This Week in Startups

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

* Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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

Tech Earnings Breakdown: $UBER, $LYFT, $KIND with TechCrunch's Alex Wilhelm | E1845 Nov 11, 2023

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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 NetSuite.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.

Arising Ventures is a holding company that acquires tech startups facing setbacks. Arising Ventures knows what founders care about because they aren't bankers, they are tech founders themselves! Go to http://arisingventures.com/TWIST

Today's show:

TechCrunch's Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to break down the latest earnings reports from Uber (4:04), Lyft (24:28), and Nextdoor (44:15). Then, the two dive into WeWork's failed business model (1:01:44), the viability of various careers as AI advances (38:33), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Tech Crunch's Alex Wilhelm joins Jason

(4:04) Uber's earning report

(7:04) Pirate cut-throat mentality analogy and the money-ball system

(10:11) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://www.netsuite.com/twist

(11:12) Did the press get Uber's Earnings report right?

(17:39) Uber and the J-Curve

(20:29) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://www.miro.com/startups

(22:17) Uber, China, and DiDi

(23:14) ZIRP environment playbook to own a market

(24:28) Lyft gets a participation trophy

(25:22) Comparing Lyft to Uber's Revenue (Quarterly)

(27:53) Labor availability

(31:05) Arising Ventures - head to http://www.arisingventures.com/TWIST to learn more and connect with the team

(32:15) Immigration policy and a record-low unemployment

(37:37) The underground economy

(38:33) AI effects on unemployment

(39:12) Let's build new cities!

(44:15) NextDoor earnings

(55:34) A case for hiring remotely

(59:13) Combining remote work with the power of AI

(1:01:44) Clip from TWiST E969 with Alex about WeWork

(1:04:22) Earnings "supplements"

(1:07:35) When Alex discovered business as a youth

(1:14:18) A South Park clip!

Check out TWiST E969: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM1DDVq3_vs

Follow Alex: https://twitter.com/alex

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

https://www.reuters.com/business/softbanks-wework-once-most-valuable-us-startup-succumbs-bankruptcy-2023-11-07

The Case for Adam Neumann + driverDoc's Josh Kolar on automation for trucking companies | E1844 Nov 10, 2023

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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://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.

Lemon.io. Get access to Lemon Hire, a platform with more than 80,000 pre-vetted engineers that you can interview within 48 hours. Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire today!

.Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to startups.tech/jason to find out how!

Today's show:

First, Jason breaks down what forced WeWork's bankruptcy filing (2:27), and what it might look like if Adam Neumann took back the company. (5:45) Then, driverDoc's Josh Kolar joins Jason to discuss creating all-in-one digital management platform for trucking companies (25:54).

Time stamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show

(2:27) Breaking down WeWork's bankruptcy

(5:45) Is there a case for Adam Neumann's return to WeWork?

(12:38) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(13:46) Adam Neumann's standing in the industry

(22:40) Lemon.io - Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire

(25:49) driverDOC CEO and Co-Founder Josh Kolar joins Jason

(25:10) Unveiling the entrepreneurial journey that led to the birth of driverDOC.

(29:00) How driverDOC is navigating the complex landscape of fragmented trucking industries.

(30:04) Adding value to the legacy apps and the big vision for driverDOC

(31:19) .Tech Domains - Apply to get your startup featured on This Week in Startups at https://www.startups.tech/jason

(32:31) The introduction of AI and multi-modal helps to accelerate the innovation of driverDOC

(34:22) An analysis of the current state of bill of lading standardization in the logistics industry.

(36:31) Advancements in live package tracking for improved shipment visibility.

(38:31) Building a startup in the heartland of America

(40:13) The impact of Uber and Amazon on freight

(41:32) The case of Convoy and the brokerage model

Referenced in the podcast:

https://www.newcomer.co/p/will-adam-neumann-rescue-wework

Check out driverDoc: https://www.driverdoc.io

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkolar

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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

Managing your treasury in 2023 | Startup Finance Basics w/ Kruze's Scott Orn | E1843 Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

Todays show:

Kruze's Scott Orn joins Jason on the latest edition of Startup Finance Basics! In this episode, they discuss the current state of the market (0:40), diversifying bank relationships (6:09), managing risk (16:25), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Kruze's Scott Orn joins Jason

(0:40) The current state of the market

(6:09) The SVB lesson: Diversify your bank relationships

(16:25) Capital preservation, liquidity, and risk management

Check out Kruze: https://kruzeconsulting.com

Follow Scott:

https://twitter.com/scottorn

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

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

https://s23.q4cdn.com/407969754/files/doc_earnings/2023/q3/earnings-result/Uber-Q3-23-Earnings-Press-Release.pdf

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

Uber profitable again, SBF guilty, Biden's AI EO + Motive's John Habeck | E1842 Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

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.

