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    Business

    This Week in Startups

    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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    Copyright: © Jason Calacanis

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    Latest Episodes:
    Anti-Work Uprising, Copyright Wars & the StreamFog Solution | E2124 May 13, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Lon & Alex are back with a spicy Monday episode of This Week in Startups. Jason goes off on unions vs capitalism, we dig into why fewer seed startups are making it to Series A, and look at OpenAI's quiet copyright land grab. Plus: YC says Google should be broken up (then kind of walks it back), Perplexity's wild $14B valuation, and Saudi Arabia wants its own national AI. We wrap with an Office Hours chat with Kevin Bondzio from Streamfog on the future of AR ads in livestreaming.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (2:38) Why Jason's obsessed with Reddit's anti-work community

    (10:30) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist

    (12:21) Seed Stage Graduation rates

    (20:43) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

    (26:11) What's going on with Tech M&A?

    (30:04) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

    (33:50) What's going on with the Copyright Office?

    (37:24) Licensing and competitive advantage in the AI era

    (48:28) AI and the future of subscription-based content(56:42) StreamFog wants to change the way creators advertise

    (1:14:13) Perplexity's mega-valuation gets even mega-er

    (1:19:13) How Saudi Arabia just became an AI startup

    (1:22:05) Y Combinator pokes it's nose in the Google antitrust case

    *

    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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

    *

    Links from episode:

    Check out Streamfog: https://streamfog.com/

    Check out Peter Walkers post on "Graduating from Seed to Series A" https://x.com/PeterJ_Walker/status/1921288778192200087

    Learn about the HUMAIN here: https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2316474

    *

    Follow Kev:

    X: https://x.com/kevbondzio

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bondzio/

    *

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons

    *

    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:30) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist

    (20:43) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

    (30:04) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

    *

    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

    *

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

    *

    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    OpenAI Scoops Instacart's CEO, AI in the Courtroom & Off-Road Startups | E2123 May 10, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Alex, and Lon break down OpenAI's latest power move: hiring Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to lead its consumer apps. They also dive into the ethical storm brewing around an AI-generated victim statement used in court — is this the future of legal testimony? Plus, they explore how late-stage funding rounds like a "Series G" don't automatically spell trouble anymore, and what The Checklist Manifesto can teach startup founders. Stick around for another Office Hours, where WhereToWheel gets a shot at the spotlight.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) We kick off the show!

    (2:28) Intro: It's all about having a system...

    (8:52) Wait, OpenAI STOLE Instacart's CEO?

    (10:00) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions

    (18:03) Why Adam Curry is the Podfather

    (20:08) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

    (22:53) Would you want to be represented in court by an AI Avatar?

    (30:44) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

    (35:38) What the heck is "Minor M&A"?

    (48:10) When are we all getting humanoid robots?

    (53:30) Where2Wheel wants to help you off-road

    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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

    *

    Links from episode:

    Check out Wheel2Wheel: https://dev.where2wheel.com/

    *

    Follow Where2Wheel:

    X: https://x.com/Where2Wheel

    Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/where2wheel-llc/

    *

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons

    *

    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:00) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions

    (20:08) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

    (30:44) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

    *

    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

    *

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

    *

    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Zoox Crash Fallout, COATUE's $1B Open Fund, and Office Hours with FusionAds | E2122 May 08, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Lon & Alex discuss the day's hottest tech and startup news. Zoox's robotaxi crash and voluntary recall, COATUE's innovative open-ended venture fund that could democratize private tech investing, the NSO Group's massive $167M fine for spyware abuse, Uber's record-setting earnings and in-person work push, and a candid AI wake-up call from Fiverr's CEO urging employees to embrace automation or fall behind. From regulatory shakeups to funding innovation and the rise of AI productivity, this episode captures the chaos and opportunity of tech in 2025.


    Timestamps:

    (1:09) Show Intro

    (2:43) Will Coatue's new low buy-in fund replace or supplement traditional VC investments?

    (9:55) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/⁠twist

    (13:38) Zoox issues recall: why this might be the best case scenario for self-driving cars.

    (20:18) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

    (22:39) Meta wins settlement against NSO: do spyware companies even need to exist?

    (25:45) Uber bests expectations in Q1! Why their future is looking bright.

    (29:48) Notion - Try it for free today at https://notion.com/twist

    (33:10) How scared should we be of AI replacing us? Fiverr's CEO says VERY.

    (40:57) In Office Hours, Evan from FusionAds wants to know: how to make clients feel more confident in with AI-generated marketing?

    (50:03) The Founder Friday Tournament's Final Four is now... a FINAL FIVE?!


