Latest Interviews
Showing 2776–2790 of 3,244 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- a16z36 min
What's Next for Esports Startups
Bennett Carroccio, Frank Chen, Andrew Chen, D'Arcy Coolican, Darcy Kulikin
Global esports viewership has surged past 450 million, generating over $1 billion in revenue driven by sponsorships and media rights that now rival traditional North American sports leagues. The industry distinguishes itself through a younger demographic, a cultural shift that integrates celebrities with gaming, and infrastructure optimized for digital engagement rather than just gameplay. Strategic investment is increasingly focusing on the underlying "picks and shovels" infrastructure and B2D2C models to capitalize on this rapid growth while publishers continue to define league standards and capture value.
- Y Combinator49 min
Simone Giertz on Her Robots and Returning to Work After Brain Surgery
Simone Giertz, Adam Savage, Craig Cannon, Ali, beep boop, Beste, Khawar Shehzad, Olaf Doschke, Johnathan Nader
Following a brain tumor diagnosis and subsequent surgery in the previous year, electronics engineer turned YouTuber Simone Yetch is diversifying her career by launching a product design company centered on a high-end, 365-day interactive calendar scheduled for a mid-June release. This strategic shift from viral "shitty robots" to serious hardware allows her to build independent revenue streams while maintaining a creative philosophy that prioritizes health boundaries, play, and the rejection of restrictive media contracts. Yetch currently balances multiple projects and recovery needs with a defined goal to step back from content creation entirely by age 55 to pursue alternative life paths.
- Milken Institute57 min
Right or Left: Who's Best for Freedom?
Josh Barro, Kenneth Hersh, Rich Lowry, Gene Sperling, Felicia Wong
In a debate contrasting FDR's positive liberties with classical negative freedoms, Felicia Wong and Gene Sperling argue that true liberty requires protection from want and fear, while Rich Lowry and Kenneth Hirsch contend that freedom is strictly defined by the absence of government coercion. The panel further explores how economic policies like the Affordable Care Act and anti-discrimination laws either expand individual agency or threaten consumer choice, while noting that shifting political narratives now force conservatives to defend liberty against a backdrop of authoritarianism and rising public demand for government intervention. Ultimately, the discussion highlights a deep ideological divide over whether freedom entails securing material security and dignity through state action or preserving it through limited government and market competition.
- Milken Institute52 min
Inside a Blockbuster Franchise: "Avengers: Endgame"
Julia Boorstin, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, David Levinson, John McCutchan
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo leveraged a unique back-to-back production strategy and a global day-and-date release to propel *Avengers: Endgame* to a record-breaking $1.2 billion opening weekend. Their collaborative "mastermind" approach, which integrated scientific consultation and disciplined ensemble management, transformed the film into a universal cultural phenomenon while reaffirming the distinct value of the theatrical experience. Building on this success, the Russo brothers are now expanding their AGBO production company to champion artist ownership and emerging talent with projects like *Cherry*, all while maintaining a format-agnostic commitment to both streaming and cinema.
- Y Combinator56 min
Analyzing Billions of Transactions to Understand Consumer Behavior - Michael Babineau and Kevin Hale
Michael Babineau, Kevin Hale, Craig Cannon, Mike
Co-founded by Mike and Lillian, the company delivers a financial analytics platform that empowers investors and corporations to analyze over 50 billion credit card transactions to solve complex business intelligence problems. With a diverse team of 60 data scientists and engineers, the firm processes unstructured data for entities ranging from startups to major retailers like Stitch Fix and Amazon, transforming raw transactional noise into actionable strategic insights. Supported by strategic funding from Goldman Sachs and Citi, the platform achieved 150 clients through organic growth by offering a customizable toolset rather than static reports, allowing users to generate their own unique information edges.
- Milken Institute28 min
A Conversation with Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Calvin Klein co-founded his global fashion empire with early capital from childhood friend Barry Schwartz, eventually pioneering disruptive marketing strategies like the Brooke Shields "Nothing" campaign and unauthorized product placements to define an American, provocative brand identity. While the partnership with financier Michael Milken provided critical structural discipline during cash crunches, Klein also navigated legal controversies such as the "Kiddie Porn" investigation by prioritizing cultural conversation over traditional safety. Today, he reflects on how social media has compressed the industry timeline, distinguishing between fleeting celebrity brands and enduring legacy companies built on distinct style and consistent messaging.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Investing with Vision: A Conversation With SoftBank's Rajeev Misra
Rajeev Misra, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
SoftBank Vision Fund has deployed $80 billion across 80 portfolio companies to aggregate fragmented markets through AI-driven platforms and preferential debt financing. Led by Rajiv Mehta, the fund targets 30% long-term returns by applying a minority stake strategy to "fearless" founders while leveraging SoftBank's ecosystem for global expansion. With a second fund planned for immediate launch, the organization aims to capitalize on the transition from internet growth to an AI revolution that restructures industries like transportation and hospitality.