House of Macadamias is the next big health trend! Get a free month's supply of Macadamia Milk with any order at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20!

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 CLAconnect.com/tech

Today's show:

First up, Jason takes on the news solo by breaking down Uber's Q3 earnings (2:23), reflecting on SBF's guilty verdict (13:39), and giving some takes on Biden's EO on AI (15:53). Then, Motive CEO John Habeck joins to break down building "Shopify for Car Dealerships" (21:39).

Time stamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show

(2:23) Uber earnings report and Uber's profitability

(12:17) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist

(13:39) SBF's guilty verdict

(15:53) Takes on Biden's executive order on AI

(20:11) House of Macadamias - Get a free month's supply of Macadamia Milk with any order at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20!

(21:39) Motive CEO John Habeck discusses building a startup in a "sleeping giant" industry

(32:18) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech

(33:17) Understand the TAM for "Shopify for Car Dealerships"

Referenced in the podcast:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence

https://www.businessofapps.com/data/uber-statistics

https://twitter.com/EconomyApp/status/1721899291248324642

Check out Motive: https://www.ridemotive.com

* Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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

OpenAI DevDay!: demoing GPT-4 Turbo, "GPT Store" potential, and more with Sunny Madra | E1841 Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

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.

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 http://coda.io/twist

IntouchCX. Want to build a loyal customer base for your startup? Unlock the power of innovative AI and automated support solutions from IntouchCX to deliver fast, personalized support and enhance your customers' experience. Schedule your consultation today at http://intouchcx.com/twist

Today's show:

Sunny joins Jason to discuss OpenAI's DevDay announcements (1:33). Then, Sunny demos an AI-driven chatbot creator (32:49), an AI email-first Chief of Staff (39:12), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason to break down OpenAI DevDay!

(1:33) OpenAI DevDay announcements: GPT-4 Turbo, expanded context windows, Custom GPTs, and more

(12:57) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(14:28) How OpenAI's "GPT Store" could change the way we consume the internet

(22:02) GPT-4 Turbo, speed, cost reduction, expanded context window issues

(26:16) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist

(32:49) DEMO: Droxy.ai: a custom chatbot platform

(37:54) InTouchCX - Schedule a free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist

(39:12) DEMO: Mindy.com: an AI-powered email Chief of Staff

(45:43) DEMO: Brave Nightly's webpage summarizer

(50:24) DEMO: Zapier's AI-powered Zaps

Check out what happened at OpenAI DevDay: https://devday.openai.com/

Check out Droxy Ai: https://www.droxy.ai/

Check out Mindy: https://mindy.com/

Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

https://twitter.com/gaganbiyani

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

The hard lessons from building three startups with Maven's Gagan Biyani | E1840 Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

The Embroker Startup Program helps startups secure the most important lines of insurance, at a lower cost, and with less hassle. For guaranteed 10% off on premiums (& up to 20% depending on quote) go to www.embroker.com/twist.

Brave is an internet privacy company on a mission to protect your personal info online. Try the Brave Search API at http://www.brave.com/jason

Today's show:

Maven Co-Founder and CEO Gagan Biyani joins Jason to break down his startup's live, cohort-based education model (2:28). Then, Gagan dives into his past journeys at Udemy, where he was eventually fired but wound up revolutionizing online learning and going public (35:08), and Sprig, a food-delivery startup that went on to raise $60M and scale to $20M in revenue, but ultimately failed (47:36).

Time stamps:

(0:00) Gagan Biyani, CEO of Maven, joins Jason to discuss the future of online learning.

(2:24) Maven: the evolution of online learning.

(3:23) Exploring Maven's elite courses offered by a diverse pool of passionate professionals.

