When we started a16z, we decided that we were going to take a very network and media heavy approach to venture capital. That we wanted to treat venture as not only a craft, but also a product, and staff an organization set up for that goal. We sometimes called ourselves “a media company that monetizes via investing”. While these efforts are commonplace in 2025, they were not when we began them in 2009.
Another person who’s also focused on the intersection of investing and network and media for the last decade is Erik Torenberg. Erik is a well known and much loved figure in the technology world in Silicon Valley and beyond, having built some of the most valuable networks and communities in the tech ecosystem over the past decade: Product Hunt, On Deck, Village Global, and Turpentine.
We got to know Erik originally when we backed Product Hunt in 2014, and I’ve been speaking to him nearly every day since the group chat era began in earnest in 2019. We’ve collaborated with him on each of his endeavors, leading to a number of co-investments: Scale AI, Applied Intuition, Figma, Pave, Flexport, Lattice, Rappi, Hadrian, Apex, Socket, and more.
In that time, I’ve grown to respect his positive-sum nature, his ability to be on the pulse of interesting people and ideas, and his uncanny nose for talent and opportunity. Many people in the tech ecosystem are grateful for Erik’s support at a critical juncture, whether through his counsel, a key introduction, or help getting their startup or careers off the ground.
With Turpentine, he has created one of the best tech podcast networks for vertical expertise across positions and sectors. He has also created an extraordinary founder social network with some of our own founders giving it rave reviews. We’re excited to acquire Turpentine and scale our media and network efforts.
Erik’s skills and experiences — from investing to media to networks — make him an excellent addition to a16z as a general partner, where he’ll be making investments as well as helping spearhead our media and network initiatives.
Over the last few years, Erik has been at the intellectual frontier, curating some of the most important conversations in technology and big ideas. On a personal level, I appreciate how he’s opened my mind on how people can change. Some day, the full story of group chats will be written, and Erik will have played a valuable role in facilitating the vibe shift.
He’s relentless, incredibly generative, and he has excellent taste in people and ideas. He will be a great resource for our companies on going from zero to one, go-to-market, and all things talent. For the last decade, Erik has built products, communities, and media that help founders and give an edge for investing, and has the results to show for it. So when he and I were brainstorming about how he could best do the same over the next decade, I had a very clear idea for him. I thought he should join Andreessen Horowitz and help the next generation of founders as an investor and also help us achieve our full potential as a firm. That’s why I am so pleased to announce that Erik Torenberg will be our newest general partner.
