This Week in Startups

Latest Episodes:

Steve Case on "The Rise of the Rest", America's economic resiliency & more | E1601 Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Author, CEO of Revolution, and former AOL CEO Steve Case joins Jason to talk about his new book, "The Rise of the Rest". (0:50) They also discuss reflections on remote work (13:14), American economic resiliency (25:48), capital formation in America (36:32), and more!

(0:00) Show start

(0:50) Jason welcomes Steve Case: Author, CEO of Revolution, and former CEO of AOL to talk about his book, "The Rise of the Rest"

(11:44) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(13:14) Remote work reflections: can a great company be built fully remote?

(24:37) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(25:48) American economic resiliency, China's capitalist system going off the rails, not staying complacent

(34:16) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(35:31) Opening investor access, fixing capital formation in America

(43:16) Politics and policy involvement

Self-driving shakeup: TuSimple CEO fired & Argo AI shuts down + Divvy Homes CEO Adena Hefets | E1600 Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Molly Wood breaks down some shakeups in the self-driving space: TuSimple fired its CEO and is being probed by the FBI and SEC (1:40), and Argo AI has shut down after raising ~$2.6B. (8:50) Then, Divvy Homes CEO Adena Hefets joins the podcast to break down the state of the housing market and share thoughts on last week's hit piece. (14:09)

(0:00) Molly tees up today's segments!

(1:40) TuSimple CEO fired, company probed by FBI, SEC

(8:50) Argo AI shuts down

(12:45) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(14:09) Adena Hefets joins Molly Wood to discuss the Fast Company article covering her startup Divvy Homes last week

(25:17) Grammarly - Sign up for a free and get 20% Grammarly Premium at https://grammarly.com/TWIST

(26:49) Operating a business where the stakes are high (homeownership, healthcare, etc)

(31:17) Adena breaks down the state of the US housing market

(35:14) Athletic Greens - Get 1 year of Vitamin D free and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase at athleticgreens.com/twist

(36:34) State of debt markets, operating in different interest rate environments, different capital structures, taking advantage of low-interest rates

FOLLOW Adena: https://twitter.com/adenahefets

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

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Strategies for investing in an overheated market, understanding warrants + Nat Bullard | E1599 Oct 30, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M cover how to approach a market that's heating up during a downturn (1:42), before covering warrants. (25:07) Then, Voyager's Nat Bullard joins to discuss his journalist to VC path and Voyager's climate focus. (32:09)

(0:00) J+M tee up today's segments!

(1:42) How to approach a market that's heating up during a downturn

(11:26) Blueground - Get up to $1000 off your booking at https://promos.theblueground.com/twist

(12:58) Strategies around patience in VC, entering markets at the wrong time

(25:07) Understanding warrants

(30:49) Paperclip - Go to getpaperclip.com/twist to get the app free for life

(32:09) Nat Bullard joins Molly and breaks down his path from journalist to climate VC

(39:15) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(40:38) Voyager's thesis, most exciting investment opportunities in climate

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

FOLLOW Nat: https://twitter.com/natbullard

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

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Meta's precarious situation, $AMZN earnings breakdown, James Gunn to run DC + OK Boomer | E1598 Oct 28, 2022

Show notes

First up, Jason goes solo to break down more Meta fallout and Amazon's Q3 earnings. (1:59) Then, Lon Harris joins J+M to break down House of the Dragon's huge finale, James Gunn hired to run DC Films, and more! (21:56) Finally, Producer Rachel wraps the show with another edition of OK Boomer! (1:59)

(0:00) Jason tees up today's segments!

(1:59) Jason breaks down Meta's predicament

(11:21) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(12:55) What Jason would do to fix Meta's stock tumble

(16:28) $AMZN Q3 earnings breakdown

(20:32) Smash Digital - Visit https://SmashDigital.com/TWIST to get a free SEO video audit for your business

(21:56) Lon Harris joins to discuss House of the Dragon's S1 finale

(34:33) Kalshi - Sign up to win $100K at https://kalshi.com/efc

(36:01) More House of the Dragon discussion: show content, massive ratings; then they discuss Black Adam and James Gunn taking over at DC

(42:37) Bob Chapek's comments on animated content spark backlash; streaming business predictions and streaming recommendations!

(1:08:36) Molly and Producer Rachel tee up this week's OK Boomer segment!

(1:11:31) Tommy Clark joins Producer Rachel to discuss his experience with social media marketing

FOLLOW Lon: https://twitter.com/lons

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

FOLLOW Rachel: https://twitter.com/_rachelbraun

FOLLOW Tommy: https://twitter.com/tclarkmedia

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$META earnings instant reaction, Apple's NFT rules, SBF backlash & more | E1597 Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Sunny and Vinny are BACK for another crypto roundtable! First up, they give instant reactions to Meta's rough Q3 earnings and Zuck's big bet (1:59), before breaking down Meta's AR/VR battle with Apple (15:14). Then, the trio does a full NFT breakdown: Reddit's NFT usage (20:19), new App Store rules (27:41), and understanding royalties! (37:52) Then, they wrap by covering SBF facing backlash and a crypto Q&A. (47:54)

(0:00) Jason tees up today's topics!

(1:59) Jason welcomes Sunny and Vinny, and the trio breakdown Meta's Q3 earnings right as they drop!

(14:12) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist

(15:14) Who will win the AR/VR wars: Meta or Apple?

(20:19) Reddit's NFT usage

(26:12) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist

(27:41) Are Apple's new App Store NFT rules overreaching, or a great sign for crypto?

