Fixing local problems like crime and housing is the most effective way to improve society, as national figures emerge from functional local systems.
Tan explains his shift into local politics in San Francisco, arguing that fixing local issues is the most effective way to improve society, as national figures emerge from functional local systems. ✦ AI generated
Garry Tan · a16z Podcast · 2026-08-12 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 50:17
“Is there a white pill for that aspect of our society?”
I think San Francisco should be the beacon for pushing this back in every blue city in America... act local like take care of the people right next to you... if we fix local like state and national will fix itself cuz like on a five or 10 year basis like the people who win up there like they they will come up through a system that's functional.
verbatim transcript · starts at 50:17
50:17don't have to have an American vision for how AI impacts your society. If you want the NHS to be incredible then like you can do that with this technology. So the kind of the opportunity for ambition to be very localized in our communities. I think is something really interesting. >> Yeah, and so yeah, act local like take care of the people right next to you like you know, I I think it's funny
50:38uh so many people get very very obsessed with national. I mean we want to look at national generally right now. It's like you know what? Like I care about San Francisco, I care about housing, I care about crime, I care about uh you know, treatment and recovery >> Yeah. >> and if we do that like we can have the society we want to live in and then you
50:56know, if we fix local like state and national will fix itself cuz like on a five or 10 year basis like the people who win up there like [music] they they will come up through a system that's functional and about saying no to things that don't make sense, about saying yes to the things that are awesome for the people. >> I love it. All right, Gary. First of
51:16many. Thanks, brother. [music] >> Thanks, bro. >> This is great. >> Cool. Yeah.