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This Week in Startups

This Week in Startups

By Jason Calacanis

Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.
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Instagram to shut down Shopping, reacting to Apple's event & more + The Blueprint Part 9 | E1554

This Week in StartupsSep 08, 2022

00:00
01:32:52
Ask Jason LIVE!: Unpacking Startup Strategies with Real-Time Q&A | E1921

Ask Jason LIVE!: Unpacking Startup Strategies with Real-Time Q&A | E1921

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.Squarespace.com/twist for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Eppo. Experimentation is how generation-defining companies win. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit http://www.geteppo.com/twist

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Todays show:

Jason kicks off Ask Jason live! Six live guests ask questions on key topics, including prioritizing multiple founders (13:28), advice around moat for a startup (52:42), and whether not focusing on AI in a pitch will affect investment chances (1:02:38).

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off another Ask Jason with 6 live guests!

(1:13) Sean asks about investment firms changing how they invest early on.

(11:42) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist

(13:28) Pierson of jellypod asks about prioritizing multiple founders for investments or accelerators

(22:54) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(24:47) Ann asks if they should raise venture capital to grow faster even though it means giving up some company ownership.

(32:01) Eppo. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit http://www.geteppo.com/twist

(39:56) Francis asks how to strike a balance between skepticism and enthusiasm when evaluating a company for investment, given that it's impossible to invest in every company.

(52:42) Hosum asks if explaining their startup's moat as current execution and future benefits after reaching product-market fit is enough to convince investors.

(1:02:38) Thom asks if not highlighting AI in our funding pitch will hurt our chances of getting investment.

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Send us your questions for the next episode of Ask Jason LIVE! http://www.thisweekinstartups.com/askjason

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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(11:42) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist

(22:54) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(32:01) Eppo. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit http://www.geteppo.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 27, 202401:09:46
AI Demos: Gatekeep, Deepgram, Claude 3 Haiku and more! | E1920

AI Demos: Gatekeep, Deepgram, Claude 3 Haiku and more! | E1920

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Ads: To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign,

go to http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

Coda: A new doc that brings words, tables and teams together. All your valuable data, plans, objectives, and strategies in one place. Go to https://coda.io/twist to get a $1,000 credit!

Wistia is THE all-in-one video platform for business, with tools that help you create, manage, and measure the impact of your videos.

Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups

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Todays show:

Sunny joins Jason to dive into AI news and demos, including a new report about AI and Enterprises (12:28), Gatekeep AI (23:34), Deepgram API Playground (39:55), and more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny joins Jason.

(4:33) What the resignation of the CEO of Stability AI signifies. (11:01) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(12:28) Exploring the a16z report about AI and Enterprises.

(20:42) Coda - Get a $1,000 startup credit at https://coda.io/twist

(23:34) Sunny demoes Gatekeep AI and get surprising results when Jason asks it to explain a “keystone”.

(31:27) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at wistia.com/startups.

(39:55) Sunny demoes Deepgram API Playground with a fun clip from a young Jason asking Steve Jobs a question.

(50:19 ) Sunny demoes the Claude model Haiku from Anthropic with an image from a famous Michael Jordan dunk.

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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

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LINKS:

Report: 16 Changes to the Way Enterprises Are Building and Buying Generative AI: https://a16z.com/generative-ai-enterprise-2024/

Check out Gatekeep AI: https://app.gatekeep.ai/

Check out Deepgram API Playground: https://playground.deepgram.com/

Check out Antrhopic’s Claude Haiku: https://console.anthropic.com/workbench/01fd2f39-ed95-40e1-9d11-c92f1a5ef26f

Claude 3 Haiku announcement: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-3-haikuplayground:

Article about Stability AI CEO resigning: https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/22/stability-ai-ceo-resigns-because-youre-not-going-to-beat-centralized-ai-with-more-centralized-ai/

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Follow Sunny:

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners: (11:01) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(20:42) Coda - Get a $1,000 startup credit at https://coda.io/twist

(31:27) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at wistia.com/startups.

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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 26, 202401:00:30
Kleiner Perkins and Penn’s Endowment on India, loss ratios, and the rise of secondaries | E1919

Kleiner Perkins and Penn’s Endowment on India, loss ratios, and the rise of secondaries | E1919

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist.

Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Discover how Gelt can help you to manage and optimize both your personal and business taxes. Visit joingelt.com/twist now.

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Todays show:

David Weisburd hosts Mamoon Hamid, Thomas Scriven, and Jason Calacanis to discuss India’s startup ecosystem (2:36), Carta’s 2018 startup class data (25:45), IPOs in the tech industry (41:18), and much more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd intros Mamoon Hamid, Thomas Scriven, and Jason Calacanis

(2:36) India’s startup ecosystem

(8:16) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(9:08) Traction and support for Indian startups

(17:29) Sovereign wealth funds and their place in the ecosystem today

(24:15) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

(25:45) Deep dive into Carta’s 2018 startup class data, loss ratios, and investment strategies

(40:04) Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit https://joingelt.com/twist now.

(41:18) The future of M&A and IPOs in the tech industry

(49:51) The rise of the secondary market

(1:07:09) Rapid-fire segment on recent investments

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Mentioned on the show:

https://www.harvey.ai

https://codeium.com

https://www.ambiencehealthcare.com

https://www.glean.com

https://tolt.io

https://www.argyle.build

https://www.podengine.ai

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Follow Mamoon:

X: https://twitter.com/mamoonha

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamoonha

Check out: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/

*

Follow Thomas:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-scriven-435281/

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Follow David:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠

Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(8:16) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(24:15) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

(40:04) Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit https://joingelt.com/twist now.

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 22, 202401:10:44
Microsoft consumes Inflection and AI Demos from Suno, Cohere, Deepseek VL and more! | E1918

Microsoft consumes Inflection and AI Demos from Suno, Cohere, Deepseek VL and more! | E1918

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Eight Sleep. Good sleep is the ultimate game changer. Now you can add the Pod Cover to any mattress! Go to http://www.eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Cover and get $200 off the pod plus free shipping!

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Discover how Gelt can help you to manage and optimize both your personal and business taxes. Visit http://www.joingelt.com/twist now.

*

Todays show:

Sunny joins Jason to dive into AI news and demos, including Microsoft absorbing Inflection AI (1:29), the new song creation model from Suno (13:28), impressive reflection skills from Deepseek VL (45:57), and more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) - Sunny joins Jason (1:29) Big news as Microsoft eliminates competitor Inflection AI by gutting their team. (6:23) Is this a new way to not have regulatory scrutiny like in M&A? (8:14) Apple has been busy acquiring AI companies! (9:14) Eight Sleep - Go to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist for $200 off the Pod plus free shipping (13:28) Sunny demos the new model from Suno v3. (15:58) Surprising punk song from Suno with interesting lyrics. (17:52) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (19:24) Implications of Suno bringing everyone access to produce their own songs. (25:24) Sunny demos Coral by Cohere. (28:53) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit http://www.joingelt.com/twist  now. (30:08) Diving deeper into fair use regarding the data and content scraped from the internet. (45:57) Sunny demos Deepseek VL.

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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

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LINKS:

Check out Suno v3: https://app.suno.ai/create/

Check out Coral by Cohere: https://dashboard.cohere.com/playground/chat

Check out Deepseek VL: https://huggingface.co/spaces/deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-VL-7B

9to5Mac article about Apple buying AI Startups: https://9to5mac.com/2024/02/08/apple-bought-ai-startups/

Tech Crunch Article about Microsoft and Inflection: https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/19/after-raising-1-3b-inflection-got-eaten-alive-by-its-biggest-investor-microsoft/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFUxPOXc4AHnjptN6dxkwFgpZ0kvPL_gTJ1uMicNRJwwtbQbuS1P0AI0MbDZzGawLNTArPSTT6VrWbByv-AyGXGWF_mkTdLG6eBSgiTrJPpqyBvY1y-GZoAE4xzQdq9v8ciP0VfQpKcSr-acjKYZEdwlc0XZV2lP6CeOb9I_QqXl

Rolling Stone Article about Suno: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/suno-ai-chatgpt-for-music-1234982307/

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Follow Sunny:

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(9:14) Eight Sleep - Go to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist for $200 off the Pod plus free shipping (17:52) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (28:53) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit http://www.joingelt.com/twist now.

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 21, 202453:45
Optimizing fund structure, GP market fit, & more with Screendoor’s Jamie Rhode | Episode 1917

Optimizing fund structure, GP market fit, & more with Screendoor’s Jamie Rhode | Episode 1917

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members.

Hubspot YouTube Network. Whether you're a marketer, a sales rep, or an entrepreneur HubSpot has you covered with its tutorials and AI-powered tools. It’s all guaranteed to make your workday easier. Check out  HubSpot’s AI Content Writer and start using HubSpot’s tools for FREE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJwJF6ppCo https://clickhubspot.com/zu8

Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Discover how Gelt can help you to manage and optimize both your personal and business taxes. Visit http://joingelt.com/twist now

*

Todays show:

Screendoor’s Jamie Rhode joins Jason to discuss the evolution of early-stage fund managers (3:00), effective portfolio construction (11:18), qualities of high-performing GPs (38:37), and much more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Screendoor’s Jamie Rhode joins Jason

(3:00) Early-stage fund managers today, spray and pray vs. concentrated bets, and importance of GP market fit

(10:11) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(11:18) Effective portfolio construction, investing in startups that are creating new sectors, and finding the right fund managers

(17:28) Why seed stage investing attracts fewer GPs than series A or B

(23:08) Hubspot - Sign up for HubSpot's FREE CRM and get access to the AI Content Writer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJwJF6ppCo https://clickhubspot.com/zu8

(24:28) Quantity of GPs to invest in and Screendoor’s approach to the DEI landscape

(32:22) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit http://joingelt.com/twist now.

(33:35) Carry, Fees, and the percentage of a fund that Screendoor targets

(38:37) Qualities of high-performing GPs

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Check out Screendoor: https://www.screendoor.co

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Jamie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrcfa/

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:11) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(23:08) Hubspot - Sign up for HubSpot's FREE CRM and get access to the AI Content Writer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJwJF6ppCo https://clickhubspot.com/zu8

(32:22) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit http://joingelt.com/twist now.

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 21, 202449:10
The future of enterprise search and AI-powered work productivity with Glean’s Arvind Jain | E1916

The future of enterprise search and AI-powered work productivity with Glean’s Arvind Jain | E1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

Gelt. It’s time to take control over your taxes. Discover how Gelt can help you to manage and optimize both your personal and business taxes. Visit joingelt.com/twist now.

