Aug 28, 2026

Why Top Founders Are Racing Into AI Infrastructure

a16z's new Machine Age Fund addresses the unprecedented demand for AI infrastructure, shifting the bottleneck from models to the foundational hardware. The discussion highlights surging Hyperscaler CapEx, component supply crunch extending to 2028, and the exponential compute needs driven by reasoning and agents. It explores how AI turns engineering problems into capital/compute challenges, identifying opportunities for new infrastructure companies in chips, power, and data center redesign, and the emergence of experienced "systems founders" to rebuild the computing stack for this new era.

Aug 25, 2026

The Evolution of Computers

This conversation explores how AI's mathematical progress challenges traditional computing assumptions. It examines the shift from engineering-bound problems to capital-bound problems, impacting startups, incumbents, and venture capital, and considers the unpredictable potential of massively funded AI models.

Aug 15, 2026

How Nuclear Will Unlock Energy Abundance with Valar Atomics Founder Isaiah Taylor

Valar Atomics, led by Isaiah Taylor, is redefining nuclear energy by building and iterating advanced reactors, including powering an NVIDIA Blackwell chip directly with a live nuclear reactor for a website. This episode delves into Valar's hardware-first approach, their navigation of regulatory pathways, and their vision for how cheap, abundant nuclear power, especially with AI-driven demand, will lead to 'hyper-technoindustrialism' and vastly improve human quality of life.

Aug 08, 2026

CAN CHINA BEAT WAYMO?

This episode discusses three critical topics in AI: the true nature of recent AI agent "breakouts," arguing they highlight governance and security flaws rather than model danger; the role of AGI narratives in fueling the current AI investment bubble and questioning its sustainability; and China's aggressive strategy in the global robotaxi market, potentially outpacing Western counterparts like Waymo.

Aug 06, 2026

Chasing Trillion-Dollar Companies, Founder Ambition, Token Budgets, & Regulatory Capture

Elad and Sarah discuss the rapid rise of AI's multi-trillion-dollar companies, debating whether this growth is sustainable or an anomaly. They explore how founder ambition is shaped by fear of AI labs, optimal strategies for startup exits, and the psychological impact of impending AGI on researchers. Key bottlenecks like compute power, the emergence of an oligopoly, and the growing threat of regulatory capture—exemplified by California's tax policies—are also analyzed, highlighting the critical societal trade-off between safety and technological progress.

Jul 28, 2026

Sam Altman: "Never a Better Time to Do a Startup"

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, reflects on the evolution of startups from YC's first batch to the current AI-driven era. He discusses the unprecedented opportunities for ambitious founders, the critical role of startups in distributing AI's power, the importance of conviction against conventional wisdom, and the rapid advancements in AI models, while also addressing safety concerns and envisioning an optimistic future for human agency.