This is the 16th episode of 16 Minutes, our news show where we cover the top headlines, the a16z Podcast way: what’s real / what’s hype; why they matter from our vantage point in tech.

This week, we cover the following news (in conversation with Sonal Chokshi):

1. NYSE & SEC back and forth over direct listings -- The NYSE recently proposed allowing companies to raise capital during direct listings (currently, they're different than IPOs in that there is no offering); the SEC rejected it; and they just filed a new proposal... but beyond this news and these artifacts, what's the bigger picture when it comes to other structural factors involved here? -- with Scott Kupor.
2. vaping apps & Apple; FDA & CBD-- two recent moves: Apple banning 181 vaping apps from its app store, FDA issuing warning letters against 15 companies with products that have CBD in them; what's our quick take on the blurring lines between these two seemingly different bits of news? -- with Vijay Pande.

Relevant/ related links:

• IPOs, direct listings, more:
  • beyond the opening bell: what do (and don't) IPOs tell us about companies? by Scott Kupor
  • direct listings, the myths and the facts [podcast] with Stacey Cunningham, Barry McCarthy, and Sonal Chokshi
  • all about direct listings with Jamie McGurk
  • the curious case (and the behind-the-scenes story of) the OpenTable IPO [podcast] with Jeff Jordan, J.D. Moriarty, and Sonal Chokshi
  • on capital formation, smaller companies, and IPOs [testimony] by Scott Kupor

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