*

Todays show:

Glean’s Arvind Jain joins Jason to discuss how his startup is building the future of AI-Powered enterprise search (2:35). The two also discuss Google Gemini (42:45), Open-Source vs Closed models (45:17), and much more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Glean’s Arvind Jain joins Jason

(2:35) Glean’s beachhead market and primary focus

(5:13) Glean’s approach to data confidentiality

(11:57) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(13:13) Competition against native tools and building language models in SaaS companies

(17:00) Glean’s approach to permissions

(24:20) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(25:23) Compliance and the "CEO God Mode" feature

(29:28) Potential of productivity software, and people analytics in tech businesses

(38:50) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. https://joingelt.com/twist now

(40:04) Impact of AI on business models

(42:45) Arvind’s thoughts on Google Gemini

(45:17) Open source vs closed models in AI development and the progress of OpenAI

(47:49) AGI and the limitations and potential of AI as an assistant

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Check out:

https://cybernews.com/security/chatgpt-samsung-leak-explained-lessons/#google_vignette

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Arvind:

X: https://twitter.com/jainarvind

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvind-jain-5935161

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(11:57) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(24:20) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(38:50) Gelt - It’s time to take control over your taxes. Visit joingelt.com/twist now

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 20, 202452:20
Figure’s AI Robot, AI News, Cognition’s Devin, and the biggest AI bet yet! | E1915

Figure’s AI Robot, AI News, Cognition’s Devin, and the biggest AI bet yet! | E1915

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at Gusto.com/twist.

Attio - A radically new CRM for the next era of companies. Head to attio.com/twist to get 15% off for your first year.

*

Todays show:

Sunny joins Jason to dive into AI news, including the CTO from Open AI talking about their training data for Sora (5:11), the FIgure AI robot (12:26), Devin, the first AI software engineer (38:17), and more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny joins Jason for a fun AI day!

(2:08) Elon and open source Grok vs “Closed” AI.

(5:11) The CTO from Open AI talking about their training data for Sora.

(9:28) Exploring the fascinating AI robot from Figure.

(10:57) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(12:26) Comparing the FIgure AI robot and what we have seen from Boston Dynamics and why this is impressive.

(19:47) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(21:10) Thinking about how humans learn and applying that to AI.

(28:28) The idea that robots may one day be 1:1 with humans.

(30:50) Attio - Head to http://www.attio.com/twist to get 15% off for your first year.

(32:01) New bet alert! And it’s a major one. Sunny and JCal bet on how soon we will all have access to AI robots in our homes!

(38:17) Introducing Devin, the first AI software engineer!

(40:24) The “maestro” concept when working with AI.

(47:21) Hot news: Apple in talks to let Google Gemini power iPhone AI Features.

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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

Cognition’s Devin: https://www.cognition-labs.com/introducing-devin

Figure AI Robot: https://www.figure.ai/

*

Follow Sunny:

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:57) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(19:47) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

(30:50) Attio - Head to attio.com/twist to get 15% off for your first year.

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 19, 202453:57
2024 VC trends, portfolio construction, & more with Churchill's Raja Doddala | E1914

2024 VC trends, portfolio construction, & more with Churchill's Raja Doddala | E1914

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://linkedin.com/angelpod

Mantle. The AI-powered equity management platform designed for modern founders and operators. Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist.

*

Todays show:

Jason Calacanis welcomes Churchill Asset Management’s Raja Doddala to the show to discuss startups and the VC market in 2024. They dive into the competitiveness in pre-seed, seed, and series A (10:40),

portfolio construction (30:24), the future of the vc industry (50:59), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(00:00) Jason welcomes Churchill Asset Management’s Raja Doddala to the show

(1:52) Trends in pre-seed and seed deal values

(9:19) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(10:40) Competitiveness and predictability in pre-seed, seed, and series A

(21:28) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

(22:46) Trends in exit values

(29:19) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

(30:24) Exploring portfolio architecture and the difference between mega funds and smaller funds

(50:59) Prospects in the vc over the next few years and the rise of the next generation

(59:26) The role of secondary sales in venture capital and importance of liquidity for VC funds

*

Check out:

Churchill Asset Management - https://www.churchillam.com

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Raja

X: https://twitter.com/rdoddala

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajadoddala

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(9:19) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(21:28) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

(29:19) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 14, 202401:03:48
Melengo's Justin Kwong on the future of end-to-end clothing manufacturing | E1913

Melengo's Justin Kwong on the future of end-to-end clothing manufacturing | E1913

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

Uizard. Struggling to transform innovative ideas into concrete product designs? Uizard can help you turn your visions into polished UI designs in a fraction of the time, while enhancing collaboration across your entire team. Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at uizard.io/twist

Experimentation is how generation-defining companies win. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit geteppo.com/twist

*

Todays show:

Jason welcomes Melengo's Justin Kwong to the show to discuss how his company simplifies the process of developing, financing, and scaling apparel lines for brands and creators. The two dive into Melengo’s business model, initial customers, fundraising, and much more (1:49). Then, Jason breaks down his A.D.D. framework, designed to enhance efficiency and focus within companies (36:50)!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show

(1:48) Justin Kwong from Melengo joins Jason

(4:38) Justin demos Melengo and its use cases

(9:45) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(10:37) Melengo’s business model, initial customers, and fundraising

(22:19) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(23:26) Building Melengo's team and the next steps for finding product-market-fit

(36:50) Eppo. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit geteppo.com/twist

(37:50) Jason’s A.D.D. framework (Automate, Deprecate, Delegate)

*

Check out:

Melengo - https://www.melengo.com

A.D.D. Framework - https://calacanis.substack.com/p/startup-productivity-in-the-age-of

LAUNCH Accelerator - https://launchaccelerator.co

Founder University - https://www.founder.university

The Syndicate - https://thesyndicate.com

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Justin:

X: https://twitter.com/jkwong

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinckwong

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(9:45) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(22:19) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(36:50) Eppo. Accelerate your experimentation velocity with Eppo. Visit geteppo.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 14, 202401:00:20
AI Demos: Claude 3's Opus, Mistral, Groq Playground, EMO by Ali Baba | E1912

AI Demos: Claude 3's Opus, Mistral, Groq Playground, EMO by Ali Baba | E1912

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Lemon.io. Need to speed up your product development without draining your budget? Hire vetted engineers from Europe at lemon.io. Go to Lemon.io/twist to get 15% off for the first 4 weeks!

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Looking to up your marketing game? Check out the podcast: Marketing Against the Grain. Hosted by: Hubspot CMO Kipp Bodnar and Zapier CMO Kieran Flannigan. They bring you the latest in marketing trends, growth tactics and innovation. Available on all your favorite podcast apps. https://lnk.to/h3vKHnTW

*

Todays show:

Sunny demos the lightning speed of Groq (4:10), the new model Opus from Claude 3 (5:38), Mistral (35:26), EMO by Ali Baba (45:21), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny joins Jason for this week’s AI demos!

(1:19) Details on Definitive Intelligence being acquired by Groq.

(4:10) Sunny demos the lightning speed of Groq.

(5:38) Sunny demos the new model Opus from Claude 3 and it’s prompt library.

(8:52) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(10:12) Claude helps interpret Ikea instructions.

(19:18) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(20:35) Looking at the use of “guardrails” in LLMs.

(28:59) Marketing Against the Grain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIE8hmH0fLM*

https://lnk.to/h3vKHnTW

(35:26) Sunny demos Mistral

(38:53) Sunny demos Groq Playground and creates a framework for a study plan.

(45:21) Sunny demos EMO by Ali Baba.

*

LINKS:

Anthropic Claude 3: https://console.anthropic.com/

Prompt Library: https://docs.anthropic.com/claude/prompt-library

Mistral: https://chat.mistral.ai/

Groq Playground: groq.com/console.groq.com

EMO by Ali Baba: https://humanaigc.github.io/emote-portrait-alive/

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Sunny:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sundeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm/

*

Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(8:52) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(19:18) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(28:59) Marketing Against the Grain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIE8hmH0fLM*

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 12, 202401:03:08
Uber's leadership lessons, AI's disruption, and the power of solo founders with Josh Mohrer | E1911

Uber's leadership lessons, AI's disruption, and the power of solo founders with Josh Mohrer | E1911

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

*

Todays show:

Josh Mohrer, the solo founder building Wave App joins Jason. The two dive into Josh’s time during the early Uber NY days (1:17), solo entrepreneurship in tech (19:59), and more! Josh then showcases the Wave App in action (27:10) and delves into its intricate development journey (32:26).

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Josh Mohrer joins Jason

(1:17) Early Uber NY days, Travis Kalanick's leadership, and Uber NY's regulatory challenges

(12:42) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(19:59) Solo entrepreneurship in tech, enabled by AI advancements

(26:15) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(27:10) Josh demos Wave App and delves into its development journey

(40:45) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(41:39) Future of work, AI in daily life, and generational tech shifts

*

Check out: https://waveapp.ai

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Josh:

X: https://twitter.com/joshmohrer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmohrer

*

Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(12:42) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(26:15) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(40:45) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 08, 202455:23
Robotic kitchens, restaurant tech, and fast-casual's future with Sweetgreen's Jonathan Neman | E1910

Robotic kitchens, restaurant tech, and fast-casual's future with Sweetgreen's Jonathan Neman | E1910

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Wistia. All-in-one video platform for business, with tools that help you create, manage, and measure the impact of your videos. Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups

CLA. Innovation takes balance. CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at http://www.CLAconnect.com/tech

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Todays show:

Jason is joined by sweetgreens’ Jonathan Neman to discuss: the x-factor that makes a strong manager (7:36). deciding between the franchise model vs owned and operated (16:02), robotics in the restaurant industry (24:23), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jonathan joins Jason.

(2:30) The scale and innovation of sweetgreen today

(7:36) The x-factor that makes a strong manager

(10:05) Wistia -  Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups

(12:31) The “Sweetlife” and the importance of “polishing forks”

(16:02) Navigating the decision between the franchise model vs owned and operated

(18:30) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech

(24:23) Robotics in the restaurant industry

(29:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(30:33) The details and benefits of the machines Sweetgreen has brought into its restaurants.

(37:15) Restaurant difficulties with inflation, COVID and “sticker shock”

(38:46) Delivery in the business today pre and post-pandemic

(45:10) How Australia fits into the origin of sweetgreen

(48:01) The best way to build a brand

(52:28) The seed oil conversation

(45:53) sweetgreen is positioned towards tailored menus.

(1:01:12) The challenging topic of food options and availability across different socioeconomic groups.

(1:05:58) The definition of healthy food

*

LINKS:

Check out sweetgreen: https://www.sweetgreen.com/

Watch The Founder (2-16): https://www.amazon.com/Founder-Michael-Keaton/dp/B01MY7FSMF

Watch our Business Breakdown of the film The Founder: https://youtu.be/kYqzEEFU_nw

Watch The Bear: https://tv.apple.com/ca/show/the-bear/umc.cmc.javg04xbn3eonbgfvnaqmodk

Check out Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/


Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Jonathan:

X: https://twitter.com/JonnyNemo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-neman-9a28aa8/

*

Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:05) Wistia -  Try Wistia for free at http://www.wistia.com/startups

(18:30) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech

(29:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 07, 202401:07:23
Business Breakdowns: Moneyball's first-principles, paradigm shifts, and ‘burn the boats’ | E1909

Business Breakdowns: Moneyball's first-principles, paradigm shifts, and ‘burn the boats’ | E1909

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Mantle. The AI-powered equity management platform designed for modern founders and operators. Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

MEV. Tired of the dev shop rollercoaster? Mev is your reliable technical partner, offering a well-established software development process designed to consistently deliver unparalleled value to their clients. Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist!