(6:57) Analyzing who is leveraging Maven for education and the cost dynamics of online learning.

(10:30) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(11:36) How Maven's live cohort-based learning emphasizes accountability and interactivity for higher success rates.

(13:15) Comparing the outdated cost structures of traditional education with modern alternatives.

(23:10) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://www.Embroker.com/twist

(26:31) Unveiling the potential earnings for educators in the online learning marketplace.

28:27) The online educational landscape featuring insights on Coursera, Udemy, and others.

(30:56) Brave - Try the Brave Search API at http://www.brave.com/jason

(33:40) Jason built the "pit" at TechCrunch50, where he and Gagan first met.

(35:08) How Udemy's early days were shaped by the Founder Institute and Adeo Ressi.

(41:28) Gagan shares his personal story of being fired from Udemy and his lessons learned.

(47:33) The trials, tribulations, and ultimate closure of the food delivery startup, Sprig.

(53:39) Discussing the most effective methods for scaling and growing a product.

(55:02) The world of fundraising and understanding the power law in venture capital.

Check out Maven: https://www.maven.com

Follow Gagan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

https://twitter.com/purn3ndu

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

Giving NPCs the power of AI with Convai's Purnendu Mukherjee | E1839 Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

The Equinix Startup program offers provides a hybrid infrastructure solution for startups, including up to $100K in credits and personalized consultations and guidance from the Equinix team. Go to https://equinixstartups.com to apply today.

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Today's show:

Convai CEO Purnendu Mukherjee joins Jason to discuss creating AI-powered NPCs using Convai (6:05), the birth of generative AI (22:17), open-source vs. closed AI (36:01), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Convai CEO Purnendu Mukherjee joins Jason

(3:54) The motivation behind Convai

(6:05) Purnendu breaks down creating an NPC character using Convai

(10:16) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://equinixstartups.com

(11:36) Demo of character creation using Convai's unique toolset

(17:18) Integrating AI Characters into Game Worlds with Convai

(20:50) Fitbod - Get 25% off at https://fitbod.me/twist

(22:17) Convai's business model and the issue game developers have with moving from flat rate to usage-based charges

(25:00) Purnendu reflects on his time at Nvidia

(29:57) The birth of the generative AI boom

(34:30) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(36:01) Navigating the Future: AI Regulation & open-source vs. closed AI

(40:11) The countdown to self-creating AI

(43:13) Purnendu breaks down data collected for AI and the uses for an AI-enabled Amazon Mechanical Turk

Check out Convai: https://www.convai.com

Follow Purnendu:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/purn3ndu

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST:

Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four

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

Airtable CEO Howie Liu on pivoting from blitzscaling to profits, AI applications, and more | E1838 Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Lemon.io. Get access to Lemon Hire, a platform with more than 80,000 pre-vetted engineers that you can interview within 48 hours. Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire today!

IntouchCX. Give your startup a boost and simplify your processes with next-level automated customer support solutions from IntouchCX. Discover your custom strategy at Intouchcx.com/twist

Today's show:

Airtable CEO Howie Liu joins Jason to discuss his philosophy of product-led growth (1:35), the current explosion of AI (36:37), and much more!

Time stamps:

(0:00) Airtable CEO Howie Liu joins Jason

(1:35) Howie's philosophy on product-led growth

(5:05) Bridging the gap between spreadsheets and purpose-driven apps

(7:12) Tweet storm referenced on the All-In podcast

(13:19) ⁠Lemon.io⁠ - Get $2000 off your first hire at ⁠https://lemon.io/hire

(17:13) Blitzscale hiring

(24:28) InTouchCX - Get started with a free consultation at ⁠https://intouchcx.com/twist

(26:18) Charging per-seed basis and revisiting Airtable on E814 in 2018

(30:36) Jason shares two successful use cases utilizing Airtable

(35:32) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at ⁠https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

(36:37) The AI boom and its potential dangers

Check out All In E146: https://youtu.be/X-Sb8sIi22g?si=fhiIi5ehFOyrMUD-&t=3673

Check out Howie in TWiST E814: https://youtu.be/55JnirJ7oHk?si=oPlNol8cotYrJTI1

Follow Howie: https://twitter.com/howietl

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 Jason:

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

Follow TWiST: