Andrew Chen spends his time with the founders policymakers almost never hear from: two-and three-person teams, often before incorporation when a company is still a project. As general partner on a16z speedrun, he works at the earliest edge of Little Tech, backing founders at day one and helping them turn ambition into an actual business.

In this conversation, Andrew joins Matt Perault to talk about what life looks like for small teams working at kitchen tables, operating on short runways, and simultaneously trying to build, find customers, and survive in competitive markets. They also discuss why so many startups are effectively absent from the policy process.

The conversation widens to the question of what makes startup ecosystems work in the first place. Andrew shares lessons from building the Tech Week ecosystem, including what local markets need to foster entrepreneurship and why supporting innovation is ultimately a choice.

Topics covered:

00:00: Intro

00:39: What is a16z speedrun?

02:08: The average profile of an early stage company

06:15: Why a16z built speedrun

08:36: A day in the life of a speedrun founder

13:22: What happens when startups do not work out

17:41: The cumulative burden of regulation for startups

21:49: Why Little Tech is absent from policy debates

25:05: How policy shapes where startups build

27:46: What makes startup ecosystems work

29:55: The idea behind Tech Week

32:52: How Tech Week surfaces future founders

33:23: Policy’s presence at Tech Week

34:38: Why policymakers should engage with Little Tech

Resources:

Subscribe to the a16z AI Policy Brief: https://a16zpolicy.substack.com/

Follow Matt Perault: https://x.com/MattPerault

Follow Andrew Chen: https://x.com/andrewchen

Learn more about a16z speedrun: https://speedrun.a16z.com/

Check out Tech Week event calendars: https://www.tech-week.com/calendar

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.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit a16zpolicy.substack.com