(36:28) Smash Digital - Visit https://SmashDigital.com/TWIST to get a free SEO video audit for your business

(37:52) Understanding NFT royalties

(47:54) SBF facing backlash after comments on regulation

(57:39) Crypto Q&A!

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

FOLLOW Vinny: https://twitter.com/VinnyLingham

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

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$MSFT, $GOOG, $SPOT earnings breakdowns + Coco CEO Zach Rash | E1596 Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

First up Jason does a solo breakdown of recent earnings reports from $MSFT (1:38), $GOOG (13:59), and $SPOT. (26:46) Then, Molly is joined by Coco CEO Zach Rash for another edition of The Next Unicorns! (39:09)

(0:00) Jason tees up today's segments

(1:38) Microsoft earnings breakdown

(12:42) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(13:59) Google earnings breakdown

(25:20) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://LinkedIn.com/unicorn

(26:46) Spotify earnings breakdown

(33:54) Why now is the best possible time to start a company

(37:58) TripActions - Go to https://tripactions.com/twist and get a $500 Amazon gift card after making your first travel booking OR paying off your first $1000 of liquid spend

(39:09) Coco CEO and Founder Zach Rash joins Molly Wood to talk about his robo-delivery startup!

(55:38) Last mile delivery market size, why Coco is focusing on remote-controlled vs autonomous, and more!

FOLLOW Zach: https://twitter.com/zac_rash

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

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Shutterstock partners with OpenAI, Apple's new smart lock partner, Mach 9 spaceplane & more | E1595 Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M discuss Shutterstock partnering with OpenAI and what this means for ownership and IP rights. (1:56) Then they break down Apple partnering with Level to sell a smart lock (29:00) and what the world would be like with a Mach 9 spaceplane. (35:03) Molly wraps the show with a solo news breakdown! (40:37)

(0:00) Molly tees up today's segments!

(1:56) J+M break down Shutterstock partnering with OpenAI and DALL-E 2 and what this means for IP and content rights

(15:30) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(16:56) How would Jason solve the "training data" problem from both sides? Is the cat out of the bag regarding ai-generated images?

(27:50) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(29:00) Apple partners with Level to sell a smart lock

(35:03) WLITF: Venus Aerospace's Mach 9 spaceplane!

(39:08) Kalshi - Sign up for a chance to win $100K at https://kalshi.com/efc

(40:37) Molly solo segment!: US semiconductor employee shortage, India fines Google $113M, Apple's NFT update

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

Brad Gerstner's open letter to Zuck, Meta's lack of efficiency, Divvy Homes hit piece | E1594 Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

J+M cover Brad Gerstner's letter to Zuck and three-point plan to boost Meta's FCF 2x (7:04), an NFT project located at the Fyre Fest island (33:19), and a hit piece on Divvy Homes and its CEO, Adena Hefets. (39:38)

(0:00) J+M tee up today's topics!

(2:08) Opening banter/weekend catch-up!

(7:04) Brad Gerstner published an open letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, outlining a plan to double FCF and boost its stock price

(12:11) Linode - Apply to Linode's Rise program for up to six figures in discounts at https://linode.com/twist

(13:41) Specific plans in Brad's letter, the "open-letter approach", Meta efficiency comparisons and advertiser treatment

(27:16) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20

(28:32) Meta's revenue/capex vs. Google

(33:19) Homeownership NFTs on the infamous Fyre Fest island!

(38:08) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(39:38) J+M go through a hit piece against Divvy Homes and Adena Hefets and describe what subtle tells indicate a hit piece

(1:10:40) Jay Trading update, geopolitics, and more!

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

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Venture Debt: should your startup take it on? + Mi Terro's Robert Luo | E1593 Oct 23, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M chop it up about venture debt on this edition of VC Sunday School. What are the dangers? And when should your startup take it on? (2:12) Then, Molly has a conversation with Mi Terro founder Robert Luo about how they are targeting the world's microplastic problem. (19:33)

(0:00) J+M tee-up topics for Sunday

(2:12) Jason warns founders of the dangers of taking on venture debt

(9:23) Harmonic - Get $4000 off at https://harmonic.ai/twist

(10:42) Jason addresses when venture debt can and cannot work + PAG's new venture wealth fund

(18:05) MicroAcquire - Sell your business with no fees at https://try.microacquire.com/twist

(19:33) Robert Luo joins Molly to explain how Mi Terro is solving the world's microplastic problem

(28:50) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist

(30:17) Robert talks about competition, his background as an entrepreneur and the future of Mi Terro FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

YouTube's new roadmap, OpenAI & BeReal fundraising news, Snap's 30% drop + OK Boomer | E1592 Oct 22, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M discuss YouTube's new @handle feature (2:10) and break down how TikTok and Facebook aren't catching misinformation in political ads. (10:07) Then, they each do a solo segment! Jason chimes in on Open AI reportedly raising more money from Microsoft (20:53) and Molly breaks down Snap's 30% drop and BeReal's ~$600M valuation. (27:39) Producer Rachel ends the show with another segment of OK Boomer featuring recurring guests Jules Terpak and Danny Miranda. (38:08)

(0:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's show!

(2:10) YouTube has a new @handle feature (and we're @startups)

(9:05) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist

(10:07) TikTok and Facebook aren't catching misinformation in political ads

(19:23) TripActions - Go to https://tripactions.com/twist and get a $500 Amazon gift card after making your first travel booking OR paying off your first $1000 of liquid spend

(20:53) Jason discusses Open AI reportedly raising more money from Microsoft

(27:39) Molly breaks down Snap's ~30% drop and BeReal's ~$600M valuation

(36:33) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(38:08) Producer Rachel talks to Jules Terpak and Danny Miranda about AI Podcasts

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