Latest Interviews
Showing 16–30 of 3,244 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs26 min
How AI Debt Is Reshaping Credit Markets
Amanda Lynam, Zach Ablon, Allison Nathan
Global credit markets have shifted as AI-driven debt issuance from hyperscalers and the broader ecosystem now dominates supply, reaching nearly $500 billion year-to-date in 2026 alone. This unprecedented concentration is reshaping the Investment Grade landscape by skewing duration weight toward tech giants like Amazon and Google, while simultaneously testing market absorption limits and driving spread widening among insurance investors. As traditional US IG capacity approaches a $510 billion ceiling, the financing void is forcing a structural pivot toward private capital, non-USD jurisdictions, and alternative vehicles like project finance to sustain the multi-trillion-dollar AI investment cycle.
- Y Combinator36 min
The Case For Data Centers In Space
Philip Johnston, Mark Mandelmann
Founded by Philip Johnston in 2024 and backed by a $170 million Series A from Benchmark, StarCloud has emerged as YC's fastest-growing unicorn by pioneering orbital data centers to bypass terrestrial energy constraints. The company successfully launched its first satellite in November 2025, deploying custom-modified GPU hardware and thermal management systems to run AI models like Gemini while utilizing automotive-grade components to mitigate radiation risks. With plans to scale to 88,000 satellites by 2028 and deploy high-bandwidth compute for government and hyperscale customers, StarCloud aims to eventually generate terawatts of processing capacity through partnerships with SpaceX and NVIDIA.
- a16z10 min
The Ocean Company - Ulysses | a16z American Dynamism
Will O'Brien, Akhil Voorakkara, Jamie Wedderburn
Ulysses has pivoted from a demand-constrained startup to a supply-limited entity capitalizing on the global E-AI super cycle to build a 24/7 autonomous robot network comparable to satellite constellations. The company leverages its modular vehicle architecture and in-house manufacturing to deliver cost-effective solutions for critical sectors including offshore restoration, defense mine countermeasures, and undersea infrastructure security. With a strategic vision to dominate the ocean domain within 15 years, Ulysses directly addresses the inadequacy of traditional military investments by deploying asymmetric, autonomous systems against threats ranging from naval mines to cable sabotage.
- a16z9 min
The Future is Metal - Mariana Minerals | a16z American Dynamism
Founded by former Tesla executive Turner Caldwell, Mariana Minerals is deploying a vertically integrated, software-first strategy to reclaim Western control over critical mineral supply chains dominated by Chinese refineries. The company recently entered the Utah copper market by acquiring the struggling Copper One asset, where it rapidly implemented autonomous haul trucks and replaced legacy manual processes with its proprietary Mariana OS to validate operational efficiency in just 150 days. This approach aims to revitalize San Juan County while establishing a scalable model for future resource extraction on Earth, the Moon, and beyond.
- Sequoia Capital47 min
Chai Discovery's Bitter Lesson: Drug Design Is Another Scaling Problem
Josh Meier, Matt McPartlon, Pat Grady, Sonali Singh
Chai Discovery is industrializing drug discovery by deploying a simplified, AI-driven infrastructure that replaces traditional trial-and-error with scalable molecule design, partnering with major pharmaceutical firms like Eli Lilly and Pfizer rather than managing a full internal pipeline. The company's second-generation model has achieved a 15% binding success rate through diffusion-based generation and a continuous feedback loop from wet-lab experiments, effectively targeting historically undruggable biological structures. By shifting the industry toward computational "last in class" solutions, Chai aims to accelerate development timelines from months to days while ensuring extreme safety and manufacturability at the molecular generation stage.
- Bank of America21 min
Understanding Today's Consumer: Holly O'Neill Interviews Sarah Tam of Rent the Runway
Bank of America President Holly O'Neill and Rent the Runway Chief Merchant Officer Sarah Tam convened to discuss building resilient, customer-first businesses by shifting from traditional ownership models to subscription-based access. Tam detailed how the company leverages real-time data and millions of customer signals to personalize the fashion experience and drive sustainability, while the partnership introduces exclusive rewards discounts for Rent the Runway members. The collaboration highlights a broader market evolution where leaders must transition from selling products to serving consumer needs for credibility, variety, and emotional connection.
Inside the Factory Behind Base Power's $1B Series D
Base Power recently secured a $1 billion Series D funding round led by Ribbit and JPMorgan Chase, establishing a $13 billion valuation to accelerate production of its high-capacity BaseCore home battery system. The vertically integrated manufacturer is scaling operations at its Austin facility to 4,000 units weekly, featuring a modular design that enables full-home backup power in under two hours per unit. This growth supports a strategic rollout of both direct consumer sales and utility partnership models across key regional markets as the company prepares to open a second factory near the Austin airport.
