Latest Interviews
Showing 106–120 of 1,099 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- a16z30 min
OpenClaw, Claude Code, and the Future of Software | Peter Yang on The a16z Show
Peter Yang demonstrates a highly personalized OpenCLAW agent architecture where a voice-centric interface, supported by a custom three-layer memory system and direct access to personal files, redefines the agent as a human-like companion rather than a mere utility. He predicts this shift will trigger an "app die-off" for task-oriented software, replacing traditional SaaS workflows with autonomous agents that execute complex operations while simultaneously transforming organizational structures by enabling small human teams to scale through fleets of specialized AI tools. Ultimately, Yang anticipates a market evolution where direct payment models supersede ad-based revenue, as AI drives higher productivity and catalyzes a return to entrepreneurship rather than widespread unemployment.
- Y Combinator21 min
BillionToOne Is Solving One of Biotech’s Hardest Problems
Jared Friedman, David Tsao, Oguzhan Atay
Billion to One, founded by PhD students Oguzhan and David, leverages proprietary synthetic DNA methods to detect rare cell-free DNA variations for prenatal screening and cancer liquid biopsies. Since its public listing with a valuation over $4 billion, the company has scaled its automated facility to process 600,000 tests annually and launched North Star Select for late-stage cancer treatment guidance. The firm now executes a strategic roadmap to address early-stage cancers through a capital-efficient progression from commercial adoption to population-wide screening, aiming to significantly reduce cancer mortality rates.
- a16z42 min
How Bots, Deepfakes and AI Agents Are Forcing a New Internet Identity Layer | Alex Blania on a16z
Alex Blania, Ben Horowitz, Erik Torenberg
World ID is deploying its Orb hardware and cryptographic protocols to verify unique human individuals against the rising threat of autonomous AI agents and deepfakes. With a strategic pivot targeting the U.S. market contingent on the "Clarity Act," the company aims to scale its 18 million verified users through mobile distribution models and enterprise partnerships like Tinder. This infrastructure seeks to secure democratic processes, financial systems, and social welfare by distinguishing biological humans from algorithmic impersonators.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
AI Exchanges: Power Problems?
Brian Singer, Alison Nathan, George Lee
Goldman Sachs projects a 220% surge in global data center power demand by 2030 as hyperscalers commit over $300 billion to infrastructure, a trajectory comparable to adding the world's sixth-largest power consumer to the grid. This aggressive expansion faces severe bottlenecks in skilled labor and transmission supply, forcing a near-term reliance on natural gas simple-cycle generators while industry leaders navigate regulatory hurdles and "agentic" AI traffic growth. Despite the high capital intensity and a potential $40 per megawatt-hour premium for green energy, major technology firms maintain robust balance sheets to fund these transition costs while seeking to decouple their power expenses from consumer utility rates.
- Y Combinator31 min
This Startup Catches Fraud at Scale
Jared Friedman, Karine Mellata
Variance has officially exited stealth mode following a $21 million Series A round to commercialize AI agents that automate trust and safety infrastructure for Fortune 500 clients like GoFundMe and IAC. Founded by ex-Apple engineers Karine and Michael, the 12-person team leverages a unique "agentic" architecture to solve complex unstructured data problems in fraud detection and compliance without manual rule updates. Despite a 2024 leadership injury that threatened operations, the company is scaling its full-stack decisioning platform to replace traditional human review workflows with adaptive, self-healing systems designed to trace sophisticated abuse graphs.
- Goldman Sachs37 min
The Business Builder: New Mountain Capital's Steve Klinsky
Steve Klinsky, the CEO of the $60 billion New Mountain Capital, established the firm in 2000 to pursue a "defensive growth" investment strategy focused on operational improvements within non-cyclical sectors like infrastructure and healthcare technology. Under his leadership, the firm has achieved significant milestones including the $8 billion expansion of supply chain software provider Blue Yonder and the creation of over $100 billion in enterprise value through private credit. Klinsky continues to drive the firm's integration of Generative AI to optimize portfolio margins while maintaining active philanthropic leadership through his Modern States Education Alliance and long-term vision for the private equity landscape.
- All-In Podcast38 min
Bryan Johnson: I Just Took the Most Powerful Dose of DMT in the World... Here's What It Was Like
Bryan Johnson, David Friedberg
Brian Johnson reports that ingesting a high dose of 5-MeO-DMT induced a 48-hour session of total ego dissolution, effectively annihilating the brain's Default Mode Network to produce a profound metabolic reset and restored youthful neural connectivity. He interprets these neurological changes as a critical mechanism for anti-aging and psychological rejuvenation, complementing his broader longevity protocols that include mitochondrial transplantation, FoxO3 gene therapy, and personalized stem cell organoids. By framing psychedelics as essential tools for "psycho-flexibility" against rapid AI-driven change, Johnson aims to normalize these interventions while acknowledging the risks of unregulated use and the philosophical implications for personal identity.
