This Week in Startups

Latest Episodes:

Tesla + Netflix Q3 earnings, Kevin Hart's VC fund, Twitter ideas, revamping the DCEU | E1591 Oct 21, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M break down Tesla's Q3 earnings with the help of some insightful charts (2:09), before discussing Kevin Hart's VC firm landing JP Morgan as an LP (17:08) and some ideas for Twitter verification. (27:29) Then, Lon Harris joins the show to cover Netflix's Q3 earnings, its coming ad-supported tier, and how he would revamp the DCEU! (37:19)

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

(2:09) Tesla Q3 earnings breakdown

(15:37) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(17:08) Kevin Hart lands JP Morgan as an LP for Hartbeat Ventures, his VC firm

(26:05) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(27:29) Twitter verification ideas

(35:52) Blueground - Get up to $1000 off your booking at https://promos.theblueground.com/twist

(37:19) Lon Harris joins the show to break down Netflix's Q3 earnings and its plans for an ad-supported tier

(1:00:05) Head of DCEU leaves, Lon gives his thoughts on how he would revamp DC to compete with the MCU

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

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

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Next Unicorns evaluation + Ask Jason | E1590 Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

New format! Jason evaluates some prior Next Unicorns company's performances since the CEO appeared on the podcast (2:06), and contextualizes the fundraising market throughout the past three years. Then, Jason wraps the show by answering listener questions! (48:18)

(0:00) Jason tees up today's new Next Unicorns format!

(2:06) Jason shares some thoughts on why he started The Next Unicorns series and tees up some of the most successful companies over the first three seasons

(5:32) E971: Checkr CEO Daniel Yanisse

(10:37) E987: Upgrade CEO Renaud Laplanche

(13:59) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(15:29) E992: former Expanse CEO Tim Junio

(23:14) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at LinkedIn.com/nextunicorn

(24:51) E998: Benchling CEO Saji Wickramasekara

(28:32) E1089: Insitro CEO Daphe Koller

(33:26) Kalshi - Sign up at https://kalshi.com/twist and receive $25 after trading your first 100 contracts

(34:57) E1098: Cockroach Labs CEO Spencer Kimball

(38:19) E1113: Loom CEO Joe Thomas

(43:02) E1246: Divvy Homes CEO Adena Hefets

(48:18) Ask Jason: 2023's "Why now?", Jason's favorite qualities in a founder and person, greatest acquisitions of all time

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

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

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Stability AI's $1B+ valuation, why you should start or join a startup, Roblox jumps 20% | E1589 Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M cover Stability AI's new billion-dollar valuation (2:45) before Jason runs through a presentation and a manifesto. (15:33) Then, J+M break down Roblox's stock popping 20% on Monday (33:02), and another excellent WLITF segment featuring Joby Aviation! (42:57)

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

(2:45) Stable Diffusion-maker Stability AI raises at a $1B valuation!

(14:05) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST

(15:33) Jason runs through his talk: "Why you should build -- or join -- a startup" and his document on goals at LAUNCH

(24:59) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(26:10) J+M discuss the expectations at LAUNCH vs most other venture firms

(33:02) Roblox stock popped 20% on Monday after a strong metrics report

(37:32) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding required, sign up at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups

(39:01) Metaverse-winning pair trade, discussion on getting back to work

(42:57) Delta invests $60M into eVTOL-maker Joby Aviation and plans to eventually offer Joby trips to and from airports starting in NY and LA

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

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

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Ye agrees to acquire Parler, Xi Jinping on the state of China, deglobalization & more | E1588 Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

J+M break down Ye agreeing to acquire Parler and share some thoughts on the artist's current situation. (2:22) Then, they cover CCP President Xi Jinping's recent comments on the current state of China (22:39), and what the world might look like with less globalization. (28:58) They wrap with a social media Startup of the Day (52:29) and a space-themed We Live in the Future! (1:04:40)

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

(2:22) Ye has agreed to acquire Parler, a free speech-focused Twitter competitor

(15:35) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist

(16:49) More thoughts on Ye's current situation

(22:39) CCP President Xi Jinping's recent comments on the state of China and his goals moving forward

(27:27) Notion - Sign up for FREE at https://notion.com

(28:58) Unwinding globalization, issues with codependency

(38:31) Helpware - Go to https://helpware.com/TWIST to get $1000 off your first invoice

(39:55) Where CCP policies went wrong, what other countries can learn from them

(52:29) Startup of the Day: Gas is a new social media startup geared towards positive superlatives for high school friend groups

(1:04:40) We Live in the Future: Spinlaunch's rotating arm that launches satellites into low Eather orbit

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

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

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The Wing shuts down, avoiding pitfalls of success + Tesseract Energy's Alan Chang | E1587 Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

First up, J+M discuss The Wing shutting down, where it went wrong, and avoiding ego-based pitfalls. (1:35) Then, Alan Chang joins Molly to break down his idea behind Tesseract Energy! (22:37)

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

(1:35) The Wing shuts down: what went wrong

(12:44) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(14:18) Understanding and avoiding ego- and success-based founder pitfalls

(21:24) FanDuel Sportsbook - Sign up with promo code TWIST to place a $1000 risk-free bet at https://sportsbook.fanduel.com

(22:37) Alan Chang joins Molly and explains his idea behind Tesseract Energy, his time at Revolut, and more!

