Episode · a16z Podcast · 2026-03-20
Books mentioned on Inside Palantir: Building Software That Matters with Shyam Sankar
In this conversation, Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer at Palantir Technologies, discusses his new book Mobilize, his commission in the U.S.
Shyam Sankar discussed AMERICAN GRAFFITI..
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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AMERICAN GRAFFITI.
Discussed“In '73 George Lucas made American Graffiti because he was tired of it. He's like, I'm tired of it. I just want to make a movie about boys driving cars chasing girls.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Mobilize
“I'd love to get into to mobilize, but first why did you decide now is the time to sort of write the write the canonical book of what needs to happen in America and then maybe we can talk about sort of the the sort of fundamental thesis too.”
Plugged Mobilize
“And mobilize seeks to set that story in context of one, hey, this is the industrial base, what I like to call the American industrial base that won World War II. Chrysler built Minuteman missiles and minivans. And every camera, car, cereal box that American consumer bought was actually also subsidizing our national security.”