What if the rise of Apple also built modern China?

a16z’s Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple’s pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China’s manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.

Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:

• The early days of Apple’s shift to Chinese manufacturing 
• What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China’s trajectory
• How Tim Cook’s operational playbook reshaped the global tech industry
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft’s own hardware battles and Surface launch
• Why Apple’s entanglement with China may now be a strategic liability
• What COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes next
• How national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial era

The episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple’s new UI, the iPad’s evolving role, and why Apple’s AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.

TImecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky

00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story

02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates

05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics

06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications

13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global

20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing

26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China

27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air

29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing

31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills

32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China

32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues

37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing

41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing

47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era

48:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources:

Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi

Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

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.

In this recent episode of The Ben & Marc Show, a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with Adam Neumann—founder of WeWork and now Flow—to unpack one of the most unlikely comeback storie s in tech.

What began as a personal reckoning after a very public fall has become a bold new vision for how we live and belong. Flow isn’t just a real estate company—it’s an operating system for community, built on first-principles software, design, and soul.

Joined by a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg, the group goes deep on:

• Why Adam’s childhood shaped his obsession with community
• Adam’s fall from WeWork—and how he found a new path to redemption
• How Flow is re-architecting real estate from scratch
• Why loneliness is the greatest design challenge of our time

With reflections on dyslexia, the American dream, and the thin line between failure and greatness, this is a candid and wide-ranging conversation about redemption, vision, and building something that matters in this world. We hope you enjoy this deeply human conversation about the future of living.

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction 

00:51 Adam's Early Life and Family Background

07:56 Military Service and Discipline

10:08 Transition to the US and Education

14:43 Entrepreneurial Journey Begins

17:49 The Concept of Flow and Vision

20:28 Meeting and Partnership Formation

25:22 Overcoming Challenges and Resilience

28:30 The Isolation Phenomenon

30:03 Navigating Post-Crisis Relationships

31:50 Real Estate Strategies During COVID

33:47 The Genesis of a New Venture

36:47 Lessons from WeWork

38:49 Building Flow: The Vision

41:44 The Importance of Alignment

51:23 Technological Innovations in Real Estate

55:44 Revolutionizing Real Estate Software and Flexible Living Solutions

56:28 Challenges and Innovations in Multifamily Housing Rental Markets

58:40 Global Housing Crisis and Solutions

01:06:10 Expanding to Saudi Arabia

01:08:49 Success in Saudi Arabia

01:12:43 Real Estate Funds and Future Plans

01:19:10: Why Is This an Opportunity? 

01:20:45 Impact of COVID on Living and Working

01:26:14 Future Potential of Housing and Living

Resources: 

Read Marc's blog post about Flow: https://a16z.com/announcement/flow/

Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca 

Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ 

Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz 

Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg 

Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.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.

Things in consumer AI are moving fast. In this episode, Justine and Olivia Moore, investing partners (and identical twins!) at a16z, break down what’s real, what’s overhyped, and what’s next across the consumer AI space. They cover: 

• Veo 3: how Google's video model unlocked a new genre of content 
• OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode: upgrades, realism, and... um, human-like hesitation 
• Apple's AI announcements 
• 11Labs V3: expressive voice tags, real-time interruptions, and narrative tools for creators 
• New data from a16z: AI consumer startups are ramping revenue faster than ever—and they show you how 
• Justine walks through how she used ChatGPT, Ideogram, and Krea to launch a fully AI-assisted brand prototype (store photos and all)

Timecodes: 

00:00 Introduction  

00:28 Meet the Hosts: Justine and Olivia

00:44 Veo 3: The Game-Changer in AI Video

06:34 ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode Updates

10:22 Apple's AI Announcements and Siri's Shortcomings

12:18 11 Labs' New Voice Model: 11 V3

15:50 Report from a16z: AI Revenue Growth

23:14 Demo of the Week: AI in Brand Creation

Resources: 

Read ‘What “Working” Means in the Era of AI Apps’: https://a16z.com/revenue-benchmarks-a... 

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins 

Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets

Tools Discussed: 

Veo 3: https://gemini.google/overview/video-... 

OpenAI: https://openai.com/chatgpt 

11Labs (V3 voice model) – https://elevenlabs.io/ 

Ideogram (logo/image generation) – https://ideogram.ai/ 

Black Forest Labs/Flux Context (image editing via Krea) – https://www.krea.ai/ 

Flux Context demo (Krea launch post) – https://www.krea.ai/blog/flux-context 

Hedra: https://www.hedra.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.

