I get into my third pitch and it goes pretty well I feel like and I kind of pause and wait for the, you know, investor's reaction. He basically says, "This has got to be the worst idea I've ever heard. Not only are you going up against massive incumbents, they have ultimate distribution. There is no way you're going to compete against them." Before I could just say anything, he hangs up. He just drops off the Zoom call.I kind of gave myself just a chance to internalize what he was saying. Try to like pull o ...

us growing the initial 10 people on the team, we did crazy recruiting stunts like flying across the world to the person. Oh yeah. Uh after they say no.And then yeah, I think that one of the key challenges facing the company uh in the future and we've faced in the past is we are in a market that's like you know had a iPod moment and like it's going to have an iPhone moment. Please join us in welcoming to the stage Michael Troll, co-founder and CEO of Curser and general partner Martin Cassada. >> Great to be ...

In this closing keynote from a16z’s Runtime conference, General Partner Erik Torenberg speaks with our firm’s cofounders, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz on highlights from throughout the conference, the current state of LLM capabilities, and why despite huge capex, AI is not a bubble. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:00 Can AI Truly Create? Intelligence vs. Invention 03:32 Remix, Originality, and the Nature of Human Creativity 06:20 Ben on Hip-Hop, Innovation, and Creative Genius 09:10 Intelligence, Power, and ...

AI Model Development & Features - Google DeepMind's Nano Banana image model gained significant internet attention [1] - The discussion covers the creation, viral nature, and future applications of Nano Banana in image and video editing [1] - Key aspects include control, customization, and character consistency in AI-generated content [1] - Multimodal AI and its impact on the future of creativity are explored [1] - The transition from images to video is identified as the next frontier in AI model development [1] Creative Applications & Impact - AI's role in transforming art and creative work is examined [1] - Building user-friendly interfaces for both artists and everyday users is a focus [1] - AI's potential in education and visual learning is highlighted [1] - The challenge of incorporating taste, preference, and artistic style into AI models is addressed [1] - The impact of AI on creative communities, particularly in Japan, is discussed [1] Ethical & Practical Considerations - The importance of working with artists and designing with intent is emphasized [1] - The content is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as investment advice [1]

We're dealing with magic here that we I think probably all would have thought was impossible 5 years ago or certainly 10 years ago. This is the most amazing technology ever and it's moving really fast and yet we're still like really disappointed. Like it's not moving fast enough and like it's like maybe right on the verge of stalling out. We should both be like hyper excited but also on the verge of like slitting our wrists cuz like you know the gravy train is coming to an end, >> right? >> It is faster but ...

In this episode, a16z's Anish Acharya joins Kevin Rose for an in-depth, fast-paced conversation on the rebirth of consumer technology, and how AI is reshaping what it means to build, invest, and create. They talk about why AI has reignited the consumer renaissance, what it means to build “weird and working” products, and how the next wave of apps will blend emotion, utility, and creativity in entirely new ways. From AI companions and “emotional interfaces” to the tools making it possible to build entire sta ...

