Unlocking Personal Productivity Through Systematic Learning: A Conversation with A16Z Founder Marc Andreessen

In the venture capital ecosystem, we often see new forms of startups brought about by technological innovation and new business models. In contrast, the venture capital industry appears relatively conservative, reflecting the significant challenges behind innovation in this sector. If there were a ranking of innovation power in the venture capital industry, A16Z would undoubtedly be at the forefront. A16Z's unique philosophy and practices have consistently led new trends in the industry.

Marc Andreessen, as the co-founder of A16Z, is undoubtedly one of the most influential and talked-about super individuals in the era of internet technology development. In this in-depth conversation, Marc shared his latest thoughts on personal productivity, scheduling, reading habits, and learning optimization.

This article will not immediately give you an enlightening experience, but in your future experiences and reflections, you will find that the content of the article is a wisdom that returns to rational common sense. It is recommended to bookmark it and review it regularly.

About Personal Productivity

Marc stated that he made a complete 180-degree adjustment to his personal productivity guide from 13-14 years ago. Currently, he strictly follows a schedule every day and plans on a weekly basis. Mondays and Fridays have very specific schedules because that's the pace of the venture capital firm. Tuesdays to Thursdays are relatively flexible, mainly consisting of meetings, board meetings, and consultations with entrepreneurs.

Marc emphasized that venture capital is a very "hands-on" job. Investors should not think about disengaging from daily operations, but rather need to stay closely in touch with market trends, understand technological developments, and know what entrepreneurs are doing. Therefore, a more structured approach to work is essential.

The Value of Open Time and Delegation

Marc pointed out that executives with packed schedules often face three problems:

1. No time to think.
2. Difficulty adapting to environmental changes.
3. It is easy to become a micromanager and become a bottleneck for the organization.

In contrast, Marc's management style is not to directly manage anyone. He is involved in a lot of management work within the company, but mainly discusses it in internal meetings. He then selects outstanding talent to manage the team.

About Goals and Systems

Marc stated that he conducts a self-reflection every six months or so to reorganize the priorities of important matters. He also revises his personal plans annually, writing down the things and goals he truly wants to pursue from scratch, and then arranges the related activities.

Compared to rethinking the goals, Marc focuses more on adjusting a single goal. He believes that the establishment of the company is to achieve the goals he wants to accomplish, and his role is to realize this goal within the context of the company.

About Process, Result, and Stakes

Marc emphasized that they mainly focus on the input and the process, rather than the results themselves. This is because venture capital takes a long time to see results, making it difficult to judge causality in the short term.

They are concerned with: What is the best way to run processes? What is the best way to manage a company? What is the best way to assist entrepreneurs? What is the best way to provide support for team management? These are all processes.

Marc stated that he does not have a gambling gene and derives no pleasure from bets and outcomes. Their company does not overly celebrate success, nor do they get excited simply because of actual gains. What they care about is building a highly competitive team, rather than focusing on short-term returns.

About Books and Reading

Marc shared his "barbell" reading method - either read the latest or read the classics. He avoids content in the middle ground because there are few people who can interpret the situation objectively and are trustworthy.

For new fields, Marc learns by talking to people, and then asks for books he can read. If there are no relevant books, it may mean they are the first to explore this area.

Marc admits that he has many unread books and believes that feeling obligated to finish every book not only leads to wasted time but also causes reading procrastination. His technique is to read a dozen books at the same time, only focusing on the most interesting parts.

About Learning and Changing Perspectives

Marc expressed that he longs to be the kind of person who can reread and better absorb content, but he cannot. He can remember the gist, but not the specific details. He takes a lot of notes, although he rarely reviews them afterwards.

For those seeking different opinions, Marc believes this is an important way of self-improvement. However, he also points out that most people hate being told they are wrong. Therefore, he tries to minimize the time spent arguing with others.

Marc mentioned that truly outstanding hedge fund managers seem more willing to change their minds, as this allows them to make money. He stated that he also wants to have this mindset, but finds it difficult to achieve.

About Progress and Drive

Marc emphasizes the need to continually strive to understand what is happening. He often talks about the concept of "strong opinions, weakly held" - expressing strong opinions while also being open to differing external views.

Regarding his daily reading of new technological topics, Marc stated that this is because he firmly believes that technology is the true driving force. Through studying economic and cultural history, he has seen the tremendous progress brought about by technology.

Marc believes that in the coming centuries, we have the potential to improve everyone's life through technological innovation. Therefore, reading about new topics in technology is the most interesting, useful, and beneficial thing he can think of.