*

Todays show:

Lon Harris joins Jason Calacanis to discuss concepts in business, drawing parallels from Moneyball. The two dive into the significance of embracing paradigm shifts (15:38),first-principle thinking (27:16), Billy’s 'Adapt or Die' philosophy (48:54), and the turning point for the A's (1:11:20).

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Lon Harris joins Jason

(7:35) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

(8:53) Moneyball cast breakdown

(15:38) Paradigm shifts in Moneyball: Comparing the Oakland A's situation to startups vs. incumbents

(21:19) Paradigm shifts in Moneyball: Making data-driven decisions

(26:24) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(27:16) The important concept of "First-Principle Thinking”

(35:03) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(36:34) Globalization's impact on startup opportunities and the importance of a unified team vision

(48:54) Billy's philosophy: Adapt or Die!

(59:20) The "burn the boats" moment and the importance of commitment in business

(1:11:20) The turning point for the A's and their historic winning streak

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Lon:

X: https://twitter.com/Lons

*

Thank you to our partners:

(7:35) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://withmantle.com/TWIST

(26:24) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(35:03) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 05, 202401:19:12
Mission Over Money & The State of Defense Tech with Palantir's Shyam Sankar | E1908

Mission Over Money & The State of Defense Tech with Palantir's Shyam Sankar | E1908

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

NetSuite. Once your business gets to a certain size the cracks start to emerge.  Things you used to do in a day take a week. You deserve a customized solution - and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist - absolutely free, at http://www.NetSuite.com/twist

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

*

Todays show:

Jason joins Palantir's Shyam Sankar to discuss how the US has avoided another terrorist attack since 9/11 (7:59), the role of AI and robotics in the battlefield (22:34), the future of defense tech (53:48), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason joins Shyam Sankar of Palantir. (3:04) - Silcon valley’s shift in perception around defense tech and Palantir. (5:09) - Palentir being born out of 9/11 and the realization of the countries vulnerabilities. (7:59) How the US has managed to avoid another terrorist attack and what role Palantir's products played. (9:33) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://www.NetSuite.com/twist (10:48) One major failure regarding 9/11 attack. (11:55) The Gotham Platform: Palantir's first product and how it borrowed from PayPal. (18:12) The most valuable role software could play in defense tech. (18:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (19:52) How defense tech data collection has changed over the years. (22:34) The role of AI and robotics play in the battlefield. (29:22) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist (30:38) The autopilot approach of LLMs at Palantir and the analogy of self-driving cars. (33:28) Palantir's huge early wins with AI integration. (38:01) The defense potential of LLMs and real time interpretation in the field. (39:51) The importance of RF in the modern battlefield. (45:32) Discussing Putin’s serious threat. (48:54) How the defense industrial base was managed and consolidated after WWII (53:48) The future of defense tech, the speed of innovation and enemy adaptation.

*

Check out Palantir Technologies: https://www.palantir.com/

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Shyam:

X: https://twitter.com/ssankar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyamsankar/

*

Thank you to our partners:

(9:33) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at  http://www.NetSuite.com/twist

(18:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(29:22) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 04, 202401:06:31
Sequoia & Union Square Returns, the Post-AI Labor Market, and the Return of SF? | E1907

Sequoia & Union Square Returns, the Post-AI Labor Market, and the Return of SF? | E1907

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Coda. A new doc that brings words, tables and teams together. All your valuable data, plans, objectives, and strategies in one place. Go to https://coda.io/twist to get a $1,000 credit!

*

Todays show:

David Weisburd hosts Erik, Guy, and Jason Calacanis to discuss Sequoia & Union Square Ventures' returns (1:15), AI's impact on startups and labor (17:35), US startups' risk tolerance (38:10), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd intros Erik Torenberg, Guy Perelmuter, and Jason Calacanis

(1:15) VC returns have been leaked, including returns from Sequoia Capital and Union Square Ventures

(11:33) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(17:35) Bearish signs for the startup employment market

(25:17) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(26:12) The emergence of the first one-person unicorn

(36:46) Coda - Get a $1,000 startup credit at https://coda.io/twist

(38:10) Founders & investors are now returning to San Francisco

(47:35) Rapid-fire segment on recent investments

*

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.wsj.com/tech/san-francisco-ai-boom-silicon-valley-307816b2

https://jam.dev

https://www.perplexity.ai

https://www.antaresindustries.com

https://mesodyne.com

https://limacharlie.io

https://www.cloudnc.com

https://codemate.ai

https://www.golfgolf.tech

https://www.terrakaffe.com

*

Follow Erik:

X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriktorenberg/

Check out: https://www.turpentine.co/

*

Follow Guy:

X: https://twitter.com/guyperelmuter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyperelmuter

Check out: https://www.gridscapital.com/

*

Follow David:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠

Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Mar 01, 202456:17
Unlocking the Power of Data with VenCap’s David Clark | E1906

Unlocking the Power of Data with VenCap’s David Clark | E1906

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Uizard. Struggling to transform innovative ideas into concrete product designs? Uizard can help you turn your visions into polished UI designs in a fraction of the time, while enhancing collaboration across your entire team. Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://www.uizard.io/twist

*

Todays show:

Jason joins David Clark of VenCap to discuss what distinguishes longevity and success in VC (5:25), the importance of strategy and timing when selling (25:47), preparing with founders for when things may go south (48:43), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Clark joins Jason.

(2:41) Looking at the data behind VenCap’s approach to alpha vs beta, managers and their over 500 investments to date.

(5:25) What distinguishes longevity and success in VC.

(9:15) Analyzing the data from David's chart covering 12,000 companies and the power law.

(10:34) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(12:43) Portfolio strategy and finding that 1% of fund returners.

(18:59) The value of investing in a company over a longer period of time.

(21:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(22:17) The challenges VenCap faces when looking at seed managers.

(25:47) The importance of strategy and timing on selling.

(29:18 ) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://www.uizard.io/twist

(33:05) Managing successful GPs and having them ‘stay in the game’.

(41:49) The misunderstandings of the J-Curve.

(48:43) Preparing with founders for when things may go south.

(58:36) Founder Fridays message from Jason.

*

LINKS:

Check out VenCap: https://www.vencap.com/

Watch the Brian Singerman episode here: https://youtu.be/o5Z0-d5w18M

Watch the Michael Kim episode here: https://youtu.be/a2FL_FvwoUA

Check out Founder Fridays: http://thisweekinstartups.com/meetups

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow David:

X: https://twitter.com/daveclark85

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-clark-6678b6b/?originalSubdomain=uk

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:34) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(21:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(29:18 ) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://www.uizard.io/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 28, 202401:00:36
Ask Jason LIVE! Returns to TWiST! | E1905

Ask Jason LIVE! Returns to TWiST! | E1905

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

*

Todays show:

Jason kicks off Ask Jason live! Six live guests ask questions on key topics like career paths in fintech (1:14), startup challenges (8:48), pivoting strategies (34:23), fundraising (46:54), and customer engagement strategies (52:30).

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off another Ask Jason!

(1:14) Tommy asks about getting a degree in fintech in order to join startups

(7:44) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(8:48) Sam asks about common mistakes for first time founders

(16:40) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(17:32) Clint asks about startups surviving the period before VC investments

(33:12) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(34:23) Daniel asks about startups pivoting in the wrong direction

(46:54) Greg asks about raising funds before product-market fit

(52:30) Oliver wants to know if it is better to go deep with a few customers or gain entry to multiple customers with a more lightweight solution

*

Apply to the LAUNCH Accelerator here: https://launchaccelerator.co/

Just getting started? Apply to Founder.University

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(7:44) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(16:40) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(33:12) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 27, 202401:01:21
Google's AI emergency, Apple's lowkey AI moves, amazing Sora demos & more with Sunny Madra | E1904

Google's AI emergency, Apple's lowkey AI moves, amazing Sora demos & more with Sunny Madra | E1904

This Week in Startups is brought to you by:

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit ⁠http://www.scalablepath.com/twist⁠ to get 20% off your first month.

Todays show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to discuss how Google’s “woke AI” emergency came to be (1:17), Apple’s lowkey AI integrations (33:51), what OpenAI’s incredible Sora model means for Hollywood (39:39), and much more!

Viewers! How are you enjoying the demos? What grades do you give these AI companies? Tell us what we got wrong and right and what demos you’d like to see on the podcast. Let us know by mentioning us on ⁠X.com⁠.

⁠https://x.com/Sundeep⁠

⁠https://x.com/Jason⁠

⁠https://x.com/twistartups⁠

See the full list of all AI demos from the show here: ⁠thisweekinstartups.com/AI⁠

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason!

(1:17) What went wrong with Google’s AI: Model training, RLHF, or guardrails? Plus, how Google can look to Meta for a solution

(13:35) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(15:00) More examples of bias in Google’s Gemini model

(20:19) Explorer.Globe.Engineer: an AI-powered research assistant

(27:45) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

(29:01) Reka’s impressive multimodal functionality

(33:51) Apple starts slowly releasing AI-powered features in its most popular apps

(38:19) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

(39:39) Sora demos from OpenAI, and what this means for the film industry

Links:

Check out Explorer.Globe: https://explorer.globe.engineer

Check out Reka: https://reka.ai

Check out Sora: https://openai.com/sora

Follow Sunny X: ⁠https://twitter.com/sundeep⁠⁠ Check out Definitive: ⁠https://www.definitive.io

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis⁠

Thank you to our partners:

(13:35) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(27:45) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

(38:19) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

Check out the Launch Accelerator: ⁠https://launchaccelerator.co⁠

Check out Founder University: ⁠https://www.founder.university⁠

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: ⁠https://rb.gy/v19fcp⁠

Feb 27, 202446:22
Reddit’s IPO, Consumer vs. Enterprise AI, and Sam Altman’s New Fund and more! | E1903

Reddit’s IPO, Consumer vs. Enterprise AI, and Sam Altman’s New Fund and more! | E1903

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist.

Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members.

*

Todays show:

David Weisburd hosts Bryan Rosenblatt, Michael Downing and Jason Calacanis to discuss Reddit’s IPO (1:19), Consumer vs. Enterprise AI (22:02), Sam Altman’s New Fund (38:18), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Bryan Rosenblatt, Michael Downing and Jason Calacanis

(1:19) Discussion on Reddit’s IPO and potential as an advertising business

(9:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(10:23) Reddit’s IPO and potential as an advertising business cont.

