Marc Andreessen, the renowned venture capitalist and cofounder of the influential firm Andreessen Horowitz, recently offered a series of compelling insights into how individuals can harness the full potential of artificial intelligence. Speaking on a new episode of the ‘a16z Podcast’ released on Tuesday, he shared his perspective that AI tools are capable of serving as the world’s most exceptional coach, mentor, advisor, therapist, and even as an intelligent board member—provided that users know how to engage with them thoughtfully and ask the right kinds of questions. Andreessen emphasized that the secret to unlocking AI’s true value lies not merely in accessing the technology but in the artful way one interacts with it.
According to Andreessen, AI represents perhaps the most democratizing technological breakthrough in human history. Unlike previous innovations that often required vast infrastructure, specialized expertise, or significant financial investment, today’s most advanced AI systems are freely accessible to anyone with a smartphone or computer. He described how the very best AI models—those once confined to research labs and elite institutions—are now integrated into widely available applications that can be downloaded by the general public, effectively making an unprecedented level of cognitive power available to anyone willing to explore its capabilities.
This accessibility, however, is not where the greatest power of AI resides. Andreessen explained that the transformative potential of artificial intelligence emerges when users begin to treat it not as a passive tool but as an active and collaborative ‘thought partner.’ He argued that engaging AI in this way allows people to refine their thinking, generate new perspectives, and challenge assumptions they might not otherwise question. As he put it, part of mastering the ‘art of AI’ lies in developing a deep understanding of what questions to pose and how to structure those prompts to elicit the most insightful responses.
To illustrate his point, Andreessen described practical applications relevant to small business operations. He imagined, for instance, a bakery owner who could input various aspects of their business—such as employee schedules, customer email exchanges, or marketing copy—and then request the AI to critique, optimize, or suggest improvements across all those materials. In product development, he suggested that business owners could perform similar exercises by feeding AI a recipe or creative concept and asking it how to refine or elevate the product. Using a bakery again as his example, he proposed the question: ‘What’s the best cinnamon roll recipe in the world?’ From there, he advised that one should work backward, analyzing each component until reaching the desired combination of taste, quality, and efficiency. He also highlighted another possible scenario: setting constraints such as cost, and then asking AI for strategies to achieve excellence while reducing production expenses—for example, finding a way to produce a superior cinnamon roll at one-tenth the current price. According to Andreessen, these kinds of iterative and strategic engagements are what reveal the extraordinary capability of AI to act as a partner in innovation.
Another important technique he introduced is the use of what he called ‘meta prompts’—requests that help users refine their own questioning process. By asking AI what questions one should be asking, individuals can uncover blind spots, reconsider their assumptions, and improve their overall communication with the model. He suggested that users might begin by simply prompting, ‘Teach me how to use you in the most effective way possible.’ This recursive strategy enables a feedback loop in which the AI teaches the human how to improve their ability to query it, producing a virtuous cycle of learning and refinement. In Andreessen’s view, knowing how to prompt efficiently is not an optional skill but a fundamental part of leveraging AI’s full capacity.
Andreessen’s reflections were echoed by other leaders in the technology world who share his view that prompt literacy—understanding how to frame questions with precision and clarity—is key to maximizing AI’s usefulness. Andrew Ng, the founder of Google Brain and a preeminent figure in machine learning, made a similar observation during the Masters of Scale Summit held in October 2025. Ng pointed out that the most meaningful outcomes arise when users engage in prolonged, context-rich dialogues with models instead of treating them as one-off answer machines. He explained that while AI systems are extraordinarily intelligent, they often need sustained context to perform optimally. For example, during his daily routine, Ng uses AI in voice mode to brainstorm new professional ideas while driving, creating a continuous back-and-forth process that heightens creativity and refines thinking in real time.
Matt Barrington, the chief technology officer for the Americas at Ernst & Young, reinforced this same principle in an earlier interview with Business Insider. In a report published in February, Barrington noted that effectively managing context is crucial when collaborating with AI. To achieve this, he maintains separate AI ‘workspaces’ that correspond to different areas of focus—such as technical problem-solving or client communications. Each workspace is carefully crafted to preserve context and maintain the integrity of the conversation within a particular domain. Furthermore, he explained that he provides explicit, detailed instructions regarding the manner in which he expects the AI to respond, specifying the tone, level of depth, and style of output. Typical directives might include commands such as ‘Offer a concise, bullet-point summary,’ ‘Adopt the persona of a financial analyst,’ or ‘Include credible references and supply relevant source links.’ Through these disciplined prompting practices, Barrington ensures that AI acts not as a general-purpose information generator but as a purpose-built thought collaborator aligned to his professional needs.
Taken together, these perspectives from Andreessen, Ng, and Barrington illuminate a shared lesson about the evolving human–AI relationship: the quality of interaction determines the quality of insight. Artificial intelligence may already embody enormous potential, but realizing that potential depends less on the technology itself and more on the human ability to communicate effectively with it. As Andreessen suggests, the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers will be those who understand that prompting is not just a technical skill—it is a new form of literacy for the digital age, one that empowers individuals to turn universal access to AI into deeply personal, transformative guidance.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-how-to-prompt-ai-2025-11
