andrew chen@andrewchen
update for a16z speedrun-
It's now the FINAL week to apply for the upcoming 007 program hosted in San Francisco. Applications close officially on May 17th at 11:59 PM PST.
Here's the link:
speedrun.a16z.com
Why apply? we'll invest up to $1m in your brand new startup. It can be pre-launch, pre-traction, and even pre-idea (for the right teams) and the a16z speedun team works with you to launch/scale
If you're reading this, you might be:
- hanging out at a job, waiting for your next promo/bonus/X-year mark/etc
- you might have a side project, thinking it should be something bigger
- you're talking with a work friend about starting something
- finishing school, wondering if you should accept your job
The thing i’d encourage you to think about is that most startups don’t start with certainty. they start with a feeling that something is pulling at you and won’t go away. A surprising number of the best founders we meet are very early:
- no company yet
- no deck
- no huge insight tweet thread
- sometimes not even fully committed yet
Don't wait until you have the perfect idea, or feel “ready.” Or everyone around you agrees, so the opportunity cost feels lower. But by then, usually the edge is gone. These insights and windows don't last forever
This is the best environment in history for small teams to build massive things. AI has compressed team sizes, timelines, distribution, and iteration speed so aggressively that the old career timing assumptions don’t fully apply anymore.
anyway, if you’ve been circling the idea of starting something, this might be the sign to actually do it
Official stuff below:
- May 17th deadline to apply (this week!)
- Official dates for SR007 are from July 27 through October 11, 2026 in San Francisco
- We wire funds fast and onboard you to our network of over 250 partnered tools-providers with a total of $5M in credits.
- Our stacked team of battle-tested operators who help cover your gaps, without adding headcount. Expect dedicated support and programs from experts across talent, recruiting, go-to-market, marketing, creators, capital network, HR, even visa support.
- a16z speedrun is extremely selective. Join an elite community of over 600+ founders who actively support each other and serve as a powerful source of customer introductions and product feedback.
