a16z, AI and Investing in the new era (ft. Packy McCormick)
Thu Jan 15 2026
a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz join a16z general partner Erik Torenberg and Not Boring founder Packy McCormick for a conversation on how the media and information ecosystem has changed over the past decade. The discussion breaks down the shift toward a more open and decentralized speech environment, the rise of writer- and creator-led platforms like Substack, and the erosion of centralized media gatekeepers. Marc and Ben also tie these dynamics to their investing worldview, outlining how supply-driven markets, major technological step changes, and reputation-driven venture platforms shape outcomes in the AI era.
Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
00:46 How the media ecosystem is changing
4:20 Why a16z invested in Substack
6:28 Supply-driven markets and new content creation
8:07 Why writers felt trapped by media companies
10:09 Databricks and the 10x cloud multiplier
13:58 Long-form podcasting proves demand
15:40 What the new fund signals about the future
16:24 AI as a universal problem solver
18:49 Why market sizing is broken
20:45 Go-to-market, policy, and platform power
22:37 Turning inventors into confident CEOs
25:58 Borrowing power to scale faster
27:29 Building dreamers, not killing dreams
30:46 Reputation as a core competitive advantage
35:57 Taking arrows in public
38:56 Avoiding big company failure modes
40:39 Autonomous teams inside a16z
41:54 Venture capital as the last job
46:01 Why intangibles matter more than ever
48:17 Original thinkers with charisma
50:06 Why Zoomers are different
Resources:
Follow Marc Andreessen on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca
Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz
Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg
Follow Packy McCormick on X: https://twitter.com/packyM
Read Packy’s piece: https://www.notboring.co/p/a16z-the-power-brokers
Read David Haber’s piece ‘Firm > Fund’: https://www.a16z.news/p/firm-fund
Stay Updated:
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!
Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711
Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg](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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
More
a16z cofounders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz join a16z general partner Erik Torenberg and Not Boring founder Packy McCormick for a conversation on how the media and information ecosystem has changed over the past decade. The discussion breaks down the shift toward a more open and decentralized speech environment, the rise of writer- and creator-led platforms like Substack, and the erosion of centralized media gatekeepers. Marc and Ben also tie these dynamics to their investing worldview, outlining how supply-driven markets, major technological step changes, and reputation-driven venture platforms shape outcomes in the AI era. Timecodes: 00:00 Introduction 00:46 How the media ecosystem is changing 4:20 Why a16z invested in Substack 6:28 Supply-driven markets and new content creation 8:07 Why writers felt trapped by media companies 10:09 Databricks and the 10x cloud multiplier 13:58 Long-form podcasting proves demand 15:40 What the new fund signals about the future 16:24 AI as a universal problem solver 18:49 Why market sizing is broken 20:45 Go-to-market, policy, and platform power 22:37 Turning inventors into confident CEOs 25:58 Borrowing power to scale faster 27:29 Building dreamers, not killing dreams 30:46 Reputation as a core competitive advantage 35:57 Taking arrows in public 38:56 Avoiding big company failure modes 40:39 Autonomous teams inside a16z 41:54 Venture capital as the last job 46:01 Why intangibles matter more than ever 48:17 Original thinkers with charisma 50:06 Why Zoomers are different Resources: Follow Marc Andreessen on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitz Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Follow Packy McCormick on X: https://twitter.com/packyM Read Packy’s piece: https://www.notboring.co/p/a16z-the-power-brokers Read David Haber’s piece ‘Firm > Fund’: https://www.a16z.news/p/firm-fund Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg](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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.