ok - final reminder for tonight’s deadline: **11:59 PM PST is the deadline** to apply for a16z Speedrun with your project/startup. After this, we close out the application process and focus on meeting all the teams, investing up to $1m in each over the next few weeks. Doing interviews, asking references, and giving feedback We’ll be investing over $30-40m so it’s a great opportunity to get off the ground quickly. Our program is focused on tech, AI and entertainment, but more importantly we want to work with the earliest stage startups where <$1m investment could make a big difference. The whole process of applying to a16z Speedrun is meant to be easy, like 10 minutes or less. While many of you are focused on the investment, I also want to say something about the intangibles of the program: - first, the network. Many of you have amazing professional networks already, but a16z speedrun will connect you to hundreds of elite CEOs/founders who are thinking about startups at the same time as you. We have folks from amazing backgrounds - from FAANG to repeat founders to highly technical AI researchers. They are thinking about the same sectors (AI!), negotiating w the same vendors, hiring at the same time. You can compare notes, grow together, and ultimately this is the community that will be building over the next decade. On a personal note, when I moved to California in 2007 it was the friends I met early on that came to build many of the unicorns, run huge teams at the top tech cos, and became the next gen of VCs. Our goal is to do the same here - the a16z speedrun team. We have dozens of full time folks in marketing, partnerships, talent, corp dev, etc that will be working with speedrun startups to make them successful. And a16z has 600 employees across the broader firm with deep expertise on making startups win. Usually most preseed/seed firms only have a few generalist partners - with Speedrun we want to offer the best of both worlds, a hands on program experience plus access to a16z’s comprehensive knowledge and expertise at scale - support for global founders and employee hires. We know great entrepreneurs come from everywhere, and we have tons of best practices to help people relocate/split their activities to the US. This is both hands on advice on visas/immigration, introductions to the top lawyers, but also neighborhood guides and a pre-built community of new friends - world class speakers. We have had an incredible number of unicorn founder/CEOs speak at Speedrun. This includes a16z portfolio companies like Figma, Zynga, Carta, etc, cutting edge new AI startups, and also exited companies like DoorDash and Tinder. We often set up small group events with these founders, have set them up to angel invest in relevant startups, and make 1:1 intros to Speedrun cos - launch and growth. For early stage startups, getting wins on an initial launch is key. You might need a killer hype video, a coordinated investor-led social media push, etc. Or you might need an initial paid marketing spike. Or a new look at your signup flows to make them efficient. We can advise on all this and get hands on too. - building out your investor network. We help each and every company with dozens of 1:1 intros with VCs. This builds a network for the initial round and for the future Ultimately a16z Speedrun is all this and also an opportunity to start a relationship with Andreessen Horowitz. For future investment, to join our community, to get advice at inflection points, and much more. I’ll be spending 1:1 time w everyone in the Speedrun program so def excited to meet y’all.