The media landscape has fundamentally changed, allowing entrepreneurs to bypass traditional negative press and communicate directly through alternative platforms, reducing the power of 'struggle sessions'.
Kalanick highlights the shift in media landscape as a major change, where entrepreneurs can now avoid the negativity of traditional media and speak directly through platforms like podcasts and social media, which he attributes partly to Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter. ✦ AI generated
Travis Kalanick · a16z Podcast · 2026-08-14 · original ↗
starts at this moment · 51:22
“Talk about how you've seen Silicon Valley or the tech industry at large change from when you were, you know, right in the in the center in it to be coming back eight years later. What would have what surprised you or what's what's most notable about where we are as?”
Look, I think probably one of the coolest things and this is part of why I'm out versus not before uh is that the media landscape has completely changed. the media landscape 10 years ago, 90% of what was said was very negative. Business had become politics and we didn't know it... But we weren't used to it then and we thought everything that the New York Times said was real and we know now that that's not even close to true... the media landscape is like, yeah, you don't have to talk to those guys and you can go and talk to a David Senra. You can go and talk to uh Joe Rogan or name your guy and it's you can say what you need to say in a in an environment that's not like a struggle session in Mau China, right?... And I think that's the biggest change for all of us in the last eight years.
verbatim transcript · starts at 51:22
51:22about how you've seen Silicon Valley or the tech industry at large change from when you were, you know, right in the in the center in it to be coming back eight years later. What would have what surprised you or what's what's most notable about where we are as >> Look, I think probably one of the coolest things and this is part of why I'm out versus not before uh is that the
51:43media landscape has completely changed. the media landscape 10 years ago, 90% of what was said was very negative. Business had become politics and we didn't know it. So, think of your favorite politician if you have one. I mean, many of you may not have one, but let's just pretend you did, okay? It's [ __ ] hilarious. Okay, but let's just say, okay, uh, take your [laughter] favorite
52:18politician. Are the Go type his name in on Google. What are Do you think you're going to find anything good? It's going to be just tsunami waves of negativity is what you're going to find. Of course, if it leads, if it bleeds, it leads, right? And that's human nature and there's negativity and that gets the clicks and the whole thing. Um, but we weren't used to it then and we
52:44thought everything that the New York Times said was real and we know now that that's not even close to true and it's we we now understand. And so the media landscape is like, yeah, you don't have to talk to those guys and you can go and talk to a David Senra. You can go and talk to uh Joe Rogan or name your guy and it's you can say what you need to
53:07say in a in an environment that's not like a struggle session in Mau China, right? So that's a big freaking change. And and I think it's a you know Elon buying Twitter is like the beginning of us being able to speak our minds and for disagreeing to not be illegal. That's a big deal. We should all thank Elon for that. And [applause] it allows so you go,
53:40okay, somebody like myself who basically was just like, okay, uh, I want to build. I want to, uh, I I want to not think about what the New York Times is writing when I make decisions about what I build. Um, I had to emulate what it's like being a capitalist in Russia, which is their number one KPI is called shut the [ __ ] up. And that's what I did for eight years.
54:07In a weird way, it was like that for different reasons, but it was like that. And so, we're now out of that mode or getting out of that mode and let's go. And I think that's the biggest change for all of us in the last eight years. And God bless and like hopefully that continues. >> I think it's a great note to to wrap on. Travis is back. Travis never left. Give
54:32it up for Travis. >> [applause] >> Thank you.