Hello readers,
Doing a brief spherical up on varied hyperlinks, books, a fast life replace, and different stuff happening. First, I didn’t write a lot in 2023 (I used to be busy!!) however am pleased with what I printed…
Weblog posts from 2023
- How one can design a referral program. I headed up Uber’s driver and rider referral applications at varied factors of my time there — I present a framework to consider referrals as an ask/goal/incentive/payback, and break down the elements of every one. Possibly most significantly, there’s a query of how typically you ask for the referral — that is what individuals generally overlook. I additionally talk about the weaknesses of referral applications quite than merchandise which are intrinsically viral.
- The pitch deck for a16z GAMES FUND ONE. My foremost factor as of late is beginning up and main the brand new Video games fund at Andreessen Horowitz. It’s what I’ll blame for not writing as typically as I’d like 🙂 However I used to be in a position to get the overwhelming majority of our pitch deck for the fund — launched in mid 2022 — printed. You’ve seen a variety of startup pitch decks, however that is an fascinating instance of 1 for a fund.
- What to do when product progress stalls. A number of firms are coping with diminished spending on advertising and progress, and plenty of of their customers/clients are much less seemingly as of late to have interaction with merchandise. Typically the founders (and their advertising/progress groups) come to me, and I lay out a framework to attempt to diagnose the core subject and determine subsequent steps.
- The Subsequent Subsequent Job, a framework for making massive profession selections. I typically speak to people about their subsequent profession transfer, and right here I lay out a framework stolen from one in every of my greatest buddies, Bubba Murarka, on fascinated by the following subsequent job quite than simply what’s in entrance of you. I used this to contemplate my hop to Uber, which led me to a16z (sure, VC was my subsequent subsequent job, and I deliberate 5+ years forward!)
- Creator Economic system 2.0: What we’ve discovered, why it’s onerous, and what’s subsequent. Creators are for sure one of the vital essential gamers within the new social media panorama. Many startups had been fashioned particularly to cater to their wants. Nonetheless, we’ve discovered lots from the primary era or two of Creator Economic system firms — why creators are so onerous to work with, why the income is so concentrated, why issues are extra fragile than they typically look from the skin.
- How I exploit AI when running a blog and writing. I’ve been experimenting (together with all of you!) on utilizing ChatGPT, Oasis AI, and different instruments as a part of my writing. It’s OK at some issues, and horrible at others. I’ve some ideas on this which I’ll share right here.
- Classes from launching SPEEDRUN, the Video games x Tech startup accelerator. As one other a part of my “constructing in public” writeups in regards to the a16z Video games Fund, we kicked off a brand new program in 2023 known as SPEEDRUN which is supposed to be a startup accelerator targeted on the intersection of video games and tech. It’s been an excellent fascinating experence — and we’re doubling down — and thought I’d share some classes and ideas right here.
- When AI is just too verbose, stuffed with repetition and says sorry for being an AI. I typically hate the replies from ChatGPT so I added some directions to it, and now it’s a lot better 🙂
Individually, I even have a ton of random X posts — tbh I’ve been extra energetic there. Typically I cross pollinate posts between there and right here, however if you’d like issues in actual time, right here’s a listing of a few of my extra extremely favorited posts:
Life replace
I additionally wished to share a short life replace, which I posted to X, however will repeat right here:
2023 has been an unbelievable and eventful 12 months.
some private highlights:
- I’ve married Emma Waldron!
- Spent tons of time with household (each mine and Emma’s), greater than common – at all times good as my people are getting older
- 12 months two in LA and loving it, although we’re nonetheless in SF each month or so
- first time within the center east, morocco, eire, a number of different locations
- was in my/our first severe automobile accident (no accidents, however our RV + the opposite automobile was totaled)
- honeymoon in Japan, and sure, Naoshima could be very particular and everybody ought to go
work smart, so a lot has occurred:
- constructed out the Video games Fund staff at a16z, making a dozen hires this 12 months in Advertising, Investing, Expertise, and so forth
- we launched SPEEDRUN, our new accelerator, garnering 1000s of startups making use of and we’ve already invested $20M+ through this system
- a16z repeated Tech Week in SF, NYC, LA with 1000+ occasions and tens of hundreds of individuals
- massive wins (and challenges) throughout our portfolio, however a lot of mark ups and key saves in difficult conditions
- tons of vitality and pleasure in AI — we went from being curious on what’s on the market to doing over a dozen investments in Video games x AI startups
- completely happy new 12 months everybody, notably to all of the great individuals round me — my household, my new prolonged household, the beautiful staff I get to work with every single day
And recognize y’all following and listening to my ideas now and again!
