a16z GP: the 'permanent underclass' is a dark fantasy — AI moats are discovered, not designed
garrytan · x · 2026-09-08
On Lenny's Podcast, a16z General Partner @illscience argues the 'permanent underclass' narrative is a dark fantasy Silicon Valley tells itself: radiologists were 'cooked' 20 years ago yet demand keeps rising, open engineering roles are at all-time highs, and unlike mobile's winner-take-all markets, every AI stack layer has 20 strong competitors. Other topics: the '/loop make me happier' opportunity, every company becoming a series of loops, why moats are discovered not designed, and why you don't need to be chronically online to keep up.
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