Today’s show:
Terra’s collapse, Powell’s pivot, and OpenAI’s explosive growth all collide in this TWiST deep dive.
Do Kwon has pled guilty after Terra/Luna’s $60B implosion, Fed Chair Powell hints at a September rate cut, and OpenAI has officially crossed $1B in monthly revenue (on a $12B run rate). Jason and Alex unpack what this means for founders, LPs, and the next wave of AI + crypto.
They also cover Canva’s $42B comeback, Anthropic’s doubled $10B fundraise, and the brewing battle between Figma & Canva.
Plus: Uber, Nuro & Lucid’s $6B robotaxi push — and why drivers are already protesting in Wuhan & Boston.
#Startups #Crypto #AI #VentureCapital #OpenAI #Anthropic #Canva #Figma #ThisWeekInStartups
Timestamps:
(0:00) INTRO
(01:15) Fed rate cut signals & market reaction
(05:36) Jason’s $400K in new fund bets
(10:25) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out miro.com to find out how!
(11:30) Show Continues…
(16:22) Do Kwon & the Terra/Luna collapse
(20:22) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.
(21:23) Show Continues…
(29:43) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twist
(30:55) Show Continues…
(36:14) OpenAI’s $1B/month revenue run rate
(42:13) Anthropic’s $10B round & AI market sizing
(51:31) Canva’s $42B valuation & Figma comparison
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:25) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out miro.com to find out how!
(20:22) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.
(29:43) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.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
Today’s show:
In this TWiST 500 double feature, Alex sits down with two breakout founders: Chalk’s Marc Freed-Finnegan & Tollbit’s Toshit Panigrahi!
First, Chalk’s CEO Marc Freed-Finnegan is tackling one of AI’s biggest bottlenecks—data freshness. Instead of relying on stale batch jobs, Chalk delivers real-time pipelines for inference compute, automatically transpiling Python into C++/Rust so it can run blazing fast in production. Investors are calling it the ‘next Databricks’—and after hearing this convo, you’ll see why.
Then, Tollbit’s CEO Toshit Panigrahi returns after raising a $24M Series A and signing up 1,400+ publishers. With RAG traffic exploding and robots.txt losing its teeth, their ‘bot paywall’ could reshape how AI agents pay for the content they consume. Are we heading for a Spotify moment for data licensing?
A must-watch if you care about the economics of AI, from data pipelines to publisher monetization.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro + sponsors
(1:03) Alex tees up two Twist 500 interviews: Chalk & Tolbert
(2:47) Why AI is shifting from training compute to inference compute
(4:41) Data freshness & real-time inference explained
(10:43) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(12:00) How Chalk transpiles Python into C++/Rust for speed
(18:52) Chalk’s business model, margins & $500M valuation
(20:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(21:24) Show Continues…
(28:02) Tollbit returns: $24M Series A & the rise of RAG bot traffic
(30:37) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
(31:41) Show Continues…
(36:53) Robots.txt losing relevance & the case for bot paywalls
(39:19)Publishers, AI agents & the future economics of the web
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:43) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(20:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(30:37) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
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
In this AI Basics episode, Jason sits down with Matt Rouif, Co-founder & CEO of Photoroom — the AI photo editing app with 300M+ downloads and 5B images processed annually.
They break down:
This one is a masterclass for founders, operators, and builders.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Matt Rouif joins Jason to discuss AI Basics.
(0:45) Meet Matt Rouif: Photoroom’s $50M+ AI photo startup
(3:15) Live demo: background removal + virtual try-on
(7:40) From indie sellers to DoorDash & Amazon
(12:20) The “Barbie Movie” API moment
(17:05) Red-teaming AI: trust, safety & brand protection
(22:10) Running a 100-person AI startup
(26:30) The future of personalized ads (put you in the ad?)
Explore Further:
Google Cloud’s Report: The Future of AI
Get insights from 23 leading experts on how startups can leverage AI for real business impact.
More AI Basics Episodes
Founders, operators, and builders — catch up on our full Startup Basics series (Legal, Finance, Growth & AI):
👉 thisweekinstartups.com/basics
Links from episode:
Check out Photoroom: https://www.photoroom.com/
Check out Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/
Follow Matt:
X: https://x.com/matthieurouif
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthieurouif/
Follow 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
Today’s show:
We’re back with two insightful new TWiST founder interviews.
