The a16z Show

Turner Caldwell, Mariana Minerals cofounder and ex-Tesla battery supply chain leader, joins Chandler Luzsicza, Galadyne founder and former SpaceX Starship propulsion engineer. They dig into flat orgs, faster decisions, critical path discipline, shared data systems, milestone setting, burnout from churn, factory-style thinking, vertical integration, and building elite engineering teams.

John Doyle, Cape founder and former Army Green Beret, joins Justin Fanelli, U.S. Navy CTO and veteran defense tech leader. They dig into the Salt Typhoon telecom breach, secure mobile networks built on compromised infrastructure, and how the Navy is speeding up software buying. They also explore fast pilots in Guam, startup momentum in government, and where defense tech is headed.

Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, a senior Navy leader overseeing submarines, joins Chris Power, Hadrian founder building software-driven factories. They dig into why submarine production needs a massive rebuild, how labor shortages became the real choke point, why centralized authority matters, how factories can ramp faster, and why submarines may evolve into command hubs for underwater drones.

Alex Miller, U.S. Army CTO driving soldier-first tech adoption, joins Adam Warmoth, Chariot Defense founder and former Anduril engineering leader. They dig into why battlefield power is breaking down. Think diesel generators, fuel convoy risk, silent tactical batteries, EV and aviation tech adapted for combat, Arctic battery failures, and faster ways to get new hardware into soldiers’ hands.

Bridgit Mendler, Northwood co-founder and CEO, is a former actress and singer turned space entrepreneur. She talks about why ground infrastructure is the hidden bottleneck in space, how pandemic antenna experiments sparked Northwood, and why vertical integration can speed deployment. The conversation also explores bigger space missions, commercial demand, and national security.

Shyam Sankar, Palantir CTO, author of Mobilize, and an Army officer, dives into why America needs a new spirit of mobilization. He explores defense reform, the rise of AI-built tools inside the military, and why only “alpha” software may survive AI pressure. He also gets into engineering culture, national confidence, and why film and storytelling matter for rebuilding ambition.

A new paper, “Some Simple Economics of AGI,” is making the rounds—Web3 with a16z we sat down with author Christian Catalini (MIT Crypto Economics Lab) and Eddy Lazzarin (CTO of a16z crypto), in conversation with Robert Hackett, to unpack what AGI could mean for work and markets. EPISODE NOTES:  A hot paper — "Some Simple Economics of AGI" — has been making the rounds, so we sat down with the author, covering:  Automation vs. verification: the key economic split  Why AI agents now feel like coworkers - What's happening to junior roles and the “codifier’s curse”  The “AI sandwich” structure for firms  The value of "meaning-makers," consensus, and status economies  Why crypto may become essential infrastructure for identity, provenance, and trust  Two possible futures: a hollow vs. augmented economy  Featuring Christian Catalini (founder of MIT Crypto Economics Lab) and Eddy Lazzarin (CTO of a16z crypto) in conversation with Robert Hackett, our discussion dives deep into how automation is reshaping labor markets, as well as the nature of intelligence.  What do these changes mean for startups, the future of work, and your career?     Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jacob Helberg, technology policy expert and author of The Wires of War, digs into why hardware and supply chains now shape economic power. He explores what it takes to lead in AI, from model quality to global adoption. The conversation also touches on tariffs, reindustrialization, compute as a new economic fuel, and the geopolitics of U.S., Europe, and the Middle East.

Vishal Misra, Columbia professor and AI researcher, digs into how transformers may update predictions like Bayesian math. He explores why that still falls short of consciousness. The conversation turns to what AGI would really need: continual learning, causal reasoning, new abstractions, and why scaling alone won’t get us there.

Olivia Moore, an Andreessen Horowitz partner focused on AI investing, explores whether startups can outmaneuver giant chatbots. She gets into why Americans are so uneasy about AI. She compares ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini as they split into distinct roles. There is also chatbot personality testing, strange AI relationships, long-running agents, and why memory could become consumer AI’s secret weapon.