Building APIs for Developers and AI Agents Image

Building APIs for Developers and AI Agents

6 September - 26 mins
Podcast Series a16z Podcast

Stainless founder Alex Rattray joins a16z partner Jennifer Li to talk about the future of APIs, SDKs, and the rise of MCP (Model Context Protocol). Drawing on his experience at Stripe—where he helped redesign API docs and built code-generation systems—Alex explains why the SDK is the API for most developers, and why high-quality, idiomatic libraries are essential not just for humans, but now for AI agents as well.

They dive into:

The evolution of SDK generation and lessons from building at scale inside Stripe.Why MCP reframes APIs as interfaces for large language models.The challenges of designing tools and docs for both developers and AI agents.How context limits, dynamic tool generation,...

26 mins

Series Episodes

Mark Cuban on the NBA, Cost Plus Drugs, and How to Fix Politics

Mark Cuban on the NBA, Cost Plus Drugs, and How to Fix Politics

What happens when AI collides with salesmanship, streaming-era sports, and healthcare? In this episode, Erik Torenberg is joined by Mark Cuban, entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks co-owner, and founder of Cost Plus Drugs. Topics include fiery group chats and how dissent sharpens thinking, the sales playbook of modern politics, and concrete fixes for U.S. healthcare like ending PBM opacity, publishing real prices, and government-backed patient financing. Mark also explains how AI is pushing media from “social” to algorithmic, why he expects millions of models, and why ESOPs are an underrated wealth engine. He shares what he’d build today and weighs in on NBA economics under the new collective bargaining agreement.

1 hour 1 min

9 September Finished

The Little Tech Agenda for AI

The Little Tech Agenda for AI

Who’s speaking up for startups in Washington, D.C.? In this episode, Matt Perault (Head of AI Policy, a16z) and Collin McCune (Head of Government Affairs, a16z) unpack the “Little Tech Agenda” for AI- why AI rules should regulate harmful use, not model development; how to keep open source open; the roles of the federal government vs states in regulating AI; and how the U.S. can compete globally without shutting out new founders.

57 mins

8 September Finished

How to Be Free: Shaka Senghor, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Horowitz

How to Be Free: Shaka Senghor, Oprah Winfrey, Ben Horowitz

Taken from The Oprah Podcast, this special episode brings together Shaka Senghor, a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz, and Oprah Winfrey for a powerful conversation on resilience and transformation. Shaka, a resilience expert, motivational speaker, and bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs, shares his journey from incarceration to redemption along with insights from his new book, How to Be Free. Full of hard-earned wisdom and practical tools, it’s a guide for anyone seeking freedom in their own life.

36 mins

5 September Finished

Is Non-Consensus Investing Overrated?

Is Non-Consensus Investing Overrated?

Is non-consensus investing overrated—or the secret to venture returns? a16z General Partner Erik Torenberg is joined by Martín Casado (General Partner, a16z) and Leo Polovets (General Partner, Humba Ventures) to unpack the debate that lit up venture Twitter/X: should founders and VCs chase consensus, or run from it? They explore what “consensus” really means in practice, how market efficiency shapes venture outcomes, why most companies fail from indigestion, not starvation, and the risks founders face when they’re too far outside consensus.

54 mins

4 September Finished

Jack Altman & Martin Casado on the Future of VC

Jack Altman & Martin Casado on the Future of VC

Jack Altman sits down with Martin Casado, General Partner at a16z, to unpack the shifting dynamics of venture capital and why media matters more than ever. They cover a16z’s evolution from generalists to specialized platforms, the rise of AI infrastructure, and why today’s fiercest battles are often for talent, not market share.

53 mins

3 September Finished

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