Latest Interviews

The End of Cloud Computing

Peter Levine

The event forecasts the obsolescence of centralized cloud computing in favor of edge intelligence, where autonomous devices like self-driving cars and drones become decentralized data centers to ensure real-time processing speed. This architectural shift redefines the cloud as a model training hub that aggregates data from trillions of sensors to update local machine learning algorithms through a continuous feedback loop. Consequently, the industry faces a massive market expansion into distributed IoT ecosystems, driving a fundamental transformation in programming languages, supply chain economics, and the operational roles of IT leaders.

Mobile Is Eating the World, 2016

Benedict Evans

The event outlines a global transition from the creation to the deployment phase of technology, where dominant firms like Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon have evolved into economic superpowers leveraging scale to disrupt sectors from retail to content. Driven by a 2012 shift toward data-driven machine learning and a strategic pivot to "AI First," these entities are now redefining human-computer interaction through edge computing and frictionless hardware. Furthermore, the discussion details how this technological momentum is dismantling traditional industries, specifically transforming e-commerce, automotive manufacturing, and urban infrastructure through software-defined models and autonomous systems.

Quantum Computing: A Primer

Richard Feynman, Frank Chen

Pioneered by Richard Feynman's insight into natural quantum processes, this technology utilizes superposition and linear algebra to solve intractable mathematical problems like optimization and simulation that exceed classical computing capabilities. Current hardware, constrained by superconducting cooling near absolute zero and brief coherence windows, is rapidly evolving alongside critical algorithms such as Grover's and Shor's to accelerate deep learning, revolutionize quantum chemistry for ammonia production, and threaten existing cryptographic standards. As major university labs, corporate R&D centers, and state-sponsored entities converge on hardware and software development with Bell Labs-era investment levels, the field is approaching a maturity ready to drive substantial startup formation and global economic impact.

Trends in and the Future of Infrastructure

Martin Casado

Former VMware executive Martin Casado predicts a massive $4 trillion infrastructure renaissance driven by the transition from proprietary hardware to software-defined services, where startups can bypass legacy incumbents by targeting developer-led procurement. This shift mirrors historical computing epochs that replaced market leaders, as new entrants leverage agile software distribution and service models to capture value across all layers of the stack. Andreessen Horowitz capitalizes on this "unfair advantage" by backing technical founders who can rapidly scale by aligning with developer preferences while simultaneously building the enterprise sales capabilities required to finalize deals.

Marketplaces

Jeff Jordan

Andreessen Horowitz is capitalizing on a "Marketplace 2.0" renaissance by investing in ventures like Airbnb and OfferUp that leverage smartphone ubiquity and two-sided network effects to disrupt traditional retailers and stagnant classified models. These platforms achieve superior unit economics by substituting community labor for physical inventory, thereby generating 80–90% gross margins compared to the ~25% typical of one-to-many retailers. By enabling rapid scaling without heavy capital expenditure for warehousing or logistics, these networked businesses create defensive moats that allow high-margin marketplace revenues to subsidize broader ecosystem growth.

DJ Kleinbaum

DJ Kleinbaum

Emerald Therapeutics operates the Emerald Cloud Laboratory, a fully virtualized facility in South San Francisco that enables global scientists to design and run automated experiments remotely by translating protocols into Wolfram language code. The platform distinguishes itself from traditional CROs by capturing comprehensive metadata and environmental variables to enforce strict ontological standards, thereby solving reproducibility issues through a "push-button" workflow. Currently transitioning from an internal tool to an external service, the ECL offers a dual-mode interface and aims to deliver results with a 48-hour turnaround while scaling capacity for public beta users.

Chris Re

Chris Re

Deep Dive is an open-source system that transforms unstructured data like emails and PDFs into structured SQL databases by unifying extraction and cleaning into a single statistical inference problem. Utilizing "Hogwild!" algorithms that relax consistency constraints, the architecture achieves up to 1,000 times the speed of competitors while surpassing human accuracy in specific domains. The technology has already enabled the rapid construction of a global fossil record with a single student and facilitated real-world arrests in human trafficking cases through automated pattern detection.

Mobile Is Eating the World, 2015

Benedict Evans

Mobile technology has evolved from a niche sector into a universal product with projected ownership exceeding 4 billion devices, driven by extreme hardware democratization and a supply chain centered in the San Francisco Bay Area and China. This shift has dismantled traditional computing models, replacing PC-centric browsing with app-based ecosystems where Apple and Android dominate distinct revenue streams while enabling low-cost startups to disrupt legacy industries like retail and photography. Consequently, the global center of gravity has moved toward mobile-first markets, fundamentally altering cultural behaviors, internet connectivity, and the economic landscape by making software capabilities the primary driver of value across all sectors.