- Goldman Sachs32 min
Private Credit Concerns in Context
Alex Blostein, Vivek Bantwal, Allison Nathan
Amidst a sentiment shift driven by opacity and liquidity concerns, Goldman Sachs analysts project that private credit assets will avoid a systemic crisis despite a 15% annual growth slowdown and concentrated software exposure. While retail investors face potential redemptions constrained by fund caps, institutional direct lending remains insulated by conservative Loan-to-Value ratios and a 9–10% spread cushion that has yet to produce significant defaults. The sector's resilience relies on distinguishing between high-quality borrowers and vulnerable single-B names, with market recovery anticipated as idle capital returns to attract more attractive covenant terms over the next two years.
- a16z41 min
Inside The $100M Bet on the Future of Space | Northwood CEO on a16z
Bridgit Mendler, Erik Torenberg
Northwood, founded by CEO Bridget, delivers end-to-end ground infrastructure solutions that bridge the critical lag between accelerating satellite proliferation and outdated data capture capabilities. By vertically integrating hardware, software, and site development into deployable shipping container units, the company compresses deployment timelines from three years to just three months to serve commercial and government clients like the Space Force. With a team of 75 expanding globally to support resilient, high-frequency data throughput, Northwood aims to transform ground stations from single-satellite bottlenecks into a proliferated "United Nations" of orbital connectivity.
- Milken Institute22 min
Global Economic Outlook: A Conversation with Dan Katz | Future of Finance 2026
The IMF warns that escalating Gulf conflict introduces significant inflation and growth risks by disrupting energy markets and straining fragile economies, necessitating cautious monetary responses based on the duration of the instability. Simultaneously, the Fund highlights excessive global external imbalances, specifically criticizing the United States' large current account deficit and China's reliance on weak domestic consumption, while urging structural shifts to reduce trade tensions. In parallel, the IMF addresses the emerging stablecoin ecosystem, noting its potential for financial inclusion alongside risks of banking disintermediation, and reaffirms the US dollar's enduring central role in the international monetary system despite recent market deleveraging.
- Y Combinator40 min
AI Is Unlocking Millions Of New Builders
Led by twins Mukund and Madhav Jar, Emergent is a YC Summer 2024-funded platform that empowers non-technical users to generate production-ready software through AI agents, having already built seven million apps across 190 countries. The company differentiates itself by utilizing a custom Kubernetes infrastructure and multi-agent architecture to solve the "it works on my machine" problem, while its core team achieved top-tier status on the SWE-bench benchmark within two months. By pivoting from automated testing to full-stack application development, Emergent has democratized software creation, allowing solopreneurs to launch functional products for thousands of dollars instead of the traditional half-million-dollar cost.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Europe’s Opportunity, AI, and Market Volatility with Goldman Sachs International's Co-CEOs
Anthony Gutman, Kunal Shah, Allison Nathan
Goldman Sachs navigates Middle East geopolitical instability while reinforcing its regional foothold through a new Riyadh wealth license and a $25 billion partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority. Strategically, the firm capitalizes on resilient Asian markets and European growth pockets in Spain and Poland, targeting infrastructure financing and private wealth expansion despite short-term currency volatility. Driven by robust corporate balance sheets and AI-fueled efficiency, leaders maintain a positive long-term economic outlook and anticipate continued M&A activity and capital market issuance as markets differentiate between structural trends and event-driven shocks.
- a16z27 min
Emil Michael: The Department of War Is Moving Faster Than Silicon Valley on AI | The a16z Show
The Department of War has consolidated its strategic priorities to six key areas, designating artificial intelligence as the top focus to counter China's military build-up and address domestic supply chain vulnerabilities. To accelerate deployment, leadership reorganized the Chief Digital and AI Office under direct CTO oversight, shifting procurement toward firm fixed-price contracts and removing vendor-imposed restrictions that previously hindered kinetic operations. This reform agenda aims to replace legacy "peacetime speed" with a culture of rapid iteration, enabling the military to integrate commercial innovation while securing a self-reliant industrial base for national defense.
- Milken Institute25 min
Building Economic Prosperity: Conversation with US Senator Angela Alsobrooks | Future of Finance
Angela Alsobrooks, Rachel Reilly
Freshman Senator Alison Brooks leverages her executive background to champion bipartisan legislation like the Genius Act and the Tariffs Transparency Act, addressing digital asset regulation and economic uncertainty. Her agenda targets generational wealth through housing reforms, targeted small business tax credits, and sustained funding for Maryland's HBCUs. By bridging ideological divides to overcome gridlock, Brooks aims to mitigate structural barriers to economic mobility for the sandwich generation and future workforce.
- a16z39 min
Inside a16z’s Top 100 AI Apps Report with Olivia Moore
The 2024 Top 100 AI Report, the sixth edition of its series, documents exponential market growth and the integration of AI into non-native products like Canva and Notion while noting that global weekly active usage remains at only 10%. ChatGPT retains a dominant market position with usage significantly outpacing competitors, yet the ecosystem is bifurcating as specialized players like Claude target enterprise coding and Gemini focuses on creative tools. The report further highlights a strategic shift toward autonomous agents, desktop-local workflows, and voice interfaces, predicting that future utility will depend on a platform's ability to leverage personalized memory and cross-application identity.