Andreessen Horowitz is launching a free crypto startup school. In October 2019, a16z general partner Mr. Chris Dixon announced the project at TechCrunch Disrupt. The official launch of the school is today. Interested parties can already apply and can do so in the following four weeks.
The idea behind the school is to democratize the cryptocurrency industry. The VC firm has been heavily involved with cryptocurrencies and the blockchain industry for more than 6 years and has now decided to share its knowledge and insights with entrepreneurs.
The program is 7-week long, starting on February 21 to April 3, 2020. The following are some of the topics to be covered during the course, as taken from the startup school’s website:
- What are Crypto Networks, and Why Do They Matter?
- Blockchain Computing Primitives: Cryptography and Consensus
- Overview of Application Development Tools
- Applications: Today and 2025
- Crypto Business Models
- Cryptoeconomics
- UX, Product Development and Security
- Go-to-market Strategy and Developer Relations
- Community Participation and Governance
- Regulatory Landscape and Considerations
- Guide to Fundraising
The entire course is free. Lectures will take place in Menlo Park, so all participants will be based in Silicon Valley. Andreessen Horowitz will also be recording all lectures, so that every participants can watch the videos and download the educational materials at a later point.
The course will include around 40 participants in 20 to 25 teams. All eligible participants should have some experience in software, but no crypto experience is required. The lectures, workshops, networking opportunities and mentorship will take around 15 hours per week.
After the course ends, all participants will pitch a project idea or a prototype during a demo day, as reported by Tech Crunch.
More about a16z can be found here: