Why American Dynamism Is Just Getting Started

For over a century, the United States has been the birthplace of world-changing innovation – from the Wright brothers’ first flight to the invention of the transistor, the moon landing, and the birth of the internet. But in recent years, belief in American progress has wavered. Three years ago, a16z General Partner Katherine Boyle wrote a bold thesis called Building American Dynamism, challenging this apathy and calling for startups to tackle the country’s biggest problems. The idea spread fast – first as a meme, then as a movement, and today as a $600M dedicated fund. In this video, Katherine and fellow a16z General Partner David Ulevitch discuss the origins of American Dynamism, including why it was controversial at first. Check out this year’s full AD50 list at www.a16z.com/AD50. Timecodes: 00:00: Introduction 00:53: The American Dynamism Thesis 02:42: Breaking Into Silicon Valley 04:14: Rebranding The National Interest 10:29: Expanding AD Beyond Defense Resources: Find David on X: https://x.com/davidu Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle Find last year’s’ American Dynamism 50 AI Addition’ here: https://a16z.com/american-dynamism-50-ai/ Read Katherine’s article ‘Building American Dynamism’: https://a16z.com/building-american-dynamism/ Stay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/ Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio 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.