Founders, Media, & Memes: a16z’s Strategy for the Future | a16z LP Summit 2025

In a live private viewing of "The Marc and Ben Show," Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen discuss the evolution of their venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, since its inception in 2009. They describe their initial goal of reaching the top tier of VC firms by offering a better product for entrepreneurs, focusing on building a platform to help founders become CEOs. They also discuss the firm's second phase, scaling to address the increasing number of high-potential companies due to software eating the world, and the advantage of their shared economics but not shared control structure, which allowed for easier reorganization. Looking forward, they aim to shape a conducive regulatory environment, establish their own influential media channel, and extend their dynamism internationally. The conversation also touches on the fast-paced nature of the internet media landscape, the importance of evolving as a venture firm, and the firm's mission-oriented approach to helping build better companies. They emphasize their focus on early-stage ventures and maintaining a strong culture through new employee orientation and consistent enforcement of cultural standards. Finally, they touch on the intersection of AI and crypto, and how they avoid the innovator's dilemma by fostering a culture of innovation and empowering their talented team.