A16z praises Generation Z: The rise of the AI-native generation, a new era for startups

a16z co-founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, in their latest interview, discussed media ecology, investment strategies, AI development, and entrepreneurial methods. When asked “What are you most looking forward to in the next few years,” they did not choose technology or companies but directly named “Generation Z”(Zoomers). In their view, this generation’s way of doing things and learning speed have already shown a clear break from previous generations and will become the core force of the next wave of AI entrepreneurship.

The period from 2015 to 2024 is quite strange; Generation Z grew up during these ten years.

Andreessen first sets the timeline back to 2015-2024. He describes it as a period “where many things became very strange and distorted,” whether in cultural atmosphere, moral discourse, public discussion, or within the tech industry, all filled with high pressure, labeling language, and preachy atmospheres.

Generation Z is the generation that grew up in such an environment. However, Andreessen observes that the Z generation founders he now interacts with are quite clear about this atmosphere—they do not live burdened by guilt all day, do not think that “wanting to succeed” requires an apology first, and do not believe that moral packaging is necessary to reasonably pursue ambitions.

In his view, this generation’s response to many popular sayings of the past few years is quite straightforward: they simply reject the old ways.

Generation Z not only uses tools but is inherently AI-native

Regarding the relationship between Generation Z and AI, Andreessen uses the key phrase “AI-native” to describe this generation. He does not mean that they simply use ChatGPT, but that during their growth and education, they have already regarded AI as an ordinary tool.

He points out that many Z generation students have already learned about AI from the beginning of university or even earlier. After entering the workforce, there is no need for additional learning—they already understand it; when developing products, AI is naturally considered a basic component.

Horowitz also adds that many young founders have grown up in an “AI-enabled world,” learning to code and develop products in an environment where AI is already present. Their thinking is clearly different from the previous generation—they don’t “do first, add AI later,” but assume from the start that “AI will definitely be used.”

Generation Z grew up online, watching entrepreneurial content

Andreessen further describes Generation Z as “raised online.” He says this generation has grown up in an internet environment, consuming大量 YouTube videos, podcasts, online courses, and interviews, accumulating thousands of hours of content input, including startup stories, technical tutorials, product methodologies, and company management experiences.

Therefore, many Z generation founders knew early on how to develop products, understood the pitfalls of entrepreneurship early, and grasped how markets operate. In a16z’s view, they are not just good at scrolling through their phones but are a generation “trained” by online content and the knowledge industry. With AI tools, their speed in product and business model implementation is particularly fast.

Generation Z wants to grow big and win, without needing moral cover for their ambitions

Andreessen describes the mindset of Z generation founders quite directly: they are more ambitious and do not hide it, are not afraid of being labeled, and do not need to cloak their ambitions with moral language.

He jokingly mentions that he rarely hears Z generation people say, “I want to succeed by doing good.” Instead, they are more straightforward—they want to grow big, win, and make an impact, which is entirely reasonable.

Horowitz also points out that this attitude is especially important in the AI era because AI is a tool that amplifies action and ambition. If founders are not afraid of big moves or fast growth, their growth rate can often be even more astonishing.

Generation Z has a better sense of humor and can digest the absurdity of today’s era

Andreessen also specifically mentions that he thinks Generation Z “has a good sense of humor.” In his view, this generation grew up in an era full of conflicts, preachiness, and absurdity, so they are better at using humor to cope with reality and are more perceptive of performative moral language.

In the context of entrepreneurship and AI, this also means that Generation Z better understands internet culture, is more familiar with memes and social contexts, and knows how to make products look “original.”

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This article praises Generation Z: The Rise of the AI-Native Generation, a New Era for Startups, originally published on Chain News ABMedia.