A Response to the A16Z "Little Tech Agenda"

By Norman Winarsky

I usually don't write about politics, but I recently received a post from Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, published on July 5, outlining their political stance. I feel compelled to respond. In their post, they discuss "Little Tech," their term for startups, in contrast to "Big Tech," which refers to large corporate incumbents.

They state,

“There are three kinds of politicians:

• Those who support Little Tech. We support them.
• Those who oppose Little Tech. We oppose them.
• Those who are somewhere in the middle – they want to be supportive, but they have concerns. We work with them in good faith.”

And they continue, “we support or oppose politicians regardless of party and regardless of their positions on other issues.”

Really??? “Regardless of their positions on other issues?”

I have been a venture builder and venture investor in Little Tech for most of my career, helping co-found many ventures, including Siri. I also support and love Little Tech. I spent much of my life helping advance Little Tech and will likely do so for the rest of my life. And I wholeheartedly agree with Marc and Ben’s thesis that “the vanguard of American technology supremacy has always been the startup.”

But it deeply saddens me that these highly intelligent and accomplished individuals frame their political positions based on which party supports Little Tech regardless of positions on other issues. Here are some examples of other issues that we all need to consider:

• Trump is a convicted felon on 34 counts
• Trump is a proven rapist
• The Supreme Court, in Donald J. Trump v. United States, gave the president absolute immunity for committing crimes while performing official duties. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a citizen can be above the law.
• Trump helped overthrow Roe vs. Wade
• Trump denied the 2020 election results and stood by while his followers attempted a coup on our government
• Trump declared admiration for Putin, Kim Jong Un, Victor Orban
• Trump declared that as President, he would have mass deportations
• Trump begged the members of an audience to “vote. Just this time. .. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote.”

As Gen. Mark Milley said, “We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.”

We are at an inflection point in our government. The issues are much bigger than Little Tech or Big Tech and are fundamental to every aspect of our lives.

This election is crucial for the continuation of democracy in our country—above any policy for or against Little Tech. Beyond that, the election will almost certainly determine the future of other democratic countries, of NATO, and of Putin’s attempts to restore the old Soviet Union.

Marc and Ben, you are remarkable inventors, founders, and investors. We can work together on the fight for Little Tech. Let’s do it within our democracy, not within an autocracy.

Andreessen Horowitz

Norman Winarsky