First up: Dean Leitersdorf of Decart tells us about squeezing maximum productivity out of your GPUs. But it’s not all talk: he also shows us the incredible open world model that can magically transform live footage.
THEN! Jason and Alex chat with Syncere AI founder Aaron Tan about Lume, his robotic lamp device that went viral for folding laundry. Hear why Aaron thinks the future of robotics is not necessarily humanoid, and all about his future plans for the Lume arms.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Alex introduces our TwiST 500 interviews
(02:27) TWiST 500 Interview #1: Dean Leitersdorf, CEO and Founder of Decart
(04:37) Setting out to build a “kilo-corn,” a trillion dollar company
(06:27) How making AI much faster opens up a world of new opportunities
(09:48) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(11:00) Why Dean thinks chatbots are the interface of the future
(17:24) How Decart builds and trains its models more efficiently (and for less money)
(20:01) Netsuite - Download the ebook CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(21:14) Show Continues…
(24:36) Interview #2: Aaron Tan of Syncere AI
(25:13) Behind-the-scenes of that viral Lume “robot lamp folding laundry” video
(30:23) Stripe Startups - Stripe Startups offers early-stage, venture-backed startups access to Stripe fee credits and more. Apply today on stripe.com/startups.
(31:25) Moving beyond laundry: what else these Lume robots do?
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(09:48) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(20:01) Netsuite - Download the ebook CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(30:23) Stripe Startups - Stripe Startups offers early-stage, venture-backed startups access to Stripe fee credits and more. Apply today on stripe.com/startups.
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
It’s a Friday TWiST and Jason and Alex are FIRED UP about this internal Meta doc laying out appropriate vs. inappropriate AI behavior… You won’t BELIEVE with what Zuck approves for 8-year-old users.
PLUS… AI job displacement is HERE, at least in the Big Apple… Jason’s getting kind of paranoid about the surveillance state… AI remains frothier than ever through new Cohere and Cognition rounds… and why we’re dubious that Sam Altman REALLY plans to spend $1 trillion on OpenAI data centers.
It’s all happening on a brand-new This Week in Startups. Give it a click!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro - How Opendoor became a meme stock
(06:58) When companies have less value than cash on hand… what gives?
(10:23) - (11:24) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist
(19:13) New York’s not adding jobs… Jason and Alex dig in and offer some theories.
(20:25) - (21:30) 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!
(26:56) AI job displacement is HERE and it’s happening, folks…
(30:05) Why Jason predicts unemployment will be 20% higher 1 year from today… add it to the TWiST Calendar
(30:24) - (31:37) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twist
(33:02) Wait, Meta AI is having “sensual” chats with children? WHY?
(40:00) Will there be fallout to the Meta exposé? Legal? Staffing? Otherwise?
(47:47) AI remains frothier than ever with new Cohere and Cognition rounds.
(52:33) Sam Altman says he’s going to spend $1 trillion on data centers… Jason’s dubious.
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:23) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist
(20:25) 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!
(30:24) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.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
Today’s show:
We’re back with another all-star VC roundtable discussion.
Joining Jason are Dave McClure of Practical VC, NVNG’s Grady Buchanan, and Tomasz Tunguz of Theory VC. Together, they’re having a deep insider discussion of the state of venture, secondary markets, running funds of funds, the legacy of Lina Khan, the difficulty of recruiting, and why the pendulum has potentially swung in founders’ favor.
Timestamps
(0:00) INTRO, The origins of Practical VC and how secondary funds work.
(05:44) So… how does Dave decide what to BUY?
(09:27) Melanie - Companies are staying private longer… Is this good for fund managers?
(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(11:18) Show Continues…
(14:17) We’ve all heard about unicorns but… what about centaurs?!
(16:19) Jacob - Are VC marks… bullsh*t?! How long until your LPs should see DPI? The panel debates.
(17:22) Jacob - Is Jason too hard on Lina Khan? Dave says VCs created the problem!
(20:07) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
(21:30) Show Continues…
(30:01) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.
(31:16) Show Continues…
(31:34) When it’s time to embed an expert into a struggling startup
(34:15) How investing in SO MANY COMPANIES gave Dave a trove of data
(40:33) Sometimes VCs have to be the “voice of reality”…
(45:53) Are stock buybacks the best use of capital?
(49:29) Jacob - The End of the ZIRP Era meets the Dawn of the AI Era
(51:04) Why running your business on debt, not equity, requires tough choices
(58:23) When you need to “take the medicine” on returns and live to fight another day.
