Sinead Bovell and Danny Postma discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the world of modeling, online creation, and self-representation. From the rise of AI-generated photos to the democratization of creativity, they discuss the potential of AI in shaping the future of digital expression. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 03:08 - The key insight 08:00 - The photo studio of the future 09:44 - Programs and models behind deep fakes 10:58 - How the technology is used today 12:36 - How real is today’s content? 15:29 - The cost of a virtual model 17:13 - Industry benefits 19:28 - Market appetite 23:25 - Evolving tech 25:15 - Unlocking a new wave of creativity 28:38 - Future predictions 30:23 - Keeping up with tech 32:02 - Finding a moat 34:09 - Stacked AI models 35:25 - Running your own GPUs and models 37:33 - Product ideas Resources: Find Danny Postma on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannypostmaa Headshot Pro, ProfilePicture.Ai plus all of Danny’s projects at: https://www.postcrafts.com/ Find Sinéad Bovell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sineadbovell/?hl=en   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. 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 is arguably nothing that impacts our daily lives more than consumer technology. This technology can drive our ability to change careers, build an audience, or feel understood.  And in this episode, listeners get a sneak peek into our new consumer series, Field Notes, where a16z’s very own Connie Chan speaks with the builders, creators, and investors behind the technology that shapes our daily lives. If you like these segments, you can find the full episodes at a16z.com/fieldnotes. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction 02:13 - Chris Schroder 08:15 - Brian Wong 15:35 - Tracy Sun 23:03 - Deb Liu 30:56 - Susan Plagemann Resources:  Find the full series: https://a16z.com/fieldnotes Find Connie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conniechan Deb's Part 1:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is2pm06MNt8 Deb's Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osJp6S66u2U Chris's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zux1wVirUjs   Stay Updated:  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://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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. 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.