This Week in Startups

Latest Episodes:

SaaS multiple compression, downturn outlook & advice for new VCs with Jason Lemkin of SaaStr | E1461 May 16, 2022

Show notes

Jason and Molly chat with Jason Lemkin of SaaStr (01:44). They discuss: advice for new VCs (16:14), the future of SaaS investing (27:37), playing offense as investors (35:50), secondaries and more.

(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's interview show (01:44) Jason and Molly speak with Jason Lemkin of SaaStr (14:59) Notion - Get started for free at https://notion.com/thisweekinstartups (16:14) Jason Lemkin's advice for new fund managers (26:16) Microacquire - Sell your business with no fees at https://try.microacquire.com/twist (27:37) Will SaaS investments continue to be good? (32:44) What makes Notion so good? (34:44) AdQuick - Visit https://adquick.com/twist and mention TWIST to get $1000 off your first campaign. (35:50) What does it mean to play offense? Why should you be playing offense now if you have the runway? (39:35) Jason Lemkin's predictions for the next year & advice for capital allocators/investors (52:25) Are founder secondary sales a red flag? (1:01:20) Strategies for investors in a down market

FOLLOW Jason Lemkin: https://twitter.com/jasonlk FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Women in venture capital + SpringEats.com CEO Anukampa Freedom Gupta-Fonner (Climate) | E1460 May 15, 2022

Show notes

In VC Sunday School we discuss Pitchbook's data on women-led VC funds (03:16), how much money they've raised and how the industry is evolving. Then, Jason explains why new fund managers often have more success with individual LPs than institutional LPs (27:12). In This Week in Climate Startups Molly speaks with Anukampa Freedom Gupta-Fonner of Springeats.com, a zero-waste grocery service (38:31).

(00:00) Jason and Molly introduce today's show (03:16) VC Sunday School: PitchBook gathered a bunch of data for The Information about women-led VC funds (13:08) ActiveCampaign - Get 10% off your ActiveCampaign subscription today at https://activecampaign.com/promo/twist (14:19) VCSS: Q1 2022, 199 funds raised $73.8B in commitments; 8% of total funding raised from women-led funds (25:52) Reforge - Apply for their next cohort at https://reforge.com/twist (27:12) VCSS: Taking the backdoor for raising (34:43) Liquid I.V. - Feel better faster. Get 25% off at https://liquid-iv.com using promo code TWIST (35:47) Wrapping up VCSS (36:37) Toss to This Week in Climate Startups (38:31) TWiCS: Molly speaks with Anukampa Freedom Gupta-Fonner of springeats.com (zero-waste grocery service)

Check out Spring: https://www.springeats.com

FOLLOW Anukampa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anukampafreedomguptafonner FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

SBF buys 7.6% $HOOD stake, SoftBank's $13B loss, Twitter exec layoffs & deal update + Nicole Ruiz from Compound VC | E1459 May 14, 2022

Show notes

First Jason and Molly cover FTX CEO SBF buying 7.6% of $HOOD (1:57), SoftBank's $13B loss (8:29), Twitter's exec layoffs (14:55) & give a deal update (21:50). Then Producer Rachel chats with Nicole Ruiz is an investor at Compound VC, a thesis-driven, research-centric investment firm (35:34). Together, they talk about her untraditional path to VC, their investment in Pear Bio, the importance of being a skilled researcher, and more.

(00:00) Cold open (1:57) 4-for-5 Friday: SBF buys 7% of $HOOD (8:29) SoftBank loses $13B (13:51) OurCrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (14:55) Twitter layoffs start (20:33) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist (21:50) Twitter deal on hold (30:29) Gun.io - Get $250 off your first developer hire at https://Gun.io/twist! (31:45) Toss to this week's OK Boomer (35:34) OKB with Producer Rachel and Nicole Ruiz of Compound VC (31:45) Toss to this week's OK Boomer (35:34) OKB with Producer Rachel and Nicole Ruiz of Compound VC

Follow Nicole: https://twitter.com/nwilliams030

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

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

Sundar Pichai, tech crash, crypto, journalism and more with CNBC's Deirdre Bosa | E1458 May 13, 2022

Show notes

Deirdre Bosa from CNBC's Tech Check joins to talk about a wide variety of topics (2:20), including her interview with Sundar Pichai, journalism (12:54), the crashing public markets, crypto (44:58), Twitter iterations (1:06:12) and so much more!

