AI, Networks, and What Makes Consumer Products Win

In this episode of the a16z Consumer Pod, Anish Acharya interviews Chris Dixon about the forces shaping the next generation of consumer software. They discuss exponential forces like Moore's Law, composability, and network effects, and how these determine which products win. Chris shares his experiences with consumer investments like Stack Overflow, Pinterest, and Instagram, and they explore the evolution of tools into networks, the importance of open-source AI, and the nuances of building enduring consumer apps. The conversation also covers the shift from skeuomorphic to native technologies in AI, the decentralizing force of "vibe coding," and the renaissance in paid software, providing insights for both investors and entrepreneurs.