(01:11:17) Is Grady actively seeking managers that have shown a demonstrated ability to produce liquidity?
(01:13:24) Dave says the pendulum has swung into founders’ favor.
(01:20:25) Dave teases his new secondary podcast, “Trading Places”!
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(20:07) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
(30:01) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.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
Today’s show:
On an all-new Monday TWiST, Lon joins Jason and Alex to talk about a whole bunch of stories at the intersection of tech, business, and pop culture.
First up, is GPT Psychosis real? And if so, what are the warning signs that your loved ones have been ONESHOTTED.
Then, why did Jason get so upset at the NY Times piece about Mark Zuckerberg’s Palo Alto compound?
PLUS we’re discussing Trump’s export fees on AMD and Nvidia, Jason’s pitch for why the president should work more closely with Congress, a new tool in the search for rare-earth minerals, just how many self-driving trucks are on Chinese roads today, and much much more!
Timestamps:
(0:00) INTRO, Why Jason hated the NYT story about Mark Zuckerberg’s compound.
(09:54) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(11:14) Show continues…
(19:54) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(21:01) Show continues…
(27:25) GPT Psychosis: Is it real and how widespread is it?
(29:13) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:16) Show continues…
(45:45) What it means to get “One-Shotted”: is Sam Altman doing this on purpose?
(53:56) Jason says working multiple jobs at once is STEALING… is that fair?
(01:04:53) Are Trump’s Chinese export fees for AMD and Nvidia a justified licensing process? Or a shakedown?
(01:09:22) Jason’s pitch for working closer with Congress, and why Alex has concerns about clarity
(01:12:02) PolyMarket: Will tariffs generate >$250b in 2025?
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(09:54) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(19:54) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(29:13) 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
Today’s show:
Jason and Lon recorded a Thursday night special edition, so no Alex this time, but still lots to talk about.
First up, Jason thinks it’s time for Tim Apple to exit the stage in lieu of a product obsessive innovator. Speaking of new products, GPT-5 is here and the hosts are… not exactly blown away. Are we in the midst of the AI trough of despair?
PLUS we’re talking Ripple’s acquisition of Rail, Donald Trump’s new AI chatbot, Bumble’s new direction, Airbnb’s potential paths forward and MUCH MUCH MORE.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Why Jason thinks Apple lacks innovation (plus a look back at his 2019 thoughts)
(08:54) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST
(09:54) Show continues…
(20:10) 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!
(21:18) Is GPT-5 coming for Lovable and Bolt?
(29:42) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at AlphaSense.com/Twist.
(30:55) Show continues…
(35:05) Ripple buying Rail, and why sometimes regulations are GOOD for companies
(43:28) Is Ripple about to become the MicroStrategy of XRP?
(47:48) Truth Social AI is perplexing, powered by Perplexity
(53:27) Should people be using ChatGPT for therapy? What do you think? How does that make you feel?
(01:04:42) Anthropic’s Dario Amodei recalls his greatest haters
(01:11:04) Bumble but… for friendship?
(01:12:20) DoorDash’s crazy growth, and the guys discuss who should buy Airbnb
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(08:54) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST
(20:10) 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!
(29:42) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at AlphaSense.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
Today’s show:
It’s a brand-new PACKED episode of TWiST. Jason and Alex welcome guest Zach Dive of Adam.new, to tell us why he made a deepfake AI ad starring Jason and the All-In besties.
PLUS a rundown of the biggest tech and startup news of the day, including Disney’s decision to sunset Hulu, OpenAI’s new open-weight models, the Cloudflare vs. Perplexity feud, Uber’s newly-announced stock buyback, China’s Luckin Coffee coming to Manhattan, and much much more!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Luckin Coffee hits NYC… along with COMMUNISM?!
(09:15) Is China taking on major American brands on PURPOSE?
(10:16) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(11:29) Show Continues…
(20:17) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(21:30) Show Continues…
(26:02) RIP HULU: Why Disney is sunsetting the iconic app.
(28:37) Nostracanis Returns: Jason’s 2017 Disney vs. Netflix predictions came true
(30:24) .TECH - Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
(31:28) Show Continues…
(35:39) Zach Dive of Adam.new joins to tell us about making a viral deepfake ad starring JCal and the Besties
(44:10) Zach shares thoughts on AI and copyright, and why it’s a problem for the “big dogs,” not him… yet
(48:12) Jason wants to wet his beak… but is there room in the Adam.new seed round?
