a16z Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

America is a country of immense wealth, but our manufacturing infrastructure is struggling to keep pace.

In this episode, we discuss the overlooked crisis of American manufacturing and what it means for our national resilience. a16z’s Oliver Hsu hosts a conversation with founders Jordan Black (Senra Systems), Chris Power (Hadrian), and Bryon Hargis (Castelion) on why we need to revive our industrial base — and fast.

From outdated regulations to the adoption of automation, they break down the “death by a thousand paper cuts” that has left our production capabilities lagging behind. Yet, it’s not all grim: these founders share how their companies are taking bold, vertically integrated approaches to reinvent the sector and reclaim America's industrial edge.

Resources:

Find Chris on X: https://x.com/2112Power

Find Jordan on X: https://x.com/jordan__black

Find Bryon on X: https://x.com/hargsb

Find Oliver on X: https://x.com/oyhsu

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://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.

2024 has been a milestone year for autonomous tech. 

Waymo’s fully autonomous driver has surpassed 20 million miles, while FAA approvals now allow commercial drones to fly without visual observers, advancing air autonomy in unprecedented ways.

In this special live recording from SF Tech Week, a16z partner Erin Price-Wright moderates a panel of experts from three key domains—air, land, and sea—to explore the latest real-world deployments of autonomous systems, the impact of new chips on cost and efficiency, building full-stack solutions, managing risk, and the evolving role of regulation in driving these technologies forward.

Joining the conversation is Macario Namie, CMO of Skydio, discussing the transition from consumer drones to enterprise and government use; Vijay Patnaik, Head of Product at Applied Intuition, who shares insights on developer tools and software for autonomous vehicles; and Peter Bowman-Davis, engineering fellow at a16z, diving into maritime autonomy based on his work at Saronic.

Resources: 

Find Macario on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/macario-namie-bb529/

Find Vijay on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaysaipatnaik/

Find Peter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-bowman-davis/

Find Erin on Twitter: https://x.com/espricewright

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://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.

Fei-Fei Li and Justin Johnson are pioneers in AI. While the world has only recently witnessed a surge in consumer AI, our guests have long been laying the groundwork for innovations that are transforming industries today.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Martin Casado joins Fei-Fei and Justin to explore the journey from early AI winters to the rise of deep learning and the rapid expansion of multimodal AI. From foundational advancements like ImageNet to the cutting-edge realm of spatial intelligence, Fei-Fei and Justin share the breakthroughs that have shaped the AI landscape and reveal what's next for innovation at World Labs.

If you're curious about how AI is evolving beyond language models and into a new realm of 3D, generative worlds, this episode is a must-listen.

Resources: 

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

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

Find Justin on Twitter: https://x.com/jcjohnss

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

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://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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.