a16z Deep Dives

Why Physical AI Is the Next Big Opportunity | Deep Dives with a16z

Apr 23, 2026

Erin Price-Wright speaks with Alex Modon, cofounder and CEO at Unlimited Industries, and Davide Asnaghi, CEO at Diode Computers, about how AI is moving from software into the physical world. They discuss automating construction and electronics design, using code and simulation to model real-world systems, and how incentives and manufacturing constraints shape adoption. They also examine what it takes to scale infrastructure, reduce build times, and unlock more abundant industrial capacity in the United States. Timestamps: 00:00 - Trailer 00:51 - Introductions & What is Physical World AI 02:00 - Automating Construction End to End 04:36 - Automating Circuit Board Design & Manufacturing 10:16 - Changing Entrenched Industries & Vertical Integration 19:21 - Getting AI to Understand Real World Physics 29:28 - Do We Need a Breakthrough to Close the Last Gap? 34:24 - Humanoids, Robotics & the Future of Physical Automation 44:54 - Second Order Effects & Why This Work Matters Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Resources: Follow Alex on X: https://x.com/alexmodon Follow Davide on X: https://x.com/davideasnaghi Follow Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: [https://x.com/a16z](https://x.com/a16z) Find a16z on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z](https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z) Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: [https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX](https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX) Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711) Follow our host: [https://x.com/eriktorenberg](https://x.com/eriktorenberg) Please 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](http://a16z.com/disclosures).

Outsmarting Uber: Why Bolt Wins in Europe | Deep Dives with a16z

Apr 22, 2026

What does it take to build a global mobility company from a country of just 1.3 million people? Markus Villig, founder and CEO of Bolt, joins the show to share how he scaled from Estonia to 50+ countries, navigating early scrappy days, a near-bankruptcy from expanding too fast, and the hard-won lessons behind Bolt’s capital-efficient growth. They also discuss building in Europe vs. the U.S., competing against much better-funded rivals, and why culture and ambition matter more than regulation. Finally, Markus lays out what’s next: autonomy, robotaxis, and why the future of mobility will be a hybrid of human drivers and self-driving fleets. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Introduction & The Bolt Story 03:23 - Early Days: Taxi Companies & the Pivot to Drivers 08:55 - Surviving COVID & Tripling Market Share 15:00 - Why Estonia Punches Above Its Weight 18:24 - Competing Against Uber on 12x Less Capital 22:57 - Bolt's Autonomous Driving Vision 34:48 - How AI is Transforming Bolt & What's Next Resources: Find Markus on X: https://x.com/villigm Find Gabriel on X: https://x.com/GEVS94 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

The Next Wave of AI Companies in Latin America | Tako Founder on The a16z Show

Apr 15, 2026

Sebastian Mejia cofounded Rappi and scaled it into nine countries before stepping away to start Tako, an AI company taking on Brazil's labor and tax complexity. Angela Strange and Gabriel Vasquez speak with him about building durable companies in hostile markets, and what it will take for Latin America to produce global AI winners. Timestamps: 00:00 — Intro 01:24 — Growing Up in Colombia 5:50 — From Europe to New York 10:02 — Building Rappi 17:49 — Starting Tako 22:53 — Recruiting World-Class Talent 36:37 — The AI Opportunity in Latin America 56:28 — Advice for Future Founders Resources: Follow Sebastián Mejía on X: https://twitter.com/mejiasebas Follow Angela Strange on X: https://x.com/astrange Follow Gabriel Vasquez on X: https://x.com/GEVS94 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Rebuilding Git for AI Agents and The Future of Developer Tools | Deep Dives with a16z

Apr 8, 2026

Matt Bornstein speaks with Scott Chacon, cofounder of GitHub and CEO of GitButler, about why Git's user interface has barely changed since 2005, how GitButler is rethinking version control for both humans and AI agents, and what the "next GitHub" might actually look like. They cover parallel branches, agent-optimized CLI design, the future of code review, and why the best engineers of the future will be the best writers. Timestamps: 0:00—Intro 1:11—Why Scott came back to version control after GitHub 6:18—How Git was actually built 11:32—Designing GitButler's CLI for agents 18:05—Parallel branches: how GitButler handles multi-agent workflows 23:33—What happens to GitHub in an agentic world 27:00—Code review needs a rethink: PRs, commit messages, and what comes next 32:19—Writing and communication as the new developer superpower Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Resources: Follow Scott Chacon on X: https://twitter.com/chacon Follow Matt Bornstein on X: https://twitter.com/BornsteinMatt Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Inside The Industry That Powers Every Business In America | Deep Dives with a16z