    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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


    Links from episode:

    Do Things That Don't Scale: https://paulgraham.com/ds.html

    FusionAds: https://www.fusionos.ai/ai-generative-advertising


    Follow Evan:X: https://x.com/EG_Fusion

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

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons


    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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


    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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


    Thank you to our partners:

    (9:55) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.co

    (20:18) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

    (29:48) Notion - Try it for free today at https://notion.com/twist


    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland


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


    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com


    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Cursor's $9B Round, AI-Powered Toys & CloudNuro's SaaS Fix | E2121 May 06, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Cursor's explosive growth, hitting $200M in ARR and a massive $9B valuation. They also explore the buzz around Magical Toys' new AI-powered dinosaur, where LLMs meet playtime. The conversation turns to "vibe coding" and how AI dev tools are changing the way product teams build. Plus, Jason shares stories from his Formula 1 poker table, Uber's latest autonomous vehicle partnerships get analyzed, and we bring you highlights from our Founder Fridays pitch showdown, featuring Kippy from Sydney and MomSub from Chicago. Stick around to hear how Cloud Neuro is tackling SaaS sprawl.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

    (3:52) Rise in popularity of F1 and Netflix's impact

    (10:23) Uber stock, partnerships, and self-driving technology

    (10:47) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

    today!

    (13:50) Aurora Innovation's SPAC and Cursor's valuation discussion

    (19:07) Revenue quality concerns for startups

    (20:17) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

    (21:37) User engagement versus churn in startups

    (23:06) AnySphere's ARR and impact of faster development on tech

    (30:29) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

    (32:11) Anker's portable solar solutions and off-grid living innovations

    (37:41) Jason's investment insights on Warner Brothers and Disney

    (38:27) Skype's decline and the rise of Zoom and Microsoft Teams

    (42:04) Founder Friday bracket final matchup and pitches

    (51:08) Interview with Fateen Anam Raffid from Magical Toys

    (59:24) Dino AI toy demonstration and future plans

    (1:04:20) Interview on CloudNuro's SaaS spend management

    (1:10:01) SaaS compliance, vendor-customer relationships, and AI spend management

    (1:16:09) CloudNuro's data-driven foundation and AI governance

    (1:18:46) Company growth, competitive landscape, and Chicago's entrepreneurial ecosystem*

    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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

    *

    Links from episode:

    Magical Toys: https://www.magicaltoys.com

    CloudNuro: https://www.cloudnuro.ai/

    *

    Follow Fateen:

    X: https://x.com/Fateen_Anam

    *

    Follow Shyam:

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shyam-kumar-7b18524/:*

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons

    *

    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:47) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

    today!

    (20:17) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

    (30:29) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com/ Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

    *

    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

    *

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

    *

    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Apple's App Store Loss, AI Persuasion, and an Interview with Tyler Denk of Beehiiv | E2120 May 02, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Lon, and Alex break down a loaded week in tech: Apple's 27% App Store "link-out" fee gets shut down by a judge—unlocking margin for startups and slashing CAC; AI bots on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView are now 6x more effective than humans at changing minds, signaling a seismic shift in online discourse; and Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk joins to discuss building in public, rapid product iteration, and the irony of being critiqued like a market leader for innovating too fast. The big takeaway? AI is evolving fast, gatekeepers are falling, and founders who build through chaos are best positioned to win.


    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Episode Teaser(1:20) Introduction and venture capital power law(4:14) Economic data and labor market trends(8:19) Mimicking trades and Dub's Series A funding

    (10:05) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.(14:48) Apple App Store ruling and startup implications

    (19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(21:44) App store fees and antitrust concerns(27:34) Fivetran's acquisition and Lena Khan's impact on VC(29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups(32:02) Venture capital scenarios and M&A future(37:23) Jason's Starbucks tweet and union perspectives(45:02) Reddit's AI experiment and online discourse(48:16) Interview with Tyler Denk from Beehiiv(49:52) Beehiiv overview and customer base(51:02) Beehiiv's revenue strategy and Boost feature(57:06) Balancing revenue streams and feature quality(1:04:30) MRR growth and founder transparency(1:08:05) Brand marketing impact and staying focused(1:11:44) Hiring challenges and platform comparisons(1:14:01) Twist 500 initiative update


    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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


    Links from episode:

    Beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/


    Follow Tyler:X: https://x.com/denk_tweets

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons


    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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


    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:05) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.

    (19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.