(16:44) AI Integration in traditional businesses

(20:56) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

(22:02) Consumer vs. enterprise AI

(37:09) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(38:18) Sam Altman’s venture capital fund and the future of the AI ecosystem

(1:05:06) Rapid fire segment on recent investments

*

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/generative-ai-business-implementation-ac995975?mod=tech_lead_pos4

https://www.axios.com/2024/02/15/sam-altman-openai-startup-fund

https://www.solace.health/

https://www.agentio.com/

https://www.recursiveventures.com

https://originalcapital.com

https://silentvc.com

https://www.getrecall.ai

https://www.micro1.ai

https://www.melengo.com

*

Follow Bryan

X: https://twitter.com/BRosenblatt4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanrosenblatt

Check out: https://www.craftventures.com

*

Follow Michael

X: https://twitter.com/michaeldowning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldowning

Check out: https://www.mdsv.vc

*

Follow David:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠

Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

() Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

() Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

() DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 23, 202401:12:08
Startup Pitches! LAUNCH Accelerator Demo Day | E1902

Startup Pitches! LAUNCH Accelerator Demo Day | E1902

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to https://www.linkedin.com/twist to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason joins seven strong startup pitches from LAUNCH Accelerator. (1:11) Jacqui kicks off the demo day. (1:40) Introductions to the guest jugdes. (4:40) Justin pitches Melengo (10:18) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(11:32) Edward ptiches PodcastAI (18:09) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist (19:04) Daniel pitches Tolt (24:55) Rae pitches River (27:49) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (34:01) Kash pitches TaxGPT (40:56) George pitches Fanfare (46:31) Jam pitches Monic.ai (52:05) Our panel of judges pick their top three pitches.

*

Apply to the LAUNCH Accelerator here: https://launchaccelerator.co/

Just getting started? Apply to Founder.University

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Follow these founders and their companies:

Justin Kwong & Melengo

https://www.melengo.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinckwong/

justin@melengo.com

Edward Brawer & PodcastAI

https://podcastai.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardbrawer/

ebrawer@podcastai.com

Daniel Gjokaj & Tolt

https://tolt.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielgj/

daniel@tolt.io

Rae Lambert & River

https://app.getriver.io

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raechel-lambert/

rae@getriver.io

Kashif Ali & TaxGPT

https://www.taxgpt.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chkashifali/

kash@taxgpt.com

George Lam & Fanfare https://fanfare.app/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgewlam/

george@fanfare.app   Jam Mirzakhalov & Monic.ai

http://monic.ai/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirzakhalov/

mirzakhalov@monic.ai

*

Thank you to our judges:

Ben Narasin - Tenacity Venture Capital

https://twitter.com/bnarasin

Blaine Davis - Outlander

https://twitter.com/blainerdavis

Minnie Ingersoll - TenOneTen

https://twitter.com/himinnie

Nicole Seah - Costanoa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-seah1/

Stella Zhang - Conductive Ventures

https://www.linkedin.com/in/xinxin-stella-zhang/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:18) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(18:09) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

(27:49) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 22, 202456:27
Jordan Stein from Cresset Partners on VC dynamics, evaluating emerging managers, & more! | E1901

Jordan Stein from Cresset Partners on VC dynamics, evaluating emerging managers, & more! | E1901

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://linkedin.com/angelpod

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

*

Todays show:

Jordan Stein from Cresset Partners joins Jason to discuss the firms motivation for investing in venture capital (1:12), the state of venture tourism (12:45), the Power Law and risk-taking in VC (29:26), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jordan Stein from Cresset Partners joins Jason

(1:12) Cresset Partners’ motivation for investing in venture capital

(11:24) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(12:45) The state of venture tourism

(20:00) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(21:25) Cresset Partners’ co-invest program

(29:26) Jordan's perspective on the Power Law and risk-taking in VC

(34:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(35:47) How Cresset Partners evaluates established and emerging VC managers

(43:02) Jason's framework for distinguishing "Likely Winners" vs "Definitive Winners”

(43:45) Cresset Partners’ goal of democratizing wealth management and VC access

*

Check out Cresset Partners:

https://cressetpartners.com/

*

Follow Jordan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-stein17


Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(11:24) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(20:00) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(34:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp


Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 21, 202457:05
The future of public safety via rapid drone response with Aerodome's Rahul Sidhu | E1900

The future of public safety via rapid drone response with Aerodome's Rahul Sidhu | E1900

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

*

Todays show:

Rahul Sidhu from Aerodome joins Jason to discuss how his startup is creating the future of public safety air support with an automated drone system. The two dive into privacy concerns and abuse potential for police drones (14:41), challenges of fundraising and selling to the government (34:22), the founding incident of Aerodome (38:46), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Rahul Sidhu from Aerodome joins Jason

(3:44) How the Aerodome drone system works to respond to 911 calls

(13:17) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(14:41) Privacy concerns and abuse potential with police drone usage

(19:43) FAA regulations, geofencing, and obstacle avoidance for drones

(25:16) Pricing and business model

(28:08) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(29:00) Object tracking and combining technologies

(34:22) The challenges of fundraising and selling to government as a startup, but increased venture interest in public safety tech

(37:31) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

(38:46) Starting Aerodome during the pandemic and protests in 2020. Finding a moderate voice through the All-In podcast

(45:57) The importance of intellectual honesty, steel-manning arguments, and not being married to a single solution as a leader

(47:46) Potential future capabilities and focus on de-escalation

*

Check out Aerodome:

https://www.aerodome.com

*

Follow Rahul

X: https://twitter.com/rahoolsidoo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulsidhu

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(13:17) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(28:08) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(37:31) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://imagineai.live/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 19, 202451:11
Mark Suster and Samir Kaji on the 2024 Venture Market, IPOS, and Secondaries | E1899

Mark Suster and Samir Kaji on the 2024 Venture Market, IPOS, and Secondaries | E1899

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

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Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

*

Todays show:

David Weisburd hosts Mark Suster, Samir Kaji, and Jason Calacanis to discuss the 2024 venture market (1:24), VCs selling secondaries (23:04), IPOS in 2024 (45:56), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Mark Suster, Samir Kaji,, and Jason Calacanis

(1:24) Thoughts on IVP raising $1.3 Billion for their 18th fund and different angles on the current fundraising market

(14:28) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(15:53) Mark's strategy today for DPI (Distributed to Paid-In Capital)

(23:04) VCs selling secondaries and best practices when disclosing selling after hitting targets

(28:00) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(29:21) Thoughts on strip sales, continuation funds, and exotic secondary vehicles. When should GPs pursue that strategy?

(40:56) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(45:56) F-Prime's 2024 State of Fintech Report, the IPO market in 2024, and early stage fintech

(54:47) Kleiner Perkins and how a firm reboots

(1:03:01) The apprenticeship model in Venture Capital, and mistakes GPs make when interacting with LPs

(1:17:44) Rapid-fire segment on top recent investments

*

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ivps-new-fund-shows-growth-investors-are-ready-to-get-off-sidelineshttps://techcrunch.com/2024/02/03/mamoon-hamid-and-ilya-fushman-of-kleiner-perkins-more-than-80-of-pitches-now-involve-ai/

https://fprimecapital.com/blog/the-2024-state-of-fintech-report

https://www.bland.ai

https://kuberahealth.com

https://www.stonealgo.com

https://giggster.com

*

Follow Mark X: https://twitter.com/msuster

*

Follow Samir X: https://twitter.com/Samirkaji

*

Follow David:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠

Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 17, 202401:22:60
How LPs identify top emerging fund managers with Slipstream’s Alex Edelson | E1898

How LPs identify top emerging fund managers with Slipstream’s Alex Edelson | E1898

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

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Uizard. Struggling to transform innovative ideas into concrete product designs? Uizard can help you turn your visions into polished UI designs in a fraction of the time, while enhancing collaboration across your entire team. Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at uizard.io/twist

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Todays show:

Alex Edelson of Slipstream Investors joins Jason to discuss fund of funds and their place in the venture ecosystem (1:28), ownership in relation to fund size (8:34), picking winners (25:08), generating liquidity for LPs (40:08), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Slipstream Investor’s Alex Edelson joins Jason

(1:28) Alex explains what a fund of funds is and why people choose to invest in fund of funds rather than invest directly

(8:34) Why early stage funds overperform and ownership in relation to fund size

(11:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(13:09) What Alex looks for when picking venture funds, ownership, and why people invest in fund of funds cont.

(19:49) Evaluating ability to compete for deals at seed vs pre-seed stage

(23:55) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

(25:08) Picking winners: Identifying promising companies early and tracking them

(39:01) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(40:08) Generating liquidity for LPs and picking emerging fund managers

(56:47) Competing for deals at the seed stage, the differentiation between pre-seed and seed, and deciding when to double-down

(1:01:41) Alex turns the tables and asks Jason some questions. But, first why is optimal fund size important?

*

Follow Alex X: https://twitter.com/asedelson Check out Slipstream Investors: https://www.slipstreaminvestors.com/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(11:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(23:55) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

(39:01) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 15, 202401:21:22
Apple’s MGIE, Google’s Gemini Advanced, Microsoft’s Copilot and more! | E1897

Apple’s MGIE, Google’s Gemini Advanced, Microsoft’s Copilot and more! | E1897

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit http://www.scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month.

LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

*

Todays show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo Google’s rebranded Gemini Advanced (30:21), Apple’s MGIE (46:31), and to explore the significance of Microsoft’s Copilot (53:27), plus Lucite, AgentHub, Quilter and more!

*

Viewers! How are you enjoying the demos? What grades do you give these AI companies? Tell us what we got wrong and right and what demos you’d like to see on the podcast. Let us know by mentioning us on X.com. https://x.com/Sundeep

https://x.com/Jason

https://x.com/twistartups

*

See the full list of all AI demos from the show here: thisweekinstartups.com/AI

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason

(1:56) Super Bowl viewership numbers compared to YouTubers like Mr. Beast.

(6:23) Sunny demos AgentHub.

(10:34) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(12:32) The secrets behind all these media and tech layoffs.

(20:02) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

(21:23) Sunny demos Lucite.

(22:54) There is a need for AI that fact-checks other AI.

(29:09) LinkedIn Ads -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(30:21) The rebranding of Google’s Bard to Gemini while Sunny attempts to demo Gemini Advanced.

(40:15) Sunny demos Quilter.

(46:31) Sunny demos Apple’s MGIE.

(50:41) Answering who will win between Microsoft and OpenAI vs Apple and Meta.

(53:27) The significance of Microsoft Copilot.

*

Links:

Check out AgentHub: https://www.agenthub.dev/

Check out Lucite: https://www.lucite.app/home

Check out Quilter: https://app.quilter.ai/

Check out Apple’s MGIE: https://github.com/apple/ml-mgie

Check out Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app

Check out Microsoft Copilot Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaCVSUbYpVc

*

Follow Sunny X: https://twitter.com/sundeep⁠ Check out Definitive: https://www.definitive.io/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:34) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(20:02) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

(29:09) LinkedIn Ads -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 14, 202401:00:16
Founders Fund's Brian Singerman on building a legendary VC firm, “Adapt or Die” and "Ikigai" | E1896

Founders Fund's Brian Singerman on building a legendary VC firm, “Adapt or Die” and "Ikigai" | E1896

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Todays show:

Jason speaks to Brian Singerman of Founders Fund about tips for emerging venture capitalists (6:40), a missed opportunity by an overconfident LP (15:49), self-awareness, strategy, the state of venture capital (40:47), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason speaks to Brian Singerman of Founders Fund.

