A16z's "big venture" model was based on two core ideas: first, that Marc Andreessen's "Software is Eating the World" thesis would create 10x more viable companies, and second, that founders required a superior VC "product" with platform services that only scale could provide.

The firm's thesis focuses on a rare founder type: a technical expert who also deeply understands how new technologies shift human behavior. This avoids the common pitfall of building technology in search of a problem, leading to products with innate market pull.

A16z's foundational belief is that founders, not hired "professional CEOs," should lead their companies long-term. The firm is structured as a network of specialists to provide founders with the knowledge and connections they lack, enabling them to grow into the CEO role and succeed.

GC is shifting from a traditional venture fund to a company that incubates and holds "transformation companies" like a hospital system and an AI consultancy indefinitely. These businesses are designed for long-term value creation, not quick exits, and also serve its portfolio founders.

The dominant VC narrative demands founders focus on a single venture. However, successful entrepreneurs demonstrate that running multiple projects—a portfolio approach mirrored by VCs themselves—is a viable path, contrary to the "focus on one thing" dogma.

Unlike venture creation firms that generate ideas internally, Curie.bio operates on a 'Freedom for Founders' principle. It believes the best ideas come from external innovators and its role is to augment them with capital-efficient support, fractional expertise, and operational help to translate those ideas into companies.

The firm’s core belief is being a fund *for* founders, trusting them to run their companies without heavy operational input. This hands-off approach gives partners the bandwidth and "permission" to go deep on their own projects, leading to spinouts like Anduril and Varda.

Unlike traditional funds that face pressure to deploy capital within a set timeframe, a HoldCo's greatest strategic advantage is patience. Value is created by waiting for the right opportunity at the right price, not by rushing to do deals.

The hardest transition from entrepreneur to investor is curbing the instinct to solve problems and imagine "what could be." The best venture deals aren't about fixing a company but finding teams already on a trajectory to succeed, then helping change the slope of that success line on the margin.