This week, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz had a rare and invaluable conversation with Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a pivotal figure in American history.

Dr. Jones, who served as speechwriter, attorney, and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., shared his personal insights on race, inclusion, and the lasting legacy of the civil rights movement in 2025.

In their wide-ranging discussion, Dr. Jones reflected on the timeless wisdom of Dr. King, quoting one of the most enduring lines from the "I Have a Dream" speech: “I want my four children to be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.”

“That, to me, is still, that’s the template,” Dr. Jones said. “That still remains a template.”

Their conversation covered critical themes in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, delving into the history of the movement, the lessons from "Letter from Birmingham Jail," and the profound impact Dr. King’s work continues to have today.

It was a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who not only witnessed history but played a key role in shaping it, and we hope you enjoy it.

About Dr. Clarence B. Jones:

Dr. Clarence B. Jones served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and draft speechwriter to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1960 until Dr. King’s assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968. During that time, Dr. King depended on Dr. Jones for legal and strategic counsel and assistance in drafting landmark speeches and public testimony. He is credited with writing the first seven paragraphs of the iconic I Have A Dream speech.

Across the decades following Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, Clarence B. Jones worked to carry on Dr. King’s legacy, to continue the nonviolent struggle for social justice, voting rights, and democratic inclusion. He is the founder of the Dr. Clarence B. Jones Institute for Social Advocacy, and also serves as the Founding Director Emeritus of the Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Jones is also the author of three acclaimed books "What Would Martin Say?", "Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation" and "Last of the Lions".

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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.

How is AI reshaping modern warfare?

Speaking with a16z Growth General Partner David George, Anduril cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf discusses how AI helps humans make better strategic decisions by sorting through the enormous amount of data collected from modern battlefields. Schimpf also discusses navigating the US government’s complex procurement processes, using commercial technologies to kickstart their own product development, and the growing opportunities for startups in defense. Throughout, Brian offers a deep dive into the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and the future of defense.

This episode is part of our AI Revolution series, where we explore how industry leaders are leveraging generative AI to steer innovation and navigate the next major platform shift. Discover more insights and content from the AI Revolution series at a16z.com/AIRevolution.

Resources:

Find Brian on X: https://x.com/schimpfbrian

Find David on X: https://x.com/davidgeorge83

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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.

Intelligent automation is transforming industries by tackling messy, unstructured workflows that traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA) couldn’t handle. In this episode, a16z partner Kimberly Tan discusses the shift from rigid RPA systems to AI-powered agents and why this evolution unlocks massive opportunities in legacy markets.

Drawing on her article "RIP to RPA: The Rise of Intelligent Automation," Kimberly shares real-world examples of companies revolutionizing referral management, and highlights how startups can build impactful solutions in this space.

Resources:

Find Kimberly on X: https://x.com/kimberlywtan

Read Kimberly’s article: https://a16z.com/rip-to-rpa-the-rise-of-intelligent-automation/

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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.

Healthcare is a $4 trillion industry, making up nearly a fifth of the U.S. economy—but despite having some of the best doctors and advanced technology, the system often delivers poor outcomes at skyrocketing costs. Why is this the case, and what will it take to fix it?

In this episode, a16z cofounder Marc Andreessen and General Partners Vijay Pande and Julie Yoo tackle some of the biggest questions shaping the future of healthcare:

• Is the solution to our healthcare crisis a policy, technology, or competition problem?
• Will AI and technology transform the industry, or are regulatory and structural barriers too entrenched?
• Who will crack the code—healthcare incumbents, tech giants, or AI-native startups?

From chronic care to cost curves, from disruptive technologies to shifting patient agency, this conversation offers an unfiltered look at what’s broken in the healthcare system and how it might finally change.

Resources:

Find Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarca

Find Vijay on X: https://x.com/vijaypande

Find Julie on X: https://x.com/julesyoo

The Biggest Company in the World

Why Will Healthcare be the Industry that Benefits Most from AI?

Grand Challenges in Healthcare AI with Vijay Pande and Julie Yoo

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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.

