Join Connie Chan, a consumer trends expert; Anne Lee Skates, who focuses on digital community; Jack Soslow and Doug McCracken, specialists in gaming and digital fashion; Sarah Wang, an enterprise software leader; and Sumeet Singh, who navigates FinTech. They dive into social commerce's evolution, the concept of 'third spaces' in a digital world, and the transformative potential of generative AI. The discussion also highlights the intersection of fashion and gaming and the challenges of innovation in maintaining user trust in AI technologies.

Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s chief R&D officer, delve into the transforming landscape of audio. They discuss the convergence of audio and video, emphasizing user engagement and AI's role in content creation. The duo explores the creator economy, noting strategies from China for monetization through fan engagement. They highlight the significance of interactivity and innovative features while examining recommendation systems for music and podcasts. Their insights paint a vivid picture of audio's evolving future.

In this engaging discussion, Connie Chan, Olivia Moore, and Zach Cohen, all consumer partners at Andreessen Horowitz, dive into the evolution of marketplaces. They explore why trust is key to success and how curated experiences are reshaping consumer behavior. The trio highlights newcomers in the Marketplace100 and discusses mental health services' transformation through online platforms. Innovations like video shopping are examined, along with how social media is revolutionizing commerce, creating exciting opportunities in this dynamic landscape.

Today’s guest is Connie Chan, General Partner at a16z. In conversation with Emerj Senior Editor Matthew DeMello, Connie discusses the challenges consumer companies are facing from distribution to mobile technology. Later, she addresses how AI use cases in personalization and the consolidation of social media as marketing distribution channels will shape the future of consumer technology.    A note from a16z on today’s episode: The content here is for informational purposes only and 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. For more details, please see a16z.com/disclosures.  

You might have noticed that more and more social media platforms are offering paid versions of their services, like Twitter Blue, Snapchat Plus, and Discord Nitro. But what you may not have noticed is that this is nothing new. Social media platforms in China have had a huge head start in getting users to not only pay for features, but in creating features that truly are innovative. In this episode, Connie Chan, general partner at the VC firm Andreessen Horowitz, analyzes what Western companies should be learning from their successes.

Connie Chan is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley-based technology venture capital firm with $35B in assets under management across multiple funds, where she focuses on investing in consumer technology. Chan joined the firm in 2011 as a deal partner on the investment team before becoming a general partner in 2018. She serves on the boards of Cider, Whatnot, and KoBold. In this conversation with Stanford adjunct lecturer Ravi Belani, Chan shares her career and life advice for college students and aspiring venture capitalists.—-----------------------------------Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. At STVP, we empower aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.CONNECT WITH USTwitter: https://twitter.com/ECorner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner LEARN MOREeCorner Website: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://ecorner.stanford.edu/give.

Connie Chan, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz with a focus on tech and consumer investments, dives deep into the evolution of video content. She discusses how live, social, and shoppable features are reshaping digital interactions, moving beyond traditional social graphs. The conversation highlights video’s shift from passive viewing to engaging, interactive experiences. Connie also delves into e-commerce's future, emphasizing data privacy and the rise of video shopping as crucial for building consumer trust and enhancing niche community connections.

Connie Chan, author and analyst, dives into WeChat's incredible journey from a messaging app to an all-encompassing super app. She discusses how WeChat integrates social interactions, commerce, and innovative features, reshaping user experiences. Connie also explores its impact on mobile messaging and enterprise solutions, highlighting the effective use of official accounts for engagement and contrasting WeChat's mobile-first approach with earlier platforms like QQ. Her insights shed light on the future of mobile applications both in China and globally.

Nick Quah, a seasoned writer and publisher of the Hot Pod newsletter, teams up with Connie Chan, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz. They dive into the evolution of podcasting, discussing how consumer perceptions have shifted alongside technological advancements. The conversation explores the rise of binge-listening, the connection between podcasts and book sales, and the challenges of monetization in today's landscape. Together, they paint a vivid picture of the future of audio, emphasizing the need for innovation in content creation and engagement.

Connie Chan, general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, discusses the shift in business models for internet-based consumer tech companies, the differences between the monetization strategies in China and North America, the challenges faced by social media platforms in diversifying their revenue models, and the potential contenders for advertising diversification like Amazon, Walmart, and Twitter. She emphasizes the importance of offering users choice and self-expression in monetization models and highlights the wide array of tools available to entrepreneurs in the space.