Erin Griffith

The overall takeaway from Andreessen was that this is going to be a hostile fight between government regulators who want to clamp down on the technology that he and the companies that he invests in want to build.

The overall takeaway from Andreessen was that this is going to be a hostile fight between government regulators who want to clamp down on the technology that he and the companies that he invests in want to build.

And so this is when he basically concludes that Biden is anti-tech. He views the administration and, by extension, Democrats as radical on tech innovation and tech progress, which is kind of his life's work. So all of this together really primes him to be courted by the other side.

And so this is when he basically concludes that Biden is anti-tech. He views the administration and, by extension, Democrats as radical on tech innovation and tech progress, which is kind of his life's work. So all of this together really primes him to be courted by the other side.

Yeah. And, you know, on July 5th, he posted this manifesto, which is something that he does from time to time. He's got some really famous ones, including Software is Eating the World and It's Time to Build. He posts one that is called The Little Tech Agenda.

Yeah. And, you know, on July 5th, he posted this manifesto, which is something that he does from time to time. He's got some really famous ones, including Software is Eating the World and It's Time to Build. He posts one that is called The Little Tech Agenda.

He basically concludes that, you know, big tech companies have lobbyists that are kind of looking out for them, but no one's sticking up for what he calls little tech. And that includes all the startups and the venture firms that he's working with. And he basically says... Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm, is going to support any candidate that supports the little tech agenda.

He basically concludes that, you know, big tech companies have lobbyists that are kind of looking out for them, but no one's sticking up for what he calls little tech. And that includes all the startups and the venture firms that he's working with. And he basically says... Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm, is going to support any candidate that supports the little tech agenda.

And so that's kind of like opening the door for like, hey, you know, any presidential candidate, any congressional candidate that wants to, you know, kind of win our vote and our support, like, tell us what you got. And they tried to meet with both Biden and Trump. They never ended up meeting with Biden, but Trump invited them to dinner.

And so that's kind of like opening the door for like, hey, you know, any presidential candidate, any congressional candidate that wants to, you know, kind of win our vote and our support, like, tell us what you got. And they tried to meet with both Biden and Trump. They never ended up meeting with Biden, but Trump invited them to dinner.

And this includes big name venture capitalists like David Sachs. This includes Elon Musk. And this includes a lot of other people that are very famous in the tech industry, but maybe not household names across the country. And that has a little bit of a trickle down effect where in the past it may have been taboo or absolutely unpopular.

And this includes big name venture capitalists like David Sachs. This includes Elon Musk. And this includes a lot of other people that are very famous in the tech industry, but maybe not household names across the country. And that has a little bit of a trickle down effect where in the past it may have been taboo or absolutely unpopular.

Mark Andreessen and his partner Ben Horowitz end up at Trump's golf club in New Jersey, Bedminster.

Mark Andreessen and his partner Ben Horowitz end up at Trump's golf club in New Jersey, Bedminster.

And they're super impressed by Trump.

And they're super impressed by Trump.

Andreessen talks about how Trump only ordered meat and how he wined and dined them.

Andreessen talks about how Trump only ordered meat and how he wined and dined them.

They talk about how Trump talks to everyone. You know, he's really kind of in the mix.

They talk about how Trump talks to everyone. You know, he's really kind of in the mix.

He's telling them kind of exactly what they want to hear.

He's telling them kind of exactly what they want to hear.

He wants to do what he can to help tech companies thrive. And he wants government to get out of the way.

He wants to do what he can to help tech companies thrive. And he wants government to get out of the way.

And he wants American innovation to be exported all around the world.

And he wants American innovation to be exported all around the world.

And so they were really taken with Trump and his message to them.

And so they were really taken with Trump and his message to them.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Shortly after that, Andreessen and Horowitz post a podcast announcing that they are endorsing Trump for president. They went into a lot of the stuff that we've been talking about, you know, the pressure to moderate content online, the regulation, the fact that Trump is eager to see the tech industry innovate and build and do all the things they want to do. And there was one other reason.