    (29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups


    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland


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


    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com


    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    What's Next for AI Infrastructure with Amin Vahdat | AI Basics with Google Cloud May 01, 2025
    Show notes

    In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with Amin Vahdat, VP of ML at Google Cloud, to unpack the mind-blowing infrastructure behind modern AI. They dive into how Google's TPUs power massive queries, why 2025 is the "Year of Inference," and how startups can now build what once felt impossible. From real-time agents to exponential speed gains, this is a look inside the AI engine that's rewriting the future.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Jason introduces today's guest Amin Vahdat

    (3:18) Data movement implications for founders and historical bandwidth perspective

    (5:29) The shift to inference and AI infrastructure trends in startups and enterprises

    (8:40) Evolution of productivity and potential of low-code/no-code development

    (11:20) AI infrastructure pricing, cost efficiency, and historical innovation

    (17:53) Google's TPU technology and infrastructure scale

    (23:21) Building AI agents for startup evaluation and supervised associate agents

    (26:08) Documenting decisions for AI learning and early AI agent development

    *

    Uncover more valuable insights from AI leaders in Google Cloud's 'Future of AI: Perspectives for Startups' report. Discover what 23 AI industry leaders think about the future of AI—and how it impacts your business. Read their perspectives here: https://goo.gle/futureofai

    *

    Check out all of the Startup Basics episodes here: https://thisweekinstartups.com/basics

    Check out Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/

    *

    Follow Amin:

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vahdat/?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com


    Bittensor's Rise, Meta's Llama Goes Cloud, & AI Now Writes Your Code | E2119 May 01, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Alex, Lon and Special Guest Mark Jeffrey of Hash Rate, cover the explosive rise of Bittensor, a decentralized AI compute network some are calling the "third great coin" after Bitcoin and Ethereum, explore Meta's bold move to host its open-source LLaMA models via partnerships with Groq and Cerebras—potentially setting the stage for a future AWS competitor—and unpack shocking revelations from the Wall Street Journal about Meta AI chatbots engaging in inappropriate conversations with underage users. Plus, we explore how AI is now writing up to 30% of code at major tech firms like Google and Microsoft, signaling a radical shift in how software gets built.


    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Episode Teaser(1:28) Introduction to the episode and guests(2:31) Mark Jeffrey's involvement in crypto and Bittensor project(5:06) Bitcoin vs. Bittensor: Stability and efficiency(10:20) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.(15:16) Governance, staking, and starting a subnet in Bittensor(17:52) Exploring Ready.AI and its impact on the future of AI(20:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(27:17) Trump's influence on crypto regulations and the stablecoin act(30:03) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist(38:42) AI-driven VC outreach and Alexis Ohanian's advice on cold emailing(45:03) Introducing LayerNext with CEO Buddhika Madduma and customer onboarding challenges(49:04) Ikigai for startups and balancing bespoke work with scalable product development(55:38) Strategies for securing lighthouse customers and the 'bear hug' approach(56:43) Reddit rapid response: Debating the return to office for young professionals(1:04:05) Closing remarks and guest plugs


    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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


    Links from episode:

    Hash Rate Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@markjeffrey

    LayerNext: https://www.layernext.ai/

    r/antiwork: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/


    Follow Mark:

    X: https://x.com/markjeffrey

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

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons


    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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


    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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


    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:20) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.

    (20:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

    (30:03) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist


    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland


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


    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com


    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Meta's Dangerous Chat, Protect AI & Founder Fridays Pitch Comp | E2118 Apr 29, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: we break down the wild story behind Meta's AI chatbots going completely off the rails — including a bombshell WSJ exposé about bots flirting with minors. Then they cover Palo Alto Networks' huge $500M+ acquisition of Protect AI, and sit down with the founder of Formulate, who's building a robotic kitchen for chemicals and cosmetics. Plus, we get into some spicy takes on the secret group chats shaping tech behind the scenes, whether AI can clean up bad code faster than humans, and a Founder Fridays Texas showdown between Osprey and Wispr.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Jason kicks off the show.

    (1:45) Jason's recent trip to Detroit.

    (7:47) The influence of group chats on tech, politics, and Trumpism

    (10:54) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

    (19:48) The importance of proactive communication in media

    (20:04) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠ https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

    (21:44) Palo Alto Networks acquires Protect AI

    (28:57) ARX Robotics and the future of autonomous military platforms

    (29:31) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

    (35:27) Sentra's $50M Series B in data security posture management

    (42:16) Lightrun's $70M Series B and venture capital trends

    (51:28) Meta's AI chatbots, ethical concerns, and Founder Friday competition

    (1:05:19) Formulate interview with Osmaan Shah

    (1:11:52) Scaling microfactories and the benefits of Formulate's platform

    (1:21:10) Business model and future of robotics in manufacturing

    (1:24:38) Potential applications in food and agriculture for Formulate Robotics

    *

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    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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

    *

    Links from episode:

    Check out Formulate Robotics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formulaterobotics/posts/?feedView=all

    Check out Protect AI: https://protectai.com/

    Check out Lightrun: https://lightrun.com/

    Check out Sentra: https://www.sentra.io/

    Check out the WSK article on Meta's "Digital Companions": https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-ai-chatbots-sex-a25311bf?st=6jzH4S&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

