The a16z Show Ben Horowitz on Investing in AI: AI Bubbles, Economic Impact, and VC Acceleration
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Jan 13, 2026 
In this engaging discussion, Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz and author of 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things', explores the transformative impact of AI on venture capital and company dynamics. He highlights the importance of rapid decision-making and clear accountability in evaluating investors. Ben emphasizes verticalization for team efficiency and discusses how AI is driving a resurgence in M&A activity. He also dives into the significance of application design over raw model size, framing AI as a disruptive force with potential for diverse winners.
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Invest In World-Class Specialists
- Investing should focus on founders who are literally the best in the world at one thing.
- Ben Horowitz prioritizes extraordinary specialization over being merely good at many things.
Judge Investors At The Point Of Decision
- Evaluate investors at the point of decision by how they show up, win opportunities, and judge quality.
- Avoid waiting 10–15 years to judge GPs by portfolio outcomes; act on present signals instead.
Small Teams Preserve Decision Quality
- Keep investing teams small to preserve conversational decision-making and speed.
- Verticalizing into focused teams lets the firm scale without bloating each investment team.
