What Makes a Great Entrepreneur? | Ben Horowitz on Vintage x Vintage

Ben Horowitz, speaking with James Norman on Vintage x Vintage, explains how Andreessen Horowitz evaluates founders by world-class strengths, not balanced résumés, and how AI is changing what can be built and invested in. He also discusses why a16z was designed around entrepreneurs, not LPs, and why hiring, infrastructure, and policy relationships matter for leaders navigating AI.

Key points

• Great founders have an exceptional strength that outweighs obvious weaknesses; pressure performance matters more than polished interviews.
• Andreessen Horowitz was built as a product for entrepreneurs: network, recruiting support, counsel, and policy access.
• AI lowers software-building costs so creativity and domain expertise matter more; experts in any field can now ship products.
• Horowitz says AI is bigger than the internet because adoption and token-price declines are moving unusually fast.
• Hiring should widen the bar, not lower it: use job-specific criteria to uncover talent others miss.