AI Investing Framework - The AI investing landscape is being navigated with uncertainty, likened to looking through a fog with strobe lights [3] - Obvious AI investments include chatbots and productivity/coding assistance, but differential investment is harder due to widespread awareness [4] - Significant changes are expected due to AI disruption, prompting consideration of new opportunities, such as new LinkedIns enabled by AI [5] - Focus should be on Silicon Valley blind spots, areas where AI will be transformative but outside the conventional software-centric view [6][7] Silicon Valley & AI - Silicon Valley's culture, while fostering coopetition and invention, has blind spots, particularly regarding non-software applications of AI [6][7] - A classic blind spot is the tendency to prioritize software-based solutions, overlooking areas where AI's impact will be significant outside of traditional CS [7] - Silicon Valley tends to overemphasize simulation as a solution, which may not be effective for complex problems like drug discovery [16][18] AI's Impact on Professions - AI diagnostic capabilities are superior knowledge stores compared to human doctors, suggesting a shift in the doctor's role [21] - The future role of doctors will be as expert users of AI knowledge stores, not as mere repositories of memorized information [22] - LLMs are currently limited in reasoning capabilities, often providing consensus opinions rather than lateral thinking [25][28] - Professionals need to develop more sideways and lateral thinking to effectively utilize AI, questioning consensus opinions [28] AI & Automation - Automation of physical tasks (atoms) is more challenging than automating information-based tasks (bits) due to factors like capital expenditure and robotics limitations [33][34] - The economics of robotics depend on the crossover point between capital expenditure (capex) and operational expenditure (opex) [46] - Current AI systems often lack common sense awareness and context awareness, leading to nonsensical outputs [47] AI Adoption & Hype - AI is currently underhyped because many people judge it based on past experiences and haven't seen its recent advancements [54][57] - AI adoption is driven by the "lazy and rich" concept, where it enables users to work fewer hours and make more money [52] - Skepticism towards AI often stems from judging it based on its present capabilities rather than extrapolating its future potential [59] AI Development & Future - AI development involves combining different models, such as LLMs and diffusion models, to achieve complex tasks [59] - Making AI models more predictable and reliable is a crucial goal to alleviate fears about potential misuse [59] - Achieving logical proof and validation in AI, particularly in mathematics, remains a significant challenge [60] - The development of agency and goal-setting capabilities in AI is almost certain, raising concerns about control and alignment with human values [60] LinkedIn's Durability - LinkedIn's durability stems from its large network, which is difficult to replicate due to the lack of sizzle compared to social media platforms [62][63] - LinkedIn has built a network that fosters collaboration and professional connections, making it a valuable resource for its users [63] - LinkedIn's success is attributed to staying true to its purpose, providing a platform for professional networking and collaboration [63] Friendship in the Age of AI - Friendship is a joint relationship where two people agree to help each other become the best possible versions of themselves [64][65] - True friendship involves mutual support and tough love, helping each other grow and improve [65] - AI companions, while potentially awesome, cannot replace human friends because they lack the bidirectional relationship and mutual growth [66][67]

AI Development & Progress - The discussion revolves around whether AI progress is slowing down or if society is simply adapting to the rapid advancements [1] - The debate includes considerations around GPT-5, its potential capabilities, and how its launch perception might impact the industry [1] - Scaling laws are mentioned in the context of GPT-4.5 and the changes anticipated with GPT-5, suggesting a focus on model scaling and its effects [1] - Longer context windows and improved reasoning capabilities are highlighted as key areas of AI development [1] AI Applications & Impact - AI's potential role as a scientist and its ability to facilitate new discoveries are explored [1] - The discussion covers the future of coding, AI agents, and recursive self-improvement, indicating an interest in AI's transformative impact on software development and automation [1] - The potential of multimodal AI and robotics beyond chatbots is considered, suggesting a broader view of AI's applications [1] Societal & Economic Implications - The conversation addresses the impact of AI on jobs and automation, referencing the METR study, which is often misunderstood [1] - The importance of building a positive vision for the future of AI is emphasized, highlighting the need for ethical considerations and responsible development [1]

be so good they can't ignore you. That remains the best advice I think which is just like quality shows. >> The thing that you want from your venture firm is power.You need the ability to be able to like actually go meet customers and have them take you seriously. >> For most of these people it's years and years and years of of applied effort. The best entrepreneurs of the future, I think, will probably be like quite skilled at like six or eight. ...

Venture doesn't run on leverage. >> It's asymmetric. You can only lose 1x.>> Yeah. >> Um but you can essentially make a thousandx. And there's two errors in venture.There's the error of commission where you invest in the thing that fails. And then the area of omission where you don't invest in the thing that succeeds. Just in the math overwhelmingly the error of the air that matters is the error of emission. ...