The Ben and Marc Show

Marc Andreessen on Building Netscape & the Birth of the Browser

Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen

Posted June 28, 2024
We decided to design for the future. Marc Andreessen Cofounder, a16z

In this special episode, Marc and Ben dive deep into the REAL story behind the creation of Netscape—a web browser co-created by Marc that revolutionized the internet and changed the world. As Ben notes at the top, until today, this story has never been fully told either in its entirety or accurately.

In this one-on-one conversation, Marc and Ben discuss Marc’s early life and how it shaped his journey into technology, the pivotal moments at the University of Illinois that led to the development of Mosaic (a renegade browser that Marc developed as an undergrad), and the fierce competition and legal battles that ensued as Netscape rose to prominence.

They also reflect on the broader implications of Netscape’s success, the importance of an open internet, and the lessons learned that still resonate in today’s tech landscape (especially with AI).