Marc Andreessen: Why Perfect Products Become Obsolete

In this episode, Marc Andreessen joins TBPN for an unfiltered conversation spanning everything from ads in LLMs to why Apple’s AI strategy may be risky for anyone not named Apple. Marc breaks down the current state of AI: why open source is resurging, how foundational research is (or isn’t) turning into product, and whether we’ve hit the moment when phones start to fade as dominant platforms. He also shares his candid thoughts on Meta’s wearable wins, Vision Pro’s imperfections, and how humor and deep research are his two favorite use cases for AI today. Timecodes: 0:00 Intro   2:41  The Pace of AI and Technology Cycles   4:03  Research vs. Productization in AI Companies   5:15  Apple’s Strategy: Last Mover Advantage   7:09  The Future Beyond Smartphones   10:23  Open Source AI: Progress and Challenges   13:49  Ads in AI: Business Models and User Experience   15:52  Legal Frameworks for AI and Data   17:53  Lightning Round: How Mark Uses AI   19:01  Breaking into Venture Capital in 2025   20:34  M&A, Survivorship Bias, and Company Resilience   Resources Watch TBPN: https://www.tbpn.com/ Marc on X:   https://x.com/pmarca Marc’s Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ Stay Updated: Find a16z on X Find a16z on LinkedIn Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.