The New Media Advantage with Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen

Recorded live at the New Media Summit, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Erik Torenberg, and Gaby Goldberg discuss how media, communication, and influence are changing in the internet era. The conversation explores the shift from legacy media to creator-led platforms, why authenticity has become a competitive advantage, and how founders can build audiences by communicating directly with customers, employees, and the public. They discuss podcasts, social media, storytelling, corporate communications, and the changing relationship between companies, journalists, and audiences. Along the way, they examine how founders can develop a public voice, why some leaders become influential communicators, and what it means to build a brand in a world where distribution is increasingly decentralized. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: The New Rules of Media 00:56 - Why Authenticity Beats Media Training 02:41 - Marc's Media Training Horror Story 06:59 - How the Legacy Press Turned Adversarial 11:58 - Going Direct: The Founder Is the Brand 20:20 - Picking Your Battles: When to Fight Back 23:42 - Why Being Polarizing Beats Being Liked 25:06 - Hiring a Team Built for New Media 30:03 - The Founder Messaging Mistakes to Avoid 33:47 - Tell the Bigger Story: The Alex Karp Playbook Resources: Follow Marc Andreessen on X: https://x.com/pmarca Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Follow Gaby Goldberg on X: https://x.com/gaby_goldberg Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg This material is solely for educational purposes and is not investment advice or an offer of investment advisory services. This material should not be used as the basis for an investment decision. a16z is an investor in SpaceX and Cursor through its managed funds, and thus has a financial interest in the company's performance and future prospects. In particular, a16z benefits if the company grows in value; and a16z funds will receive any customary dividend payments in connection with their status as a shareholder of the company. However, a16z is not being compensated by SpaceX or Cursor for this material. 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

Ben HorowitzguestMarc AndreessenguestErik TorenberghostGaby Goldbergguest

Jun 19, 202641mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: June 19, 2026
Duration: 41m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Recorded live at the New Media Summit, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, Erik Torenberg, and Gaby Goldberg discuss how media, communication, and influence are changing in the internet era. The conversation explores the shift from legacy media to creator-led platforms, why authenticity has become a competitive advantage, and how founders can build audiences by communicating directly with customers, employees, and the public. They discuss podcasts, social media, storytelling, corporate communications, and the changing relationship between companies, journalists, and audiences. Along the way, they examine how founders can develop a public voice, why some leaders become influential communicators, and what it means to build a brand in a world where distribution is increasingly decentralized. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro: The New Rules of Media 00:56 - Why Authenticity Beats Media Training 02:41 - Marc's Media Training Horror Story 06:59 - How the Legacy Press Turned Adversarial 11:58 - Going Direct: The Founder Is the Brand 20:20 - Picking Your Battles: When to Fight Back 23:42 - Why Being Polarizing Beats Being Liked 25:06 - Hiring a Team Built for New Media 30:03 - The Founder Messaging Mistakes to Avoid 33:47 - Tell the Bigger Story: The Alex Karp Playbook Resources: Follow Marc Andreessen on X: https://x.com/pmarca Follow Ben Horowitz on X: https://x.com/bhorowitz Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg Follow Gaby Goldberg on X: https://x.com/gaby_goldberg Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends! Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711 Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg This material is solely for educational purposes and is not investment advice or an offer of investment advisory services. This material should not be used as the basis for an investment decision. a16z is an investor in SpaceX and Cursor through its managed funds, and thus has a financial interest in the company's performance and future prospects. In particular, a16z benefits if the company grows in value; and a16z funds will receive any customary dividend payments in connection with their status as a shareholder of the company. However, a16z is not being compensated by SpaceX or Cursor for this material. 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 http://a16z.com/disclosures.

SPEAKERS

Ben Horowitz
guest
Cofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), focused on company-building and founder strategy.
Marc Andreessen
guest
Cofounder and general partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and longtime tech entrepreneur/investor.
Erik Torenberg
host
Podcast host and interviewer associated with a16z media programming.
Gaby Goldberg
guest
Communications and media/marketing operator working with founders on messaging and distribution strategy.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen, The New Media Advantage with Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen explores how founders win attention by mastering new-media storytelling today Legacy media has become structurally adversarial and unreliable for conveying a founder-approved narrative, making it difficult to build a repeatable communications strategy through traditional outlets.

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