Systematic Learning on How to Liberate Personal Productivity: A Deep Dialogue with A16Z Founder Marc Andreessen

In the venture capital ecosystem, we can always see new technological changes and new business models bringing various new forms of startups from time to time. In contrast, the venture capital industry seems somewhat "conservative," but from another perspective, it is also because the challenges behind breaking through innovation in this industry are significant. If we were to rank the innovation capacity of the venture capital industry, A16Z would undoubtedly be at the forefront, as its unique concepts and strategies have consistently been a barometer for new trends in the industry.

Today's shared content comes from a depth dialogue between Marc Andreessen and Sriram Krishna, the host of The Good Time Show. Marc shared his latest thoughts on personal productivity, scheduling, reading habits, and learning optimization. This article may not immediately provide you with an enlightening experience, but as you gradually experience and ponder over it, you will find that the content within the article represents a rational return that respects common sense.

Marc's admiration for venture capital lies in the fact that since the founding of Netscape nearly thirty years ago, he has always been at the forefront of technological innovation and business development. This is closely related to the personal productivity system he has built, the large volume of high-density information input, and his firm belief in technology as a driving force.

About Personal Productivity

Marc stated that he basically made a 180° turnaround on the guidelines from 13-14 years ago. Currently, there are a large number of companies in their portfolio, and there is a significant amount of investment work ongoing at any given time. Marc and the A16Z senior partners need to deal with very high-intensity matters, so they require a more structured way of life.

For Marc, a typical day involves strictly following a schedule. He tries his best to complete the arrangements outlined in the "programming calendar." His schedule is more weekly oriented. Mondays and Fridays have very specific timetables, as they operate according to the pace of the venture capital firm. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are much more flexible, usually involving more outings, board meetings, entrepreneurial consultations, and so on.

Marc believes that venture capital is a very "close to the actual front line" job. Investors should not think about distancing themselves from daily affairs. You need to really understand what is happening. You must stay closely in touch with what is happening in the market, understand these technologies, and know what these entrepreneurs are doing.

The Value of Open Time and Empowerment

Marc pointed out that over-scheduled executives often encounter three problems:

1. They never have time to truly think. And it turns out that thinking is a very important thing.

2. They find it difficult to adapt to changes in the environment. In the venture capital industry, you will encounter many issues and need to handle a lot of emergencies.

3. Managers "controlled" by this kind of schedule may ultimately become micromanagers. They may have become the bottleneck in the work.

Regarding how to delegate, Marc's approach is that he does not directly manage anyone. He is involved in a lot of management work within the company, but these are all topics discussed in internal meetings. Then they choose excellent talents to manage these teams. At certain times, all we need to do is figure out which tasks do not need to be done and can be entrusted to others.

About Objectives and Systems

Marc stated that he usually takes time every six months to reflect, improve himself, and clarify what is important. He reviews what he has been doing, essentially determining the thresholds of "yes" and "no", and tries to make modifications once a year. Additionally, he also redefines his personal plans every year. He starts from scratch to write down what he truly wants to do and his goals, then arranges the related activities.

When it comes to time allocation, Marc is not driven by spreadsheets. He believes that, rather than rethinking goals, it's more about adjusting for individual objectives.

About Process, Results, and Stakes

Marc stated that they primarily focus on input. Venture capital takes a long time to see results, so they concentrate on optimizing the process. Their world is almost always trying to optimize the process, and the results will only appear 5-10 years later. At this point, Marc is skeptical about whether the causal relationship between the work done in retrospectives and the results obtained is useful.

Marc pointed out that their company does not over-celebrate success, nor do they become overly enthusiastic just because they have gained actual benefits. They care about building a highly competitive environment, but returns are not the focus.

About Books and Reading

Marc stated that he has been reading since he was young, and reading is a lifelong endeavor. In the past few years, he has been trying "barbell" reading - the materials he reads are either the latest or classics.

Regarding how to go from zero to one in a new field, Marc mentioned that they would meet many people and talk to them. Usually, the way to understand something is because someone tells you about it. He would ask those he knows who he can talk to or what books he can read.

Marc reads a dozen books at the same time, both physical books and e-books. When he sits down to read, he only reads the most interesting ones. A month later, theoretically, he has read a bunch of books, some of which he only got to the third chapter and never went back to continue reading.

About Learning and Changing Perspectives

Marc said that he yearns to be the kind of person who rereads books, but he has failed. He can remember the general idea, but not the specific content. He can clearly remember thoughts, concepts, and explanations, but not the details.

Marc believes that changing one's mind is an important way to improve oneself. He has been working hard to reduce the time spent arguing with others, as people really do not want to change their minds. However, there is indeed a group of people who enjoy changing their minds, such as excellent hedge fund managers.

About Progress and Driving Force

Marc believes that you need to consistently strive to understand what is happening. For example, what is actually occurring. He often talks about the concept of "strong opinions, weakly held." He believes that in any business, there will be a desire to commit, a desire to take action, and a tendency towards action.

Regarding what drives him to read a new topic about technology every day, Marc stated that the innovations brought by technology are the most interesting things in the world. He firmly believes that through years of studying economic history and cultural history, technology is the true driving force. In the next century or the coming centuries, we have the potential to make significant progress and improve the lives of everyone. Technology is a lever for effectively utilizing natural resources, capable of creating a better future.

So reading about new topics in technology is the most interesting, useful, and beneficial thing that Marc can think of.