(2:31) “Adapt or die!” and the unique approach and strategy at Founders Fund.

(6:40) Brian's tips for emerging venture capitalists on making investments.

(10:09) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

(11:24) Brian reflects on his career's trials and triumphs

(15:49) Brian shares an anecdote about a gloating LP who passed on one of the greatest venture funds in history.

(21:36) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(23:04) Brian’s approach for securing a deal with founders.

(28:03) The sharp mind of Sean Parker.

(31:32) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

(32:37) The character of founders who change the world and how to work with them.

(37:30) Regulation and the anti-competitive landscape of large companies in the US.

(40:47) Self-awareness, strategy and the state of venture capital.

(44:00) Keith Rabois's transition from Founders Fund back to Khosla Ventures.

(47:27) Reflecting on Ikigai and finding joy and value in one's passion.

*

Links:

Check out Founders Fund: https://foundersfund.com/

Check out past TWiST episode #748 with Brian: https://youtu.be/O8emgaUsOZY?feature=shared

*

Follow Brian:

X: https://twitter.com/briansin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-singerman-9333b52/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:09) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

(21:36) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(31:32) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 12, 202449:58
Dry Powder in Venture Capital, VC Ratings, and more with Grady Buchanan and Victor Gutwein | E1895

Dry Powder in Venture Capital, VC Ratings, and more with Grady Buchanan and Victor Gutwein | E1895

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

*

Todays show:

David Weisburd hosts Grady Buchanan, Victor Gutwein, and Jason Calacanis to discuss dry powder in VC (1:38), VCs rating VCs (14:22), a study on whether returns persist in venture capital (29:33), and much more

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Grady Buchanan, Victor Gutwein, and Jason Calacanis

(1:38) VC dry powder levels, cash management by GPs, and investment pace adjustments.

(12:57) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(14:22) The importance of GP selection for LPs, VC firm ratings, and the impact of relationships in the VC ecosystem

(28:30) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(29:33) Performing due diligence on funds and the persistence of VC Returns

(42:00) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(51:41) Rapid-fire segment on top recent investments

*

Mentioned on the show:

⁠https://www.corraltech.com⁠

⁠https://www.hydeparkvp.com⁠

⁠https://deciens.com⁠

⁠https://www.rallyventures.com⁠

⁠https://pavewisepro.com⁠

⁠https://selffundhealth.com⁠

https://www.deeptrustai.com

*

Follow Grady:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gradyb/

Check out: https://nvngia.com/

*

Follow Victor:

X: https://twitter.com/lalayak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-gutwein

Check out: https://m25vc.com

*

Follow David:

X: https://twitter.com/DWeisburd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd

Check out: https://10xcapital.com

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(12:57) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(28:30) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(42:00) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 09, 202401:29:44
AI Demos: AI that interprets human emotion, Hugging Face Assistants, and more! | E1894

AI Demos: AI that interprets human emotion, Hugging Face Assistants, and more! | E1894

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at Gusto.com/twist.

LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

*

Todays show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo an AI that analyzes human expression (2:07), a generative gaming platform (23:26), Hugging Faces Assistants (39:12), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason

(2:07) Hume AI - AI toolkit to measure, understand, and improve how technology affects human emotion

(6:53) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(7:57) Hume AI demo continued

(19:15) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

(20:25) AI Bet Update - Small model deployed on iphone/android

(23:26) FRVR AI - Generative AI to streamline game creation

(34:16) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(35:19) Calling GPTS with @

(39:12) Hugging Face Assistants - LLM-powered assistants specialized in the Hugging Face ecosystem

(45:05) Eleven Labs ChatGPT

*

Mentioned on the show:

Hume: https://beta.hume.ai

FRVR: https://beta.frvr.ai

Hugging Face Assistants: https://huggingface.co/chat/assistants

Eleven Labs ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-h0lbLuFF1-elevenlabs-text-to-speechhttps://twitter.com/dnystedt/status/1754323506056266149

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th3vzKTE0O8

*

Follow Sunny:

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm

Check out: https://www.definitive.io


Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(6:53) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(19:15) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

(34:16) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 08, 202401:07:20
Alexis Ohanian on Reddit's potential IPO & more | E1893

Alexis Ohanian on Reddit's potential IPO & more | E1893

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/

NetSuite. Once your business gets to a certain size the cracks start to emerge.  Things you used to do in a day take a week. You deserve a customized solution - and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist - absolutely free, at http://www.NetSuite.com/twist

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit https://www.scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month.

*

Todays show:

Jason talks with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian about their pending IPO (2:48), advice he tells young people starting out at his firm (13:51), then Ron Biscardi discusses the future of the iConnections conference (47:01), and more! 

*

LINKS:

Check out Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/

Check out iConnections: https://iconnections.io/

*

Follow Alexis:

X: https://twitter.com/alexisohanian

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexisohanian/


Follow Ron:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/rbiscardi⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ron-biscardi-79063/⁠


Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(11:48) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(22:19) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://www.NetSuite.com/twist

(32:42) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at https://www.scalablepath.com/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 07, 202456:13
Beeper's fight to break Apple's stronghold on messaging with Eric Migicovsky | E1892

Beeper's fight to break Apple's stronghold on messaging with Eric Migicovsky | E1892

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Curotec. Are you one of those companies that knows you need to be using AI, but you're not even sure where to start? Well then you need Curotec. They are AI experts, and they're offering TWiST listeners an AI Strategy Roadmap tailored to your business for $5000. That's 50% off the normal cost just for telling them we sent you. Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off!

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

*

Todays show:

Beeper's Eric Migicovsky joins Jason to discuss Beeper's mission of providing a universal chat app (1:32), Apple blocking Beeper Mini after just 3 days (13:35), fighting back against Apple as a startup founder (18:31), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Beeper’s Eric Migicovsky joins Jason

(1:32) Beeper and its mission of providing a universal chat app

(6:30) How Apple locks people into iMessage and makes it hard to switch from iPhone

(12:11) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(13:35) Beeper Mini's release and Apple blocking Beeper Mini after just 3 days

(18:31) Fighting back against Apple as a startup founder

(21:24) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(22:18) The fight against Apple and thoughts on the outcome

(28:01) Prior experience dealing with platform restrictions at Pebble and the differences in timelines between startups and government regulation

(35:04) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

(36:17) Apple's response to recent court rulings requiring App Store changes

(38:54) Speculation on whether Apple's AR glasses will succeed

(41:35) Eric's vision for the future with open protocols for messaging and Beeper's business model


Mentioned on the show:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/9/23995150/beeper-imessage-android-apple-statement

https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-markets-act-ensuring-fair-and-open-digital-markets_en

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/getpebble/pebble-2-time-2-and-core-an-entirely-new-3g-ultra

https://37signals.com/podcast/this-again-apple/

*

Follow Eric:

X: https://twitter.com/ericmigi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmigi/

Check out: https://www.beeper.com/mini

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(12:11) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(21:24) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(35:04) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 05, 202449:57
Late-stage VC market update + Terra Kaffe's Sahand Dilmaghani | E1891

Late-stage VC market update + Terra Kaffe's Sahand Dilmaghani | E1891

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Uizard.io will help bring your vision to life in minutes, not days with the power of AI. Visit http://uizard.io/twist to get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist⁠ to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Nuts.com is offering new customers a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist

*

Today’s show:

Jason kicks off the show with an update on the late-stage VC market (1:44). Then, Terra Kaffe’s Sahand Dilmaghani joins to discuss Terra Kaffe’s super-automatic machines (19:35), scaling the B2C business (29:59), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

(1:44) Late-stage VC market update

(10:41) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(11:49) Sahand Dilmaghani on his decision to start Terra Kaffe

(19:35) Advantages of the Terra Kaffe machines compared to pod machines

(24:29) What is takes for a super-automatic machine to make great coffee

(29:05) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(29:59) Scaling where the product is viable, offices, schools, multifamily homes

(35:27) Nuts.com - Get a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist

(36:30) The progress in sales and experience with direct to consumer

(50:32) Founder Fridays kicks off today! - Go to https://Thisweekinstartups.com/meetups to learn more

*

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.ft.com/content/18430e05-33c0-4f48-8c87-fae74ff29bbf

https://www.ft.com/content/eb2e085a-ef5a-4e91-8634-747e2a602fbe

*

Follow Sahand:

X: https://twitter.com/terrakaffe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahand-dilmaghani/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:41) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(29:05) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(35:27) Nuts.com - Get a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Feb 03, 202454:38
Fund of funds: origins, evolution and deep dive with Michael Kim | E1890

Fund of funds: origins, evolution and deep dive with Michael Kim | E1890

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, and get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Today’s show:

Cendana’s Michael Kim joins Jason for a deep dive on fund of funds (3:32), how to examine alpha, beta, and quality indices in early-stage investing (28:38), current market trends, future startup outlook (45:11), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Michael Kim joins Jason.

(3:32) Overview of Fund of Funds, their Strengths and “Achilles heel”.

(7:01) Attraction factors for investors in pre-seed and seed startups.

(10:42) LinkedIn Marketing -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(12:04) The rise and definition of “micro VCs” with insights by Michael Kim.

(15:16) How the early seed stage carved a niche and its growing appeal to LPs.

(22:07) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(23:12) Fund enablers and the importance of “consistent returns”.

(28:38) Examining alpha, beta, and quality indices in early-stage investing.

(34:21) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

(35:29) The significance of portfolio management as networks and building a ‘why' for founders to pick you as an investor.

(41:25) The value and longevity of investor networks.

(45:11) Current market trends, future startup outlook.

(48:08) Things have shifted and Michael explains why seed is the new series-A and pre-seed is the new seed.

(52:10) Demographics of founders seeking investment.

*

LINKS

Check out Cendana Capital: https://www.cendanacapital.com/

Watch other episodes with Micheal Kim:

Check out the Liquidity Podcast: LiquidityPod.com

*

Follow Michael:

X: https://twitter.com/MKRocks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-kim-cendana-capital/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(10:42) LinkedIn Marketing -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(22:07) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(34:21) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 31, 202401:02:22
Building a consumer app’s MVP and how to fundraise with Zest’s Jake Gutstein | E1889

Building a consumer app’s MVP and how to fundraise with Zest’s Jake Gutstein | E1889

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at vanta.com/twist

MEV. Tired of the dev shop rollercoaster? Mev is your reliable technical partner, offering a well-established software development process designed to consistently deliver unparalleled value to their clients. Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist!

