a16z Podcast

a16z Podcast: Lobbying Tech

Michael Beckerman, Heather Podesta, and Hanne Winarsky

Posted June 23, 2017

What is lobbying, really? Is it “white”, “heavy-set” men “playing golf” and making arrangements in “smoke-filled back rooms”? It’s not like that anymore, according to two lobbyists who join this episode of the a16z Podcast to pull back the curtain on this practice… and share what’s changed: Heather Podesta, founder of Invariant (and a lawyer by training), and Michael Beckerman, President and CEO of the Internet Association (an industry trade association that also has lobbyists on staff).

Given the tech industry’s increasing engagement with policy, how does lobbying play out for tech companies in particular? What are the challenges when going up against deeply entrenched incumbents, as all startups inevitably do? And finally, how has tech itself changed the act of lobbying? Thanks in part to the internet, we’re now in a new era of transparency and public engagement, where “lobbying” has shifted more to more open citizen engagement vs. only inside closed rooms. We cover all this and more — including practical tips for influencing government — on this episode (in conversation with Hanne Tidnam), recorded as part of our annual D.C. podcast roadshow.

More About This Podcast

The a16z Podcast discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.

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