Every company has a story. Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies — and how you can apply them as a... more
We sit down with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek live in Stockholm at Spotify’s amazing HQ studio (check out the video... more
We sit down Benchmark’s legendary gaming investors Mitch Lasky and Blake Robbins (now also of the excellent Gamecraft podcast fame)... more
Sega and the Genesis was THE underdog story of the early 90’s. In a single console generation, Sega went from... more
In the 1980’s Nintendo was on top of the world, with the NES achieving over 90% market share of home... more
7 Powers author Hamilton Helmer and his Strategy Capital colleague Chenyi Shi join us again to discuss their latest research... more
ACQ Sessions returns with David Senra of the Founders Podcast. David is one of our very favorite people in the... more
You may think you know the Nintendo story: a plumber named Mario, a princess named Zelda… and didn’t they buy... more
We tell the full history of LVMH, and how Bernard Arnault turned a $15m investment in a bankrupt French textile... more
The NFL — it’s almost synonymous with America today. And its history is a fascinating lens to explore the nation’s... more
Cozy up to the fire and join Acquired as we do our annual strategic review of the show and our... more
Ben Thompson joins Acquired to discuss the business of Stratechery itself and celebrate 10 years (!) of the internet’s best... more
The FTX fraud has dominated headlines now for weeks, during which we’ve debated if and how Acquired could uniquely add... more
Qualcomm, or “Quality Communications” — despite being one of the largest technology companies in the world, few people know the... more
We sit down with all five current Benchmark GPs for one of their legendary weekly dinners, during which we ask... more
We kick off ACQ Sessions with the-behind-the-scenes story of All-in, from the world’s greatest moderator himself Jason Calacanis. ACQ Sessions... more
Benchmark Capital. We tell the tale of the legendary equal partnership that accomplished something no other venture firm can claim:... more
So, how DID an online book retailer end up building the infrastructure layer that powers the entire internet? (Or at... more
We sit down with legendary investor Howard Marks of Oaktree Capital and his son Andrew who, while less-well-known, is also... more
Amazon. No company has impacted the internet — and all of modern life — more than this one. We’ve waited... more
This episode is a first for Acquired: we’re joined by a sitting US Congressman (from Ben’s home state of Ohio!),... more
We kick off Season 11 with the incredible story of the retail “granddaddy of them all” Walmart, and its founder... more
When Patrick O'Shaughnessy and Brent Beshore asked us to give a talk at their incredible Capital Camp conference, we knew... more
We sit down with a16z General Partner Katherine Boyle to discuss investing in “American Dynamism”, why it’s so important and... more
We sit down with the CEO founders of two of the most capital efficient success stories of all time —... more
For the final act of the Arena Show, we’re joined by Brooks CEO Jim Weber to tell the amazing story... more
We did an Arena Show!! This evening was so big and so special, we had to split it into two... more
By 2012, NVIDIA was on a decade-long road to nowhere. Or so most rational observers of the company thought. CEO... more
We sit down once again with one of the world’s very best strategy thinkers, 7 Powers author Hamilton Helmer —... more
He wears signature leather jackets. He can bench press more than you. He makes cars that drive themselves. He’s cheated... more
We hear a lot these days about hedge funds becoming venture firms, and venture firms becoming hedge funds. But a... more
Born in the unlikeliest of places — the terrible, wasteland-like aftermath of post WWII Japan — Sony rose to capture... more
We sit down with two of the most talented and respected people in Hollywood — Brian Koppelman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt... more
We sit down with perhaps the only person besides Marc Andreessen who’s had a major influence on each of the... more
The Peloton journey has been one seriously wild ride. From can’t raise money to one of Tiger Global’s first venture... more
Not only is Taylor Swift the biggest music artist of our generation by nearly every metric (it’s not even close!),... more
Season 9 ends at the beginning — with the man who changed Hollywood forever and wrote the blueprint for A16Z’s... more
Note: This episode was published on Dec 14, 2021, approximately a year before FTX’s subsequent meltdown. The apparent negligence, fraud... more
You've heard us talk about him every episode for the past two years... but until now most of you have... more
When does a creator become a company? Who says that media companies — or venture firms — have to be... more
Of our 65+ sources for the TSMC episode, one stood above the rest: a wonderful Knowledge Project episode with Brinton... more
We bring the epic saga of Standard Oil and John D. Rockefeller to a close (for now) with two of... more
We sit down with the one & only Michael Mauboussin to dive deep into his incredible body of work: untangling... more
It's time. We dive into the *original* American capitalist mega winner, Standard Oil, and its legendary founder John D. Rockefeller.... more
It's time. We dive into the unbelievable history behind the quietest technology giant of them all — and as of... more
We sit down with the one and only Kevin Rose to talk about his journey from pioneering Web 2.0 with... more
Alright, backstory's out of the way, and Acquired is rolling three hours deep on the venture firm that changed the... more
We kick off Season 9 with a classic: Part I of the a16z story. How did this brand new venture... more
We sit down with the hottest new protocol layer in crypto today: Solana, and its cofounder Anatoly Yakovenko, who is... more
We close out Season 8 with the most ambitious organization we've ever covered on Acquired: Ethereum, and it's celebrity wunderkind... more
What do you get when you combine Berkshire Hathaway's approach with early-stage venture capital? Altos Ventures. We're joined by Altos's... more
It's time. We dive into the *original* American capitalist mega winner, Standard Oil, and its legendary founder John D. Rockefeller. This company... more