TECH WEEK by a16z

Meet Andrew Chen - General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz - leading the firm’s LA office and shaping the future of tech through his insights on growth, product, and innovation. Interviewed by Andreessen Horowitz / a16z speedrun's Emlyn Thompson during TECH WEEK by a16z. Andrew Chen’s journey into venture capital began in San Francisco, where he built a reputation through his essays on startups and growth. One morning, a cold email from Marc Andreessen changed everything - leading to angel investment in his startup, an eventual stint at Uber during its hypergrowth era, and ultimately, a seat at one of the most influential venture firms in the world. Now 7+ years into his role at Andreessen Horowitz, Andrew continues to decode how technology evolves. From The Cold Start Problem to his latest thoughts on AI and Web3, he’s documenting how products reach escape velocity - and helping the next generation of founders do the same.

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with the legendary Tom Hammer from a16z speedrun. It has been my first live panel discussion as the Co-Founder and CEO of Genway AI, and I wanted to share a few practical tips for attendees looking to maximize the value they get from this type of events. 1. Show up early and plan to hang around late. Panel discussions are a great opportunity to socialize and meet likeminded individuals. Make it a priority to be on time to maximize mingling opportunities with attendees and panelists. Most often it is easier to have a meaningful discussion ahead of the panel rather than after. I was literally approaching ppl ahead of the panel to initial a conversation, but after the panel security had to ask us to leave before we could finish chatting to everyone. 2. Be crisp and don't try to sell your product/service. The dynamic is such that there are a few dozen attendees per panelist thus be mindful of time when diving into discussions or giving very long and elaborate introduction to yourself. If a founder can pitch his startup in 2 minutes, you should be able to communicate a message in less than that. 3. Language. Do your best to address panelists in the same language the panel was delivered at. It allows other folks around to participate in the discussion. If you and the panelist speak another language, it is great to exchange a few sentences when necessary, but people around might feel excluded if you go beyond that. 4. When connecting via LinkedIn after the panel, add a note mentioning the specific panel and the location of the panel. It will become useful a few years down the line when you are trying to figure out how did you connect with the specific person. Got this tip from Macy Mills and can't emphasize how happy I am about it. Huge thank you to Viren Tellis Co-Founder and CEO of Uthana for participating in the panel discussion and providing a different perspective. TECH WEEK by a16z LA - you have been epic. Can't wait for 2026.

We kicked off #LATechWeek shredding perfect Venice waves. I love LA!!!

Crazy to think Tech Week 2025 is almost at an end! We had over 2,000 events(!) between SF and LA over the past two weeks - and it's been amazing to see the creativity behind every one: from intimate dinner discussions in highly curated rooms, to full-blown Hollywood-worthy product showcases, and everything in between. Zooming out- it's interesting to see the reprioritization of in-person as a marketing channel: founders, marketers, and operators are rethinking what it means to “show up” (and honestly rethinking marketing in general - but that's a different post). They’re reallocating budgets away from traditional channels and into experiences they can create and control, for better ROI. To everyone who hosted, partnered, and showed up this year: thank you for making Tech Week unforgettable! See you in 2026. ❤️🔥 #SFTechWeek #LATechWeek TECH WEEK by a16z

LA TECH WEEK by a16z captured everything I love about building in Los Angeles: creativity, community, and connection. From our conversation with Andrew Chen at Tinder HQ to a beachside mixer with founders and creators, it was a great week of conversations about growth and what’s next 🚀 Huge thanks to Andrew Chen, Hillary Paine, Wonder Ventures, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Rose Johnson & Katia Ameri, PwC, Fenwick & West, Goldman Sachs and everyone who made this week possible.

That’s a wrap on #AWS at #LATechWeek 2025! 🎬🦾⚡ As we close the final scene on a blockbuster event, we want to thank the #startups, speakers & tech community for sharing ideas & showcasing successes. Shout-out to krea.ai, Luma AI & Hedra for delivering a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood’s next frontier, at the Culver Cup AWS Gen AI Film Showcase. #AWSStartups TECH WEEK by a16z