Dec 19, 2025

The History of The Fintech Industry, Explained

a16z's David Haber and Plaid CEO Zach Perret chart the dramatic seasons of fintech, from the explosive VC-fueled boom of 2020-2021 to the deep freeze of 2022 and its current resurgence. They explore the transformative forces reshaping the industry today, including AI's dual role as both a primary tool for sophisticated fraud and the ultimate defense against it. The conversation also covers the rise of embedded finance, the renewed importance of deposits, and how incumbents are finally embracing external software, with Plaid's own journey serving as a microcosm of the industry's evolution.

Dec 16, 2025

Fundamentals of Data Engineering • Matt Housley & Joe Reis

Joe Reis and Matt Housley, authors of "Fundamentals of Data Engineering," discuss how AI has transformed data engineering practices since their book's release. They emphasize the enduring importance of foundational knowledge, the challenges AI poses for junior engineers, and the critical balance between leveraging AI assistance and maintaining core expertise in an increasingly complex field.

Dec 13, 2025

The Mathematical Foundations of Intelligence [Professor Yi Ma]

Professor Yi Ma presents a unified mathematical theory of intelligence based on two principles: Parsimony and Self-Consistency. He argues that current AI, particularly LLMs, excels at memorization by compressing already-compressed human knowledge (text), but fails at true abstraction and understanding. His framework, centered on maximizing the coding rate reduction of data, provides a first-principles derivation for architectures like Transformers (CRATE) and explains phenomena like the effectiveness of gradient descent through the concept of benign non-convex landscapes.

Nov 12, 2025

Rocket Companies CEO: Here’s How to Fix the Housing Crisis

Alex Rampell (a16z) and Varun Krishna (Rocket CEO) discuss the housing affordability crisis, driven by asset inflation and supply constraints. They explore how Rocket Mortgage is evolving into a homeownership company by vertically integrating the entire housing funnel through strategic acquisitions like Redfin, aiming to turn a once-in-a-lifetime transaction into an everyday relationship.

Oct 31, 2025

Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz on the State of AI

A discussion with Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz on the true nature of AI creativity, the limitations of intelligence in leadership, why the current AI boom is not a bubble, and the coming platform shifts and geopolitical race in robotics.

Oct 29, 2025

Connection is Everything • Ken Hughes • GOTO 2025

In an increasingly digital world, genuine human connection is paramount. This presentation explores the shift in consumer values across seven generations, urging developers to move beyond transactional software and focus on four key pillars: making the user the center of their world (the 'Blue Dot' consumer), exceeding their ever-rising expectations, embracing the 'phygital' reality shaped by AI, and building deep, relational connections, exemplified by Taylor Swift's fan engagement.