Ben Horowitz Shares the a16z Origin Story & Plans for the Future

Erik Torenberg sits down with Ben Horowitz, Cofounder of a16z, for a candid conversation on venture capital, leadership, and the future of innovation. Recorded live at a16z’s Menlo Park offices in 2023, Ben shares practical wisdom and hard-earned lessons on navigating market cycles, building resilient companies, and why culture is a lasting competitive edge. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 02:20 Building Multi-Generational Venture Firms 03:56 a16z’s unique product-first, investor-second approach 05:55 YC as a16z’s closest spiritual analog 08:47 Ben on why venture firms should stay private 11:40 How a16z scaled fund sizes to market opportunities 12:11 Why a16z went bigger than Benchmark or USV on fund size 16:13 Ben’s view on the future of venture 19:05 How Ben thinks about riding trends like AI, crypto, etc. 26:50 a16z’s AI strategy 32:38 Will a16z expand into multi-asset firms like BlackRock? 33:33 How a16z thinks about their LPs differently from other firms 39:22. Peacetime vs. Wartime VCs Resources: Find Ben on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Subscribe to Turpentine VC: link.chtbl.com/TurpentineVC 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.