Katherine Boyle on Shawn Ryan

Venture capital has powered companies like Facebook and TikTok—but what if that same urgency fueled America’s defense and industrial base? Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and cofounder of the firm’s American Dynamism practice, argues this is the biggest business opportunity of our time. In this conversation from The Shawn Ryan Show, Boyle discusses the rise of defense tech startups, why optimism drives her work, and how a new generation of engineers and founders is rethinking innovation and patriotism in America.   Timecodes:  0:00 Introduction  0:41 Patriotism, Optimism, and American Innovation 4:27 Startups vs. Legacy Primes in Defense 10:08 Venture Capital’s Unique Incentives 17:21 Katherine’s Backstory: Family & Upbringing 21:07 The Decline of Community & Family Pillars 23:23 Polarization, Religion, and Social Fabric 26:16 America’s Birth Rate Crisis 29:46 Cultural Shifts and the Family Structure 42:01 Katherine’s Path: Journalism to Venture Capital 1:06:06 Breaking into Silicon Valley 1:18:06 Investing in Defense: The Anduril Story 1:37:37 The American Dynamism Movement 2:04:27 Manufacturing, Space, and the Future of Defense 2:14:06 Espionage, China, and National Security 2:37:38 The Attack on the American Family 2:48:29 Cultural Change, Suffering, and Purpose 2:55:30 Closing Thoughts   Resources:  Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Shawn Ryan Show Links  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=7abec4d61c324b24   Stay Updated:  Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ 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 a16z.com/disclosures.