Mar 27, 2026

What Tesla and SpaceX Teach Founders About Building Hardware | a16z

Ex-Tesla and SpaceX engineers Chandler Luzsicza and Turner Caldwell share the practical lessons they learned about building complex hardware and how they apply them at their own startups. They cover core principles like decision velocity, strategic vertical integration, managing the critical path without creating new bottlenecks, and using aggressive milestones as a forcing function to reveal true priorities. The discussion also delves into the value of a 'factory mindset,' the importance of a rigorous hiring process, and advice for young engineers.

Mar 27, 2026

State of the Art of Container Security • Adrian Mouat & Charles Humble

Adrian Mouat of Chainguard delves into container security, highlighting the flaws of traditional Linux distributions in modern, immutable environments. He explains Chainguard's approach of using 'distroless' images built from source with their Wolfi OS to achieve near-zero CVEs. The discussion covers the importance of replacing rather than updating containers, the roles of SBOMs and attestations, and key lessons from major supply chain attacks like the XZ Utils backdoor.

Mar 23, 2026

Why Every Satellite Needs Earth | Northwood CEO on a16z

Bridgit Mendler, CEO of Northwood, details the critical bottleneck in the space economy: ground infrastructure. She explains how Northwood's vertically integrated approach is reducing deployment times from years to months, aiming to create a foundational data layer for space, much like cloud computing did for the internet.

Mar 23, 2026

Kubernetes at the Edge • Charles Humble & Hannah Foxwell • GOTO 2026

Charles Humble discusses his e-book "Kubernetes at the Edge," exploring the definition of edge computing, its practical applications in industries like agriculture and healthcare, vendor selection strategies, and the critical importance of Day-2 operations. The conversation also delves into how edge computing promotes sustainability and concludes with a thoughtful examination of the tech industry's ethical responsibilities in the age of generative AI.

Mar 20, 2026

Learn C++ by Example • Frances Buontempo & Matt Godbolt

Frances Buontempo discusses her book "Learn C++ by Example," explaining her teaching philosophy which uses self-contained, playable examples to make modern C++ features like coroutines, the spaceship operator, and structured bindings accessible to programmers returning to the language.

Mar 18, 2026

Inside the New Media Team with Marc Andreessen & Ben Horowitz

Erik Torenberg, Ben Horowitz, and Marc Andreessen of a16z dissect the paradigm shift from old to new media. They explore why an offensive strategy of 'flooding the zone' has replaced defensive PR, how authentic individuals have eclipsed sterile corporate brands, the strategic importance of speed and the OODA loop, and the nuanced interplay between oral and written cultures on the internet.