Andrew Chen
General partner at Andreessen Horowitz and author of The Cold Start Problem. Previously led rider growth teams at Uber; has blogged on growth, network effects and marketplaces since 2007.
Andrew Chen did not write this page. ppll compiled it from their own words, each linked to the source. Is this you? · Report a mistake
Latest x.com
What they believe
-
Spending three to five years working in tech in the Bay Area is something nobody in tech ever regrets.
If you work in tech, you'll never regret spending 3-5 years in the Bay Area.
andrewchen.comSaid 26 Feb 2024This on korrents
-
The Bay Area's strength as a startup hub comes more from its culture than from its access to capital or expertise.
Yes, there's knowledge and investors here, but more important is the culture.
andrewchen.comSaid 12 Feb 2024This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These 2: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 22 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
Recent
Spending three to five years working in tech in the Bay Area is something nobody in tech ever regrets.
If you work in tech, you'll never regret spending 3-5 years in the Bay Area.
How to break into Silicon Valley Said 26 Feb 2024
Writing publicly is a more effective way to build a professional network and reputation than attending conferences.
And in particular, I find writing to be much more powerful than going to conferences.
How to break into Silicon Valley Said 26 Feb 2024
The Bay Area's strength as a startup hub comes more from its culture than from its access to capital or expertise.
Yes, there's knowledge and investors here, but more important is the culture.
The “Dinner Party Jerk” test — why founders need to pitch themselves harder and more futuristically Said 12 Feb 2024
Show 19 more
A startup's main advantage over other career options is that the work itself is more adventurous and fun.
The asymmetric advantage of startups compared to many other opportunities, is that they are adventurous and fun.
The “Dinner Party Jerk” test — why founders need to pitch themselves harder and more futuristically Said 12 Feb 2024
A founder who lacks a clear sense of purpose will get lost during the inevitably difficult stretches of building a startup.
If you don't have a Northstar to guide you on an inevitably rocky, entrepreneurial journey, you'll inevitably get lost.
The “Dinner Party Jerk” test — why founders need to pitch themselves harder and more futuristically Said 12 Feb 2024
Product/market fit ultimately matters more for a company's growth than its distribution strategy.
But in the end, product/market fit actually dominates. The reason is the following - the ability for a company to operate out in these most expensive and highly scaled channels comes from having a great product that generates a ton of word of mouth.
Startups need dual theories on distribution and product/market fit. One is not enough Said 6 Feb 2024
Only a small niche of networked products can grow through free, organic distribution; most products must pay for distribution.
Even though you might want free distribution, only very specific niches of networked products are able to grow freely. Generally everybody else must pay for their distribution, whether via referral or advertising.
Startups need dual theories on distribution and product/market fit. One is not enough Said 6 Feb 2024
By the time a marketing tactic or channel is well-known enough to have a case study written about it, its edge has been competed away and no longer works.
I often joke that by the time there's a case study about a new marketing tactic or channel, the advantage has already been arbitrage away, and probably no longer works.
Startups need dual theories on distribution and product/market fit. One is not enough Said 6 Feb 2024
Users vote with their clicks, and roughly half of them are lost at every click a product asks for.
Nevertheless it's an important thing to remember: Every time you ask the user click you lose half of them. Be careful.
Every time you ask the user to click you lose half Said 5 Feb 2024
Lowering friction to sign up increases the number of users but decreases their average quality and intent.
Also, interestingly enough, as you make it easier and easier to sign up to reduce friction the quality and intent of the users also decreases.
Every time you ask the user to click you lose half Said 5 Feb 2024
Users acquired through referral programs, free trials, coupons, or gamification tend to be lower quality than organically acquired users.
The people you attract with referral programs, free trials, coupons, and gamification - folks who are "incentivized" as a broad umbrella category - are usually MUCH WORSE than organic ones.
Why the worst users come from referral programs, free trials, coupons, and gamification Said 31 Jan 2024
Incentive programs act as a selection mechanism that determines what kind of user a product attracts, not just how many it gets.
