a16z General Partner David George is joined by Grant LaFontaine, co-founder of Whatnot, to unpack how a marketplace that started with collectibles evolved into one of the world's leading live shopping platforms. Grant traces the company's origins from selling Pokémon cards online as a kid to discovering live commerce by watching Whatnot's earliest customers hack together sales on social media. They discuss why Whatnot thinks less like a traditional e-commerce marketplace and more like a digital shopping mall, where discovery, entertainment, community, and commerce all happen at once. Today, users spend roughly 95 minutes a day on the platform, and most aren't even buying something on a given day. They also explore how Whatnot is enabling small businesses to reach global audiences, expanding from collectibles into categories like fashion, food, and golf, and using AI to make sellers more efficient without replacing the human connection at the center of the experience.   Resources: Follow Grant LaFontaine on X: https://x.com/GrantLaFontaine [https://x.com/GrantLaFontaine] Follow David George on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83 [https://x.com/DavidGeorge83] Follow Whatnot on X: https://x.com/whatnot [https://x.com/whatnot] Stay Updated: Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@a16z] Find a16z on X [https://x.com/a16z] Find a16z on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z] Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX?si=3E8B3qT9TyiwAHJ7JnaKbg] Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711] Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg [https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg] 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. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.