Sriram Krishnan - The Man Leading America’s AI Race Against China | SRS #238

Sep 22, 2025 Shawn Ryan Show
Sriram Krishnan is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and former senior product leader at tech giants like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter (now X), and Snap. Born in Chennai, India, he began his career at Microsoft before moving to Silicon Valley, where he contributed to product development at leading companies and later transitioned to venture capital as a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz from 2021 to 2024, focusing on consumer and enterprise investments.

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump appointed him as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, tasked with advancing U.S. dominance in AI amid global competition.

Krishnan co-hosted "The Aarthi and Sriram Show" podcast with his wife Aarthi Ramamurthy, interviewing tech leaders and exploring innovation topics.

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Guest Links
X personal - https://x.com/sriramk
X official - https://x.com/skrishnan47
Website - https://sriramk.com

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Chapter Markers
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:00 Background and Achievements
05:14 AI, Emerging Tech, and the Future of Innovation
09:14 Passion for Pro Wrestling
31:07 Childhood in India and Early Family Influence
34:39 Education, Coding, and Meeting His Wife
42:39 Breaking Into Big Tech: Microsoft and Gratitude
59:06 Entrepreneurship and the Power of Storytelling
01:16:29 Mentorship, Betting on Talent, and Belief
01:25:17 Facebook Ads and Building at Scale
01:32:10 Virality: Ice Bucket Challenge & Social Media Impact
01:59:21 Social Media’s Role in the 2020 Election
02:10:52 DEI, Twitter, and Silicon Valley Shifts
02:30:37 Venture Capital and Founder Philosophy
02:53:28 Investing in Startups and Picking Winners
03:08:59 Rise of OpenAI and the AI Race
03:20:15 AI Policy, Doomers, and Human Ingenuity
03:52:11 China’s AI Progress and Global Stakes
04:06:24 Chips, Power, and the Future of Development
04:30:53 Closing Thoughts and What's Next