The a16z Show

Latest Episodes:

When Two Giants Intersect: Healthcare Meets Fintech May 09, 2023

Show notes

Most people don’t need a reminder of the state of healthcare in America. But it’s not just the consumer that’s hurting. Medical debt is increasing, billions are lost in unpaid claims, hospitals are in the red, service prices can range up to 30x….

In this episode, a16z GPs Julie You and David Haber explain where the healthcare system breaks down and how the three party system — between payors, providers, and consumers — can be rethought through the lens of Fintech.

Learn more about Healthcare x Fintech here: https://a16z.com/healthcare-meets-fintech/

Topics Covered:

00:00 - Introduction
02:50 - The intersection of healthcare and fintech
05:40 - The problems within US healthcare
09:00 - The stats behind US healthcare
12:10 - Where do the problems stem from in healthcare?
15:50 - New opportunities and regulatory changes
17:50 - Pushback on regulations
19:40 - Provider and patient models and transparency
21.10 - The ‘No Surprises Act’ and the ‘Cures Act’
23:20 - Applying fintech infrastructure to healthcare
26:00 - Example: how Juniper in embedding fintech in healthcare
30:10 - Opportunities in the healthcare/fintech market
33:05 - Payvidors unbundled
34:55 - The financial operating system for healthcare
37:40 - How founders can approach the problems
39:23 - The investor standpoint on company opportunities
41:00 - Unsolved problems in the market
45:25 - The bridge between start-ups and incumbents
47:20 - Healthcare incumbent stats
48:50 - The window of opportunity for healthcare and fintech

Resources:

Read the article ‘Healthtech x Fintech’s Biggest Prize: The Financial Operating System for Healthcare: https://a16z.com/2023/02/07/healthtech-x-fintechs-biggest-prize/
Read the article ‘ Payvidors, Unbundled: Opportunities in Healthcare Fintech’:https://a16z.com/2022/06/01/payvidors-unbundled-opportunities-in-healthcare-fintech/
Find Julie on Twitter :https://twitter.com/julesyoo
Find David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dhaber

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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. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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From Promise to Reality: Inside a16z's Data and AI Forum May 02, 2023

Show notes

Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang declared in a recent keynote, “we are in the iPhone moment of AI.”

This special episode will give you an inside look into a16z’s Data and AI Forum, hosted the day GPT-4 came out, featuring many of the most influential builders in the space – from the companies building foundational models like OpenAI to those building the underlying infrastructure like AWS.

Resources:

Check out CoactiveAI: https://coactive.ai/

Check out CharacterAI: http://character.ai/

Check out Hex: https://hex.tech/

Follow Cody on Twitter: https://twitter.com/codyaustun

Follow Myle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/myleott

Follow Barry on Twitter: https://twitter.com/barrald

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Beyond Avatars: How AI is Reshaping Online Identity Apr 24, 2023

Show notes

In a recent episode, we delved into the first wave of technology that was used to create digital influencers like 'Lil Miquela back in 2016.

Fast forward to today, we're presented with a whole new set of tools that enable almost anyone to build their own digital influencer.

In this episode, Sinead Bovell and Danny Postma discuss the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on the world of modeling, online creation, and self-representation.

From the rise of AI-generated photos to the democratization of creativity, they discuss the potential of AI in shaping the future of digital expression.

Topics Covered:

00:00 - Introduction
03:08 - The key insight
08:00 - The photo studio of the future
09:44 - Programs and models behind deep fakes
10:58 - How the technology is used today
12:36 - How real is today’s content?
15:29 - The cost of a virtual model
17:13 - Industry benefits
19:28 - Market appetite
23:25 - Evolving tech
25:15 - Unlocking a new wave of creativity
28:38 - Future predictions
30:23 - Keeping up with tech
32:02 - Finding a moat
34:09 - Stacked AI models
35:25 - Running your own GPUs and models
37:33 - Product ideas

Resources:

Find Danny Postma on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dannypostmaa

Headshot Pro, ProfilePicture.Ai plus all of Danny’s projects at: https://www.postcrafts.com/

Find Sinéad Bovell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sineadbovell/?hl=en

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Insights from the Frontlines of Consumer Tech Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

There is arguably nothing that impacts our daily lives more than consumer technology. This technology can drive our ability to change careers, build an audience, or feel understood.

