Summary
Replit CEO Amjad Masad joins a16z for a wide-ranging conversation about what young people should learn, and whether traditional college still makes sense, as AI reshapes technology and work. He argues that the real value of young people is to question deeply held beliefs, and that today’s colleges often discourage exactly that.
Masad opens with Arthur C. Clarke’s The City and the Stars, using its story of a society governed by AGI, and the one person born fundamentally new, as a lens on why fresh thinking matters. He also discusses the monoculture of Silicon Valley, why young people should be encouraged to attempt impossible things, and how technology shifts can turn yesterday’s impossible ideas into reality.
The discussion turns to the pressures on young founders, including the practice of VCs offering Stanford students large sums before they have an idea. Masad compares this to predatory dealings in the music industry and notes that SAFEs, while an improvement, still commit young people early. The conversation also covers the academy model with no grades, tests or graduation requirements, and how curiosity and building can feed each other. It is worth a watch for anyone thinking about education, careers, or starting a company in the age of AI.
📺 Source: a16z · Published September 23, 2026
🏷️ Format: Interview