Shortly after that, Andreessen and Horowitz post a podcast announcing that they are endorsing Trump for president. They went into a lot of the stuff that we've been talking about, you know, the pressure to moderate content online, the regulation, the fact that Trump is eager to see the tech industry innovate and build and do all the things they want to do. And there was one other reason.

They really talked about how impressed they were by the fact that he, you know, raised his fist after the assassination attempt.

They really talked about how impressed they were by the fact that he, you know, raised his fist after the assassination attempt.

All of these things combined result in their endorsement. And that's really the start of when a lot of people who were maybe privately supporting Trump in Silicon Valley really started to come out of the woodwork and say so publicly.

All of these things combined result in their endorsement. And that's really the start of when a lot of people who were maybe privately supporting Trump in Silicon Valley really started to come out of the woodwork and say so publicly.

Absolutely. Andreessen and Elon Musk and a few other leaders combined. I mean, Elon's endorsement was obviously really influential. But within the tech industry, specifically venture capital and startups, you know, Mark Andreessen, his opinion really carries a lot of weight. And I think that did open the door for a lot of people to come out as Trump supporters as well.

Absolutely. Andreessen and Elon Musk and a few other leaders combined. I mean, Elon's endorsement was obviously really influential. But within the tech industry, specifically venture capital and startups, you know, Mark Andreessen, his opinion really carries a lot of weight. And I think that did open the door for a lot of people to come out as Trump supporters as well.

impossible to say that you supported Trump or even that you are a Republican now. It's kind of a lot more common. You encounter it a lot more frequently, and that's a huge change. And so once Trump won the election, we've seen the industry go even further than merely expressing support for him. They're making changes to their policies and their personnel.

impossible to say that you supported Trump or even that you are a Republican now. It's kind of a lot more common. You encounter it a lot more frequently, and that's a huge change. And so once Trump won the election, we've seen the industry go even further than merely expressing support for him. They're making changes to their policies and their personnel.

Yeah, I think you're right. And there is a little bit of, I think, maybe soul searching in Silicon Valley now, thinking about like which party some people belong to. I mean, the frustration with the Biden administration wasn't just limited to people who were Trump curious or who have supported Trump. I mean, a lot of people were.

Yeah, I think you're right. And there is a little bit of, I think, maybe soul searching in Silicon Valley now, thinking about like which party some people belong to. I mean, the frustration with the Biden administration wasn't just limited to people who were Trump curious or who have supported Trump. I mean, a lot of people were.

We're frustrated with the antitrust policies or with some of the crypto stuff that was happening. So, yeah, there is a little bit of an opportunity, I think, for a reset in Silicon Valley. And we're seeing that happen just as some of the loudest and most influential voices in tech who support Trump are really on this victory lap.

We're frustrated with the antitrust policies or with some of the crypto stuff that was happening. So, yeah, there is a little bit of an opportunity, I think, for a reset in Silicon Valley. And we're seeing that happen just as some of the loudest and most influential voices in tech who support Trump are really on this victory lap.

I mean, the tech industry right now is jockeying for a lot of influence in the future Trump administration. With Andreessen specifically, two Andreessen Horowitz partners have already been appointed to join the administration. And lots of tech workers are trying to get involved in DOGE, which is the Department of Government Efficiency. Its goal is to reduce government spending.

I mean, the tech industry right now is jockeying for a lot of influence in the future Trump administration. With Andreessen specifically, two Andreessen Horowitz partners have already been appointed to join the administration. And lots of tech workers are trying to get involved in DOGE, which is the Department of Government Efficiency. Its goal is to reduce government spending.

You see a new post on social media every day of some prominent tech person heading over to Mar-a-Lago to meet and try and get on one of these advisory boards or involved in the transition team. There is a lot of crossover.

You see a new post on social media every day of some prominent tech person heading over to Mar-a-Lago to meet and try and get on one of these advisory boards or involved in the transition team. There is a lot of crossover.

It kind of reminds me of the Obama administration a little bit when you had all these people from Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, kind of a rotating door in and out of that administration. That's now happening in the Trump transition. sees this opportunity and, you know, potentially get to influence what they see as a whole new regulatory regime.