And in this episode, listeners get a sneak peek into our new consumer series, Field Notes, where a16z’s very own Connie Chan speaks with the builders, creators, and investors behind the technology that shapes our daily lives.

If you like these segments, you can find the full episodes at a16z.com/fieldnotes.

Topics Covered:

00:00 - Introduction
02:13 - Chris Schroder
08:15 - Brian Wong
15:35 - Tracy Sun
23:03 - Deb Liu
30:56 - Susan Plagemann

Resources:

Find the full series: https://a16z.com/fieldnotes

Find Connie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conniechan

Deb's Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is2pm06MNt8

Deb's Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osJp6S66u2U

Chris's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zux1wVirUjs

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Marketing web3: Audience, Community, More Apr 13, 2023

Show notes

with @amandacassatt @kimbatronic @smc90

All about marketing, and web3 -- not just for marketers already in or seeking to enter web3, but also anyone doing community marketing/ community management, devrel (developer relations); or simply doing marketing in web2 or classic growth marketing, seeking to understand the latest trends and tactics.
With the author of the new book, Web3 Marketing: A Handbook for the Next Internet Revolution, Amanda Cassatt (who was also the first CMO at ConsenSys, helping bring Ethereum to market; and also founded and leads the pioneering, native web3-marketing agency Serotonin). Also joining this episode to share insights on marketing web3 -- in conversation with host and editor in chief Sonal Chokshi -- is Kim Milosevich, CMO at a16z crypto, where she oversees brand, marketing, events, and communications (and before that was VP of communications at Coinbase, where she took the company through its direct listing while leading internal, policy, product, and corporate communications internationally).

The episode also covers key top of mind questions for web3 builders and others, including how to do community marketing, manage "profiles" in decentralized and open source, and finding your audience... including feedback for product-market fit. And much. much more!

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Building Hardware and Taking on the Phone Giants Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

People often say that building a hardware company is like “playing on hard mode”. Building a hardware company during a global pandemic, with the unpredictability of supply chains and markets, is harder than hard. Trying to penetrate the phone market in particular – where only a few players own almost all the market share – is REALLY hard.

In today’s episode we chat with Carl Pei, founder of Nothing. Between Nothing and previously co-founding OnePlus, Carl has twice managed to do what many others have failed to do. Nothing has sold over 1m units and built a team of over 400. In this episode, Carl chats with us about why he’s at it again, what it takes to successfully build hardware, and how he thinks about making technology fun again.

Timestamps:

02:11 - The hardware market
02:53 - Breaking into the phone market
05:19 - Securing factories and stakeholders
07:39 - Differentiating products
10:32 - Hardware design
11:53 - Strengthening software proposition
16:04 - Table stakes
17:49 - Marketing and Youtube
19:34 - Underestimating the value chain
21:50 - Manufacturing
23:27 - Supply chain
26:05 - Remote work
27:36 - The future of hardware
30:45 - Breakthrough hardware
32:35 - Making tech fun again

Resources:

Nothing website: https://us.nothing.tech/
Nothing’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NothingTechnology
Find Carl on Twitter: https://twitter.com/getpeid
Find Nothing on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nothing
Nothing’s recently launched Ear (2): https://us.nothing.tech/products/ear-2

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Digital Humans and the Story Behind Lil Miquela Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

You’ve probably heard of ‘Lil Miquela. The 19 year-old Brazilian-American inﬂuencer has millions of followers and has partnered with the likes of Samsung and Prada. But despite capturing the hearts of many, she’s not real.

But you probably haven’t heard her origin story. In this episode we take a trip back to 2016, to a world that looked much different to today, together with two of Miquela’s creators – Trevor McFedries and Isaac Bratzel – cofounder and Chief Design and Innovation Officer of Brud at the time.

We learn what inspired the experiment and what early signs indicated that Miquela was not just a novel idea. In a world where spinning up an influencer, we learn what it took to capture mindshare, the pushback they’ve received, what a “scalable influencer” means, and what they think is to come.

