http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/technology/farhads-and-mikes-week-in-tech-what-no-more-iphone-headphone-jack.html 2016-09-05 09:52:09 Farhad’s and Mike’s Week in Tech: What? No More iPhone Headphone Jack? Our duo thinks hard about the SpaceX fireworks in Cape Canaveral, Andreessen Horowitz’s returns and Apple’s $14.5 billion trip to European tax purgatory. A new, surly reporter joins the proceedings. === Each Saturday, Farhad Manjoo and Mike Isaac, technology reporters at The New York Times, review Farhad Mike Farhad That was the plan, at least. On Thursday morning, the rocket carrying the satellite Mike: Farhad Mike: Farhad: To understand this story it helps to go over the Andreessen Horowitz back story. The firm was founded in 2009 as a new kind of V.C. Rather than just give start-ups money, Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, storied tech entrepreneurs, would also help companies with hiring, communications and other functions that young firms need. The model has been widely copied and hailed as game-changing, and A16Z, as the firm is known, is now recognized as one of the Valley’s elite investors. But apparently its returns don’t match its reputation. The Journal said other top V.C.s had made a lot more money for their investors. Two funds raised by Sequoia Capital last decade have returned eight times their investors’ money, and its 2010 fund is up 5.5 times. Benchmark’s 2011 fund has rung up returns of 11 times’ investors’ money. A16Z, by comparison, is at around two times its investors’ money so far. That’s better than a lot of other venture firms, but not earth-shattering. Mike: I think the Journal story is ultimately a small stain on the firm’s reputation, but it won’t deter the firm from raising another giant fund in another year or two. And, um, entrepreneurs will probably still accept the millions of dollars that A16Z wants to give them. So this is more about pride than it is dollars. And if there’s one way to get under a venture capitalist’s skin, it’s to ding their egos. (Same goes for me, too.) Farhad Given your general inability to discuss anything intelligently, Mike, I thought it would be a good idea to invite an expert Apple watcher to help us out. Mike: Farhad: So, Dai, tell us: Is Apple’s event next week going to be as boring as we’ve all been hearing for months? Dai: Mike: Dai: That said, boring doesn’t mean that there won’t be meaningful changes. Take Touch ID. When it came out, people weren’t losing their mind over it, but I think it’s significantly improved the iPhone experience and it’s allowed for things like Apple Pay. Step by step, little by little, a lot of boring announcements culminate into interesting things. For this coming iPhone, we’re looking for the headphone jack to go away, the introduction of dual lens cameras and, of course, there will be the usual assortment of thinner, lighter and better. Saying goodbye to the headphone jack is Mike: Dai: I realized at some point that nothing could beat that initial change of your TV, which once weighed as much as an N.F.L. lineman, becoming sleek enough to mount on a wall. Before you knew it, prices were plunging and TV businesses were losing money by the billions. Mike: Farhad: Mike: Farhad: Mike