- Y Combinator50 min
Vidit Aatrey on Building Meesho, India's Top Reselling Platform, with Adora Cheung
Founded in 2015, Meesho is a social commerce platform founded by CEO Adit Atrai that empowers nearly 500,000 users, predominantly women from Tier 2 and 3 cities, to generate supplemental income by reselling goods via WhatsApp and Instagram without requiring inventory or working capital. The company operates by leveraging existing social trust to overcome India's market barriers, a strategy supported by Atrai's direct engagement with top users and a focus on indigenous product development rather than replicating foreign models. By shifting from a supply-focused tool to a peer-to-peer marketplace in 2016, Meesho has established a competitive moat that enables over 700 employees to facilitate transactions for non-branded goods while addressing unmet needs in the non-metro demographic.
- a16z49 min
10+1 Lessons from Serial Entrepreneur Justin Kan
Fourteen-year veteran entrepreneur Justin Kahn applies his extensive experience from founding and exiting ventures like Twitch and Justin.tv to lead Atrium, a technology-enabled law firm designed to offer speed and transparency for startups. Transitioning from high-market-risk consumer apps to execution-focused B2B models, Kahn leverages a massive Series A round to signal trustworthiness while advocating for a "conscious company" culture built on empathy and radical responsibility. His approach emphasizes that sustainable success requires treating startup building as a multi-decade marathon rather than a sprint, integrating rigorous personal development with strategic business growth.
- Y Combinator49 min
Monetizing Podcasts and Newsletters - Chris Best of Substack and Jonathan Gill of Backtracks
Chris Best, Jonathan Gill, Craig Cannon, Jack Ryder, Debdut Mukherjee
Substack leadership and industry experts analyze a shifting podcasting landscape where direct subscription models are gaining traction against traditional advertising, leveraging strategies like micro-pricing and referral incentives to monetize niche audiences. The discussion highlights that success relies less on mass download metrics and more on consistent publishing, high-quality audio storytelling, and the ability to measure engagement through direct response data rather than obsolete download counts. Ultimately, the panel predicts a future ecosystem where creators maintain direct audience relationships through independent platforms, blending ad-supported mass content with paid subscription niches to counter the consolidation risks posed by major tech giants.
- Y Combinator6 min
How to Create Luck - Dalton Caldwell, Y Combinator Partner
Founders accelerate the probability of success by executing at three times the industry speed, which expands their "surface area" for luck through frequent interactions, rapid pivots, and immediate code deployment. Companies like Brex, Retool, and Magic achieved breakthroughs by validating or discarding multiple concepts quickly, while early-stage strategies emphasize network expansion, active discomfort, and prototype distribution over passive waiting. This approach to scaling luck requires maintaining a culture of fast experimentation and hiring teams capable of outpacing market standards to sustain continuous innovation through Series A and beyond.
- Y Combinator46 min
HubSpot CEO and Cofounder Brian Halligan with Wufoo Cofounder Kevin Hale
Brian Halligan, Kevin Hale, Craig Cannon, Dharmesh
HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan details the company's evolution from a service-based consultancy to a software giant, highlighting their pivotal pivot to a freemium model and the strategic decision to maintain a $250 monthly price point for six years. He explains how the organization overcame high early churn by shifting executive compensation toward Net Promoter Score and reorienting its go-to-market strategy toward content assets rather than traditional sales tactics. Halligan further emphasizes the necessity of consumer-grade user experiences in B2B markets and advises modern founders to build their own content platforms while avoiding the "groupthink" of hiring co-founders with identical skill sets.
- a16z50 min
Seven Trends in Blockchain Computing (Spring 2019)
Olaf, the first employee of Coinbase, details the third wave of blockchain evolution driven by WebAssembly integration and Proof-of-Stake consensus to resolve current developer bottlenecks and security flaws inherent in older protocols. This upcoming phase emphasizes superior technical infrastructure, including built-in on-chain governance and sub-second finality, while shifting industry metrics from user counts to composability and open-source development speeds. As the sector transitions from a nascent launch phase to mature application development, these upgrades aim to facilitate complex use cases like decentralized finance and AI data markets without relying on ad-revenue models or arbitrary platform control.
- a16z39 min
Founding Stories: Sandbox VR
Steve Zhao, Siqi Chen, Andrew Chen, Frank Chen
Sandbox VR co-founders Steve Zhao and Siki Chen launched a location-based entertainment model by vertically integrating proprietary hardware, custom content, and physical retail spaces after failing to secure early funding due to the novelty of the concept. By pivoting to a venue in a Hong Kong high-rise in 2017, the team achieved viral traction with their immersive "Deadwood Mansion" title, attracting an Alibaba seed round and a rapid Series A commitment from Andreessen Horowitz within months of opening. Leveraging deep learning and computer vision to enable social agency and body tracking, the company is now expanding its technology to support larger concurrent groups and diverse genres beyond traditional shooting games.
- Y Combinator1h 4m
Software Engineer Turned Youtuber - Jarvis Johnson
Jarvis Johnson, Craig Cannon, Nathan Allebach, Taylor
Engineering manager and content creator Jarvis Johnson transitioned from a full-time career at Patreon to independent YouTube production after a viral subscriber surge validated his strategy of balancing technical deep-dives with broader industry critique. Leveraging lessons from Silicon Valley and his time managing teams, Johnson now advocates for "clickbait with positivity" while warning against the rise of soulless content farms that threaten platform authenticity. His journey highlights a shift from grade-driven multitasking to focused, interest-driven learning, aiming to provide accessible role models for aspiring technologists navigating the software industry's evolving landscape.