The Bitcoin Network Effect

The speaker advocates for viewing blockchain entities as autonomous software mechanisms rather than legal corporations, highlighting their distinct lack of liability and governance attributes. While Bitcoin dominates through strong network effects, successful altcoins must offer unique functional advantages to coexist, and regulatory pressure currently targets intermediaries rather than the decentralized protocol itself. Future adoption hinges on resolving transaction latency through layer-2 solutions and mitigating volatility, with international remittances identified as the primary catalyst for non-speculative utility alongside a reevaluation of monetary policy as a fixed-supply asset.

MIc'd Up | Part 2: A Conversation with Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas Kristof

Sheryl WuDunn, Nicholas Kristof, Nick Kristof

Columnist Nicholas Kristof and author Sheryl Sandberg discuss their bestsellers' findings on the "empathy gap," illustrating how focusing on individual stories rather than abstract statistics drives charitable giving and policy support. Kristof further argues that effective global leadership requires prioritizing economic growth through job creation and early childhood investment while urging corporations and governments to align with Environmental, Social, and Governance values. The conversation concludes with a warning that retreating from U.S. global hegemony invites a "Kindleberger trap" of international instability and preventable human suffering.

MIc'd Up | Part 1: A Conversation with Norman Lear and Ava DuVernay

Norman Lear, Ava DuVernay, Alex Witt

Hosted by Alex Witt, legendary television producer Norman Lear and filmmaker Ava DuVernay discussed the role of entertainment as a catalyst for radical justice and the enduring reality of systemic oppression. Lear detailed his strategy for centering Black life through sitcoms like *The Jeffersons* and his recent Latin American adaptation of *One Day at a Time*, while DuVernay explained her vision for Array as a long-term institution challenging Hollywood's distribution barriers with her upcoming film *A Wrinkle in Time*. The speakers concluded that true progress requires moving beyond symbolic milestones, such as the Obama presidency, to actively dismantle intersecting privileges and hold society accountable for equal opportunity.

MIc'd Up | Part 2: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Conversation with Katie Couric

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Katie Couric

In an upcoming podcast episode scheduled for May, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recounts his 1985 NBA championship victory over the Celtics, discusses his friendship with John Wooden, and details his 2009 leukemia diagnosis which has intensified his advocacy for social justice. He critically analyzes the Trump administration's tax and travel policies, attributes Hillary Clinton's 2016 loss to Electoral College mechanics, and argues that visual documentation of police brutality is shifting the national dialogue on race. The conversation, which also covers his religious conversion to Islam and the evolution of the NBA, was highlighted by President Obama awarding Abdul-Jabbar the Presidential Medal of Freedom for overcoming systemic biases in basketball.

A Conversation with Jamie Dimon

Jamie Dimon

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon argues that U.S. economic stagnation stems from bipartisan policy failures and structural issues like low labor participation and crumbling infrastructure, urging corporate leaders to prioritize national interests over parochial self-gain. He endorses the Trump administration's strategic focus on corporate tax reform, deregulation, and infrastructure investment as essential tools to reverse capital flight and stimulate job creation. While dismissing the prospect of seeking elected office, Dimon highlights JPMorgan Chase's rapid progress in diversity, noting that women and LGBT employees already comprise significant portions of its leadership pipeline.

MIc'd Up | Part 2: A Conversation with Ernest Moniz

Ernest Moniz, Alan Schwartz, Alan M., David Sanger, Alan Magnuson

Former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz outlines the strategic logic behind the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal, emphasizing its unprecedented verification mechanisms and the administration's successful monofocus on nuclear containment despite broader regional tensions. Simultaneously, he details the Nuclear Threat Initiative's urgent efforts to secure high-enriched uranium and research reactors across the former Soviet bloc and Africa to prevent terrorist acquisition. These security measures are paired with a proposal to leverage the global energy transition, utilizing carbon capture and advanced storage technologies to create economic opportunities while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

MIc'd Up | Part 1: A Conversation with John S. Watson

John S. Watson, Brian Sullivan

Chevron CEO John Watson warns that California's aggressive regulatory framework has driven up energy costs, decimated manufacturing, and eroded the middle class, urging a return to free-market mechanisms to stabilize the industry. Despite these domestic headwinds, Watson outlines Chevron's aggressive global expansion strategy, which includes quadrupling Permian Basin output through capital generated by massive LNG investments in Australia and a joint venture with Exxon in Kazakhstan. While noting that OPEC's influence has waned in favor of shale producers and resilient Russian exports, the executive emphasizes that technological advancements are offsetting high exploration risks and driving wage growth in key U.S. energy hubs.