Venture capital has powered companies like Facebook and TikTok—but what if that same urgency fueled America’s defense and industrial base? Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and cofounder of the firm’s American Dynamism practice, argues this is the biggest business opportunity of our time.
In this conversation from The Shawn Ryan Show, Boyle discusses the rise of defense tech startups, why optimism drives her work, and how a new generation of engineers and founders is rethinking innovation and patriotism in America.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Patriotism, Optimism, and American Innovation
4:27 Startups vs. Legacy Primes in Defense
10:08 Venture Capital’s Unique Incentives
17:21 Katherine’s Backstory: Family & Upbringing
21:07 The Decline of Community & Family Pillars
23:23 Polarization, Religion, and Social Fabric
26:16 America’s Birth Rate Crisis
29:46 Cultural Shifts and the Family Structure
42:01 Katherine’s Path: Journalism to Venture Capital
1:06:06 Breaking into Silicon Valley
1:18:06 Investing in Defense: The Anduril Story
1:37:37 The American Dynamism Movement
2:04:27 Manufacturing, Space, and the Future of Defense
2:14:06 Espionage, China, and National Security
2:37:38 The Attack on the American Family
2:48:29 Cultural Change, Suffering, and Purpose
2:55:30 Closing Thoughts
Resources:
Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle
Shawn Ryan Show Links
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=7abec4d61c324b24
Stay Updated:
Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z
Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/
Follow our host: https://x.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.
Stay Updated:
Find a16z on X
Find a16z on LinkedIn
Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify
Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts
Follow 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.
