Venture capital has powered companies like Facebook and TikTok—but what if that same urgency fueled America’s defense and industrial base? Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and cofounder of the firm’s American Dynamism practice, argues this is the biggest business opportunity of our time.
In this conversation from The Shawn Ryan Show, Boyle discusses the rise of defense tech startups, why optimism drives her work, and how a new generation of engineers and founders is rethinking innovation and patriotism in America.
Timecodes:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Patriotism, Optimism, and American Innovation
4:27 Startups vs. Legacy Primes in Defense
10:08 Venture Capital’s Unique Incentives
17:21 Katherine’s Backstory: Family & Upbringing
21:07 The Decline of Community & Family Pillars
23:23 Polarization, Religion, and Social Fabric
26:16 America’s Birth Rate Crisis
29:46 Cultural Shifts and the Family Structure
42:01 Katherine’s Path: Journalism to Venture Capital
1:06:06 Breaking into Silicon Valley
1:18:06 Investing in Defense: The Anduril Story
1:37:37 The American Dynamism Movement
2:04:27 Manufacturing, Space, and the Future of Defense
2:14:06 Espionage, China, and National Security
2:37:38 The Attack on the American Family
2:48:29 Cultural Change, Suffering, and Purpose
2:55:30 Closing Thoughts
Resources:
Find Katherine on X: https://x.com/KTmBoyle
Shawn Ryan Show Links
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkoujZQZatbqy4KGcgjpVxQ/join
Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shawn-ryan-show/id1492492083
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5eodRZd3qR9VT1ip1wI7xQ?si=7abec4d61c324b24
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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Katherine Boyle on Shawn Ryan
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