Suggestions
Andrew Lee
Former founder. ENTJ. Eternal Optimist.
Andrew Lee is an accomplished manager and connector, excelling in forming and leading technical and business teams within various sectors such as consumer, large enterprise, government, and startups. He is deeply committed to leveraging technology to address global inefficiencies. Andrew has an impressive track record, having served as the CEO & Co-Founder of Esper, a pioneering startup utilizing machine learning to streamline assistant tasks, encompassing calendaring, task management, and calendar analytics. His professional journey includes key roles like Senior Advisor/Director of Product at SBA/White House, Product at Zynga, Founder/CEO at JamLegend (later acquired by Zynga), and the visionary mind behind Fantasy Congress. Currently, Andrew Lee serves as a part-time Partner at Initialized Capital, contributing his expertise to this forward-thinking organization.
Highlights
Request for Startups (RFS) - Interactive Platforms for A16Z GAMES SPEEDRUN
I've been thinking about the elements of a great interactive platform: 🤖 mimicking/augmenting IRL behavior, 🔗 inherent shareable, and 🧸 using new tech that seems like a toy
Great consumer platforms mimic real-life behavior 🤖: YouTube made sharing videos easy, Tinder (like HotOrNot) simplified rating people, and Discord connected us all in one super app.
The best consumer tech thrives on interaction and positive feedback loops 🔗: followers grow naturally on Instagram, TikTok isn’t fun without engaging, and Snap Inc. streaks keep users coming back.
New interactive platforms often seem like toys, dismissed by incumbents as hobbies or for the young 🧸. We think differently.
👇 Below are a few ideas that I'd LOVE to see, but if you know someone who is thinking about the above - have them apply to Speedrun!
📢 Big news: I've officially become a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz! 🚀 After ~2 years as an Entrepreneur in Residence, leading SPEEDRUN—our premier accelerator for next-gen consumer and tech startups. We've backed ~100 teams from 12K+ applicants, committing ~$100 million to fuel their growth at the forefront of AI, developer tools, consumer social, infrastructure, and gaming. Founders from Meta, Uber, Discord, Zynga, Google, and Apple are among our success stories with previous exits.
I'm excited to continue supporting our companies, expanding our investor network, and ensuring Demo Day triumphs. This marks the next chapter in my 20-year journey across games, tech, and startups, aiding founders—from my time at Initialized Capital to founding AI startup years ahead of its time and JamLegend, later acquired by Zynga. Eager to pay it forward and lead our investor ecosystem!
On a personal note, Baby #2 is on the way in late October—navigating life with two under two is the next adventure! In careers and life, the days may be long, but the years are definitely short.
If you know any founders (regardless of stage) seeking $750K for their startup, send them my way because our applications just opened for SPEEDRUN 4!
#lifeupdate #job #startups #career