- The Diary Of A CEO1h 55m
Former US Secretary: We Needs To Reform Now, We’re Heading Towards A Catastrophe | Pete Buttigieg
Pete Buttigieg warns that the United States faces systemic collapse due to unchecked national debt, wealth inequality, and an electoral system that fuels polarization, urging immediate structural reforms including the abolition of the Electoral College and corporate personhood. He outlines a vision for 2028 where technological advancements like AI are regulated to prevent extreme wealth concentration while redefining social contracts through mechanisms like public dividends and shorter work weeks. Buttigieg also critiques current foreign policy failures in the Middle East and the lack of coherent exit strategies in conflicts with Iran, arguing that only deliberate, transparent leadership can restore trust and prevent democratic backsliding.
- The Economist9 min
Is billionaire wealth becoming more legitimate? | The Economist
Recent research distinguishes between "competitive wealth" derived from creating goods and services and "uncompetitive wealth" from natural resources or political favors, finding the former is expanding while the latter declines. This shift is driven by rapid consumer growth in China, strong market returns, and the mobile-first internet era, which has fueled self-made billionaires in sectors like entertainment and retail rather than just technology. Consequently, data indicates that effective tax rates for the wealthiest Americans are high and that aggressive wealth taxes on competitive entrepreneurs may incur greater economic costs than the benefits of curbing inequality.
- All-In Podcast2 min
Friedberg: NYC’s Socialist Grocery Stores Will Be Wildly Popular and a Marketing Tool for 2028
A speaker outlines a strategic model where a chain of discount grocery stores operates at an annual loss of $200 million to function as a subsidized vehicle for the Democratic Socialists of America. This approach leverages a social network effect to draw consumers across regions while framing the inevitable financial deficits as negligible investments relative to New York City's municipal budget. The strategy aims to accumulate significant political capital over the next 24 months, ultimately fueling a socialist wave that is projected to reshape the 2028 election cycle despite the stores' operational failures.
- All-In Podcast1 min
David Sacks: The Chip Stock Crash is Based on Momentum, NOT Fundamentals
A recent 10% Nasdaq correction was driven by the unwinding of highly leveraged momentum trades in AI and memory chip stocks, which suffered steeper 30% to 40% declines. Market observers distinguish this volatility from a fundamental bubble, noting that such fluctuations often accompany rapid price surges in sectors like those seen in South Korea. Despite the sharp pullback, the prevailing view remains that current capital expenditures in artificial intelligence will eventually generate returns.
- Bank of America24 min
Declining costs mean more rising rockets; launch costs key for space industrialization
This analysis details how the aerospace industry's pursuit of full reusability, led by SpaceX's Starship program, aims to slash launch costs from $1,000 to $100 per kilogram to unlock a lunar economy and orbital data centers. While engineering hurdles like thermal management in space remain solvable, this cost reduction is projected to catalyze exponential market growth in satellite broadband, in-orbit manufacturing, and national security surveillance. Ultimately, the sector's future viability hinges on overcoming reusability thresholds and resolving unresolved regulatory frameworks regarding lunar resources and orbital debris.
- Goldman Sachs11 min
Live Market Insights: Addressing Client Questions on the Mid-Year 2026 Outlook
Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Matt Weir, Nicola Gifford
Analysts project a robust 2026 outlook for U.S. equities, forecasting S&P 500 earnings growth of approximately 17% driven by broad-based margin expansion and macroeconomic resilience following a transition to energy independence. Portfolio strategies reflect this optimism by maintaining U.S. allocations while adding targeted exposure to AI supply chain leaders in Korea and Taiwan, while explicitly advising against the high costs of systematic put option hedging. Future market dynamics will be shaped by the tension between hyperscalers deploying 100% of operating cash flow into AI capital expenditures and the counterbalancing force of $1.3 trillion in projected corporate share buybacks.
- Y Combinator31 min
Patrick Collison: Is AI Breaking the Lean Startup Playbook?
Patrick Collison shares his journey from dropping out of college twice to launching Stripe, emphasizing the critical role of retaining "cognitive L1 cache" over reliance on AI tools for deep reasoning. He highlights that while new business formation on Stripe has doubled and AI is accelerating revenue milestones, entrepreneurs should remain wary of decentralization fears and instead focus on solving visceral customer problems like legacy payment friction. Collison concludes by advising founders to build fundamental knowledge of first principles and to assess whether their chosen venture is a cause they are willing to pursue for decades.
- Sequoia Capital2 min
The Most Automated AI Lab Isn't Removing Humans | Jerry Tworek, Core Automation
Aiming to become the world's most autonomous laboratory, the organization is deploying AI-driven coding agents as foundational infrastructure to drastically accelerate research iteration and data gathering. Rather than adapting legacy structures to these tools, the company is building native workflows that prioritize human agency and allow individual researchers to scale their output through automation's force-multiplying effects. This strategic pivot transforms the research environment, enabling single agents to execute significantly larger volumes of work and test ideas with unprecedented speed.