a16z Podcast

Katherine Boyle on Shawn RyanVenture capital has powered companies like Facebook and TikTok—but what if that same urgency fueled America’s defense and industrial base? Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and cofounder of the firm’s American Dynamism practice, argues this is the biggest business opportunity of our time. In this conversation from The Shawn Ryan Show, Boyle discusses the rise of defense tech startups, why optimism drives her work, and how a new generation of engineers and founders is rethinking innovation and patriotism in America. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 0:41 Patriotism, Optimism, and American Innovation 4:27 Startups vs. Legacy Primes in Defense 10:08 Venture Capital’s Unique Incentives 17:21 Katherine’s Backstory: Family & Upbringing 21:07 The Decline of Community & Family Pillars 23:23 Polarization, Religion, and Social Fabric 26:16 America’s Birth Rate Crisis 29:46 Cultural Shifts and the Family Structure 42:01 Katherine’s Path: Journalism to Venture Capital 1:06:06 Breaking into Silicon Valley 1:18:06 Investing in Defense: The Anduril Story 1:37:37 The American Dynamism Movement 2:04:27 Manufacturing, Space, and the Future of Defense 2:14:06 Espionage, China, and National Security 2:37:38 The Attack on the American Family 2:48:29 Cultural Change, Suffering, and Purpose 2:55:30 Closing Thoughts Resources: Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Shawn Ryan Show Links YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=7abec4d61c324b24 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.

908

2T 51M

Aaron Levie and Steven Sinofsky on the AI-Worker FutureWhat exactly is an AI agent, and how will agents change the way we work? In this episode, a16z general partners Erik Torenberg and Martin Casado sit down with Aaron Levie (CEO, Box) and Steven Sinofsky (a16z board partner; former Microsoft exec) to unpack one of the hottest debates in AI right now. They cover: • Competing definitions of an “agent,” from background tasks to autonomous interns • Why today’s agents look less like a single AGI and more like networks of specialized sub-agents • The technical challenges of long-running, self-improving systems • How agent-driven workflows could reshape coding, productivity, and enterprise software • What history — from the early PC era to the rise of the internet — tells us about platform shifts like this one The conversation moves from deep technical questions to big-picture implications for founders, enterprises, and the future of work. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction: The Evolution of AI Agents 0:36 Defining Agency and Autonomy 1:54 Long-Running Agents and Feedback Loops 4:49 Specialization and Task Division in AI 6:20 Human-AI Collaboration and Productivity 6:59 Anthropomorphizing AI and Economic Impact 9:10 Predictions, Progress, and Platform Shifts 11:31 Recursive Self-Improvement and Technical Challenges 13:20 Hallucinations, Verification, and Expert Productivity 16:20 The Role of Experts and Tool Adoption 22:14 Changing Workflows: Agents Reshaping Work Patterns 45:55 Division of Labor, Specialization, and New Roles 48:47 Verticalization, Applied AI, and the Future of Agents 54:44 Platform Competition and the Application Layer 55:29 Closing Thoughts and Takeaways Resources: Find Aaron on X: https://x.com/levie Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi 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.

905

55M

Episodes

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

Andre har også lyttet til ...