(53:07)OpenAI’s new models are open-WEIGHT; how that’s different from open-source.
(58:36) Do Nvidia and Apple devices NEED kill switches and backdoors? Why it’s such a tough question.
(01:02:10) GPT-5 arrives TOMORROW?!
(01:03:31) Cloudflare vs. Perplexity… let them fight?
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:16) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(20:17) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(30:24) .TECH - Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
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
Today’s show:
Jason and Alex are running down the biggest tech, startup, and business stories of the day on a brand-new Monday TWIST.Which countries are leading the AI race, based on academic papers? Why Jason thinks covert agencies are spying on Meta’s superintelligence team. Lina Khan’s taking a victory lap on the Figma IPO but what did she REALLY accomplish during her Biden administration tenure? PLUS, why we’re bringing Founder University to the MENA region.
All that and MORE on a packed episode! Find out why we’re the #1 podcast for startups and founders.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Why Jason is attending more TV poker tournaments
(4:02) Did you know Founder University is headed to MENA? Calling all Riyadh founders.
(10:01) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(11:27) Show Continues…
(19:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://www.oracle.com/twist
(21:01) Why Jason doesn’t think Lina Khan deserves her Figma IPO victory lap.
(23:17) Jason thinks Figma is overpriced: how quickly could a rival build a competitor?
(27:53) For an investor, there’s a huge difference between a home run and a GRAND SLAM.
(30:42) Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWIST
(31:55) Show Continues…
(40:59) Why Jason thinks covert agencies are spying on Meta’s global Superintelligence Team…
(50:43) Which countries are leading the AI race in terms of research? Producer Claude helps with the answer.
(57:12) Fact-checking the viral BYD TikTok: can their self-driving cars really drive themselves off the ship?
(59:52) Jason and Alex check out some of their dream cars
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
10:01) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(19:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://www.oracle.com/twist
(30:42) Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.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
Today’s show:
Alex is back with three more awesome interviews with founders on the bleeding edge of innovative tech.
It’s three — count ’em, three — can’t miss TWiST interviews guaranteed to make you smarter
Timestamps:
(0:00) OpenAI’s GPT-5: When is it coming out? Is it going to be TOO smart?
(08:06) Cortical Labs’ Hon Weng Chong on the electric connection between neuroscience and machine learning
(10:20) 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!
(11:27) Show Continues…
(15:17) The extreme difficulty of going from the lab to a shippable product
(20:00) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
(21:05) Show Continues…
(28:15) Why data is a factor of time
(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
(31:16) Show Continues…
(42:44) Turing CEO Jonathan Siddarth explains why it’s so important to keep benchmarking our LLMs
(47:24) What it means when a model “saturates” a test, and why benchmarks need to get HARDER
(50:22) What happens with the LLMs can answer all of our smartest questions?
(53:44) AI Agents train in gyms? Wait, really?
(01:01:33) Coding teaches models how to think, and more training mysteries don’t understand
(01:03:11) Brendan Foody from Mercor explains the “matching problem” that makes hiring such a pain
(01:07:02) How Mercor combines a job board’s distribution with the value of a recruitment agency
(01:10:49) Brendan recalls building his first AI interviewer in his college dorm
(01:20:16) Mercor has the opposite of a retention problem and crazy growth
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:20) 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!
(20:00) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
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
Today’s show:
It’s another All Star Investor Panel! Jason and Alex welcome TrustFund VC founder Sophia Amoruso AND WeekendFund investor/Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover.Together they’re going DEEP on the current environment for startups, founders, and investors. How do tell durable from brittle revenue… Everyone’s different approaches to follow-on investments and recycling… Strategies on when to trim a position… The benefits of hosting co-working events and jam sessions… And LOTS LOTS more!
It’s an essential watch for anyone building or investing in companies in 2025!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Introducing our amazing investor panel!
(03:15) The panel shares their First Fund experiences
(10:03) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(11:27) Show cont…
(12:46) Where we’re at on the investor Greed-Fear Index
(13:54) The delicate art of investor discipline
(20:47) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(21:59) Sophia’s criteria for a follow-on investment
(24:17) Founders are going direct on social media
(29:35) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.
(30:49) Show cont…
(32:33) Why we’re seeing so many more Series Bs
(33:30) So when do you trim a position?
