Note: This episode was recorded as part of the Bio Eats World podcast, now known as Raising Health.
Can a game be both fun and therapeutic? Vijay Pande, the first employee at Naughty Dog Software and a current Bio + Health general partner at a16z, joins Jon Lai, a Games general partner, and Olivia Webb, the editorial lead for Bio+Health at a16z, to discuss this question. We talk about what constitutes a game, how games and bio can intersect, and what we called the “healthy dessert” problem—the challenge of building a game that’s both fun and therapeutic.
Additional reading discussed during the episode:
Jonathan Lai is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, focused on a16z speedrun. He invests in early-stage teams building tomorrow’s AI x creative landscape—from developer tools to 3D simulations, vertical agents, and novel storytelling formats across video, games, audio, and more.
Vijay Pande is a former GP and founder of the Bio + Health team at Andreessen Horowitz, focused on the cross-section of biology and computer science.
Olivia Webb is the editorial lead, healthcare, on the Bio + Health team.
Biology and the state of healthcare are undergoing radical shifts. Raising Health delves into dialogues with scientists, technologists, founders, builders, leaders, and visionaries as they explore how AI, engineering, and technology elevate health to new heights and create a system of enduring health for all.