Quote · The a16z Show
Ben Horowitz and Travis Kalanick on Building Again
Where this was said
Ben Horowitz's Conviction and Atoms' Fundraise
At 15:40 · chapter starts 14:30
Torenberg turns the conversation to the deal that just closed — and how Horowitz reached a level of conviction fast enough to write a16z's biggest-ever check [1] — Ben Horowitz "Horowitz knew Kalanick for years through Lyft board conversations, where Travis would detail every competitive threat with hungry fury. Whe…" 14:25 . The answer is rooted in years of genuine relationship: Horowitz was on Lyft's board while having candid, detailed conversations with Kalanick about Uber's competitive challenges, including Chinese ridesharing companies breaking into Uber's apps. Those conversations revealed an entrepreneur with a rare quality — total clarity about the enemy, total fire about the mission. When Atoms came into view, the only open question was whether the separate companies could be consolidated. Once that was confirmed, and once Horowitz confirmed that Kalanick had not retreated to 'living his best life,' the decision was made.
Kalanick arrived at a16z with separate companies — food, mining, transport — like a guy in a trench coat full of watches. Investors wanted everything under one roof, so he had to merge separate entities with different cap tables, figuring out ratios for assets at wildly different stages.