It kind of reminds me of the Obama administration a little bit when you had all these people from Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, kind of a rotating door in and out of that administration. That's now happening in the Trump transition. sees this opportunity and, you know, potentially get to influence what they see as a whole new regulatory regime.

Over the past week, Meta, which is Facebook's parent company, said it is pulling back on fact-checking and policing disinformation on its platforms. The company's also changing its board of directors. They added Dana White, who is the CEO of USC and a big ally of Trump's, to its board. We did a whole episode about him. Yeah.

Over the past week, Meta, which is Facebook's parent company, said it is pulling back on fact-checking and policing disinformation on its platforms. The company's also changing its board of directors. They added Dana White, who is the CEO of USC and a big ally of Trump's, to its board. We did a whole episode about him. Yeah.

Yeah, exactly. The tech industry has amassed so much power and influence over the last 10, 20 years, and they love that power. But, you know, there's a lot of accountability, responsibility that comes along with that. And there's been some trust lost along the way.

Yeah, exactly. The tech industry has amassed so much power and influence over the last 10, 20 years, and they love that power. But, you know, there's a lot of accountability, responsibility that comes along with that. And there's been some trust lost along the way.

So none of this regulatory stuff, none of this criticism has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of people that believe that big tech power stifling innovation. That's why we need antitrust enforcement. There's a strong case to be made that a lot of these emerging technologies like AI and crypto can cause real harms, and that's why they need to be regulated.

So none of this regulatory stuff, none of this criticism has come out of nowhere. There are plenty of people that believe that big tech power stifling innovation. That's why we need antitrust enforcement. There's a strong case to be made that a lot of these emerging technologies like AI and crypto can cause real harms, and that's why they need to be regulated.

But right now, that is not the vibe that is coursing around Silicon Valley. The vibe is that this is a time to put our foot on the gas. One thing that Andreessen said that really struck me, he had a quote that it felt like a boot off the throat for the tech industry the day that Trump was elected. Wow, that's vivid. Yeah.

But right now, that is not the vibe that is coursing around Silicon Valley. The vibe is that this is a time to put our foot on the gas. One thing that Andreessen said that really struck me, he had a quote that it felt like a boot off the throat for the tech industry the day that Trump was elected. Wow, that's vivid. Yeah.

And so that sentiment, while a little dramatic, is kind of shared amongst the Trump supporting techies. You know, just to be clear, like nothing has happened yet. And Trump is unpredictable. So who knows how this is actually going to shake out. But that's the sentiment in this world that for years they supported Democrats and what they got in return was criticism and attacks. That's the view.

And so that sentiment, while a little dramatic, is kind of shared amongst the Trump supporting techies. You know, just to be clear, like nothing has happened yet. And Trump is unpredictable. So who knows how this is actually going to shake out. But that's the sentiment in this world that for years they supported Democrats and what they got in return was criticism and attacks. That's the view.

Yes, exactly. And now they feel like they're going to get what they want, which is a lack of regulation, a lack of criticism, and in their minds, free reign to innovate at will.

Yes, exactly. And now they feel like they're going to get what they want, which is a lack of regulation, a lack of criticism, and in their minds, free reign to innovate at will.

Thanks for having me.

Thanks for having me.

So these are all moves that align with the incoming president and his base of support. And Mark Zuckerberg even came out and said directly that he was doing this in response to what he saw as a cultural tipping point that the election represented.

So these are all moves that align with the incoming president and his base of support. And Mark Zuckerberg even came out and said directly that he was doing this in response to what he saw as a cultural tipping point that the election represented.

It's kind of both, in a way. It's partly a result of big tech becoming such a big and powerful industry. They're maturing. They're growing up. They are just like any other industry that needs to get in good with regulators and push back against regulation that they think will hinder their growth. But at the same time, I think it's also... kind of a cultural sea change for the tech industry.

It's kind of both, in a way. It's partly a result of big tech becoming such a big and powerful industry. They're maturing. They're growing up. They are just like any other industry that needs to get in good with regulators and push back against regulation that they think will hinder their growth. But at the same time, I think it's also... kind of a cultural sea change for the tech industry.

