Marc Andreessen & Jack Altman: Venture Capital, AI, & Media
Marc Andreessen & Jack Altman: Venture Capital, AI, & Media  
Podcast: a16z Podcast
Published On: Wed Jun 11 2025
Description: In this episode Jack Altman, CEO of Lattice and host of Uncapped, interviews Marc Andreessen on how venture capital is evolving — from small seed funds to billion-dollar barbell strategies — and why today’s most important tech companies don’t just build tools, they replace entire industries. They cover:The end of “picks and shovels” investingWhy missing a great company matters more than backing a bad oneThe power law math behind fund size and asymmetric returnsAI as the next computing platform — and a test for Western civilizationPreference falsification, media power, and what founders can’t say out loudThis is a conversation about ambition at scale, the structure of modern venture, and the deep forces reshaping startups, innovation, and power.Resources: Listen to more from Uncapped: https://linktr.ee/uncappedpodFind Jack on Xhttps://x.com/jaltmaFind Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarcaFind Uncapped on X: https://x.com/uncapped_podTimecodes: 00:00 What You Can’t Say  01:20 Founders, Funders, and the Future  02:00 Fund Size and Power Law Math  06:45 From Tools to Full Stack Startups  10:00  Market Sizing and Asymmetric Bets  13:00 Public Markets Mirror Venture Dynamics  17:00 The Barbell Strategy in Venture  20:00 The Conflict Dilemma in Venture  25:00 Staying in Early-Stage Venture  29:30 The Death of the Middle  32:00 Why It’s So Rare to Build a New Top VC Firm  35:00 The Case for Power in Venture  37:45 Limiting Factors for Big Companies  41:00 AI as the Next Computing Platform  45:30 Betting on Startups, Not Incumbents  48:00  How a16z Thinks About Risk  51:00 Building a Top-Tier GP Team  55:00 Taste, Timing, and Getting Into the Scene  57:00 Raising Capital Is the Easy Part  1:00:30 AI’s Existential Stakes  1:05:00 Autonomous Weapons, Ethics, and War  1:11:00 Tech, Government, and Power  1:13:00 Media, Mistrust, and Narrative Collapse  1:24:00 Preference Falsification and Cultural Cascades  1:32:00 The Thought Experiment  1:33:00 Career Advice for Young Builders  1:35:00 Marc vs. the Huberman Protocol  1:39:30 What Would Prove You Right?  Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease 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.