Notes from James:

When I turned 40, I was depressed. I checked the top 50 chess players and saw only one person around my age: Viswanathan Anand. That moment gave me hope.

Episode Description:

I met one of my lifelong heroes—five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand—and got to sit down with him at the Norway Summit to unpack what it really takes to stay at the top… for four decades. We didn’t just talk about chess—we talked about life, legacy, improvement, and how to overcome self-doubt at any age.

Vishy and I broke down how talent evolves, why confidence matters more than skill early on, and how he battled through plateaus, age, and even failure to remain among the world’s elite players—well into his 50s. This episode is a masterclass in longevity, performance, and reinvention.

Whether you're into chess or not, Vishy's insights apply to anyone striving to master their craft, overcome obstacles, and stay in the game.

What You’ll Learn:

• The real reason most people plateau—and how to push through it
• Why youth is powered by “inaccurate self-confidence” (and why that’s not a bad thing)
• How to adapt when the game—or the world—changes faster than you can keep up
• What to do when your best effort still leads to loss
• How to retrain your mindset after failure or self-doubt
• Why reinvention is a lifelong skill, not a one-time fix

Timestamps:

00:00 The Relentless Nature of Chess

00:39 Meeting My Hero: Viswanathan Anand

01:12 A Personal Story of Inspiration

02:55 Interview with Viswanathan Anand

06:43 The Evolution of Chess and Personal Growth

28:57 The Role of Youth and Confidence in Chess

31:14 Concluding Thoughts and Future Prospects

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What if the rise of Apple also built modern China?

a16z’s Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple’s pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China’s manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.

Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:

• The early days of Apple’s shift to Chinese manufacturing 
• What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China’s trajectory
• How Tim Cook’s operational playbook reshaped the global tech industry
• Behind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft’s own hardware battles and Surface launch
• Why Apple’s entanglement with China may now be a strategic liability
• What COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes next
• How national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial era

The episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple’s new UI, the iPad’s evolving role, and why Apple’s AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.

TImecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky

00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story

02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates

05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics

06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications

13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global

20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing

26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China

27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air

29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing

31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills

32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China

32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues

37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing

41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing

47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era

48:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources:

Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesi

Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Stay Updated: 

Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16z

Find a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

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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This is part one of a two-part mini-series on fertility and reproductive health, with next week's guest, Dr. Paula Amato, focusing on the female side of the equation. Paul Turek is a world-renowned expert in male fertility and reproductive health, the founder and medical director of the Turek Clinic, and host of the Talk with Turek podcast. In this episode, Paul explores the topic of male fertility, offering a detailed look at the complex and highly coordinated process of conception and the many challenges sperm face on their journey to fertilizing an egg. He shares fascinating insights into how sperm work together to navigate the female reproductive tract, how environmental factors like heat, stress, and toxins impact sperm quality, and what men can do to improve their reproductive health. Paul also dispels common myths about testosterone replacement therapy and its effects on fertility, providing strategies for preserving fertility while on TRT. The episode also highlights cutting-edge advances in reproductive medicine, from genetic testing and sperm sorting to emerging treatments for infertility.

We discuss:

• The incredibly complex and hostile journey sperm must take to fertilize an egg [3:00];
• How sperm are made: meiosis, genetic variation, and the continuous renewal influenced by environmental factors [9:00];
• The built-in filter that weeds out genetically abnormal sperm [14:45];
• How sperm are finalized in form and function: tail formation, energy storage, and chemical sensing abilities [18:30];
• How to optimize conception through the timing of sex, ejaculation frequency, and understanding the sperm lifecycle [26:30];
• Male infertility and Paul’s diagnostic approach: detailed history, a physical exam, and identifying red flags [33:30];
• Viral infections that can affect the testes and potentially lead to sterility [40:30];
• Semen analysis: morphology, motility, and hormonal clues to male fertility [45:45];
• Effects of medication, microplastics, stress, and exercise on fertility [57:15];
• Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and male fertility [1:06:00];
• Restoring fertility after prolonged use of exogenous testosterone [1:25:00];
• Effects of heat and cold exposure on fertility and sperm quality [1:36:00];
• How different levels of exercise—especially cycling—affect male fertility [1:41:45];
• How alcohol, marijuana, and nicotine affect male fertility [1:46:00];
• Why type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for male infertility [1:50:00];
• How varicoceles—a common cause of male infertility—are diagnosed and treated [1:51:15];
• Genetic factors that affect fertility [1:54:00];
• The impact of lifestyle and environmental exposures on fertility [1:56:30];
• The evidence (or lack thereof) behind stem cell and PRP therapies for male infertility, and how lifestyle and non-invasive interventions often lead to successful conception [2:00:30];
• Considerations for sperm banking, and how paternal age impacts fertility planning and offspring health [2:05:00];
• Semen quality as a biomarker: linking male fertility, longevity, and preventative health through Medicine 3.0 and epigenetics [2:14:45]; and
• More.