In this episode, Substack cofounder and CEO Chris Best joins a16z General Partner Andrew Chen to discuss the origins and evolution of Substack, a platform redefining media and empowering creators to connect directly with their audiences. They dive into how Substack’s early days led to over 3 million paid subscribers, why creators are moving away from traditional platforms to establish direct connections with their audiences, and how the future of media in the AI era is reshaping opportunities for writers, podcasters, and video creators.

From Chris’s lessons scaling Kik Messaging to Substack’s profound impact on the creator economy, this conversation shares insights on building platforms, culture, and opportunity in the modern era.

Resources:

Find Chris on Substack: https://cb.substack.com/

Find Andrew Chen on Substack: https://andrewchen.substack.com/

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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.

with @sambroner @meigga @darenmatsuoka @jneu_net @chrislyons and @rhhackett @smc90

Welcome to our special end-of-year episodes -- which also look ahead to 2025 -- covering our annual Big Ideas lists, where various a16z crypto team members share what they are personally excited about. (You can see the firmwide list, also including all the trends of the crypto team, here.)

This episode is part 1 of 2 -- but you don't have to listen to them in any particular order -- covering the trends and themes of:

• stablecoins, payments, and where the early adopters will come from;
• app store distribution, curation, and discovery;
• where the next crypto users will come from, turning passive holders into active users;
• how builders improve, and better choose, infrastructure; and
• simplifying user experience.

Covering each of these -- and coming from the investing, go-to-market, data science, research, and media teams are: Sam Broner, Maggie Hsu, Daren Matsuoka, Joachim Neu, and Chris Lyons; in conversation with hosts Sonal Chokshi and Robert Hackett. (Stay tuned until the end for some of our meta-commentary.)

These are just 5 of the 14 trends we shared; you can check out the full list at a16zcrypto.com/bigideas.

Also be sure to check out part 2, which covers all the trends at the intersection of crypto and AI.

As a reminder, none of the content is investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information -- including a link to a list of our investments.

As we prepare to step into 2025, the possibilities for applied AI are reshaping industries in profound ways.

In this episode, a16z General Partners Julie Yoo and Angela Strange, and Partner Joe Schmidt, dive into the transformative power of AI across healthcare, fintech, and traditional service sectors.

We explore:

• Super Staffing for Healthcare: How AI can address critical clinical labor shortages and augment care delivery at scale.
• Regulation Becomes Code: The potential for AI to simplify and streamline compliance, making systems safer and more efficient.
• Romanticizing Inorganic Growth: The opportunity for AI-powered startups to redefine service industries through workflow automation and strategic acquisition.

With insights from a16z’s Bio + Health, Fintech, and Apps teams, this episode unpacks the ideas that will revolutionize traditional systems and unlock opportunities in 2025.

Check out the full 50 Big Ideas for 2025 at a16z.com/bigideas.

Resources:

Find Angela on X: https://x.com/astrange

Find Julie on X: https://x.com/julesyoo

Find Joe on X: https://x.com/joeschmidtiv

Link to article 'The Messy Inbox Problem: Wedge Strategies in AI Apps': https://a16z.com/the-messy-inbox-problem-ai-apps-wedge-strategies

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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.

The AI race is on, and 2025 could be its most transformative year yet.

In this episode, a16z General Partners Anjney Midha and Jennifer Li, and Partner Alex Immerman dive into the trends reshaping AI and its impact on search, infrastructure, and devices.

We explore:

• How AI-native tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are challenging Google’s search dominance.
• The rise of infrastructure independence as governments prioritize compute, energy, and data.
• The future of smaller, on-device AI models driving privacy, performance, and new consumer applications.

With insights from a16z’s Growth and Infrastructure teams, this episode unpacks the forces driving AI innovation—and the opportunities founders and nations could seize to lead in the next wave of technology.

Stay tuned for more in this four-part series, and explore the full 50 Big Ideas for 2025 at a16z.com/bigideas.

Resources:

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/aleximm

FInd Anjney on X: https://x.com/AnjneyMidha

FInd Jennifer on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli

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Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio

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.