(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's show (02:20) Jason and Molly chat with Deirdre Bosa of CNBC (11:38) LinkedIn - Post your first job for free at https://linkedIn.com/twist (12:54) Jason, Molly, and Deirdre talk about reporting, journalism, private and public markets (21:12) Cyvatar - Get your first 2 months free at https://cyvatar.ai/twist (22:28) More on tech journalism: asking tough questions (35:30) Swag.com - Visit https://swag.com/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off your order! (36:42) Uber as a super app? (43:30) Instacart filing for an IPO (44:58) Is this the go-to-zero moment for crypto? (1:06:12) Discussing the open version of Twitter

FOLLOW Deirdre: https://twitter.com/dee_bosa FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Airbnb's category search, Coinbase's new disclosure + Facebook exits podcasting with Ashley Carman | E1457 May 11, 2022

Show notes

First Jason and Molly open by digging into some details for the All-In Summit (02:12). Then they discuss Airbnb's search options (08:13), Airbnb's new aircover insurance feature (21:34) and Coinbase's disclosure that account funds aren't safe in a Coinbase bankruptcy (35:04). Then, Molly is joined by Ashley Carman to talk about Facebook dropping podcasts (54:46).

00:00 Molly tees up today's show 02:12 Jason and Molly are ready for All In Summit, "Details matter" 08:13 Airbnb's search options 12:33 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist 13:49 More on the new Airbnb search options, where could Airbnb take it? 20:29 Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist 21:34 Airbnb's insurance feature: aircover 33:55 Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, get a $1,000 credit at https://coda.io/twist 35:04 Coinbase released a filing this morning that sent some into a panic, stock down another 22% today 53:00 Jason heads out to Miami for All In Summit 54:46 Ashley Carman joins to talk about Facebook dropping podcasts

FOLLOW Ashley: https://twitter.com/ashleyrcarman FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Terra UST stablecoin unpegged with Bennett Tomlin + High growth tech's runway: $COIN, $SQ, $ZM, $TWLO, $SHOP & $PTON | E1456 May 11, 2022

Show notes

First, crypto reporter Bennett Tomlin joins to break down the the massive decline of algorithmic stablecoin Terra USD (UST) and how the Terra-Luna ecosystem works (09:00). Then we recap five tech stocks that are down at least 70% off mid-COVID peaks Coinbase, Shopify, Twilio, Zoom and Block (44:44). We briefly touch of Elon's comments about reducing permanent bans on Twitter (1:05:48). Wrap with Peloton's painful earnings (1:22:53).

(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's topics (02:54) Jason and Molly talk a little bit about bitcoin and the stock market tanking (09:00) Bennett Tomlin joins to discuss what's going on with stable coins: LUNA, Tether, etc. (14:10) Indochino - Get $50 off any purchase of $399 or more by using code TWIST at checkout https://www.indochino.com (15:17) Can you buy 60 cents of LUNA to get a dollar worth of Terra? Are algorithmic stable coins destined to collapse? (22:09) Vanta - Get $1,000 off automating your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (23:19) Discussing LFG Reserve balance over time (31:00) Assure - To get 20% off your first Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) visit https://Assure.co/twist (32:11) Different types of stable coins, & how much damage will the past few weeks do to the idea of algorithmic stablecoins? (44:44) Jason and Molly on the bitcoin crash and major tech stock wipeouts (50:10) Coinbase (53:20) Shopify (57:00) Twilio (1:00:40) Zoom (1:03:11) Square (Block Inc) (1:05:48) Breaking News: Elon Musk says "I guess I would" reverse Trump Twitter ban (1:22:53 )Peloton stock down 93% from pandemic high

FOLLOW Bennett: https://twitter.com/bennetttomlin FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Dara sets the tone for Uber's next push, Jason's market prediction, Apple's ML director departs, Internet affordability & more | E1455 May 10, 2022

Show notes

First, we discuss Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's company-wide email rallying Uber behind a cash-generating vision to court investors (6:30). Then, we cover Apple's machine learning director departing because of the company's work from home policies (43:22) and the White House's negotiation with ISPs for low-cost high-speed internet to pair with the Affordable Connectivity Program (57:00).