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When Tamara Mellon’s father lent her the seed money to start a high-end shoe company, he cautioned her: “Don’t let the accountants run your business.” Little did he know that over the next fifteen years, the struggle between “financial” and “creative” would become one of the central themes as Mellon’s business.

Mellon grew Jimmy Choo into a billion dollar brand and her personal glamour made her an object of global media fascination. Vogue photographed her wedding. Vanity Fair covered her divorce and the criminal trial that followed. The Wall Street Journal reported on her relentless battle between “the suits” and “the creatives" and Mellon’s triumph against a brutally hostile takeover attempt.

But despite her eventual fame and fortune, Mellon didn’t have an easy road to success. Her early life was marked by a tumultuous and broken family life, battles with anxiety and depression, and a stint in rehab. Determined not to end up unemployed, penniless, and living in her parents’ basement under the control of her alcoholic mother, Mellon honed her natural business sense and invested in what she knew best—fashion.

In creating the shoes that became a fixture on Sex and the City and red carpets around the world, Mellon relied on her own impeccable sense of what the customer wanted—because she was that customer. What she didn’t know at the time was that success would come at a high price—after struggles with an obstinate business partner, a conniving first CEO, a turbulent marriage, and a mother who tried to steal her hard-earned wealth.

Now Mellon shares the whole larger-than-life story, with shocking details that have never been presented before. From her troubled childhood to her time as a young editor at Vogue to her partnership with the cobbler Jimmy Choo, to her very public relationships, Mellon offers an honest and gripping account of the episodes that have made her who she is today.

In My Shoes is a definitive book for fashion aficionados, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone who loves a juicy true story about sex, drugs, money, power, high heels, and overcoming adversity. This episode is what I learned from reading In My Shoes: A Memoir by Tamara Mellon. 

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Kyler Brown is a sports rehab chiropractor who specializes in injury recovery, pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, and guiding clients from rehab back to peak performance. As co-founder of the private training program 10 Squared alongside Peter, Kyler shares his approach to injury prevention and performance optimization—highlighting how overlooked movement patterns can quietly lead to chronic issues over time. He outlines a practical framework for assessing and treating individuals, highlights the importance of understanding movement dynamics and asymmetries, and discusses personalized rehab strategies through real-world case studies. The conversation also explores the psychological side of recovery, including the role of fear and mental barriers in rehabilitation. Kyler shares actionable tools to evaluate movement patterns and implement training strategies that support long-term strength and health.

A companion video series demonstrating exercises for common problem areas—such as the lower back, neck, shoulders, and knees—is available exclusively to subscribers on the show notes page.

We discuss:

• The personalized rehab strategy for Peter’s shoulder surgery that sparked creation of a training program called 10 Squared [3:00];
• Training for the marginal decade: why precision and purpose are essential for quality of life [11:00];
• The Centenarian Decathlon: how training for long-term capacity enhances both current and future quality of life [18:00];
• How the shortcomings of conventional rehab and performance systems led to the creation of 10 Squared, a personalized training model focused on long-term physical capacity and individualized care [23:45];
• Case study: how personalized assessment and treatment at 10 Squared helps uncover the root causes of injuries [31:00];
• The role of the “core” in movement and injury prevention, and the importance of training stability before strength [40:15];
• The layered assessment process used at 10 Squared to determine whether a person is ready to perform dynamic movements [47:45];
• Case study: the rehab plan designed to treat a hamstring injury while preserving fitness and preventing reinjury [51:45];
• Training approach for clients with minimal training history: risk reduction, habit-building, and long-term consistency [55:30];
• How to train foot reactivity, tendon resilience, and explosive capacity in a safe, progressive way [1:00:00];
• Peter’s foot and ankle pain: how to diagnose, treat, and strengthen the lower extremities [1:04:15];
• How fear and perception influence recovery, what drives back pain, and when to choose surgery vs. treatment [1:13:15];
• Could AI and app technology eventually deliver an individualized rehab and training experience? [1:22:30];
• Kyler’s professional evolution from traditional chiropractic care to a degree-agnostic, performance-based rehab philosophy [1:25:00];
• How 10 Squared provides precision rehab and training in a remote format [1:30:30];
• How Peter resolved a severe back pain flare-up using DNS-guided isometric exercise instead of passive treatments [1:33:15];
• How to identify and treat common joint pain (neck, back, knee, shoulder) using a rehab framework that strengthens supporting structures and helps avoid surgery [1:39:00]; and
• More.

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