Many people consider space to be the next frontier and equally an infinite horizon to explore. But the reality is that not all “space” is the same and there are strategic zones that don’t only matter up there – but down here on Earth. Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) is one of those regions – a zone filled with satellites that support life on Earth, from agriculture to climate to navigation to defense. Unfortunately, these live satellites are not alone in our space highways. LEO is getting increasingly clogged with space debris; we’re polluting our skies just like we’re polluting our land.  In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with all three cofounders of Privateer – Steve Wozniak, Alex Fielding, and Dr. Moriba Jah, as they explore just how much junk is up there, how this challenge is expected to progress with time due to lower launch costs, and ultimately, what infrastructure is missing in this fragile ecosystem – from tracking to global treaties to a sharing economy of satellites. By the end of the episode, listeners should be more equipped to understand how our infrastructure in space vastly impacts life on Earth, how the preservation of this ecosystem is crucial, and how Privateer is providing the map to better understand and fix the issue. Timestamps:  With Steve Wozniak 00:00 - Intro 3:24 - Why space and why now? 8:55 - The changing perception around space 13:29 - Exponential technologies and thinking different 16:32 - Inventors vs engineers vs visionaries 18:46 - Early days at Apple and moving towards the future 20:53 - Steve’s personal fascinations 23:58 - How vocabulary drives awareness 1:21:55 - Woz returns! With Alex Fielding and Dr. Moriba Jah 24:43 - Is space really an infinite void? 25:55 - The growing pollution in space 29:14 - The impact of space down on Earth 30:34 - The challenge of space policy and governance 38:27 - Orbital highways and carrying capacities 41:05 - Dependence on space infrastructure and its fragility 45:14 - Privateer’s role in the evolving ecosystem 46:52 - Democratizing space through data sharing 49:45 - Can we undo the damage that’s been done? 52:01 - Determining intent in space 58:17 - Talent needed in the space industry 1:01:04 - Privateer’s biggest challenges 1:09:22 - Space stewardship and Hawaii’s kuleana 1:15:19 - Who inspires Alex?   Resources:  Privateer’s website: https://mission.privateer.com/ Privateer’s Wayfinder tool: https://mission.privateer.com/ Privateer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrivateerSpace Steve Wozniak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevewoz Alex Fielding on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alex__Fielding Dr. Moriba Jah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/moribajah   Stay Updated:  Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.com/podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

With much coverage of technology lined with pessimism, the a16z Podcast returns to highlight the bright side of technology, alongside the founders building it. But before featuring the solutions in progress, we wanted to explore why building the future is still so important. And who better to traverse this ground than a16z’s own cofounder Marc Andreessen, who has built and invested in the future time and time again, especially when it wasn't the obvious thing to do. Together with Marc, this episode explores technology through the lens of history – including the three stages of human psychology as we encounter new technologies, how that process often manifests in regulation, when to change your mind, the Cambrian explosion of opportunity coming from distributed work, the importance of founder-led companies, and perhaps most importantly, we examine why there's still much reason for optimism. Timestamps:  00:00 - Welcome back! 02:19 - The importance of tech today 05:25 - Historical negativity toward technology 9:40 - The invention of the bicycle 13:16 - Innovation vs status in society 20:45 - Automobile moral panic and red flag laws 24:52 - Balaji’s arc on social networking 27:44 - Surfacing signal from noise 34:06 - The role of timing in innovation 37:39 - Today’s major unlocks 44:59 - Remote work and society reshuffling 49:49 - Changing your mind 54:06 - Retaining a lens of optimism 1:04:25 - What Marc’s excited about 1:08:41 - Bourgeois vs managerial capitalism 1:17:32 - Reform vs starting anew   Resources: Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmarca Pessimist’s Archive: https://pessimistsarchive.org/   Stay Updated:  Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16z Find us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.com/podcasts Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithio Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.