Andreessen Horowitz

An agent-first world is around the corner — where more actions will likely be taken by AI than by humans when building software. Zeno Rocha, cofounder of Resend, and Yoko Li say this reality is shaping how developers build, and changing what user experience really means. Great developer experience alone won’t cut it. We’ll also need to build for agent experience (or AX)? — rethinking flows, permissioning, and how we define (and audit) who’s doing what in our systems. Zeno and Yoko Li share why they believe email is the perfect proving ground for AI agents, how to design APIs for agents (not just humans), and what MCP means for the future of agent-native apps.

For decades, tech has romanticized college dropout founders like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, but in reality, most top-funded founders have traditionally been older, leveraging deep networks and industry experience to break into enterprise software. AI is changing that. It has leveled the playing field, making it easier for young founders to identify opportunities, build fast, and land enterprise customers without needing decades of experience. Three key shifts are driving this change: 1. AI exposes workflow inefficiencies, helping founders automate tasks without deep industry knowledge. 2. Speed beats experience: AI-native products favor rapid iteration over "best practices." 3. Enterprise AI adoption has lowered distribution barriers, making it easier than ever to win customers without an established network. The result? More recent grads and dropouts are launching companies than ever before.

The global race for AI leadership is no longer just about companies—it’s about nations. AI isn’t just computing infrastructure; it’s cultural infrastructure, economic strategy, and national security all rolled into one. NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang and Mistral AI’s Arthur Mensch sit down with Anjney Midha to discuss sovereign AI, national AI strategies, and why every country must take ownership of its digital intelligence on the a16z Podcast. Is this the most consequential technology shift of all time? If so, the stakes have never been higher. Find the link to the full video in the comments.

America should lead the world in AI innovation – but it will only be possible when public policy supports the evolving industry and the startups who are advancing it. America’s competitiveness agenda should be based around three pillars, writes our head of AI policy Matt Perault. 1. Policymakers must regulate harmful uses of AI, not impose onerous burdens on model development itself based on speculative fear. 2. States and the federal government both play distinct and important roles within AI policy. 3. The government should invest in AI talent and infrastructure to ensure that Little Tech has the ability to compete and thrive, Matt writes in his latest piece. The stakes are high: the release of DeepSeek, an open-source model developed by a startup in China, underscores the importance of ensuring that Little Tech can compete to offer the most innovative AI products in the world. In a recent report, China stated that it would “strive to create an enabling environment for innovation that encourages exploration and tolerates failure.” U.S. public policy must keep pace. Here’s how: https://bit.ly/3DNYLRy

We’re thrilled to share our investment in E3Tech, a company applying AI and operational excellence to industries where technology adoption has lagged, creating new opportunities for efficiency and growth. Their innovative approach, integrating technology with industry-leading strategy, enables them to seamlessly scale across a variety of industries–including accounting, marketing, and building design. Founder Ruediger Adolf has a proven track record; he previously built and successfully exited Focus Financial Partners, a leading investment advisory firm. More from Scott Kupor on why we led the latest round of funding and how E3Tech is reshaping legacy industries: https://bit.ly/4iCQsac

3 years ago, ‘building for the national interest’ was controversial—especially in Silicon Valley, where tech was built to scale globally. Now? It’s a movement pushing Silicon Valley and Washington closer together. Katherine Boyle & David Ulevitch on the evolution of American Dynamism—why it was once controversial, how it’s reshaping Silicon Valley, and what’s next. ??

Great leaders don’t run from hard decisions – they run towards “pain and darkness,” for the benefit of their companies, Ben Horowitz says. He explains why: https://lnkd.in/eZMXAHa3? Big Think+

How did a tiny, scrappy team build one of the most powerful AI voice models? In a deep dive with Sesame CTO Ankit Kumar and a16z's Anjney Midha, we explore how Sesame is pushing the boundaries of AI conversation, why it open-sourced its speech generation model, and the power of small teams to outdo much larger AI labs on product focus. A part of their secret: A relentless focus on real-time, natural conversations over raw intelligence, and a deep commitment to voice, personality, and user experience. By opening up its speech generation model, Sesame is paving the way for even more breakthroughs in AI-native conversation. For more on how they did it, listen now: https://bit.ly/4bAFWxM

When it comes to apps, broad consumer appeal doesn’t always translate to revenue. So what can turn engagement into earnings? For our 4th installment of the Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps, we analyzed the top 50 AI mobile apps by usage and subscription revenue. Between them, there’s only 40% overlap. Many apps with lower usage proved to be the most effective at monetization, achieving significantly higher conversion rates and revenue per user. Those higher-earning apps are: 1. Niche apps catering to specific goals or skills, like plant identification, nutrition, or language learning. Though their audiences are less universal, these apps are more likely to attract users willing to pay for the product’s specialized value. 2. Apps with high-grade prosumer or enterprise-level features that more serious users will pay for. A notable mention: ChatGPT “copycats” – these apps mimic ChatGPT’s name and logo to falsely suggest they offer the same premium model at a lower price. These make 12% of both the mobile usage and revenue lists.

The next decade of global power is being shaped right now. America’s security, industry, and economic resilience will depend on the technologies we build today. These companies in the American Dynamism 50 aren’t just strengthening our ability to avoid conflict, they’re re-industrializing America in the process. From AI-driven defense to advanced manufacturing and energy innovation—these companies are leading the charge. See the full list: https://bit.ly/3DACqqv