(00:00) Jason and Molly intro today's news stories (02:30) Jason and Molly catch up (06:30) Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote email employees Sunday night stating Uber needs to increase free cash flow to win support from investors (11:13) Embroker - Get an extra 10% off insurance for your business at https://Embroker.com/twist (12:27) Key takeaways from the Uber email (20:41) Dell For Startups - Apply and get up to 45% off at http://dell.com/twist (21:53) Jason and Molly's thoughts on the Uber email (28:40) Catching up with Producer Nick (32:36) Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (33:43) Wrapping up the Uber story, final thoughts (43:22) Apple's director of ML is leaving the company due to its return to work policy (55:05) Jason makes some predictions (57:00) White House announced plans to boost high-speed internet for low-income families

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Side investing (VC School) + Stripe's Nan Ransohoff: Frontier carbon removal | 1454 May 08, 2022

Show notes

Sunday double-header. First, Jason discusses why some VC firms allow side investing and others explicitly forbid it (01:50). Then, in a This Week in Climate Startups segment Molly interviews Nan Ransohoff, Head of Climate at Stripe (12:27) about their $900M+ plan to fund carbon sequestration (31:18).

00:00 Jason and Molly introduce today's show 01:50 VC Sunday School: What's the deal with side investing? 09:42 Thorne - Personalized, scientific wellness. Go to https://Thorne.com/u/TWIST 10:55 Intro This Week in Climate Startups 12:27 TWiCS: Molly interviews Nan Ransohoff, Head of Climate at Stripe 20:14 Wealthfront - Get your first $5,000 managed for free, for life at https://wealthfront.com/TWIST 21:30 The market for carbon removal: paying to re-sequester carbon 29:57 OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist 31:18 Discussing how Frontier functions as a non-profit within Stripe & how to make something like Frontier mainstream

Check out Frontier: https://frontierclimate.com

FOLLOW Nan Ransohoff: https://twitter.com/nanransohoff FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Twitter's new Birdwatch moderation/annotation feature + OK Boomer: Flapjack's Patrick McDonnell | E1453 May 07, 2022

Show notes

First Jason and Molly break down Twitter's new community annotation feature Birdwatch (1:40), they go through screenshots of the beta version and weigh the possibility for the Birdwatch to bridge the moderation gap. Then Producer Rachel interviews Patrick McDonnell of Flapjack (44:04) about working in a hacker house in Miami, optimizing restaurant menus and his experience making the Boring Company flamethrower.

(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's show (01:40) BREAKING NEWS: Jason and Molly go over leaked Birdwatch Twitter feature screenshots (10:21) Notion - Get started for free at https://notion.com/thisweekinstartups (11:39) How does Birdwatch compare to Reddit or Wikipedia? Some examples of Birdwatch. (23:04) Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (24:20) "Notes rated helpful" Birdwatch feature. Will Birdwatch work? (32:45) Intercom - Get advanced Intercom features and Early Stage Academy at a 95% discount https://www.intercom.com/early-stage (34:00) The power of mods in online communities (39:58) Rachel tees up this week's OK boomer segments (44:04) OKB: Producer Rachel interviews Patrick McDonnell of Flapjack

Check out Flapjack: http://flapjack.co/

FOLLOW Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmmcdonnell/ FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Stripe launches Plaid competitor, Cameo layoffs, Elon raises $7B + Streaming news with Lon Harris | E1452 May 06, 2022

Show notes

First we chat with Lon Harris from Inside Streaming about the latest Netflix news, strategy, exciting upcoming shows and the proliferation of ads on streaming services (2:23). Then we cover Plaid CEO insinuating that a Stripe PM probed their company for information before making a copycat (39:40), Cameo's round of layoffs that included 4 execs (53:08) and the latest on Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition (1:06:25).

(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today's show (02:23) This Week in Streaming with Lon Harris (10:55) iTrust Capital - Visit https://itrust.capital/twist to create your Crypto IRA today (12:11) The Hollywood Reporter published an article on the craziness inside Netflix that led up to them losing users and the stock collapsing (17:57) Nerding out on the upcoming Obi-Wan series and Star Wars (22:54) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in art using promo code TWIST at https://Masterworks.io/twist (24:02) More thoughts on what Disney will do with Star Wars and Marvel/DC (31:52) Peacock will introduce dynamically inserted in-scene ads (36:07) Microacquire - Sell your business with no fees at https://try.microacquire.com/twist (37:30) Wrapping up with Lon (39:40) Startup news: the Stripe mafia (52:08) Cameo lay-offs include execs (1:06:25) CNBC reports Elon Musk will serve as temporary Twitter CEO following takeover (1:11:25) The money behind Elon's Twitter purchase

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

FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

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