a16z: The Power Brokers

A deep dive on Andreessen Horowitz, examining the firm’s evolution from contrarian VC shop to a diversified technology institution. McCormick analyzes a16z’s structural innovations in venture capital, including its media operations, platform services, and expanding fund strategy across crypto, bio, games, infrastructure, and American Dynamism.

Core Argument

a16z has built a differentiated model by treating venture capital as a platform business rather than a pure capital allocation exercise. The firm’s willingness to invest across the full stack of technology and to build institutional capabilities (media, government relations, talent networks) gives it compounding advantages that traditional VC firms struggle to replicate.

RDCO Relevance

Limited direct relevance. Useful as context for understanding the venture ecosystem that funds companies in RDCO-adjacent spaces (AI infrastructure, data tooling, frontier tech). The platform model is an interesting analogy for how service businesses can build moats through complementary capabilities.