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

*

Today’s show:

Zest's Jake Gutstein joins Jason to discuss his journey in creating the cooking app Zest (1:37). The two dive into how the Zest team formed (10:29), finding the right tools for your startup (25:24), Jake's experience in the Launch Accelerator program (33:27), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Zest’s Jake Gutstein joins Jason

(1:37) What prompted the creation of Zest and the initial concept and MVP for Zest

(9:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(10:29) The product development, initial testing, and finding a technical co-founder

(17:21) The decision to go full-time with Zest, the process of raising initial funding, and the importance of overcoming ambiguity and uncertainty

(20:54) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(22:05) Demo of Zest’s product

(25:24) Finding the right tools and mentors and the value propositions of Zest discovered through user research

(32:35) Paintbrush - Visit http://getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(33:27) Product launch, approach to fundraising, and experience with the Launch Accelerator program

(46:48) Future plans and goals for Zest

*

Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

*

Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Mentioned on the show:

https://www.respondent.io

https://therewiredgroup.com

https://twitter.com/bmoesta

https://twitter.com/nealsales

https://twitter.com/jasonfried

https://twitter.com/dhh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LK6lKCKMQM

*

Follow Jake:

X: https://twitter.com/GutsteinJake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-gutstein Check out: https://zestapp.co

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(9:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(20:54) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(32:35) Paintbrush - Visit http://getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 31, 202455:37
We celebrate our 100th AI Demo with Sunny Madra! | E1888

We celebrate our 100th AI Demo with Sunny Madra! | E1888

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

Curotec. Are you one of those companies that knows you need to be using AI, but you're not even sure where to start? Well then you need Curotec. They are AI experts, and they're offering TWiST listeners an AI Strategy Roadmap tailored to your business for $5000. That's 50% off the normal cost just for telling them we sent you. Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off!

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

*

Today’s show: Sunny joins Jason to celebrate their 100th demo on the show (3:03), explore Paid Leave (17:29), and comb through the X posts of Barsee (32:41), and much, much, more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny joins Jason

(3:03) We demo MultiOn, our 100th demo on the show!

(12:01) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(13:30) Jason gives his grade and signs up to use MultiOn.

(17:29) Sunny demos Paid Leave powered by MOMS F1RST.

(21:04) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(23:40) AI demo of Consensus.

(26:53) Consensus reminds Jason of the life and tragedy of Aaron Swartz.

(29:54) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(32:41) Sunny jumps onto X to show us important advancements in AI posted by Barsee.

(35:17) Sunny demos “Depth Anything”.

*

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Aaron Swartz.

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

Check out the list of AI demos here: https://thisweekinstartups.com/AI

Check out MultiOn: https://www.multion.ai/

Check out Paid Leave: https://www.paidleave.ai/

Check out Consensus: https://consensus.app/

Rolling Stone Article on Aaron Swarts: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-brilliant-life-and-tragic-death-of-aaron-swartz-177191/

Check out Barsee here: https://twitter.com/heyBarsee

*

Follow Sunny

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep⁠ Check out: https://www.definitive.io/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Thank you to our partners:

(12:01) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(21:04) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(29:54) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 30, 202448:24
Unicorns: now and then with Aileen Lee | E1887

Unicorns: now and then with Aileen Lee | E1887

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

Coda is the all-in-one doc for teams. And they introduced an AI-powered assistant to take the BUSY out of the WORK! Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist

*

Today’s show: Aileen Lee join Jason to talk about her origins and overcoming challenges as a woman in a male-dominated tech space (2:12), the Unicorn Club and the effects of the ZIRP era (11:51), predictions on which startups will maintain their unicorn status (33:09), and more!

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

Check out Cowboy Ventures: https://www.cowboy.vc/

Read Aileen’s 2024 article here: https://www.cowboy.vc/news/welcome-back-to-the-unicorn-club-10-years-later

Read Aileen’s original Unicorn article here: https://techcrunch.com/2013/11/02/welcome-to-the-unicorn-club/

Check out All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/

*

Thanks to our partners:

(10:26) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST

(20:39) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com  to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(31:38) Coda - Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist

*

Follow Eileen

X: https://twitter.com/aileenlee

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenwlee

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 27, 202401:08:60
Venture Fund Size Growth, the Rise of Unicorns, and more with Elizabeth Yin and Zach Coelius | E1886

Venture Fund Size Growth, the Rise of Unicorns, and more with Elizabeth Yin and Zach Coelius | E1886

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.

*

Today’s show: David Weisburd hosts Elizabeth Yin, Zach Coelius, and Jason Calacanis to discuss trends in venture capital, including the growth of fund sizes (2:32), the resurgence of the Bay Area (33:42), the decrease in capital efficiency (51:12), the rise in unicorn companies but lack of liquidity (45:11), and top recent investments (57:27)!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Elizabeth Yin, Zach Coelius, and Jason Calacanis to dive into the state of venture funds

(2:32) Venture funds are growing in size despite the slow market

(10:37) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(11:43) Exploring the performance: smaller funds vs. larger funds

(28:56) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(29:49) Hustle Fund’s quantitative approach to evaluating startups

(33:42) Is the Bay Area officially back?

(43:51) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(45:11) Number of unicorns has increased but liquidity has decreased

(51:12) The decline in capital efficiency over the past decade

(57:27) Rapid-fire segment on top recent investments

*

LINKS:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pro-take-why-venture-fund-sizes-rose-despite-the-slow-market-fd4c4677

https://www.cowboy.vc/news/welcome-back-to-the-unicorn-club-10-years-later

*

Thanks to our partners:

(10:37) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(28:56) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(43:51) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

*

Follow Elizabeth

X: https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethyin/

Check out: https://hustlefund.vc

Check out: https://letsgo.hustlefund.vc/raise-millions

Check out: Bruinhealth.com

Check out: Goafterwork.com

*

Follow Zach

X:  https://twitter.com/zachcoelius

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachcoelius/

Check out: https://coelius.vc/

Check out: Echomark.com

Check out: Findbugzero.com

*

Follow David

X:  https://twitter.com/DWeisburd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/

Check out: https://10xcapital.com/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

Check out: Podcast.ai

Check out: Zestapp.co

Check out: getriver.io

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: ⁠https://rb.gy/v19fcp⁠

Jan 26, 202401:19:46
Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu on launching the R1, future of AI hardware, and going viral at CES | E1885

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu on launching the R1, future of AI hardware, and going viral at CES | E1885

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit http://scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month.

Uizard.io will help bring your vision to life in minutes, not days with the power of AI. Visit http://uizard.io/twist to get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year.

*

Today’s show:

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu joins Jason to discuss the viral launch of Rabbit's R1 AI companion device at CES, covering the ambitious product vision (1:37), unique design (23:30), custom-built OS and LLM (11:30), manufacturing logistics (49:45), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(00:00) Rabbit’s Jesse Lyu joins Jason

(1:37) Introduction and Pricing of Rabbit R1, a Pocket AI Device

(7:07) Differences between large language models and large action models

(10:03) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(11:30) Data collection process for training the Large Action Model (LAM), Neuro-symbolic algorithm vs. traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

(16:08) Authentication and access to Rabbit's Web Portal, privacy considerations, and speed and latency of voice interactions

(23:30) The role of Teenage Engineering in design inspiration

(30:47) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://scalablepath.com/twist

(32:07) Potential frustrations and limitations with the Rabbit R1 compared to smartphones

(41:30) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(42:38) Evaluating the Accuracy of Voice-to-Text Translations

(49:45) Product timeline, experimental features, and getting devices to early adopters

(1:12:37) Rabbit’s early development, Jesse's journey, and future prospects of AI

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22wlLy7hKP4

https://teenage.engineering

https://www.whathifi.com/news/headphone-30-could-a-computer-in-your-ear-change-headphones-forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iU6K7NccXk

*

Thanks to our partners:

(10:03) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(30:47) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://scalablepath.com/twist

(41:30) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

*

Follow Jesse

X:  https://twitter.com/jessechenglyu

Check out: https://www.rabbit.tech

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 24, 202401:29:50
AI Demos: Dinnerfy, Hour One, AI short film “Borrowing Time”, Bland AI and more! | E1884

AI Demos: Dinnerfy, Hour One, AI short film “Borrowing Time”, Bland AI and more! | E1884

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

*

Today’s show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo video creation platform Hour One (9:28), meal planner Dinnerfly (26:35), a short film titled “Borrowed Time,” entirely created using AI tools (49:18), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason

(1:37) Exploring the dynamics of AI in the workplace, focusing on remote work management and efficiency debates.

(9:28) Sunny demos Hour One sparked from Reid Hoffman’s deep fake post.

(12:06) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(13:35) Sunny further demos his own use of Hour One.

(17:22) Sunny demos Bland AI.

(21:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(22:37) Jason and Sunny analyze "Bland AI," discussing various applications and evaluating the demo.

(26:35) Sunny demos Dinnerfly.

(31:52) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

(34:25) A conversation on Apple’s behaviour regarding its oxygen technology in smartwatches, including a fun John Malkovich reference from the film "Rounders.”

(37:42) Sunny demos AI Comic Factory.

(49:18) Sunny presents a short film entirely created using AI tools, titled “Borrowed Time.”


Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

Check out Hour One: https://app.hourone.ai/home

Check out Bland: https://www.bland.ai/turbo

Check out Dinnerfy: https://app.dinnerfy.com/

Check out AI Comic Factory: https://huggingface.co/spaces/jbilcke-hf/ai-comic-factory

Check out AI short film “Borrowing Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCIsHNQHcKQ

Check out Jason and Sunny’s 2024 AI bets: http://www.thisweekinstartups/bets

Check out our AI demo clips: http://www.thisweekinstartups.com/AI

*

Thanks to our partners:

(12:06) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(21:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(31:52) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist

*

Follow Sunny

X:  ⁠https://twitter.com/sundeep⁠

Check out: ⁠https://www.definitive.io/

*

Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 23, 202455:41
Series A valuations, M&A in 2024, and M.A.N.G with Jason Shuman and Raja Doddala | E1883

Series A valuations, M&A in 2024, and M.A.N.G with Jason Shuman and Raja Doddala | E1883

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com  to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist

Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Today’s show:

David Weisburd hosts Jason Shuman, Raja Doddala, and Jason Calacanis to dive into 2024 startup valuation trends (2:00), insights on how VCs can secure great deals in a competitive market (17:46), a detailed look at secondary deals (36:25), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Jason Shuman, Raja Doddala Jason Calacanis to dive into the world of VCs, LPs and GPs.

(2:00) A look at the encouraging trends in startup valuations as we head into 2024.

(6:39) Delving into the intricacies of current valuation methods and key aspects investors should be cautious about.

(11:22) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(13:42) Examining the balance of demand and supply in the seed funding stage of new startups.

(17:46) Insights on how venture capitalists can secure the most sought-after deals in today's competitive market.

(22:00) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist

(23:29) Discussion about M.A.N.G., a rising player in the venture capital scene.(28:26) Exploring the unique and often controversial practice of round-tripping in the venture capital industry.

(33:03) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

(36:25) A detailed look at Lexington's successful raising of $22.7 million in secondary investments.

(57:24) Observing the recent increase in mergers and acquisitions activity within the industry.