(39:35) There are SO MANY COMPANIES! Why surface area matters.
(43:25) Durable vs. brittle revenue and how to tell them apart
(46:15) When it’s time to angel invest outside your fund
(49:04) The panel’s approaches to capital recycling
(57:15) The benefits of co-working “jam sessions”
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:03) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(20:47) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(29:35) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.
DISCLAIMER
*All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use.Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.
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
Today’s show:
SYDNEY SWEENEY’S AMERICAN EAGLE AD DIVIDES OUR PANEL!PLUS WHAT STARTUPS CAN LEARN FROM THE VIRAL ASTRONOMER RESPONSEJason, Alex, and Lon are looking at some of the biggest media stories of the day before returning to their favorite topic, tech. Tune in for deep dives on IMAX’s new AI film festival, Figma’s big IPO and much more!
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show!
(3:45) Lon’s joining Alex and Lon to discuss the controversial Sydney Sweeney genes/jeans ad
(7:20) A look at the polarizing takes on this jeans ad.
(10:10) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(11:46) Hear the verdict from Jason, self—proclaimed Chairman of the Interwebs
(16:42) Alex points out the economic impact of the controversy
(20:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(21:25) Back to the show!
(26:35) Paltrow’s Astronomer ad, meme-processing and the ideal way to change the conversation
(30:04) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(31:28) Back to the show!
(36:48) Netflix and the growing controversy around AI’s role in filmmaking
(42:53) IMAX/Runway collaboration and Hollywood’s shifting attitude toward AI
(47:34) Everything that went wrong with the Tea App
(54:27) Why Jason thinks app stores should ban “anonymous” forms and message boards
(1:04:19) Figma upped its IPO price… what does it mean for the return of liquidity? And is this too high or fairly priced?
(1:07:53) Paul Graham says you shouldn’t drop out of college to work on a startup… Why Thiel Fellows disagree
*
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
*
Follow Lon:
*
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
*
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
*
Thank you to our partners:
(10:10) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(20:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:04) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/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
Today’s show:
Jason’s back and filling us in on his experiences in Washington DC, at the All-In AI Summit, including getting a Trump shoutout from stage, debating immigration with VP Vance, and calling out Sec. Wright for dismissing solar power.THEN Jason and Alex talk about the immense promise of open-source robotics and check out Hugging Face’s Reachy…PLUS picking apart the White House’s new AI-related executive orders, why Jason is afraid of China repeating its Huawei success, a free exchange about tariffs vs. free trade, AND a pressing query from a founder on Reddit: how bad is it to add AI to your product too early?
Timestamps:
(0:00) INTRO, Alex updates Jason about all this week’s TWiST 500 interviews
(03:33) Inside Jason’s experiences at this week’s All In AI Summit with POTUS!
(05:33) Jason’s back and forth on solar power with US Energy Sec. Chris Wright
(09:56) Inbound - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at [https://www.inbound.com/register](https://www.inbound.com/register.) (Valid thru 7/31)
(11:02) Promo end
(16:54) Jason asks AMD CEO Lisa Su about reaching “superintelligence” and whether it could trigger an unemployment crisis
(19:51) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.
(20:44) Promo end
(23:42) Jason says… any time you have to wait days or weeks for a service or product, there’s a MASSIVE opportunity.
(26:16) What do Trump’s new AI executive orders actually say?
(27:27) Which EO’s are red meat for Trump’s base, and which ones are likely to become laws and have real impact?
(29:50) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at https://public.com/twist.
(31:05) Promo end
(35:17) How Huawei went worldwide and why Jason doesn’t want that to happen again with AI.
(38:32) Jason and Alex have a little tariff vs. free trade debate.
(47:03) VP Vance complained about US tech companies laying off Americans, then hiring immigrants; Jason gives his take
(53:35) Jason answers a Reddit question: Is adding AI to your product too early a TRAP?
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Thank you to our partners:
(09:56) Inbound - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at [https://www.inbound.com/register](https://www.inbound.com/register.) (Valid thru 7/31)
(19:51) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.
(29:50) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at https://public.com/twist.
*Disclaimer:All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use.Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.
Today’s show:
TWiST is back with a three more hugely insightful (and also fun!) founder interviews.