And it's being pushed forward by some of these really loud and influential voices that have just been kind of fed up with the direction that our broader culture, but also specifically tech culture, has been moving for the last 15 years. And the tech leader who maybe embodies this transformation the most is a venture capital investor named Marc Andreessen.

And it's being pushed forward by some of these really loud and influential voices that have just been kind of fed up with the direction that our broader culture, but also specifically tech culture, has been moving for the last 15 years. And the tech leader who maybe embodies this transformation the most is a venture capital investor named Marc Andreessen.

Yeah, so he's really a titan of Silicon Valley. He is the founder of a venture capital firm called Andreessen Horowitz that manages $44 billion. He has invested in some of the most prominent and successful companies startups to come out of Silicon Valley, you know, Pinterest, Slack, Airbnb, Coinbase. He's on the board of Facebook.

Yeah, so he's really a titan of Silicon Valley. He is the founder of a venture capital firm called Andreessen Horowitz that manages $44 billion. He has invested in some of the most prominent and successful companies startups to come out of Silicon Valley, you know, Pinterest, Slack, Airbnb, Coinbase. He's on the board of Facebook.

But more than that, he's kind of just like a VC thought leader who states his opinions very passionately. And the industry really follows and is influenced by what he says. He's also called himself a, quote unquote, normie Democrat for most of his life. He supported all the way going back to Bill Clinton and He supported Gore, Kerry, Obama, Hillary Clinton.

But more than that, he's kind of just like a VC thought leader who states his opinions very passionately. And the industry really follows and is influenced by what he says. He's also called himself a, quote unquote, normie Democrat for most of his life. He supported all the way going back to Bill Clinton and He supported Gore, Kerry, Obama, Hillary Clinton.

And so it was, you know, a little bit of a surprise when in 2024, he came out in support of Trump pretty loudly, donated money to the campaign. And now that Trump's about to take office, he's been kind of a key advisor in the transition. He's been spending a lot of time at Mar-a-Lago. He's been recommending people from the tech industry to work for the new administration.

And so it was, you know, a little bit of a surprise when in 2024, he came out in support of Trump pretty loudly, donated money to the campaign. And now that Trump's about to take office, he's been kind of a key advisor in the transition. He's been spending a lot of time at Mar-a-Lago. He's been recommending people from the tech industry to work for the new administration.

For Andreessen, it starts with this concept that he calls the deal. Mark Andreessen, welcome to Honestly.

For Andreessen, it starts with this concept that he calls the deal. Mark Andreessen, welcome to Honestly.

I'm really happy to have you. And he's talked about this on a number of podcasts, including Barry Weiss's and Joe Rogan's.

I'm really happy to have you. And he's talked about this on a number of podcasts, including Barry Weiss's and Joe Rogan's.

The deal is that you could be a successful business person and you get celebrated for your innovations or your business success. You get celebrated for making lots of money. And then at the end, you give it all away and you are further celebrated for that success.

The deal is that you could be a successful business person and you get celebrated for your innovations or your business success. You get celebrated for making lots of money. And then at the end, you give it all away and you are further celebrated for that success.

You know, the idea sort of is you will thank us.

You know, the idea sort of is you will thank us.

And you will mostly leave us alone and let us innovate.

And you will mostly leave us alone and let us innovate.

This is kind of the philosophy that his whole career has operated by. He found success at a really young age. He was the co-founder of this iconic early internet company called Netscape. He made a lot of money and went on to be a very successful venture capital investor after that. He was thinking like, this is great. I'm doing great things for the world and the world is going to thank me for it.

This is kind of the philosophy that his whole career has operated by. He found success at a really young age. He was the co-founder of this iconic early internet company called Netscape. He made a lot of money and went on to be a very successful venture capital investor after that. He was thinking like, this is great. I'm doing great things for the world and the world is going to thank me for it.

His political views kind of reflected that as well. He was a big fan of Obama. He even wrote an op-ed about his choice to support him. And part of it was that he personally liked Obama. He called him smart, normal, curious, not radical, post-boomer. He was a fan. But, you know, in his view, the deal kind of started to break down toward the end of the Obama years.