Apr 1, 2026

Joe Schmidt speaks with Peter Doyle, CEO of Treeline, about why the $100B managed service provider market is a decade behind modern technology and how Treeline is building a new model that combines human technicians with AI and automation. They discuss the company's growth strategy, why pure play software struggles in services categories, and what the forward deployed engineer trend tells us about AI adoption. Timestamps: 0:00—Introduction 3:29—Why SaaS Alone Fails Here 7:30—Owning Workflows and Change Management 11:00—Why Peter Started Treeline 15:28—Customer Impact: Proactive IT in Practice 19:41—The Biggest Hindrance to AI Progress 24:16—Traditional MSPs in 10 to 15 Years 31:17—The SaaS Is Dead Debate Resources: Follow Peter Doyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwdoyle/ Follow Joe Schmidt on X: https://twitter.com/joeschmidtiv Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

AI, Data Centers, and the Infrastructure Needed to Power Them | a16z

Mar 31, 2026

a16z general partners Erin Price-Wright and Erik Torenberg speak with Doug Bernauer, founder and CEO of Radiant, and Drew Baglino, founder and CEO of Heron, about rebuilding American energy infrastructure. They discuss portable micro nuclear reactors, solid state power electronics, why delivery rather than generation is the real bottleneck, the case for modular manufacturing, and whether data centers are actually good for the grid. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 03:42 — Why Radiant Exists 06:01 — Why Heron Exists 08:48 — Demand Surge Explained 14:30 — Nuclear Progress and Hurdles 18:43 — Heron Link Explained 29:01 — Nuclear as a Product 34:57 — Where Microreactors Fit 44:07 — Data Centers and the Grid Resources: Follow Doug Bernauer on X: https://twitter.com/DougBernauer Follow Drew Baglino on X: https://twitter.com/baglino Follow Erin Price-Wright on X: https://twitter.com/espricewright Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Privacy, Resilience, and Reinventing the Cellular Network | Cape CEO on a16z

Mar 26, 2026

David Ulevitch speaks with Justin Fanelli, CTO of the Navy, and John Doyle, founder and CEO at Cape, about how the Navy is transforming its approach to technology adoption, from running bootcamps for program managers to piloting commercial solutions in months instead of years. They discuss the Salt Typhoon breach that exposed China's infiltration of American cellular networks, how Cape built a secure alternative, and what defense tech founders need to understand about selling to the government. Timestamps: 0:00—Introduction 7:27—Cape: Privacy, Security, Resilience 11:48—Fixing Software Acquisition 16:51—Defining Success Metrics From the Start 21:36—Scaling Pilots Across the Navy 28:33—Navy Opportunity Areas 36:45—Salt Typhoon Explained 43:03—Be a Bridge Resources: Follow Justin Fanelli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinfanelli/ Follow John Doyle on X: https://twitter.com/JohnDoyleCape Follow David Ulevitch on X: https://twitter.com/davidu Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Submarines and the Future of Defense Manufacturing | Hadrian CEO on a16z

Mar 25, 2026

David Ulevitch speaks with Chris Power, founder and CEO at Hadrian, and Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, the Pentagon's first direct reporting portfolio manager for submarines, at the opening of Hadrian's Factory Four in Cherokee, Alabama. They discuss the state of America's submarine industrial base, why the Navy now needs more than five times the manufacturing capacity it had a decade ago, and how software-driven factories and a new workforce can close the gap. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 04:58 — Workforce And Software Fix 08:41 — Restarting The Industrial Base 11:35 — Submarines In Drone Era 15:50 — Supply Chain Bottlenecks 19:54 — Drones Versus Big Subs 21:28 — Repeatable Factory Model Resources: Follow Chris Power on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/powerc/ Follow VADM Robert Gaucher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertgaucher/ Follow David Ulevitch on X: https://x.com/davidu Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Why Modern War Needs Intelligent Power Systems | Chariot Defense CEO on a16z