(35:20) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups

(36:36) Understanding how a token plays into Tesseract's energy platform

VCs hiring Twitter ghostwriters, Meta's XR plan, Netflix's ad tier & more | E1586 Oct 15, 2022

Show notes

Friday variety! First up J+M cover a wide range of topics, including VC ghostwriters (12:45), firms investing in public tech companies (22:29), and news lightning round! (34:51) Then, Producer Rachel is back with another edition of OK Boomer. (53:30)

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

(2:45) J+M talk about happy hour, discuss some All-In topics, geopolitics, markets and more!

(11:42) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist

(12:45) VCs are hiring ghostwriters on Twitter!

(21:10) Assure - To get 20% off your first Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) visit https://Assure.co/twist

(22:29) WSJ reports that VCs are investing in growth-stage public tech companies rather than late-stage private startups

(33:25) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20

(34:41) Lightning round: Decentraland's usage stats, use cases for Meta's new AR headset, Netflix announces ad-supported tier launch date and price

(50:22) Producer Rachel joins to tee up this week's OK Boomer!

(53:20) Cliff Lerner joins to discuss his new social startup Saturdays

SEC investigates Bored Apes, AI-generated Steve Jobs/Joe Rogan interview & more | E1585 Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

Vinny Lingham and Sunny Madra are back for another crypto roundtable! The show starts with a discussion on Nvidia's new high-powered graphics cards (2:35) and an AI-generated podcast interview. (15:21) Then, the group breaks down the SEC investigating Yuga Labs over whether or not Bored Apes are securities! (27:07)

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

(2:35) J+M welcome Sunny Madra and Vinny Lingham; Vinny breaks down his new Nvidia purchase and how graphics cards will power the next wave of AI

(14:03) Dell for Startups - Apply for Dell for Startups and get an additional 10% off at http://dell.com/twist

(15:21) Podcast.ai's AI-generated Steve Jobs/Joe Rogan interview

(25:50) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(27:07) The SEC is investigating Yuga Labs over its Bored Apes NFT collection, regarding whether or not the NFTs are securities

(36:24) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding required, sign up at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups

(37:26) What is this SEC investigation actually about? Why or why not are they securities? What are other similar examples?

(50:55) More interesting developments in the NFT space, Google announces it will use Coinbase to accept crypto payments

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

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

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

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

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TikTok planning to build US fulfillment centers + Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario | E1584 Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

First up J+M discuss TikTok's apparent plan to build an e-commerce business via US fulfillment centers! (8:57) Then, Molly is joined by Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario to discuss the genesis of a great brand and more. (17:26)

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

(2:13) Starlink, 5G, and the rapid advancement of internet connectivity

(8:57) TikTok appears to be hiring for product fulfillment centers in the US

(16:11) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(17:26) Molly welcomes Liquid Death Co-Founder and CEO Mike Cessario; they discuss Mike's background pre-Liquid Death and his advice for brand building

(28:27) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://LinkedIn.com/unicorn

(29:53) Irreverent marketing approaches pre-Liquid Death, building the Liquid Death brand before launching the product

(38:00) Paperclip - Go to getpaperclip.com/twist to get the app free for life

(39:06) Describing the genesis of the Liquid Death brand, what CPGs have historically gotten wrong, building a brand based on comedy; understanding flavor demand

Check out Liquid Death: https://www.liquiddeath.com

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

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

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New worker classification test proposal, Getir in talks to acquire Gorillas & more | E1583 Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

J+M kick off the show by catching up after Molly's speaking gig yesterday (2:31), before breaking down the US Labor Dept proposing new rules for worker classification (16:23). Then, they discuss self-driving food-running robots (49:11) before discussing potential consolidation in the instant-delivery space! (58:39)

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

(2:31) Molly's keynote, Jason teaching the next Founder University, data defaults, and liability

(14:57) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(16:23) US Labor Dept proposes new test for employee vs. independent contractor classification, understanding the history of worker classification

(26:17) Policygenius - Go to https://policygenius.com to get a free life insurance quote

(27:39) Creating better benchmarks for employees

(35:35) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist

(37:02) Uber's proactive attempt at a "third way" solution between independent contractors and employees

(49:11) Startup of the Day: Bear Robotics is creating self-driving food-running robots for restaurants

(58:39) Potential consolidation in the instant-delivery market: Getir is in advanced talks to acquire Gorillas

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

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

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Amazon's transformation, Peloton's mistakes, VC market downturn & more with Ben Gilbert | E1582 Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Acquired's Ben Gilbert fills in for Molly Wood and joins Jason to discuss Amazon's transformation (3:57), AI edge cases (22:02), Peloton's mistakes (32:05), used car prices (59:59), and the current VC market downturn. (1:09:18)

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

(3:57) Acquired's Ben Gilbert joins Jason to break down the news! First up: Amazon sunsets its "Scout" project, and its transformation from a Day 1 to a Day 2 company

(10:45) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(11:53) Coco's delivery robots, history of the delivery robot space, where Coco robots can work, the maturation of smartphone components

(22:02) AI edge cases: capturing the likeness of a celebrity/notable person

(27:33) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding required, sign up at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups

(29:03) Escaping the Uncanny Valley

(32:05) Peloton cuts 500 more jobs; CEO's comments make employees panic

(37:28) Zapier - Try for free today at https://zapier.com/TWIST

(38:59) Peloton's two major corporate strategy mistakes, Apple's mass market luxury innovation

(59:59) Used car prices are down significantly

(1:09:18) VC market downturn coming off a record 2021; was 2021 an aberration?

Check out Acquired: https://www.acquired.fm

FOLLOW Ben: https://twitter.com/gilbert