In this episode Jack Altman, CEO of Lattice and host of Uncapped, interviews Marc Andreessen on how venture capital is evolving — from small seed funds to billion-dollar barbell strategies — and why today’s most important tech companies don’t just build tools, they replace entire industries. They cover:

• The end of “picks and shovels” investing
• Why missing a great company matters more than backing a bad one
• The power law math behind fund size and asymmetric returns
• AI as the next computing platform — and a test for Western civilization
• Preference falsification, media power, and what founders can’t say out loud

This is a conversation about ambition at scale, the structure of modern venture, and the deep forces reshaping startups, innovation, and power.

Resources: 

Listen to more from Uncapped: https://linktr.ee/uncappedpod

Find Jack on Xhttps://x.com/jaltma

Find Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca

Find Uncapped on X: https://x.com/uncapped_pod

Timecodes: 
00:00 What You Can’t Say  

01:20 Founders, Funders, and the Future  

02:00 Fund Size and Power Law Math  

06:45 From Tools to Full Stack Startups  

10:00  Market Sizing and Asymmetric Bets  

13:00 Public Markets Mirror Venture Dynamics  

17:00 The Barbell Strategy in Venture  

20:00 The Conflict Dilemma in Venture  

25:00 Staying in Early-Stage Venture  

29:30 The Death of the Middle  

32:00 Why It’s So Rare to Build a New Top VC Firm  

35:00 The Case for Power in Venture  

37:45 Limiting Factors for Big Companies  

41:00 AI as the Next Computing Platform  

45:30 Betting on Startups, Not Incumbents  

48:00  How a16z Thinks About Risk  

51:00 Building a Top-Tier GP Team  

55:00 Taste, Timing, and Getting Into the Scene  

57:00 Raising Capital Is the Easy Part  

1:00:30 AI’s Existential Stakes  

1:05:00 Autonomous Weapons, Ethics, and War  

1:11:00 Tech, Government, and Power  

1:13:00 Media, Mistrust, and Narrative Collapse  

1:24:00 Preference Falsification and Cultural Cascades  

1:32:00 The Thought Experiment  

1:33:00 Career Advice for Young Builders  

1:35:00 Marc vs. the Huberman Protocol  

1:39:30 What Would Prove You Right?  

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.

What if crypto isn’t just a speculative asset class—but the next foundational layer of the internet?

In this episode, Chris Dixon, founding partner of a16z crypto and one of the earliest, most forward-thinking investors in the space, joins TBPN for a wide-ranging conversation on the real, long-term promise of crypto—and why we're still early.

He unpacks:

• Why stablecoins are already functioning as internet-native money
• How blockchains can serve as global, programmable financial infrastructure
• Why programmability, not just low fees, is the real unlock
• The evolving regulatory landscape and new bipartisan momentum
• The rise of AI agents, decentralized platforms, and real-world crypto use cases

This episode is about long-term thinking, technical optimism, and building open infrastructure for the future of the internet.

Resources: 

Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon

Watch TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/

Timecodes:

00:00 Meet Chris Dixon: Crypto Visionary

00:26 The Evolution of Stable Coins

02:49 The Future of Stable Coins and Global Payments

06:04 Lobbying Efforts and Legislative Impact

09:01 Adoption Across Different Sectors

11:53 Competitive Forces in the Crypto Market

14:37 The Crypto Talent Shortage

15:05 Opportunities in the Crypto Space

17:08 Crypto Fund Performance

19:04 Venture Capital in Crypto

23:30 Real World Assets on Blockchain

26:34 Social Engineering and Proof of Humanity

29:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by the a16z Consumer team—General Partner Anish Acharya and Partners Olivia Moore, Justine Moore, and Bryan Kim—for a conversation on the current state (and future) of consumer tech.

They unpack why it feels like breakout consumer apps have slowed down, how AI is changing the game, and what might define the next era of products. Topics include:

• The rise of AI-native consumer tools and companion apps
• Why users are now spending $200+/month on AI products
• The missing AI-powered social graph
• Why speed and iteration may matter more than traditional moats
• And what it means to build for a world where software touches everything

From shifting business models to new behavior patterns, this is your pulse check on where we are—and where consumer is heading next.

Timecodes:

00:00:00 – Introduction to Consumer AI

00:01:00 – The Evolution of Consumer Breakouts

00:03:18 – The Shift in Consumer Spending

00:08:00 – The Future of Social Networks with AI

00:13:00 – Enterprise Adoption of AI

00:20:42 – The Rise of Voice Technology

00:23:06 – AI's Role in Enterprise Conversations

00:25:25 – AI in Education and Personal Development

00:26:34 – AI Companions: The New Norm

00:31:52 – The Future of AI Companions

00:38:50 – Speculating on New AI Platforms

00:42:07 – The Social Norms of AI Integration

Resources: 

Find Anish on X: https://x.com/illscience

Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

Find Bryan on X: https://x.com/kirbyman01

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.

