In this one-on-one conversation, Marc and Ben tackle the university system – what has certainly been a hot topic that’s been dominating the news over the past few months. As Marc states at the top of the episode, universities matter tremendously to our world, but they’re currently in a state of crisis.Together, Ben and Marc take a “structural” look at higher education, delving deep into the twelve functions of the modern university.  They also unpack the numerous challenges that universities face today – student debt and the replication crisis, among them. They also discuss topics including DEI, student athlete admissions, accreditation, inflation, and much more. As colleges face an existential threat that could have long lasting repercussions, how can we find ways to improve these institutions, while being open to new entrepreneurial opportunities in education?Check out the Ben and Marc show: https://link.chtbl.com/benandmarc Stay Updated: Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease 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.

In this special summer gathering, podcasting icons Patrick O’Shaughnessy, David Senra, and the Acquired duo, David and Ben, explore the essence of summer breaks as vital for rejuvenation. They share fascinating travel stories, particularly from Asia and Italy, linking cultural insights to long-term investing. The conversations touch on resilience through personal journeys and community building in podcasting, emphasizing the importance of connection and curiosity in both life and business, offering listeners a rich tapestry of inspiration.

Ben and David joined Sam and Shaan of "My First Million" to talk about scaling to a large podcast, the company they would like to own, the CEO's you don't want to compete against, and the 100+ year history of Nintendo. If you liked this and want more of Sam and Shawn, subscribe to the MFM YouTube channel here.Sponsors:VantaLinks:* Hampton* Wait But Why* Marques Brownlee* Nintendo* NVIDIA------Show Notes:(01:45) - Intro to Acquired(10:00) - How to scale to a big podcast(14:05) - How big do you have to be to be at the top of the business category?(23:55) - What commonalities are there between weird companies?(27:40) - How to tell a real from a fake contrarian(34:45) - Nintendo(37:45) - Which company would you most want to own?(40:45) - Who would you least want to compete against?(52:30) - Business ideas(56:40) - Will you ever sell Acquired?(58:20) - Best ways to make money as a podcast

Episode 355: Sam Parr (@TheSamParr), Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and producer Ben (@BenWilsonTweets) recap Camp MFM with stories of the real MrBeast, Kamikaze commitment, and future events.-----Links:* CampMFM* MrBeast* Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel.* Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter.-----Show Notes:(01:45) - How Shaan created Camp MFM(10:40) - Insights into MrBeast(30:45) - Details of the weekend(31:50) - Duke(38:25) - Future events(46:15) - Kobe stories(50:25) - Kamikaze commitment-----Past guests on My First Million include Rob Dyrdek, Hasan Minhaj, Balaji Srinivasan, Jake Paul, Dr. Andrew Huberman, Gary Vee, Lance Armstrong, Sophia Amoruso, Ariel Helwani, Ramit Sethi, Stanley Druckenmiller, Peter Diamandis, Dharmesh Shah, Brian Halligan, Marc Lore, Jason Calacanis, Andrew Wilkinson, Julian Shapiro, Kat Cole, Codie Sanchez, Nader Al-Naji, Steph Smith, Trung Phan, Nick Huber, Anthony Pompliano, Ben Askren, Ramon Van Meer, Brianne Kimmel, Andrew Gazdecki, Scott Belsky, Moiz Ali, Dan Held, Elaine Zelby, Michael Saylor, Ryan Begelman, Jack Butcher, Reed Duchscher, Tai Lopez, Harley Finkelstein, Alexa von Tobel, Noah Kagan, Nick Bare, Greg Isenberg, James Altucher, Randy Hetrick and more.-----Additional episodes you might enjoy:• #224 Rob Dyrdek - How Tracking Every Second of His Life Took Rob Drydek from 0 to $405M in Exits• #209 Gary Vaynerchuk - Why NFTS Are the Future• #178 Balaji Srinivasan - Balaji on How to Fix the Media, Cloud Cities & Crypto* #169 - How One Man Started 5, Billion Dollar Companies, Dan Gilbert's Empire, & Talking With Warren Buffett• ​​​​#218 - Why You Should Take a Think Week Like Bill Gates• Dave Portnoy vs The World, Extreme Body Monitoring, The Future of Apparel Retail, "How Much is Anthony Pompliano Worth?", and More• How Mr Beast Got 100M Views in Less Than 4 Days, The $25M Chrome Extension, and More

Ben, Van Lathan, Diante Lee, and Steven Ruiz discuss the return of EA's college football game, sharing nostalgia for the 'NCAA Football' series and impressions of the new game. They debate the best sport for video games, explore the challenges in sports gaming, and reveal their top five favorite sports games.

In this podcast, Ben and Adam discuss predictable mistakes made by developers turned founders, including starting with SaaS, selling to consumers and struggling businesses, not pre-selling, assuming people are rational, not choosing a likeable customer, being comfortable with pricing, raising VC, and overfocusing on legal and compliance.

Health expert Ben discusses burning calories, sleep deprivation hacks, cognitive enhancers, structured water, Ray-Ban smart glasses, and the link between spirituality and health in a lightning round. Topics include high-intensity exercise benefits, NAD stacking, napping with adaptogens, and longevity strategies. Explore biohacking, blood sugar regulation, nighttime eating risks, magnesium for heart health, and audience engagement.

In this engaging discussion, personal development enthusiasts Ben and Pete delve into the dynamics of personal change. They tackle the fears and doubts surrounding transformation, emphasizing self-awareness and the stories we tell ourselves. The duo elaborates on how ingrained mental patterns can hinder progress and the significance of reframing past experiences. They explore effective strategies for changing habits, the necessity of overcoming setbacks, and the invaluable role of coaching in achieving personal growth.

Guest Ben from Orozco's Kitchen YouTube channel shares his journey to 100k subscribers, using Google Ads for growth, building a community, and plans for his channel. Podcast also covers TubeBuddy advantages, time management tips, and maximizing earnings on YouTube.

Enterprise sales gets a bad rap amongst indie founders, but at Tuple it's become an important part of their business model. In this episode, Ben shares all his tips and tricks on how to sell to enterprise customers as a small startup without letting it slow you down.Discuss this episode on Twitter →Timestamps(00:00) - Ben's notes on enterprise sales (02:58) - Ben's first time (04:56) - Tactic: Build a product that can grow bottom-up (07:12) - Tactic: Ask buyers to answer their own questions (08:34) - Tactic: Say no to more than you think (16:11) - Tactic: Your pricing should make you uncomfortable (25:38) - Tactic: Charge more for SAML single sign-on (27:50) - Tactic: Don't sign something without charging a lot (28:34) - Tactic: Put an expiration date on your quotes (29:12) - Tactic: Dodge pricing pushback with quarterly payments (31:06) - Tactic: Make sure you lose some deals because of price (33:26) - How procurement works (37:54) - How important is enterprise sales for Tuple? (47:59) - Tactic: Ask procurement, "what helps this deal get done faster" (49:49) - Tactic: Have a /security page on your website (53:07) - Tactic: Use Y Combinator's sales agreement template (55:47) - Tactic: You probably won't be sued LinksAdam on TwitterBen on TwitterTuple's /security pageY Combinator — Sales Agreement