Is it Time to Build?: On Marc Andreessen’s Viral Article

Published: May 5, 2020, 4:30 a.m.

There’s a reason to expect criticism: Paul and Rich dig into the newest article from VC Marc Andreessen. In it, Andreessen exhorts Americans to innovate and blames our lack of preparation for the pandemic on a lack of desire to do so. We reflect on the current state of America and how apparent the holes in our social governance have become since COVID-19 (especially the education system). Is there a world where VC and startups can help us improve these old systems? Has social policy towards more privatization led us towards the wrong things being optimized? We look to other innovations that have come from crises and ask: How can you install that startup-style motivation outside of commercial profit? (Spoiler: Marc Andreessen doesn’t have the answer!)

Links:

“It’s Time to Build” by Marc Andreessen

Andreesen Horowitz

Marc Andreesen 

José Andrés 

José Andrés Wants To Feed The World Through The Pandemic