His political views kind of reflected that as well. He was a big fan of Obama. He even wrote an op-ed about his choice to support him. And part of it was that he personally liked Obama. He called him smart, normal, curious, not radical, post-boomer. He was a fan. But, you know, in his view, the deal kind of started to break down toward the end of the Obama years.

There's no doubt the sharing economy is disrupting traditional businesses. A little context that's kind of helpful for understanding this, you know, in the middle of the 2010s, tech as an industry was going from this kind of quirky niche thing that was happening to an extremely powerful and bigger than ever part of our lives and our economy.

There's no doubt the sharing economy is disrupting traditional businesses. A little context that's kind of helpful for understanding this, you know, in the middle of the 2010s, tech as an industry was going from this kind of quirky niche thing that was happening to an extremely powerful and bigger than ever part of our lives and our economy.

Amazon is disrupting retail. Let's look at Airbnb for one. Startups are disrupting taxis and hotels. Taxi drivers angry and frustrated that Uber and Lyft drivers are taking their business while escaping the expensive regulations taxis face. There are these major changes happening, and the tech industry is kind of ascendant. But when that happens, you know, it brings a lot of criticism, too.

Amazon is disrupting retail. Let's look at Airbnb for one. Startups are disrupting taxis and hotels. Taxi drivers angry and frustrated that Uber and Lyft drivers are taking their business while escaping the expensive regulations taxis face. There are these major changes happening, and the tech industry is kind of ascendant. But when that happens, you know, it brings a lot of criticism, too.

And the tech industry was not used to being criticized about privacy, about labor practices. They really didn't like it. And so one moment that really encapsulates that for him — is something that happened in 2015 with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, when they announced that they were going to donate most of their net worth to charity.

And the tech industry was not used to being criticized about privacy, about labor practices. They really didn't like it. And so one moment that really encapsulates that for him — is something that happened in 2015 with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, when they announced that they were going to donate most of their net worth to charity.

Thanks for having me.

Thanks for having me.

And in fact, this is, you know, political.

And in fact, this is, you know, political.

But instead of getting the praise and adoration that they expected, they actually got a lot of criticism for the structure that they chose to give the money away in, the way that they were doing it. People were kind of picking it apart.

But instead of getting the praise and adoration that they expected, they actually got a lot of criticism for the structure that they chose to give the money away in, the way that they were doing it. People were kind of picking it apart.

To Andreessen and his telling, this really kind of encapsulated for him the beginning of his shift in perspective on basically everything.

To Andreessen and his telling, this really kind of encapsulated for him the beginning of his shift in perspective on basically everything.

Exactly. He has kind of described this as a little bit of a journey of him asking himself, like, what's happening here? And that was really compounded by the election of Donald Trump in 2016.

Exactly. He has kind of described this as a little bit of a journey of him asking himself, like, what's happening here? And that was really compounded by the election of Donald Trump in 2016.

He talked about how it really took him by surprise and he realized he didn't understand what was happening in the country and he needed to go on his own kind of political awakening and figure out what was driving this.

He talked about how it really took him by surprise and he realized he didn't understand what was happening in the country and he needed to go on his own kind of political awakening and figure out what was driving this.

Well, you know, after the 2016 election, the tech companies came under a lot of scrutiny from both sides. And so kind of while he's doing this inquiry, he's trying to kind of learn about what's actually going on in America. We have these allegations made by U.S. intelligence that Russia had basically hijacked platforms like Facebook and used them to meddle in the U.S. election.

Well, you know, after the 2016 election, the tech companies came under a lot of scrutiny from both sides. And so kind of while he's doing this inquiry, he's trying to kind of learn about what's actually going on in America. We have these allegations made by U.S. intelligence that Russia had basically hijacked platforms like Facebook and used them to meddle in the U.S. election.

So Andreessen has a front row seat to this. He's on Facebook's board.

So Andreessen has a front row seat to this. He's on Facebook's board.

And he felt like it didn't add up and that people were just scapegoating the tech companies.

And he felt like it didn't add up and that people were just scapegoating the tech companies.

Ultimately, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia did interfere by using social media platforms. And Facebook set up an oversight board to start monitoring this stuff.

Ultimately, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia did interfere by using social media platforms. And Facebook set up an oversight board to start monitoring this stuff.