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Check out Churchill Asset Management here: https://www.churchillam.com/

Check out Primary Ventures here: https://www.primary.vc/

Check out David’s other podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCncFI0XEvTu7k4er6BgVN9g

*

Thanks to our partners:

(11:22) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(22:00) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist

(33:03) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

*

Follow at:

X:

https://twitter.com/JasonrShuman

https://twitter.com/rdoddala

https://twitter.com/DWeisburd

https://twitter.com/Jason

*

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajadoddala

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshuman/

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 20, 202401:02:24
LP investment strategies, IRR focus, and more with Berkocorp's Joshua Berkowitz | E1882

LP investment strategies, IRR focus, and more with Berkocorp's Joshua Berkowitz | E1882

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://linkedin.com/angelpod

*

Today’s show:

Joshua Berkowitz joins Jason discuss the critical role of LPs in venture capital, his family office's diversification into the field (4:37), strategies for evaluating and selecting fund managers (14:26), and the intricacies of fund management and fundraising (30:41).

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Berkocorp’s Joshua Berkowitz joins Jason

(4:37) Why family offices diversify into venture capital - higher returns, high dispersion of returns, and the entrepreneurial aspect

(9:32) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(10:59) Evaluating emerging managers - looking for exceptional strategies and execution

(14:26) Decision making processes at venture firms - consensus vs individual decision-making.

(19:56) What a VC fund has to do to be successful

(25:48) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(26:41) Pros and cons of GPs being very vocal/political on social media

(30:41) Quick disqualifications when evaluating new VC funds and challenges with GP "tourism"

(34:59) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

(36:20) What kills companies - "likely winners" vs "definitive winners"

(58:42) Clarity in the process for GPs raising funds from LPs

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Check out: https://www.berkocorp.ca/

*

Thanks to our partners:

(9:32) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(25:48) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(34:59) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod

*

Follow at:

X:

https://twitter.com/berkowitz_josh

https://twitter.com/Jason

*

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 17, 202401:09:14
Flexport's Ryan Petersen on returning as CEO, global logistics in a time of conflict & more | E1881

Flexport's Ryan Petersen on returning as CEO, global logistics in a time of conflict & more | E1881

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Curotec. Are you one of those companies that knows you need to be using AI, but you're not even sure where to start? Well then you need Curotec. They are AI experts, and they're offering TWiST listeners an AI Strategy Roadmap tailored to your business for $5000. That's 50% off the normal cost just for telling them we sent you. Check out curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off!

Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members.

Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

*

Today’s show:

Flexport's Ryan Petersen joins Jason to discuss the economics of "pick and pack" (5:42), factory-to-consumer effects (16:00), the impact of the Red Sea crisis (24:14), Flexport's leadership changes (35:11), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Flexport’s Ryan Petersen joins Jason

(1:19) Ryan explains Flexport and the companies focus

(5:42) The Economics of Pick and Pack - Shipping Directly from China to Customer

(11:15) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(12:31) The Origin of Pick and Pack in Global Logistics

(16:00) Factory-to-Consumer Effects on Fulfillment Centers and Product Quality

(22:50) Curotec - Check out http://curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(24:14) Analyzing the Impact of the Red Sea Crisis on Shipping

(29:35) The Trend of Companies Sourcing from Factories Outside China

(33:58) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

(35:11) Inside the Flexport CEO Drama and Leadership Challenges

(42:28) How the Market Collapse Influenced Flexport's CEO Transition

(47:51) Deciding When a Company Should Go Public

(52:07) The State of the Global Workforce and Remote Work in Today's World

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

LINKS:

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/flexport-acquires-shopifys-fulfillment-business

https://customscity.com/from-past-to-present-a-historical-overview-of-section-321-and-its-influence-on-customs-compliance/#:~:text=Section

https://news.usni.org/2024/01/07/indian-navy-retakes-merchant-ship-from-armed-hijackers-in-the-arabian-sea

https://www.oberlo.com/blog/what-is-epacket-delivery

https://www.neom.com/en-us/about/business?gclid=CjwKCAiA-vOsBhAAEiwAIWR0TWI18Hs6lr63ifzYvlOoQMChQJQ9Dqmt4XNzza3SoFSC-_16kQtvCxoCikAQAvD_BwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BubAF7KSs64

*

Thanks to our partners:

(11:15) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(22:50) Curotec - Check out http://curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(33:58) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

*

Follow at:

X:

https://twitter.com/typesfast

https://twitter.com/Jason

*

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 16, 202401:15:48
Best of CES recap with Sunny Madra | E1880

Best of CES recap with Sunny Madra | E1880

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist

MEV. Tired of the dev shop rollercoaster? Mev is your reliable technical partner, offering a well-established software development process designed to consistently deliver unparalleled value to their clients. Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

*

Today’s show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to explore CES 2024 highlights including the buzzworthy new device Rabbit R1 (3:57), Elli Q, a new AI companion for the elderly (23:44), the launch of the GPT store (49:22), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason

(2:11) Review of CES, highlighting AI's omnipresence.

(3:57) The new device 'Rabbit' at CES, generating significant buzz!

(10:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(11:34) Evaluating the Rabbit R1 and purpose-built devices.

(19:42) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

(21:04) The role of AI in integrating services via Large Language Models (LLMs).

(23:44) Sunny demos Elli Q, a new AI companion for the elderly.

(32:03) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

(33:37) Sunny showcases a new smartphone designed for kids.

(49:22) The launch of the GPT store

(43:23) Sunny checks out a GPT called “The Associate” and pitches a fun startup idea.

(45:57) Exploring the brave new world and disruptive ability of the GPT store using All Trails as a case study.

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Check out Definiteive Intelligernce: https://www.definitive.io/about

*

LINKS:

Verge Article on CES and AI: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/13/24035152/ces-generative-ai-hype-robots

Bill Gates / Sam Altman Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkXELH6Y2lM

Rabbit AI**:** https://www.rabbit.tech/

Elli-Q: https://elliq.com

MMGuardian article: https://venturebeat.com/games/mmguardian-debuts-ai-smartphones-for-kids/

*

Thanks to our partners:

(10:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(19:42) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

(32:03) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist

*

Follow at:

X:

https://twitter.com/sundeep

https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 16, 202453:43
Michael Kim, Jason Calacanis, and David Weisburd on VC marks, Rabois leaving FF for Khosla, and more | E1879

Michael Kim, Jason Calacanis, and David Weisburd on VC marks, Rabois leaving FF for Khosla, and more | E1879

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

*

Today’s show:

Michael Kim joins David Weisburd and Jason Calacanis to discuss LP doubts around GPs marking startups (2:43), LP portfolio construction (13:44), secondary strategies (19:57), Keith Rabois returning to Khosla Ventures (35:15), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Michael Kim and Jason Calacanis to dive into the world of VCs, LPs and GPs

(2:43) Exploring the doubts LPs may have about how VCs are marking startups

(7:51) Jason's strategy as an LP in funds and the search for a universal gold standard in LP benchmarks

(10:14) Why LPs might be incentivized to allow markups from GPs

(12:49) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(13:44) LP portfolio management best practices

(19:57) Evaluating different GP strategies for secondary deals

(24:37) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist

(25:44 ) Comparing "idealistic" and "pragmatic" fund manager archetypes. what the right number is for a founder to sell in secondary

(33:39) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

(35:15) Breaking down Keith Rabois leaving Founders Fund to return to Khosla Ventures

(44:52) Addressing the challenges and responsibilities of starting a new firm

(48:08) Bill Ackman’s crusades, how LPs look at backing outspoken GPs

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Check out:

Cendana Capital: https://www.cendanacapital.com/

10X Capital: https://www.10xcapital.com/

*

Thanks to our partners:

(12:49) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(24:37) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist

(33:39) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist

*

X:

https://twitter.com/MKRocks

https://twitter.com/DWeisburd

https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 12, 202401:01:22
Dara Khosrowshahi, Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis on Uber's growth and future | E1878

Dara Khosrowshahi, Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis on Uber's growth and future | E1878

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Gusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.Gusto.com/twist

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.Squarespace.com/twist for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

*

Today’s show:

Dara Khosrowshahi joins Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, and Jason Calacanis to discuss his initial reservations about joining Uber and how he overcame them (14:57), the early magic of Uber that captivated investors (22:36), a deep dive into Uber's future plans (45:50), and much more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Dara Khosrowshahi joins Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis to discuss all things Uber

(2:41) Setting the stage for Uber entering 2024

(4:52) Untold parts of Uber's story

(09:38) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.Gusto.com/twist

(11:38) Bill Gurley discusses Dara's selection as CEO

(14:57) Dara's initial reservations about joining Uber and how he overcame them

(20:57) Dara’s discomfort in the free-money environment of ZIRP

(21:43) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(22:36) Exploring the early magic of Uber that captivated investors

(26:27) How valuations impact founder mindset

(30:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist

(32:17) Discussing the relevance of secondaries in the near future

(35:02) Breaking down some Uber myths and Dara’s focus on drivers

(45:50) A deep dive into Uber's future plans

(51:31) Uber’s strategy with upselling as AI enters the conversation

(58:04) Bill Gurley on joining Zillow’s board and how innovation is needed in the real estate industry

(1:05:27) Brad Gerstner on markets

*

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

*

Check out Uber: https://www.uber.com

*

LINKS:

Silicon Valley clip referenced:

https://twitter.com/StephNass/status/1745132141652877788

*

Thanks to our partners:

(09:38) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.Gusto.com/twist

(21:43) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(30:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist

*

X:

https://twitter.com/Jason

https://twitter.com/dkhos

https://twitter.com/altcap

https://twitter.com/bgurley

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 12, 202401:14:57
The Growing Ransomware Threat: Targets, Insights, and Strategies with Halcyon's Jon Miller | E1877

The Growing Ransomware Threat: Targets, Insights, and Strategies with Halcyon's Jon Miller | E1877

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit http://www.scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month.

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com/twist

*

Today’s show:

Jon Miller, CEO and Founder of halcyon joins Jason to discuss how ransomware attackers get away with it and stay anonymous (6:12), hacker markets, bounties, tools, and AI's role (16:20), proactive measures for startups to safeguard themselves (34:42), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jon from Halcyon joins host Jason.

(2:52) Delving into the renaissance of ransomware.

(6:12) How ransomware attackers get away with it and stay anonymous.

(8:27) Strategies for counteraction and policy implications.

(10:10) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

(11:31) 2023 ransomware attacks on MGM and Caesar's in Las Vegas.

(13:52) Halcyon's endpoint agent: a solution to thwart threats.

(16:20) Exploring hacker markets, bounties, tools, and AI's role.

(19:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(21:55) The effectiveness of multi-factor authentication and strong passwords.

(22:49) Comparing financial vs. espionage attacks and the Colonial Pipeline event.

(29:26) The escalating danger for companies and the Uber cyber attack.

(31:27) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

(32:35) AI and quantum computing: new frontiers for hackers.

(34:42) Proactive measures for startups to safeguard themselves.

(37:08) Growing hacker sophistication in places like China, North Korea and Iran.