First up, Trey Holterman from Tennr tells us why getting in to see a specialist is so time consuming, and how AI is making the entire health care industry more streamlined.THEN Gill Verdon from Extropic AI unpacks deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and how thermodynamics can make everything from robots to VR more effective.FINALLY, Tyler Denk from our fav newsletter platform Beehiiv walks us through their future roadmap, and explains why they’re adding new features SO OFTEN.It’s a packed episode full of fresh insights for founders. Check it out!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Alex opens the show with the venture/investor POV on TWiST 500 med tech company Tennr
(03:38) Tennr CEO/co-founder Trey Holterman on the inefficiencies facing medical specialists and why patients are actually “leads”
(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(11:44) Paid Promo END
(14:05) How Tennr trained an AI model to comb through clinical histories, medical files, and doctor’s notes
(18:19) Why automation matters for Tennr but it’s not the WHOLE story
(20:03) 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!
(21:10) Paid Promo END
(22:57) The incredible cultural influence of the Dominos Pizza Tracker
(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
(31:20) Gill Verdon from Extropic on the difficulty of keeping up with the demand for compute and the “scaling law”
(35:37) Thermodynamic regimes, the differences between deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and why this matters
(41:31) Gill on expanding Extropic’s research team while keeping a close eye on burn
(52:17) Will robots ever be FULLY autonomous, with no ties or connections back to the fleet? Gill says… maybe!
(58:52) Beehiiv’s Tyler Denk on hitting $20M ARR while ALSO scaling up their ad network
(01:00:35) The practical and psychological importance of product velocity and shipping as many features as possible
(01:01:57) Why Tyler says “Substack vs. Beehiiv” is analogous to “Amazon vs. Shopify”
(01:08:08) How much larger can the newsletter market still GROW? (And the promise of moving beyond content and into marketing emails.)
(01:09:00) Why Tyler thinks the strongest publishers own their audience and distribution
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(20:03) 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!
(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
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
Today’s show:
TWiST is back with a trio of can’t miss interviews with some of our favorite TWiST 500 founders.
First up, John Jeremy Harris of Harbinger Motors tells us about making his EV batteries right here in the USA, and why the loss of EV tax credits might not hurt the business as much as you’d think…
THEN, we’re talking to James Hawkins of PostHog about how keeping his burn rate low opened up a wealth of new opportunities for his company…
THEN Yoshi Yokokawa from Alpaca HQ stops by to talk about working in a category that’s no longer the hottest thing in the Valley (like fintech) and the importance of stable coins to his business model.
You won’t want to miss this one! Tons of fresh and important insights for founders.
Timestamps:
(0:00) INTRO, The market’s hit an ALL TIME HIGH… what does it mean for founders and smaller companies?
(2:19) Figma’s going IPO… how its success could impact other the entire landscape for the rest of the year.
(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(11:29) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Jeremy Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory
(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.
(21:15) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Jeremy Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory (cont…)
(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
(31:07) How much of Harbinger’s product is actually manufactured in the US (and why that’s a more complex question than it sounds)
(31:39) Why the rollback of EV tax credits might NOT have a huge impact on Harbinger’s business.
(36:53) James Hawkins of PostHog explains how and why Stripe funded their most recent round.
(40:23) Will it soon be easier to build a virtual product manager than hire the right human person? MAYBE!
(42:11) Why building PostHog as open source was so vital for boosting adoption among developers
(47:45) Why James credits a low burn rate and being “multi-product” with PostHog’s success and traction
(01:00:02) Alpaca CEO and co-founder Yoshi Yokokawa explains to us how the API brokerage infrastructure co. actually makes money
(01:00:41) Why it matters that Alpaca is a “self-clearing market maker”: Yoshi unpacks how trades actually get executed
(01:07:46) The massive impact of Robinhood on the entire fintech business and how this benefits Alpaca
(01:18:06) Yoshi’s tips for founders working in categories that aren’t THE HOTTEST IN THE WORLD right now
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.
(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.
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
Today’s show:
WHY DOES @SUBSTACKINC NEED $100M IN NEW FUNDING?HOW DO THEY PLAN TO STAY AHEAD OF @BEEHIIV?Jason and Alex are debating the future of indie publishing on an all-new TWiST, considering the future of these rival platforms, plus Patreon and more.PLUS they’re digging into Lovable’s latest raise and what it says about the current economics of vibecoding, surveying the automated driving landscape in light of Uber’s new agreement Lucid and Euro, explaining Jason’s “meme processing” theory of internet humor, AND looking ahead to Christopher Nolan’s IMAX epic “The Odyssey.”Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro - Everyone is getting hyped for Nolan’s “The Odyssey”
(03:49) “Meme Processing,” the Astronomer saga, and giving people a little grace
(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)
(18:49) Substack vs. Patreon vs. Beehive: Who ya got?!
