The a16z Show · Monday, July 27, 2026
Steven Sinofsky introduces the concept of the 'precautionary principle' in regulation, where action is taken before potential harm is known. He argues this approach, particularly in tech, can stifle innovation by constraining potential solutions.
“And that it actually came up, it happened so often that this guy came up with a term, and it's called the precautionary principle.”
“But when you do that, what you really do is you constrain the solution set.”
“And so the precautionary principle was like, well, let's just get ahead. And let's let's regulate before anything bad happens.”