Liberating Personal Productivity Through Systematic Learning: An Interview with A16Z Founder Marc Andreessen

In the venture capital ecosystem, we can always see new technological changes and innovative business models bringing various new forms of startups from time to time. In contrast, the venture capital industry appears relatively conservative, but this also reflects the immense challenges faced behind the industry's innovation. If we were to rank the innovation power of the venture capital industry, A16Z would undoubtedly be at the forefront. A16Z's unique philosophy and approach have always been a barometer for new forms in the industry.

In 2011, Marc Andreessen, co-founder of A16Z, published an article titled "Software is Eating the World" in The Wall Street Journal, which sparked widespread attention. In his dual role as an investor and technology expert, he interpreted the broader context of the tech industry and concluded that "software and internet companies are excellent opportunities." During that time, Marc captured a number of outstanding internet companies such as Facebook, Groupon, Skype, Twitter, and Zynga.

Recently, the debate on Web 3.0 between Tesla founder Elon Musk, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Coinbase founder Brian Armstrong, and Marc Andreessen has become one of the most discussed topics on Twitter. Before co-founding A16Z, Marc co-founded the browser pioneer Netscape. In the era of internet technology development, Marc Andreessen is undoubtedly one of the most influential and talked-about super individuals.

This article is a deep conversation between Marc Andreessen and Sriram Krishna, the host of The Good Time Show, who is also a partner at A16Z. Marc shares his latest thoughts on personal productivity, scheduling, reading habits, and learning optimization. This article may not provide you with an instant enlightening experience, but over time and with careful consideration, you will find that the content is a return to rational common sense. It is recommended to save it first and then review it regularly.

About Personal Productivity

Sriram: More than a decade ago, you published the famous "Pmarca Personal Productivity Guide" on your personal blog. So, what is the 2020 version of the "Marc Andreessen Personal Productivity Guide" like?

Marc: I have basically made a 180-degree adjustment to the guide from 13-14 years ago. Many of these adjustments are due to the founding of A16Z and the desire to continue to grow and strengthen it. Currently, there are a large number of companies in our portfolio, and there is a lot of investment work happening at any given time. My co-founders and I at A16Z need to handle very high-intensity affairs, so we need a more structured way of living. This guide is the most organized I have tried so far.

For me, a typical day is strictly following the schedule. I will do my best to complete the arrangements of the "programming calendar."

Sriram: Take me through your day.

Marc: My schedule is more weekly oriented. A certain day of the week determines a lot of things. Monday and Friday have very specific schedules because we operate at the pace of a venture capital firm. Monday is like an all-day "marathon" because most of the real teamwork happens on Monday. Friday's schedule is the same as Monday's. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are much more flexible, usually involving more meetings, board meetings, and entrepreneur consultations. From Monday to Friday, I work according to this schedule, and I finally understand why people have the concept of weekends. I am trying my best to set aside some rest time for Saturday and Sunday.

Sriram: In your previous post, you talked about Arnold Schwarzenegger's open schedule, and also mentioned the benefits of having unstructured time during the day and the flexibility it brings you.

Marc: I think Arnold was in "entrepreneur mode" during that interview. At that time, he was involved in many startup projects and exploring many new businesses. I believe that if you are an entrepreneur in a state of heavy innovation, having flexible time is definitely beneficial.

When I did programming in my early years, I was just as busy as he is. Basically, I always did one thing until I was exhausted. Then I would get up the next morning and continue. I never had a real schedule. I just knew what I was doing. In a way, this is the same as having no timetable. But if you are dealing with things that involve organizational operations or customer service, you will face challenges. It depends on how we view our work. If part of your job is handling a large number of calls or emails, you need to respond in a timely manner and not keep people waiting too long. Maybe some people can respond immediately, but I don't know how to do that.

Sriram: Was there a moment when you decided to change your old system? Was it when you started your company?

Marc: Yes, to be honest, we started right away when we founded the company in 2009. The establishment of the company was just an opportunity to initiate change. One of our company values is to respect those we work with, and that includes - we will never drop the ball. We ensure timely responses, and we have established a service level agreement (SLA) to respond within a specific timeframe. As an old saying from JPMorgan goes, "Do business in a first-class way." If you contact us, you will definitely get a response. We are committed to what we say we will do. It is necessary for us to establish a system for this.