(41:00) How the USA ranks in the world with cybersecurity and computer hacking.

(43:41) Your privacy is an illusion and a look at the information available on TikTok.

(48:01) The biggest threat that keeps Jon up at night.

(50:36) American Power Grid Vulnerabilities and ways to be prepared.

*

Check out halcyon: https://www.halcyon.ai

*

Thanks to our partners:

(10:10) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist

(19:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(31:27) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist

*

Follow Jon:

X: https://twitter.com/HalcyonAi

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmillerhalcyon

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 09, 202455:53
AI Demos: Stable Diffusion Turbo, AI Room Decorator, AI-Driven Clothing Site, and more! | E1876

AI Demos: Stable Diffusion Turbo, AI Room Decorator, AI-Driven Clothing Site, and more! | E1876

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Nuts.com is offering new customers a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist

Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

Coda is the all-in-one doc for teams. And they introduced an AI-powered assistant to take the BUSY out of the WORK! Get started for free at coda.io/twist!

*

Today’s show:

Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo an AI-driven room decorator (9:24), a website that uses AI to design and deliver clothing from concept to completion (26:57), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason

(1:37) Jason and Sunny discuss http://podcastai.com

(7:54) Nuts.com - Get a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist

(9:24) Demo 1: Roomreinvented - Submit a photo of your room and specify your desired decor or choose from presets

(19:41) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST

(20:54) Demo 2: FaceID Plus - Upgrade stock photos with enhanced features

(26:57) Demo 3: Pixite - Create clothing designs using generative AI, then purchase them

(31:38) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist

(33:04) Demo 4: SDXL Turbo (Stable Diffusion Clipdrop) - Realtime image generation

(40:14) Demo 5: Storia Lab - AI-assisted image editing

(46:10) Final Demos: Open Motion Lab and DreaMoving

*

LINKS:

https://melengo.com/showroom

https://www.semrush.com/website/youtube.com/overview/

https://www.roomreinvented.com/

https://huggingface.co/spaces/multimodalart/Ip-Adapter-FaceID

https://pixite.ai/

https://clipdrop.co/stable-diffusion-turbo

https://lab.storia.ai/

https://huggingface.co/spaces/OpenMotionLab/MotionGPT

https://huggingface.co/spaces/jiayong/Dreamoving

http://clipdrop.co/

*

Follow Sunny

X:  https://twitter.com/sundeep

Check out: https://www.definitive.io/

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 09, 202401:02:21
Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis on the state of tech markets, hosted by David Weisburd | E1875

Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis on the state of tech markets, hosted by David Weisburd | E1875

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist

DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist.

Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

*

Today’s show:

Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, and Jason Calacanis join David Weisburd to discuss the market downturn's impact on startups, including shutdowns and shifting investment strategies (1:29). They also debate the AI boom (54:50), chatbots' future potential and hype (1:01:11), and which tech giants may perform best or worst in 2024 (1:20:32).

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) David Weisburd hosts Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis to discuss the state of tech markets

(1:29) Startup shutdowns in 2023 vs dotcom crash

(3:52) Perspective on current market from Bill Gurley

(7:52) Brad's outlook on startup shutdowns continuing in 2024

(11:48) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(13:16) Different investor perspectives based on investment stage

(16:47) Altimeter's recent investing activity

(25:32) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist

(26:30) Reflecting on past IPOs and paths to building businesses for growth

(36:40) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(38:07) State of Series B/C deals in 2023 vs 2021 peak

(42:42) Why now is a great time to start a company

(47:17) Jason's theories for success in venture

(49:42) Abundance of technical talent in Silicon Valley and impact of AI on company size and competition

(54:50) AI investments in 2024

(1:01:11) Launguage models raising large rounds quickly and the potential for LLMs to hit a ceiling soon

(1:05:18) The best case for Meta being a leader in AI and Apple's position

(1:08:55) Importance of voice recognition for AI interfaces, challenges of enabling transactions via AI, and consumers choosing services via AI

(1:20:32) Picks for best and worst performing tech giants in 2024

*

LINKS:

Unicorn Investors article: https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/top-unicorn-investors-eoy-2023/

Bill Gurley's Above the Crowd article: https://abovethecrowd.com/2011/05/24/all-revenue-is-not-created-equal-the-keys-to-the-10x-revenue-club/

*

Follow David

X: https://twitter.com/DWeisburd

David's Podcast: https://limitedpartnerpodcast.com/

*

Follow Brad

X: https://twitter.com/altcap

*

Follow Bill

X: https://twitter.com/bgurley

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 06, 202401:28:56
AI on Trial: Inside the NY Times vs. OpenAI Lawsuit with Cecilia Ziniti | E1874

AI on Trial: Inside the NY Times vs. OpenAI Lawsuit with Cecilia Ziniti | E1874

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

MEV. Tired of the dev shop rollercoaster? Mev is your reliable technical partner, offering a well-established software development process designed to consistently deliver unparalleled value to their clients. Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.

*

Today’s show:

Cecilia joins Jason for an in-depth discussion about the New York Times versus OpenAI case, delving into the intricacies of fair use and analyzing the Fair Use Test (6:07), examining the legal complexities surrounding data scraping for Large Language Models (28:21), exploring possible ramifications of this legal confrontation between these titans (40:06), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Cecilia Joins Jason

(2:44) Cecilia’s Background in Law

(3:44) Jumping into the case of NY Times vs OpenAI.

(6:07) Exploring Fair Use legal tests

(11:57) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

(13:50) The case of Roy Orbison vs Two Live Crew and the music industry’s rules on fair use.

(19:04) Picking apart the defense of attribution.

(22:22) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(24:43) Fair Use Test: Factors two and three

(28:21) Legal challenges in data scraping for LLMs

(32:40) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(34:19) The fourth and final factor in the Fair Use Test.

(40:06) Potential outcomes of NY Times vs OpenAI case

(47:04) Google vs Java and legal discussions on digital platforms

(51:49) Jason shares a possible solution to this case and how the subscription wall could change things.

(57:54) Cecilia’s Grinch images on X

(1:02:22) Legal viewpoint regarding commercial vs non-commercial use.

(1:04:14) Summarizing where all this is going with the NY Times and OpenAI trial.

(1:12:18) Reviewing the market-based solution to this case.

* Check out GC AI: https://getgc.ai

Website: ceciliaziniti.com

Check out Ziniti Law: ⁠https://www.zinitilaw.com/

Check out Cecilia’s Maven Course here: https://maven.com/ceciliaz

*

Thanks to our partners:

(11:57) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist

(22:22) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC athttp://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(32:40) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

*

Follow Cecilia

X: https://twitter.com/CeciliaZin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliaziniti/ *

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 04, 202401:16:21
2024 AI Predictions and Bets with Sunny Madra | E1873

2024 AI Predictions and Bets with Sunny Madra | E1873

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members.

NetSuite. Once your business gets to a certain size the cracks start to emerge.  Things you used to do in a day take a week. You deserve a customized solution - and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist - absolutely free, at NetSuite.com/twist

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at vanta.com/twist

*

Today’s show:

Jason and Sunny make a bunch of predictions and bet $1000 on each for the upcoming year in AI.

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason to make some 2024 AI bets

(4:46) Bet 1: There will be a top 100 song created by AI

(10:22) Power dynamics in the music industry and its intersection with AI

(13:01) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups

(14:34) Bet 2: AI will be capable of replicating Jason doing a TWiST Segment without listeners noticing

(18:51) Bet 3: There will be an AI-generated Pixar short that has made it into mainstream

(27:46) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://netsuite.com/twist

(29:06) Bets 4 and 5: We see a small model deployed locally on an iPhone/Android

(39:31) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(49:34) Bet 6: A multimodal model will be #1 by usage, AND open-source multimodal will beat out closed models

(52:00) LLaVA: Large Language and Vision Assistant

(58:04) The potential implications of the New York Times lawsuit

(1:10:01) OpenAI's financial success, copyright lawsuits, and the potential of Disney and the New York Times in AI

*

LINKS:

Midjourney: https://www.tiktok.com/@controllaxyz/video/7319184981987839263?_r=1&_t=8igobwQ1dzq

AI Drake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhVuQ06tO3M

AI Spongebob: https://twitter.com/Teridax/status/1741205766046888149

AI Pixar: https://twitter.com/eyishazyer/status/1741418522448986492

TinyLlama: https://huggingface.co/TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0

Llava: https://llava-vl.github.io/

Suno AI: https://www.suno.ai/

*

Follow Sunny

X: https://twitter.com/sundeep Check out Definitive Intelligence: https://www.definitive.io/

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jan 03, 202401:13:33
Business Breakdowns: “The Founder” Ray Kroc and the Story of McDonalds |  E1872

Business Breakdowns: “The Founder” Ray Kroc and the Story of McDonalds |  E1872

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Curotec. Are you one of those companies that knows you need to be using AI, but you're not even sure where to start? Well then you need Curotec. They are AI experts, and they're offering TWiST listeners an AI Strategy Roadmap tailored to your business for $5000. That's 50% off the normal cost just for telling them we sent you. Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist  and get $5000 off!

Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Masterworks. The first company allowing investors exposure into the blue-chip artwork asset class. TWIST listeners can skip the waitlist by going to ⁠https://www.masterworks.com/twist and using promo code TWIST.

*

Today’s show:

Lon Harris sits down with Jason to examine product-market fit and market-pull and their role in McDonalds' success (21:11), the importance of complementary skill sets between founders within any startup.(32:41), the path of doubt, fear and uncertainty that founders experience (45:29), and more!

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Lon Harris joins Jason

(3:35) Lon brings us quick hits on the film The Founder.

(9:30) Lon shares his admiration for the film

(10:16) Jason discovered the film through a curious link with Mark Knopfler.

(12:02) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(16:00) Delving into the McDonalds' story

(17:47) Discussion on a common entrepreneurial revelation: efficiency and customer focus

(21:11) Examining product-market fit and market-pull in "The Founder" and its role in McDonalds' success.

(24:09) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(25:36) Building a series of innovations will create enormous value.

(27:35) Ray Kroc takeaway: the pursuit of relentless self-improvement on the way to his one big win.

(32:41) The importance of complimentary skill sets between founders within any startup.

(34:25) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist

(35:43) Exploring strengths and criticisms of the franchise model.

(41:36) The role of spouses in startup formation

(45:29) The path of doubt, fear and uncertainty that founders experience before any winning.

(49:54) Lessons around deal-making and negotiation.

(1:00:07) The power struggle between the McDonald brothers and Ray Kroc

(1:02:43) Discussing the significance of equity and stock ownership in business

(1:08:26) Ray Kroc’s brilliance came from his power to observe value and opportunity.

(1:16:51) Business Breakdown Awards for “The Founder”

*

Thanks to our partners:

(12:02) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off

(24:09) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(34:25) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist

*

Follow Lon:

X: https://twitter.com/Lons

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/jason

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

*

Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

*

Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

*

Follow TWiST:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

*

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Dec 29, 202301:23:31