    Check out ARX Robotics: https://www.arx-robotics.com/

    *

    Follow Osmaan:

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

    X: https://x.com/osmaanshah

    *

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons

    *

    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Thank you to our partners:

    (10:54) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

    (20:04) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

    (29:31) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

    *

    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

    *

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

    *

    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Discord's Power Move, Slate's Modular EVs & the "Act for Private Gain" | E2117 Apr 25, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Alex, and Lon break down today's top tech and startup stories — from Slate Auto's customizable $25K EV truck to Discord's major leadership shakeup ahead of a potential IPO. They also cover Uber's self-driving push with Volkswagen, Perplexity AI's aggressive growth moves, and why value-driven products are winning in a tough economy. Plus, Alex sits down with Tailscale CEO Avery Pennarun to unpack how they grew from 5K to 10K customers — and why fixing internet networking could spark the next huge wave of innovation.

    *

    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Jason, Lon and Alex kick off the show!

    (3:26) Introduction and features of Bezos-backed EV truck company, Slate

    (7:55) Market impact and value proposition of Slate's EV trucks

    (9:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

    (14:04) EV features and market potential discussion

    (17:42) Discord CEO steps down and IPO prospects

    (20:19) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

    (24:00) Uber and Volkswagen's self-driving car partnership

    (28:39) Superpower - The best founders know: better health = better business. Visit http://superpower.com/twist to skip the waitlist.

    (30:00) Pace of self-driving car adoption and regulation

    (37:20) Butterfly Effect secures Benchmark investment

    (38:37) Perplexity and Motorola Razr partnership

    (43:12) Jason's experience with Light Phone

    (45:39) New York Times and Ziff Davis lawsuits against OpenAI

    (50:09) Nonprofit structures and OpenAI's mission issues

    (54:01) Founder Friday: Pitchfire and TACTUN's two-year plans

    (1:02:28) Introduction to Tailscale and Avery Pennarun

    (1:10:17) Tailscale's enterprise adoption

    (1:21:13) Current Internet networking issues*

    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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

    *

    Links from episode:

    Check out Tailscale: https://tailscale.com/

    Check out Slate vehicles: https://www.slate.auto/en

    Check out Not For Private Gain:https://notforprivategain.org/

    Check out the Light Phone: https://www.thelightphone.com/

    Check out Oregon lawmakers article: ****https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/04/oregon-lawmakers-to-decide-whether-big-tech-should-pay-to-support-local-journalism.html

    Check out Manus: https://manus.im/

    *

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons

    *

    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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

    *

    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

    *

    Thank you to our partners:

    (9:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups(20:19) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(28:39) Superpower - The best founders know: better health = better business. Visit http://superpower.com/twist to skip the waitlist.

    *

    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

    *

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

    *

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

    *

    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


    Cursor's $300M ARR, Uber's FTC Battle, and Office Hours with GoShare | E2116 Apr 23, 2025
    Show notes

    Today's show: Jason, Alex and Lon unpack the FTC's lawsuit against Uber and what it could mean for subscription UX, break down how AI startup Cursor is growing faster than almost any SaaS company in history, and discuss how dark patterns, consumer trust, and regulatory scrutiny are reshaping product design. They also touch on the future of big tech breakups, share insights from founder Office Hours with GoShare CEO Shaun Savage, highlighting the power of focus, capital, and customer obsession for startups navigating turbulent markets.


    Timestamps:

    (0:00) Episode Tease(1:21) Jason talks about personal interests, frugality, and TWIST live tour(7:29) Nick Huber's tweet on tariffs and business impact(9:58) NetSuite - Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(11:22) Market uncertainty and paused deals(13:57) Trump's market feedback and tariffs(16:29) Cursor's rapid revenue growth(19:44) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist(21:16) Valuation discussion continuation and FTC sues Uber(29:58) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(31:26) FTC dark patterns and consumer protection(33:23) Founder Friday bracket competition: LifeStack vs MedSimple(43:50) Introduction to GoShare and founder Shaun Savage(45:57) Regulatory challenges in the gig economy and supply chain resilience(57:37) Diversification strategies for GoShare's delivery professionals(1:00:23) Benefits of office hours and brainstorming with portfolio companies(1:01:26) Founder University and Launch Accelerator updates


    Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

    Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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


    Links from episode:

    GoShare: https://goshare.co/

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


    Follow Shaun:

    X: https://x.com/ShaunSavage19

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

    Follow Lon:

    X: https://x.com/lons


    Follow Alex:

    X: https://x.com/alex

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


    Follow Jason:

    X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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


    Thank you to our partners:

    (9:58) NetSuite - Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist

    (19:44) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

    (29:58) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist


    Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland


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

    Follow TWiST:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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

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

    Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com


    Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916


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