TECH WEEK by a16z

💎 FYI: Content goldmines are right in front of you! Powerful insight from BrandBastion Alanah Hallam at #LATechWeek: Your customer events aren't just for relationship building—they're content goldmines waiting to be tapped. "If you've got budget for influencers at $30k+ a pop, you definitely have budget to host intimate events with your top customers." Here's the brilliant part: 1/ One customer event = Weeks of authentic content 2/ Real stories > Staged influencer posts 3/ Your actual customers become your best content creators The math is simple: Instead of one influencer post, you get: - Event teasers - Live coverage - Customer testimonials - Behind-the-scenes moments - User-generated content - Post-event highlights - Customer success stories 👀 Looking ahead: Tech Week 2025 is coming sooner than you think. Start planning your customer events now—imagine the content ecosystem you could build by this time next year!

🎯 Three powerful founder insights from Amjad Masad (CEO, Replit) at SFTechWeek: On making big bets: "Once you see the future, you have to really bet on that." When Replit saw the potential of AI agents, they took half the company into a room and said "Okay, this is the agent task force." On early hiring (3-10 employees): "Just bring people into the office and just spend a ton of time with them... you could tell so much about their code, their work ethic, and their culture fit." On persistence: "You show up every day and do the thing and over a long horizon you're gonna win... there's the ups and downs... but at the end of the day, if you zoom out over decades, are you headed the right direction?" Watch the full talk to learn how Replit went from side project to launching their groundbreaking AI agent: https://lnkd.in/eeew7wEH

🎯 Save this one for your holiday break ✨ Watch NBA All-Star Baron Davis in conversation with Eric Bahn of Hustle Fund, sharing candid insights about his journey from professional basketball to tech entrepreneurship. Key moments that will inspire: - How Magic Johnson changed his trajectory with one conversation - Why he views failures as "micro successes" - The evolution of Business Inside the Game (BIG) from events to a relationship intelligence platform - Lessons from Kobe Bryant on bringing the same strategic mindset to business as basketball Whether you're an athlete looking to transition careers, a founder seeking inspiration, or simply interested in the intersection of sports and tech, this conversation is full of actionable insights to carry into 2025. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/giHQWV9s Part of LA Tech Week 2024.

Looking back at one of our favorite moments from LA Tech Week 2024 - when the startup community traded pitch decks for pickleball paddles! 🏓 Organized by Red Beard Ventures Elana Gold, this wasn't just another networking event - from courtside conversations to mid-game networking, connections sparked naturally over friendly competition. That's the beauty of Tech Week - one moment you're at a pickleball court networking with VCs, the next you're at a beachside founder dinner, or diving into AI workshops downtown. Our ecosystem shows up in ways only the tech community can deliver. Mark your calendars - 2025 dates for NY, SF and LA just dropped! Get ready for another week of unconventional collisions, meaningful connections, and only-at-Tech Week moments. ✨ Photos by: Amanda Adam

🗓️ Planning your 2025 calendar? Now's the time to think bigger - by hosting at Tech Week. Tech Week is community-built. Every breakthrough conversation, every unexpected connection, and every memorable moment happens because people like you step up to create experiences that matter. Save these dates: 🗽 New York: June 2-8 🌉 San Francisco: Oct 6-12 🌴 Los Angeles: Oct 13-19 Your Tech Week event could be anything: a founder dinner that sparks your next partnership, an industry meetup that defines the next big trend, a hands-on workshop that transforms someone's trajectory, or a curated conversation that bridges different worlds. Why start planning now? -> Premium venues are already fielding summer 2025 requests -> Top speakers block out their Q1/Q2 commitments early -> The best partnerships need time to develop organically -> Early hosts get featured in our community promotions Whether you're dreaming up an intimate roundtable or a headline conference, your event could be the catalyst for someone else's breakthrough year. Ready to make your mark on Tech Week 2025? Drop a 🙋♂️ below and our team will reach out!

Breaking: 2025 dates just dropped ✨💫

🗓️ I'm excited to announce that TECH WEEK by a16z will return in 2025! 😊 🗽 New York: June 2-8 🌁 San Francisco: Oct 6-12 🌴 Los Angeles: Oct 13-19 I'm still processing the incredible impact of Tech Week this year. When we first envisioned Tech Week, we dreamed of bringing back the serendipity and energy that makes tech special - those magical moments when great minds collide and incredible things happen. This year showed us just how powerful that vision has become: 📈 We DOUBLED our events across SF, NY and LA from last year  🤝 75,000 of you (!) joined us across three cities 📱 Record-breaking social engagement and community participation What started as a small idea has grown into a true convergence of the early-stage ecosystem, with product launches, fundraising and companies using Tech Week as a key part of their GTM strategy. To everyone who participated, hosted events, or supported us along the way: thank you. You've helped build something extraordinary, and we're just getting started. Want to be first to hear what we're planning next? Follow along TECH WEEK by a16z and register your email (link in comments). See you in June! 👋

🌉 Why does location still matter in tech? Mercury CEO Immad Akhund shares a powerful reminder: The Bay Area isn't just about cutting-edge technology—it’s about the magic of serendipitous connections and open knowledge sharing. Having FinTech founders nearby who generously share their time and insights played a pivotal role in Mercury’s journey. 💡 🎙️ Bonus: Hear more of Immad’s story and insights in his live recording with The Room Podcast during SF Tech Week: https://lnkd.in/g_dkfEuk

Planning for 2025? Tech Week speakers shared a clear trend: Companies are evolving from AI exploration to focused value creation. Pinecone COO Lauren Nemeth puts it perfectly: Top companies aren't just asking 'Where can we add AI?' but 'How are we measuring success and driving value?' Leading organizations are already showing what's possible - from improved productivity to new revenue streams. The key is having a structured approach to implementation, not just experimentation.

8 predictions we heard at Tech Week for 2025: 1. AI customization becomes affordable at scale. What once required dedicated research teams will become accessible through "phantom box" style tools, letting non-technical teams customize AI models for specific use cases without coding. 2. Enterprise AI adoption splits by segment. While enterprises obsess over AI governance and control, SMBs focus on practical automation - leading to completely different product requirements and go-to-market strategies for these segments. 3. The try-before-you-buy era arrives for AI. Free trials and "freemium" models become standard as companies realize customers need hands-on experience with AI capabilities before committing to larger contracts. 4. AI moves from generic to industry-specific. The winners won't be general-purpose AI tools, but those that deeply understand and solve industry-specific problems - with controllable, measurable outputs that tie to business metrics. 5. Customer retention becomes the new growth metric. As AI makes customer acquisition easier, the focus shifts to helping customers realize long-term value - with AI agents playing a key role in guiding product adoption. 6. Product customization costs plummet. AI enables mass customization at affordable prices, shifting customer expectations across industries from standardized solutions to personalized experiences. 7. The "work smart feel good" era arrives. After a decade of glorifying burnout, top founders realize their best performance comes from actually feeling good. Wild concept. 8. Market size beats hustle culture. The uncomfortable truth? Your choice of wave matters more than how hard you paddle. The best founders in 2025 won't just work harder - they'll obsess over market selection. What we got right and wrong? Come tell us at Tech Week 2025 😉