What if the next leap in artificial intelligence isn’t about better language—but better understanding of space?

In this episode, a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg moderates a conversation with Fei-Fei Li, cofounder and CEO of World Labs, and a16z General Partner Martin Casado, an early investor in the company. Together, they dive into the concept of world models—AI systems that can understand and reason about the 3D, physical world, not just generate text.

Often called the “godmother of AI,” Fei-Fei explains why spatial intelligence is a fundamental and still-missing piece of today’s AI—and why she’s building an entire company to solve it. Martin shares how he and Fei-Fei aligned on this vision long before it became fashionable, and why it could reshape the future of robotics, creativity, and computational interfaces.

From the limits of LLMs to the promise of embodied intelligence, this conversation blends personal stories with deep technical insights—exploring what it really means to build AI that understands the real (and virtual) world.

Resources: 

Find Fei-Fei on X: https://x.com/drfeifei

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Learn more about World Labs: https://www.worldlabs.ai/

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.

What does it take to build a venture firm from scratch—and scale it across multiple waves of technological and cultural change?

In this special episode recorded at the a16z LP Summit, Marc Andreessen joins Erik Torenberg for a conversation on the origins and evolution of Andreessen Horowitz. From raising Fund I during the depths of the 2008 financial crisis to shaping the firm’s multistage, multi-sector strategy, Marc reflects on how the firm was built—and rebuilt—as the tech landscape shifted.

They discuss the rise of “Little Tech,” why policy now matters to startups, how scale became a strategic advantage in venture capital, and why the move from generalists to vertical specialists was inevitable.

Along the way, Marc shares behind-the-scenes stories on Facebook’s near-sale to Yahoo, the evolution of founder archetypes, the global talent arbitrage, and what too many people still misunderstand about tech’s role in society.

Resources: 

Find Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca

Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

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.

What happens when two of the biggest tech waves—AI and crypto—start to converge?

In this LP Summit conversation, a16z General Partners Chris Dixon and David George explore how stablecoins are creating a new global financial layer, why generative AI is reshaping market structures, and how the next tech giants will be built.

From network effects to native AI business models, this is a sharp look at the future of innovation and investing.

Resources: 

Find Chris on X: https://x.com/cdixon

Find David on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83

Watch ‘What is an AI Agent?’: https://youtu.be/xGEUPLLuEIo?si=RM-tD-R8H9XfbIP

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.

In this episode a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz sit down with legendary music producer and bestselling author Rick Rubin to explore the origin of his unexpected new creation: "The Way of Code"*

Blending ancient philosophy and modern AI, The Way of Code reimagines the 3,000-year-old Tao Te Ching for the age of artificial intelligence, software, and “vibe coding.” What began as a viral tweet quickly evolved into a creative manifesto—part book, part tool, part spiritual operating system for the future. Joined by a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Erik Torenberg, the group dives deep into: 

• How Rick became a meme for Vibe Coding —and then quickly wrote "The Way of Code"
• Why AI is just another artistic tool
• Remix culture, creativity, and collective consciousness
• Why great founders and artists need to stay true to themselves

With shout outs to punk rock, the collective unconscious, and Johnny Cash’s famed acoustic sessions, this conversation is a sprawling, soul-searching journey across music, philosophy, tech, and truth. We hope you enjoy this deeply personal and surprisingly practical conversation on how to live—and create—in the age of AI. 

The Way of Code:  https://www.thewayofcode.com/

“Tools will come and tools will go. Only the vibe coder remains.” - Rick Rubin 

Resources: 

Watch the Tetragrammaton podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Gat6FdyiG5ydUUHqPTAEQ

Rick on X: https://x.com/rickrubin

Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca

Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/

Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz

Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Erik's Substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/

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.

AI’s breakout moment is here - but where is the real value accruing, and what’s just hype?

Recorded live at a16z’s annual LP Summit, General Partners Erik Torenberg, Martin Casado, and Sarah Wang unpack the current state of play in AI. From the myth of the GPT wrapper to the rapid rise of apps like Cursor, the conversation explores where defensibility is emerging, how platform shifts mirror (and diverge from) past tech cycles, and why the zero-sum mindset falls short in today’s AI landscape.

They also dig into the innovator’s dilemma facing SaaS incumbents, the rise of brand moats, the surprising role of prosumer adoption, and what it takes to pick true category leaders in a market defined by both exponential growth - and accelerated wipeouts.

Resources: 

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Find Sarah on X: https://x.com/sarahdingwang

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.