Incentives are a form of selection and you need to make sure you know what you're selecting for.
Why the worst users come from referral programs, free trials, coupons, and gamification Said 31 Jan 2024
Adding gamification mechanics cannot substitute for a product's underlying lack of inherent engagement and retention.
First, it tells you that if you take a game or an app that does not have inherent engagement and retention, it is not enough to add gaming mechanics.
Why the worst users come from referral programs, free trials, coupons, and gamification Said 31 Jan 2024
Grand Theft Auto 6 is likely the peak of traditional, hand-crafted open-world game development before generative AI transforms the genre.
But GTA 6 might be the peak of the open world category, untouched by the next wave of tech, particularly generative AI.
The most expensive game cost over $1B, and how AI will transform it Said 23 Jan 2024
In a pair of related technological innovations, the 'weak form' is easier for the market to understand, but it is usually the 'strong form' that ends up having the bigger impact.
The weak form is more easily understandable by the market, but it's often the strong form that ultimately makes the bigger impact.
The most expensive game cost over $1B, and how AI will transform it Said 23 Jan 2024
Generative AI is as likely to invent new game genres as it is to make existing ones cheaper to build.
It's just as likely gen AI will reinvent genres, not just make it cheaper to build
The most expensive game cost over $1B, and how AI will transform it Said 23 Jan 2024
An excessive focus on quality functions as procrastination, turning quick work into drawn-out projects.
focusing too much on quality is a great way to procrastinate. It leads to endless editing, turning what could be a quick tweet storm into a months-long essay project.
How to write more Said 15 Jan 2024
A person's taste develops faster than their skills, creating a frustrating gap early on.
Initially, you might dislike your work as your taste develops faster than your skills, creating a frustrating gap between your taste and abilities.
How to write more Said 15 Jan 2024
Frequent creative practice builds the skill needed to produce more work later.
The frequency of creating helps you build the muscle for more later.
How to write more Said 15 Jan 2024
Some books become bestsellers because their authors buy large numbers of their own copies through anonymous networks to disguise it.
There are tons of books that become best-sellers because people buy many, many copies of their own books - often via anonymous networks of buyers to obscure what's happening
How to write a business book — behind the scenes from THE COLD START PROBLEM Said 15 Jan 2024
Book publishing follows a waterfall process: once a book is submitted and printed, it can no longer be revised.
The problem with books, however, is that they are really developed in a waterfall process for good reason - once you submit the book, and it's printed, that's that!
How to write a business book — behind the scenes from THE COLD START PROBLEM Said 15 Jan 2024
Readers respond best to opinions that are sharp and funny rather than hedged.
Readers want to hear opinions. The sharper and funnier, the better
How to write a business book — behind the scenes from THE COLD START PROBLEM Said 15 Jan 2024
Beliefs others hold too
Users vote with their clicks, and roughly half of them are lost at every click a product asks for. 2 hold this
Nevertheless it's an important thing to remember: Every time you ask the user click you lose half of them. Be careful.
Every time you ask the user to click you lose half Said 5 Feb 2024
What is a korrent?
A korrent is a belief a person has stated in their own words: one sentence stating the claim, backed by a quote and a source, kept at korrents.com.
Under a name here, the quoted block is what they actually said. The korrent beneath it is the claim those words support, in korrents' wording — tap it to see the record, its source, and who else holds it.
Nobody here wrote their own korrents. They are compiled from public statements, and a person can change their mind, which is recorded too.
Recommends rcmnd
rcmnd What they recommend 17 things — each backed by an exact quote.
Compiled by rcmnd.app, not by them: the quotes are theirs, and each links to the post it was copied from.
Recent
Liked The Cold War: A New History
Concise summary of the Cold War from the end of WW2 to the fall of the USSR.
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Liked Solaris
Classic scifi. Guy shows up on a research station above a planet with a strange (alive??) ocean
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Loved Chip War
Great history of the semiconductor industry, starting in Silicon Valley and ending in Asia.