Mar 24, 2026

Erin Price-Wright speaks with Adam Warmoth, founder and CEO of Chariot Defense, and Alex Miller, CTO of the U.S. Army, about the power crisis at the heart of modern military operations. As the battlefield becomes more distributed and electronics-heavy, the Army's legacy power infrastructure, built around diesel generators and lead-acid batteries, is struggling to keep up. They examine how commercial breakthroughs in EV and aviation technology are being adapted for the front line, why fuel convoys are a military liability, and how procurement reform is letting startups get hardware into soldiers' hands faster than ever. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 01:44 — Chariot Mission Explained 04:33 — Distributed Warfare Reality 06:58 — Soldier Level Power Math 11:37 — Signatures and Fuel Risks 13:55 — M424 Hybrid Power System 19:37 — Commercial Tech to Battlefield 23:13 — Outcome Focused Acquisition 39:15 — Onshoring Battery Supply Resources: Follow Adam Warmoth on X: https://x.com/AdamWarmoth Follow Alex Miller on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-m-0983a5201/ Follow Erin Price-Wright on X: https://x.com/espricewright Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Are Tariffs Fueling the AI Race? | Deep Dives with a16z

Mar 18, 2026

Erik Torenberg sits down with Jacob Helberg to discuss AI, manufacturing, supply chains, and the new geopolitics of technology. Drawing on themes from Helberg’s book The Wires of War, they explore why hardware, industrial capacity, and secure supply chains have become central to both economic strength and national security. They also unpack what it means to “win the AI race” — from model leadership and global adoption to energy, compute, tariffs, and reindustrialization in the U.S. Timestamps: 00:00—Introduction 00:39—Wires of War Thesis 04:31—Plan to Win AI 11:56—Tariffs and Reindustrialization 17:33—Europe Defense Reality Check 22:06—Middle East Sovereign AI 25:03—Compute as New Oil 31:11—Mineral Bottlenecks Ahead ( Resources: Find Jacob Helberg on X: https://x.com/jacobhelberg Find Erik Torenberg on X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

AI Copilots Are a Dead End. Here's What Actually Works | Kavak CEO

Mar 5, 2026

a16z's Angela Strange and Gabriel Vasquez speak with Carlos García Ottati, founder and CEO of Kavak, about building Latin America's largest online used car marketplace across Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and the Middle East. They discuss why building in emerging markets means constructing four businesses underneath your business, how Kavak replaced copilot tools with AI agents handling 90 to 95% of customer interactions, and what it took to go flat for a year during the transition before growing four times on the other side. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 00:34 – Kavak's scale: 10,000 cars a month, 3,500 people, all of Latin America 04:58 – How his parents stayed optimistic through every move — including a car that only went in reverse 13:05 – How getting defrauded selling a car became the idea for Kavak 22:46 – Why they stayed in Mexico City for four years before expanding anywhere 35:31 – Humans with blood vs. agents with electricity: how Kavak decided who does what 40:53 – The year everything got worse before it got better 59:38 – Treat problems like a protein bar — pressure is earned 01:00:38 – Why Carlos fires himself every year (and keeps hiring himself back) Resources: Follow Carlos García Ottati on X: https://twitter.com/carlosjgarciao Angela Strange on X: https://twitter.com/astrange Gabriel Vasquez on X: https://twitter.com/GEVS94 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Temporal CEO on AI Agents & The Future of Software | Deep Dives with a16z

Feb 19, 2026

Sarah Wang, general partner at a16z, and Raghu Raghuram, managing partner at a16z, speak with Samar Abbas, CEO of Temporal, about how durable execution became the infrastructure layer behind the world's most used AI agents. They cover why long-running agents need state management and recoverability, how Temporal powers OpenAI's Codex and Snap's story processing, and why the shift from interactive to background agents is creating distributed systems problems at a scale that didn't exist two years ago. 00:00 Introduction 04:03 Temporal’s Origin Story 11:14 Why Agents Raise the Stakes 16:00 Specialized Agents Need Durable RPC 25:20 Deep Research Agents 30:58 Execution Histories as a Superpower 39:04 Minimal Viable Long-Running Agent Architecture 45:07 Context Engineering at Scale 52:40 Where Value Accrues: The “Five-Layer Cake” and Breakout AI Applications Read the full transcript here: https://www.a16z.news/s/podcast Follow Sarah Wang, general partner at a16z Raghu Raghuram, managing partner at a16z Samar Abbas, cofounder & CEO at Temporal Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Braintrust CEO on Where Engineering Actually Matters in AI

