a16z general partner Anish Acharya talks with David Pawlan, creator of the Assistant Benchmark, about the rush of personal AI agents now reaching the market. Pawlan has been running dozens of assistants through everyday chores, from email triage to travel bookings and expense paperwork, and the two debate what an agent must do before consumers will pay for it. They also dig into winning interfaces, how much autonomy buyers will actually surrender, and what changes once agents start transacting with other agents.