Andreessen is still a little bit concerned about the direction that things are going. He views it as a slippery slope that, you know, tracking things like hate speech, moderating things is a road to censorship. And so he kind of concludes that the oversight is going a little bit too far.

Andreessen is still a little bit concerned about the direction that things are going. He views it as a slippery slope that, you know, tracking things like hate speech, moderating things is a road to censorship. And so he kind of concludes that the oversight is going a little bit too far.

And then Joe Biden gets elected, which in his mind accelerates all the problems that he saw already unfolding in the tech industry. How so? Well, especially during the pandemic, the Biden administration put a lot of pressure on Facebook to suppress things like the lab leak theory of how COVID started.

And then Joe Biden gets elected, which in his mind accelerates all the problems that he saw already unfolding in the tech industry. How so? Well, especially during the pandemic, the Biden administration put a lot of pressure on Facebook to suppress things like the lab leak theory of how COVID started.

At one point, Biden accused the social media platforms of killing people by allowing disinformation on the vaccines to flourish.

At one point, Biden accused the social media platforms of killing people by allowing disinformation on the vaccines to flourish.

Yeah. And just to add a little bit of context, Democrats have historically had a very tight relationship with the tech industry, and Joe Biden did not. And, you know, among the first things that Biden does is he appoints two people that the tech industry really does not like to key regulatory roles. That's Lena Kahn as the head of FTC, Gary Gensler at the SEC, and

Yeah. And just to add a little bit of context, Democrats have historically had a very tight relationship with the tech industry, and Joe Biden did not. And, you know, among the first things that Biden does is he appoints two people that the tech industry really does not like to key regulatory roles. That's Lena Kahn as the head of FTC, Gary Gensler at the SEC, and

You know, they're going after big tech for antitrust. That hurts mergers and acquisitions and the ability of some of Andreessen's portfolio companies to get bought. Gary Gensler is going after the crypto industry, and that hurts a lot of the companies that Andreessen Horowitz has invested in. They're one of the biggest crypto investors.

You know, they're going after big tech for antitrust. That hurts mergers and acquisitions and the ability of some of Andreessen's portfolio companies to get bought. Gary Gensler is going after the crypto industry, and that hurts a lot of the companies that Andreessen Horowitz has invested in. They're one of the biggest crypto investors.

And so the Biden administration really takes this kind of antagonistic view toward tech. And a lot of people in the tech industry bristled at that.

And so the Biden administration really takes this kind of antagonistic view toward tech. And a lot of people in the tech industry bristled at that.

Absolutely. And it's true that Silicon Valley has historically been very liberal. And there were plenty of very well-known investors and founders who backed President Biden's campaign and then Vice President Harris. But the thing that was different this time around was that some of the most prominent and influential people in the tech industry came out in support of Donald Trump.

Absolutely. And it's true that Silicon Valley has historically been very liberal. And there were plenty of very well-known investors and founders who backed President Biden's campaign and then Vice President Harris. But the thing that was different this time around was that some of the most prominent and influential people in the tech industry came out in support of Donald Trump.

Absolutely. And this all sort of culminates in this meeting that happened last May. Andreessen and a lot of other tech people met with Biden's people to talk about AI. And he basically comes away with the view that the Democrats are not just trying to control speech, but they're trying to control Silicon Valley. They're trying to control technology.

Absolutely. And this all sort of culminates in this meeting that happened last May. Andreessen and a lot of other tech people met with Biden's people to talk about AI. And he basically comes away with the view that the Democrats are not just trying to control speech, but they're trying to control Silicon Valley. They're trying to control technology.

According to Andreessen, Biden's people basically came in and took a very antagonistic view of AI and how to regulate it.

According to Andreessen, Biden's people basically came in and took a very antagonistic view of AI and how to regulate it.

They essentially said AI is going to be controlled by the government. Don't fund AI startups. This is his characterization. Other people who were there, including Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, disputes that characterization, says maybe it's a little exaggerated.

They essentially said AI is going to be controlled by the government. Don't fund AI startups. This is his characterization. Other people who were there, including Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, disputes that characterization, says maybe it's a little exaggerated.