Resources:

‘Lil Miquela on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilmiquela/

‘Lil Miquela on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWeHb_SrtJbrT8VD-_QQpRA

Find Trevor on Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatdotcd?lang=en

Find Isaac on Twitter: https://twitter.com/izykbenjamin

Find Brud on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brud.fyi

Isaac’s new avatar company: https://www.avataros.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction
02:18 - The key insight
04:05 - A new breed of influencers
06:25 - Miquela’s aesthetic
09:30 - Early signs of success
13:01 - Narrative and fan engagement
16:45 - The technology
18:14 - Expanding past Miquela
22:34 - Traction and generative AI
26:45 - A new reality
31:55 - Early pushback
33:38 - Misunderstanding reality
36:23 - Fear of new technologies
37:47 - New technological unlocks
41:13 - Scalable influencers

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The Marketplace 100: A Glimpse Into the Future of Commerce Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

Over the last decade, we’ve seen the marketplace model evolve and grow, and this year a16z is back with our fourth edition of the Marketplace100 – a ranking of the top private marketplaces by GMV – giving a unique window into what may be to come.

This year’s list features nearly three dozen newcomers, including marketplaces for refurbished electronics, precious metals, and sustainably raised meat. And in this episode, we break down key trends from the report together with a16z’s Consumer partners Connie Chan, Olivia Moore, and Zach Cohen.

If you’d like to see the full ranking of the largest consumer-facing marketplace startups and private companies, you can find the full report at https://a16z.com/marketplace-100.

Resources:

Find the full Marketplace 100 report: https://a16z.com/marketplace-100
Find Connie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/conniechan
Find Olivia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/omooretweets
Find Zach on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachcohen25

Topics Covered:

00:00- Introduction
02:28 - Why marketplaces?
05:18 - What metrics matter
07:55 - Newcomers on the list
09:49 - Entertainment and personalization
13:46 - Curated marketplaces
14:47 - Trust and safety
21:23 - Mental health trends
22:42 - Untapped supply
24:40 - Disintermediation
27:42 - Transient vs foundational trends
31:33 - Companies entering the category
36:52 - Sleeper categories for 2024

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The Art and Science of Podcasting Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

It’s both easier and harder than ever to build a successful podcast. In this episode, we chat with Sriram and Aarthi from the Good Time Show, who ventured into the world of audio peak pandemic and have since interviewed the likes of Elon Musk, Calvin Harris, and Naomi Osaka.

We get their perspective on how to succeed in this competitive landscape, differentiation and the sliding scale of entertainment and information, the difference between an audience and a community, podcast analytics and how they’re changing, and even what Sriram has learned from his frontrow experience at Twitter recently.

Topics Covered:

00:00 - Intro
02:20 - Podcast trivia
06:07 - Starting a podcast
08:45 - Differentiating
13:10 - Information vs entertainment
18:08 - Getting off the talk track
20:40 - Growth and metrics
22:31 - Authenticity
27:10 - Secret sauce of podcasting
28:10 - Advice for new podcasters
29:58 - In-person events
32:06 - Tech as a force for good
34:50 - The next wave of social
37:23 - Creator middle class
41:16 - Podcast infrastructure
42:55 - ChatGPT
45:10 - Swapping lives with a celebrity
52:26 - Your personal monopoly

Resources:

Find Sriram on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sriramk

Find Aarthi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarthir

Find Aarthi and Sriram on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AarthiAndSriram

Check out the Good Time Show: https://www.aarthiandsriram.com/

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Unlocking Creativity with Prompt Engineering Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

With every new technology, some jobs are lost while others are gained. People often focus on the former, but in this episode we chose to highlight the latter – a highly creative role that emerges alongside AI: the prompt engineer.

Until AI can close the loop of its own, each tool still requires a set of prompts. Just like a composer feeds an instrument the notes to play, a prompt engineer feeds an AI a map of what to produce. And if we know anything from music it’s that composing great music takes great skill!

In this episode we explore the emerging importance of prompting with Guy Parsons, the early learnings of how to do it effectively, and where this field might be going.

Will the prompt engineer be more like the highly sought after DevOps engineer, or a proficiency like Excel that you find on every resume? Listen in to hear Guy’s take.

Interested in the prompt competition? Email us at podpitches@a16z.com.

Resources:

DALL-E 2 Prompt Book: https://dallery.gallery/the-dalle-2-prompt-book/

Find Guy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GuyP

Guy’s combining image experiment: https://twitter.com/GuyP/status/1612880405207580672

Guy’s amorphous prompt experiment: https://twitter.com/GuyP/status/1608475973300948993

Guy’s space duck: https://twitter.com/GuyP/status/1601342688225525761

Prompt base: https://promptbase.com/

Lexica: https://lexica.art/

Topics Covered:

0:00 - Introduction

01:49 - DALL-E 2 Prompt Book