Why Every Founder Needs a Story | Replit CEO on a16z

Recorded live at the New Media Summit, Erik Torenberg sits down with Replit founder and CEO Amjad Masad to discuss founder-led storytelling, building in public, and the role of media in company building. Masad reflects on Replit’s decade-long journey, including the years before the company’s recent breakout growth, and explains why communicating a vision can be just as important as executing on it. He argues that for many founders, especially those building ambitious products ahead of the market, telling a compelling story is often necessary to attract talent, capital, and early believers. The conversation explores social media, authenticity, public communication, company-building, and how founders can develop a voice that resonates beyond their product. Along the way, Masad shares lessons from building Replit, navigating controversy, and why he believes founders should think carefully about when to go direct and what story they're trying to tell. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - How Going Direct Saved Replit 02:38 - Improv, Exposure Therapy & Making Mistakes Early 05:20 - Build in Public & the Power of Authenticity 08:40 - Being Uncancellable: Why Retreating Is the Real Risk 13:21 - When to Respond & When to Let It Go 17:39 - Does Every CEO Need to Be an Influencer? 19:38 - Platform Strategy: X vs Instagram vs YouTube 22:53 - Understanding the Meta: How to Actually Go Viral Resources: Follow Amjad Masad on X: https://x.com/amasad Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg 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 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.

Amjad MasadguestErik Torenberghost

Jul 17, 202626mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: July 17, 2026
Duration: 26m
Channel: a16z
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Recorded live at the New Media Summit, Erik Torenberg sits down with Replit founder and CEO Amjad Masad to discuss founder-led storytelling, building in public, and the role of media in company building. Masad reflects on Replit’s decade-long journey, including the years before the company’s recent breakout growth, and explains why communicating a vision can be just as important as executing on it. He argues that for many founders, especially those building ambitious products ahead of the market, telling a compelling story is often necessary to attract talent, capital, and early believers. The conversation explores social media, authenticity, public communication, company-building, and how founders can develop a voice that resonates beyond their product. Along the way, Masad shares lessons from building Replit, navigating controversy, and why he believes founders should think carefully about when to go direct and what story they're trying to tell. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - How Going Direct Saved Replit 02:38 - Improv, Exposure Therapy & Making Mistakes Early 05:20 - Build in Public & the Power of Authenticity 08:40 - Being Uncancellable: Why Retreating Is the Real Risk 13:21 - When to Respond & When to Let It Go 17:39 - Does Every CEO Need to Be an Influencer? 19:38 - Platform Strategy: X vs Instagram vs YouTube 22:53 - Understanding the Meta: How to Actually Go Viral Resources: Follow Amjad Masad on X: https://x.com/amasad Follow Erik Torenberg on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg 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 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

Amjad Masad
guest
CEO and cofounder of Replit.
Erik Torenberg
host
Podcast host at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of a16z, featuring Amjad Masad and Erik Torenberg, Why Every Founder Needs a Story | Replit CEO on a16z explores replit CEO explains going direct, authenticity, and platform viral strategy Masad argues Replit survived early years by telling a story bigger than the company, which helped fundraising and recruiting even before strong commercial traction.

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