Books and different stuff
Lastly, I wished to checklist a few of my favourite (principally non-work) reads from the previous 12 months, in case people have an interest:
- The Mirage Manufacturing facility: Phantasm, Creativeness, and the Invention of Los Angeles. Good historical past of Los Angeles ranging from 100+ years again, specializing in getting water from japanese California into an arid desert, a number of the early non secular actions on the town, and the formation of what would develop into Hollywood
- Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-12 months Rivalry that Unraveled Tradition, Faith, and Collective Reminiscence within the Center East. A part of a Center East deep dive that I did after visiting the area, and this was earlier than all of the current tragedy. This reframes a variety of the battle over the previous many years as a rivalry between Iran/KSA — they’re two oil powers, completely different non secular sects, a lot of proxy wars, and so forth.
- Superintelligence: Paths, Risks, Methods. This e book has gotten a variety of consideration because the Decel/Doomer Bible — the primary half is an fascinating thought experiment and value studying, and it defines the AI security language that’s a part of trendy discourse. On the draw back, the again half I feel it goes off the rails and makes a ton of assumptions (why will AGI come all of the sudden? Why only one?) and makes a lot weaker arguments.
- The Opium Struggle: Medicine, Goals, and the Making of Trendy China. I’ve began to do a China historical past deep dive and this was on the checklist — fascinating to distinction this to Japan’s Meiji restoration which was occurring ~concurrently and it displays from the hazards from not embracing progress and know-how.
- Outlive: The Science and Artwork of Longevity. A lot of people have learn this — tldr; it’s best to train an hour a day, and alternate between Zone 2 cardio and power coaching. Sadly this e book satisfied me to start out working once more, and to start amateurishly biking when I’ve time.
- Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan. The TV present was nice so I learn the e book — it’s enjoyable however I feel a variety of it most likely made up. Nonetheless enjoyable. Learn it as form of as true-ish story a few foreigner turned journalist turned yakuza knowledgeable. This was a part of our deep dive on Japan earlier than heading there for our honeymoon.
- Elon Musk. The person of the second. First half is nice, notably a number of the particulars about his childhood, how a lot he poured into SpaceX, and so forth. The again half is sort of successful piece on his Twitter acquisition in means means an excessive amount of element, and is overtly unfavorable after we don’t know the way it’ll all prove? I feel the actual definitive biography is but to be written, on condition that Elon is in his prime.
- Chip Struggle: The Quest to Dominate the World’s Most Important Know-how. Nice historical past of the semiconductor trade, beginning in Silicon Valley and ending in Asia. The e book covers the subject cohesively – for a really complicated trade – and discusses a variety of the fashionable geopolitics between the US, China, and Taiwan
- Solaris: The Definitive Version. Traditional scifi. Man exhibits up on a analysis station above a planet with a wierd (alive??) ocean, individuals are lifeless, he wants to determine what’s happening.
- The Chilly Struggle: A New Historical past. Concise abstract of the Chilly Struggle from the top of WW2 to the autumn of the USSR. I used to be a child by many of the last years, and the e book touches on a number of the trendy scholarship on what was happening contained in the Soviet Union, which is simply now obtainable.
Hopefully a number of the above are new and fascinating to y’all! I hope to learn extra subsequent 12 months — I feel the cheat code is perhaps to cease watching Netflix/Max/no matter (making it weekends solely). And as a substitute take the final 1-2 hours of the day and get again right into a studying routine, and take notes, to assist encourage extra writing too. Arduous, however I’ll attempt 🙂
We’re additionally planning to spend extra time in SF for 2024 so I hope I get to see a few of you that I’ve missed up to now 12 months as I’ve principally relocated to LA. With SPEEDRUN 2 and three occurring subsequent 12 months in SF, I’ll be round for not less than a 3rd of the 12 months simply working in individual with all of our new Video games x Tech firms.
Comfortable 2024! Leaving you with a last web meme that I assumed was humorous.
(Let’s not take ourselves too significantly subsequent 12 months)
sincerely,
Andrew
writing from Venice Seaside, CA
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