I believe that venture capital is very much a "hands-on" job. Investors should not think about stepping back from daily affairs. You need to truly 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. Moreover, you must constantly communicate with many people, so a more structured approach to work is essential.

Sriram: What do you think when you wake up on Monday morning or Sunday night and see your schedule?

Marc: I'm thinking "God, I'm organized! I have a plan!" Without this, I would panic the moment I wake up.

Basically, everything is scheduled. Sleep is on the schedule, and free time is also on the schedule. Free time is important; it’s like a pressure release valve. As long as you know you have enough time to rest, you can work hard for a long time. However, I find that if you don’t schedule enough free time, you become dissatisfied with your schedule. When I was younger, I really didn’t have the concept of "shutting down". But as you get older, your body starts to rebel. And it’s clear that if you have a family, a work-only system is definitely not a good choice.

The Value of Open Time and Empowerment

Sriram: I find it interesting that your schedule allocates a lot of open time. We often talk about how some of the most interesting and influential people in the world tend to have plenty of open time. This is in stark contrast to the schedules of corporate executives, who plan their time in 30-minute increments from 8 AM to 7 PM.

Marc: We have all worked with executives whose schedules are packed with many things. For such executives, you often find these three points.

1. They never have time to really 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 problems and need to handle many emergencies. Just like those classic movie scenes, when faced with a huge crisis, someone shouts to their secretary, "Cancel my schedule!" Well, if your schedule has a certain degree of flexibility, maybe you won't need to do that.

3. You may have noticed that managers who are "controlled" by this kind of schedule may end up becoming micromanagers. You may have seen some people like this overwhelmed by work. The good news is that they are very familiar with everything in the organization. The bad news is that they have become bottlenecks in the work process. The extreme form of this situation is that there is always a long line outside their office. I have worked with several people like this. The waiting line extends down the corridor, with people waiting to see him. They are also the bottlenecks of the organization. Working in such organizations can be very demoralizing, which is basically the opposite of empowerment.

Sriram: The related topic here is delegation. For many people like this, letting go is difficult. Delegation is often a cliché. It's easier said than done. So, if you want to carve out some open time in your schedule, what will you do? How will you actually express, "I'm not going to do this," "I'll say no," or "I intend to let someone else do this"?

Marc: The way I manage is that I don't directly manage anyone.

Sriram: For me, you are an unusual conversation partner because you are not the traditional CEO who manages a large organization.

Marc: That's right. So this is bound to be different, at least to some extent. I don't have the pressure of a traditional CEO who deals with various matters one-on-one, nor do I bear all the management responsibilities. I am involved in a lot of the company's management work, but these are all topics we discuss in internal meetings. Then we choose outstanding 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 delegated to others.

Sriram: Now let's talk about the screenshot you sent me. Every executive must have their own check-in system. Your time is limited, and there are a bunch of projects that need your attention. So what kind of system are you using?

Marc: So, to put it simply, there are two types of project situations. Apple has a concept called Directly Responsible Individual (DRI). For any project, I try to identify the DRI, who is responsible for the delivery of the project. If it's me, then the project will appear on my calendar once it's completed. If it doesn't show up on the calendar, it means it hasn't been completed yet. The weekly check-in is for all the projects that others are responsible for. For example, you might have a company raising funds or making a big deal. I don't necessarily have to ask the entrepreneur or CEO every day, but I at least want to be updated frequently; I don't want to be completely in the dark about the developments.

About Goals and Systems

Sriram: I want to step back and discuss. Let's talk about a longer time span for the schedule, for example, on a yearly basis. Is there a week when you would meditate on a mountaintop and then say, "Alright, this year I need to spend more time with the founders," or "This year I need to spend more time reading scientific papers," or similar plans. Another related question is, how do you connect your goals and the company's goals with the way you spend your time and energy? Is there such a mountaintop?

Marc: There’s no damn mountaintop! Keep me away from the mountaintop, away from the mosquitoes. No, none of that. So here’s the thing. About every six months or so, I feel overwhelmed and like everything is out of my control. So about every six months, I sit down to reflect. That is, I tell myself, "Okay, you have a great system, but it’s overloaded," or "You’re saying ‘yes’ to too many things, you’re involved in too many things."

You must improve yourself and clarify what is important. I usually spend an hour reviewing what I have been doing, basically determining the thresholds of "yes" and "no". I try to every