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Show 14 more
Mixed on Elon Musk
The back half is kind of a hit piece on his Twitter acquisition in way way too much detail
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Mixed on Tokyo Vice
it’s fun but I think a lot of it probably made up. Still fun.
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Liked Outlive
Sadly this book convinced me to start running again, and to begin amateurishly cycling when I have time.
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Read The Opium War
I’ve started to do a China history deep dive and this was on the list
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Mixed on Superintelligence
the back half I think it goes off the rails and makes a ton of assumptions
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Liked Black Wave
This reframes a lot of the conflict over the past decades as a rivalry between Iran/KSA
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Liked The Mirage Factory
Nice history of Los Angeles starting from 100+ years back
andrewchen.com 3 Jan 2024
Read Area X
Reading the book ahead of time, before I see the movie!
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Read The One Device
Didn’t read this yet, but I love these recent tech history books.
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Read Principles
Reading this because everyone else is too :) Lots of insights/lessons from Ray Dalio
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Liked The Ascent of Money
Traces the history of money, the role it’s served over time, and the development of some of the major aspects of our modern financial system.
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Liked Reset
Liked Venture Capitalists at Work
I found this much more compelling than many of the other books I’ve read on VCs, which remain a bit too high-level and adulating.
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Liked Superforecasting
Lots of interesting learnings and relevant to those making startup investments also!
andrewchen.com 31 Jan 2018
Where they publish
Blog andrewchen.com His blog on growth, network effects and marketplaces, with annual book round-ups.
Link verified 4 Sept 2026.
x.com @andrewchen His X account.
Recent
- HERE’S THE SIGN YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR- for those of you with side projects, late night coding sessions, the jam sessions with friends/coworkers. Maybe already know you’re a founder- you who follow all the greats, try all the latest AI tech, and have always known you are going to start something. Here’s your chance to build faster and bigger, learn a crazy amount in a short time, and really test yourself in the real world. Bet on yourself. Build your startup with us. SPEEDRUN 008 IS HERE 12 Oct 2026
- SPEEDRUN 008 APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN we are now taking intros/recos for founders we should be meeting for SR008 We have a new SF office where we’ll be hosting the residency, and I will personally be working with founders on growth/distribution/fundraising/more. Apply now for a Jan 2027 start And yes, we do invest up to $1M but we do lots of other things for you too :) more info: https://t.co/lExlSgiixi — SPEEDRUN 008 We invest up to $1M in your new startup. Applications for SR008, our next residency, are open now through November 1, 2026. SR008 runs February 1 to April 16, 2027, in San Francisc… 12 Oct 2026
- FINAL day to apply for the Speedrun Alpha fellowship https://t.co/aiNkBstBKd For students / dropouts / recent grads: we want to invest up to $250k. Come work out of our SF offices and explore ideas, find a cofounder, etc. More details: Start building. We back you pre-entity, pre-idea, pre-team. Apply as an individual. If you already know who you want to build with, great. Have each person apply separately and note who you’re building with. - Up to $250K investment - Automatic final interview for speedrun, up to $1M investment - $1M in credits across AWS, GPC, Azure, Open AI, Anthropic, Cursor… 12 Oct 2026
Show 17 more
- important points on the future of LA vs SF The sad part of LA is that the movie business jobs are predominantly blue collar workers that build and operate the industry, not just celebrities. And it’s sad that those jobs are going away 11 Oct 2026
- wow fleet week. traffic in sf so messed up today that my Waymo was blocked for 15 min and had to escalate to humans in the loop to reroute. Made a pretty hilarious left turn and big loop, finally on my way back. 20 min ride turning into a 50 min detour 11 Oct 2026
