The a16z Show What It Takes to Win as a Founder | Ben Horowitz
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Oct 24, 2026 
Andrew Chen, Andreessen Horowitz general partner and Speedrun leader, talks with Ben Horowitz, veteran entrepreneur, investor, and author. They explore why AI is unlike past technology shifts, how tiny teams might reach massive audiences, and whether apps will give way to agents. They also discuss AI defensibility, choosing investors, venture capital’s changing role, founder psychology, and the exceptional strengths that help entrepreneurs win.
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AI Skips The Internet’s Adoption Bottleneck
- AI differs from earlier internet waves because it can reach existing internet users immediately without waiting for network adoption.
- Ben Horowitz contrasts this with 1996 Netscape, when 55 million users and widespread dial-up limited viable application markets.
Tiny Teams Can Reach Huge Audiences
- Small teams can reach enormous audiences, but sustaining those businesses may require expansion as customer expectations continually rise.
- Horowitz uses Instagram’s 13-person acquisition as evidence of early leverage, not proof that mature companies stay tiny.
Agents May Replace Traditional Applications
- AI may make standalone applications less central as agents operate directly on organized personal and business data.
- The future interface could be asking an agent to perform tasks rather than opening a conventional application.