Feb 17, 2026

Martin Casado speaks with Ankur Goyal, founder and CEO of Braintrust, about where engineering actually matters in AI and where it doesn't. They cover the open source vs closed source model cycle, why Chinese models are gaining ground faster than spending suggests, whether AI demand will eventually saturate, and the Bash vs SQL benchmark that challenges the "just give it a computer" approach to agents. 00:00 – Introduction 03:10 — What 'Evals' Actually Mean (Hypotheses and the Scientific Method) 07:34 — AI Is Continuous, Systems Are Discrete 08:29 — The Bitter Lesson: Universal Function Approximators vs. Engineering 11:58 — Engineering the Harness, Not the Model 17:47 — Chinese Models: High Token Usage, Low Dollar Share 20:37 — Why Open Source Models Aren't Dominating Yet 27:08 — Frontier Labs, Infinite Capital, and Scaling Limits 30:38 — Demand-Side Saturation: Enterprises Can't Absorb Better Models 38:47 — Bash vs. SQL for Agents: "The Results Are Comical" Follow Martin Casado on X: https://twitter.com/martin_casado Follow Ankur Goyal on X: https://twitter.com/ankrgyl Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

How Palantir Scaled: Why the Best Software Is Built Backwards

Jan 29, 2026

Palantir is known for building technology used in defense, energy, and other high-stakes operational environments where software has to work in the real world, not just on a roadmap. In this episode, a16z partner Erin Price-Wright sits down with Akshay Krishnaswamy, Chief Architect at Palantir, to explain the company’s Forward Deployed Engineer model. They discuss what forward-deployed engineering actually is, how it differs from services or solutions roles, and why it has become central to building software for complex, mission-critical problems. The conversation also explores the tradeoffs of the model, including how to avoid turning into a consultancy, how it shapes product development and hiring, and when this approach makes sense for founders building infrastructure and enterprise companies. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction 02:17 — Defining Forward Deployed Engineering 04:49 — Differences Between FDE and Other Roles 06:09 — Building and Managing Teams 09:55 — Challenges and Evolution of FDE 15:27 — Maintaining Product Focus and Customer Relationships Resources: Follow Akshay on X: https://twitter.com/hyperindexed Follow Erin on X: https://twitter.com/espricewright Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Please 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Mintlify and the Transition From Human Docs to Agent Infrastructure

Jan 23, 2026

Mintlify is a documentation platform built by cofounders Han Wang and Hahnbee Lee to help teams create and maintain developer docs. In this episode, Andreessen Horowitz general partners Jennifer Li and Yoko Li speak with Han and Hahnbee about how coding agents are changing what “good docs” mean, shifting documentation from a human-only resource into infrastructure that powers AI tools, support agents, and internal knowledge workflows. They share Mintlify’s early journey, including eight pivots, the two-day prototype that landed their first customer, and the “do things that don’t scale” sales motion that helped them win early traction. The conversation also covers why docs go out of date, what “self-healing” documentation requires to actually work, and how serving fast-moving customers has shaped both their product priorities and their pace. 00:00 — Introduction 06:59 — Building the First Version and Recognizing Product-Market Fit 14:24 — AI's Impact on Documentation and Product Evolution 22:42 — Product Development Philosophy and the Messy Middle 24:17 — AI as a Tool and the Importance of Context for Agents 25:53 — Why Documentation Has Historically Been Out of Date 36:46 — Serving Large Customers Follow Jennifer Li on X: https://twitter.com/JenniferHli Follow Yoko Li on X: https://twitter.com/stuffyokodraws Follow Han Wang on X: https://twitter.com/handotdev Follow Hahnbee Lee on X: https://twitter.com/hahnbeelee Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: [https://x.com/a16z](https://x.com/a16z) Find a16z on LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z](https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z) Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: [https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX](https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX) Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711) Follow our host: [https://x.com/eriktorenberg](https://x.com/eriktorenberg) Please 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](http://a16z.com/disclosures).