- Hosting our first hackathon at the Speedrun offices in Jackson square to close out SF Tech Week! See y’all in LA next!! 11 Oct 2026
- the new waymo ojai vehicle 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 it’s so nice. Finally got one today in SF 11 Oct 2026
- btw Tech Week in SF has grown 10x since we started running it in 2023 Inevitable that this will eventually be the largest tech conference in the world 8 Oct 2026
- some fun stats from SF Tech Week - the largest ever - with thousands of events and 50k+ attendees. We've more than doubled since we started hosting in SF Amazing to see FiDi emerge as a force! Used to be that tech was just in SOMA. Plus the Mission+Dogpatch as well 8 Oct 2026
- fun to use town/muse/grokbot after months of being a DAU on hermes/openclaw Reminds me of all the amazing fun and insanity it is to admin your own linux box versus using something like iOS Not switching for now! Too much fun nerding out 7 Oct 2026
- DO AGENTS HAVE NETWORK EFFECTS? We are seeing a new wave of general purpose consumer-friendly agents, and it’s causing many thousands of AI startups to re-evaluate their place in the market. Will these new horizontal players take over completely? Will it be winner take all? Can products that focus vertical use cases survive? The new wave of products - Muse, Town, Instinct, Grokbot, etc - come from taking the power and magic of Openclaw/Hermes but wrapping it in polished, secure, consumer-friendly experience. This is only the beginning, and soon every major tech company will throw their hat in… 6 Oct 2026
- SF Tech Week kicks off today!! We’ll be hosting a bunch of events over the next few days, at our new Jackson Square office and for our massive Demo Day with 1000+ investors. Also sharing a couple fun stats/factoids 👇🏼 - SF TECH WEEK 2026 1,700+ events on the calendar, more than double (!!) in the past two years 1,266 hosts from 1,058 companies, including OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceXAI, Stripe, Google, Vercel, Databricks, ŌURA, Mistral, Perplexity, Cerebras, Lovable, Ramp, Brex, Mercury, AWS, Adobe, Reddit and more 100+ events hosted by portfolio companies of Speedrun, a16z Fastest-growing them… 5 Oct 2026
- who’s in SF next week? We’re hosting, co-hosting, and organizing a bunch of events with great speakers including at our new Jackson Square office. Full SF+LA tech week calendar now online! 2 Oct 2026
- welcome to speedrun @abliteration_ai team and @founderengineer! "AI with guardrails that you control" - love it. 1 Oct 2026
- when the personal computer won, it made $20k+ workstations in 1980s a distant memory - SGI, Next, Sun, etc. I remember thinking, huh why would anyone ever buy a computer that expensive!?? yet now you buy a PC and add a single RTX PRO 6000... or a Mac Studio. And prices are only going up... 30 Sept 2026
- yup. This is where open weight AI needs to go Customer controlled guardrails >>> black box rules 30 Sept 2026
- a fellowship with $250k for recent grads/students - deadline next week link: https://t.co/w7mfnRgJgj more info 👇 -- Applications are closing soon for a16z speedrun alpha, our new fellowship for technical students and recent grads who want to start building now - Up to $250K investment - $1M+ in credits across AWS, GPC, Azure, Open AI, Anthropic, Cursor and many more. - Automatic final interview for speedrun, up to $1M investment - Office hours and hosted sessions with speedrun partners - Coworking space at the speedrun office throughout the fellowship - 8-week, in-person experience (January… 29 Sept 2026 alpha.a16z.com
- yes, but we need more... a lot more 28 Sept 2026
- Epic 24 Sept 2026
- Love that there’s a bunch of new startups focusing on local AI / sovereign AI / GPU hoarding 😂 speaking my language! Congrats to @zainmfj and the @ghostai team 24 Sept 2026
Link verified 4 Sept 2026. Recent items update automatically from the channel.
About the English under a post
Some people here publish in a language other than English. Where they do, this site shows a machine translation beneath the post, in this typeface — the site's own, not theirs.
The post itself is never changed, moved or hidden: what is set in the serif above is exactly what the person published, and it is what to quote them on. A translation can be wrong in ways that matter, especially about tone.
Only the post's own words are translated. A quoted post, a linked article and a belief on korrents.com are left in their original language.