(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.
(37:58) Lovable, vibecoding, and how much AGI might one day be worth
(01:00:36) Uber’s Lucid/Nuro deal: Alex did the math
(01:08:03) Is autonomous driving about to change EVERYTHING? Jason says… YES.
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)
(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.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
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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
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Today’s show:
Jason and Alex tackle a full tech and business news docket on today’s show, including Jason’s big SF trip with Launch Accelerator’s 34th cohort, some peculiar social media posts from VC Geoff Lewis, a look inside the HUGE seed rounds being commanded by early-stage AI startups, crunching the numbers on how much compute data centers need to sell before they’re profitable, Polymarket asks who will be the next CEO of X and MUCH MUCH MORE.
Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.
Timestamps:
(00:00) INTRO
(01:31) Jason’s in SF with LAUNCH Accelerator cohort 34… His take on the mood in Silicon Valley.
(07:52) Odd X posts from Bedrock Capital’s Geoff Lewis… what does it all mean?
(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(14:44) Ask JCal: What founders can do to guard their own mental health and well-being
(20:17) 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!
(22:04) Thinking Machines Lab set a new record for a seed round: what’s going on with these MEGA deals?
(28:51) Alex (and Kabir from LAUNCH’s research team) investigated the economics of data centers… just HOW MUCH can you make from selling compute? And how long does it TAKE to turn a profit?
(30:52) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.
(37:09) Superintelligence vs. AGI: Jason thinks we’re still more than 2-3 years away…
(39:52) GPx is not a traditional VC fund: here’s what industry vet Brian Singerman is up to
(49:37) The importance of setting your own corporate culture… before it gets set for you!
(58:15) Polymarket has ideas for the next X CEO… see where Jason ranks on the list!
(01:03:18) Reddit wants to know… Do investors judge founders negatively who rely on lots of AI tools?
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
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Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(20:17) 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!
(30:52) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/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
Today’s show:
On today’s show… Jason and Alex are considering the fallout of Windsurf’s OpenAI deal, the company’s latest agreements with both Google and Cognition AI, and how “blitzhiring” is actually playing out in real-world startups.Plus Jason’s short- and medium-term predictions for AI’s impact on the job market, Tesla’s latest expansion of its Austin robotaxi service, Mistral giving the EU a real stake in the AI model race, a look back at the SnapStream live TV archiving service, AND an update on how much more time we have until all our servers are obsolete.All that and more on a brand new Monday edition of This Week in Startups.
Timestamps:
(02:20) Influencers caught an arsonist in LA’s Runyon Canyon? (Don’t worry, there’s always a startup angle)
(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(12:56) Windsurf’s OpenAI deal fell through… but there are breaking updates!
(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(23:46) The gap from prototype to production in AI remains HUGE
(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
(34:56) Things are going well for Tesla’s Austin rollout, but will regulators demand LIDAR systems anyway?
(45:47) Maybe NOTHING that’s happening right now in AI is as important as what’s to come?
(54:31) Follow-Up: So how much more time until all of our servers are obsolete? What happens to them when they’re removed?
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist
(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
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
Today’s show: Grok 4 just leapfrogged OpenAI to become the top AI model—and it’s not just hype. In this episode, @Jason and @alex break down Grok’s AGI-level performance, the massive drop in LLM pricing, and why some companies are raising prices anyway. They also dive into the Missouri AG’s investigation into AI “bias,” the future of First Amendment protections for LLMs, and how autonomous vehicles are creating a new category: “autonomous commerce.” If you’re building with AI or betting on the future of tech, don’t miss this one.
Timestamps:
(1:55) AI models: Grok 4 and performance benchmarks(3:51) Detailed analysis of AI model performance and price trends(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(11:25) AI models' problem-solving capabilities and timeline for solving math problems(16:53) Legal and regulatory challenges for AI
(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(21:12) Bias in AI models and political implications(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(32:07) Infinite energy potential and AI impact; Bitcoin's new high(37:11) Crypto regulation and fintech under new administration(45:50) Future of storage, computing power, and GPU lifespan in data centers(53:40) Claude segment by Anthropic(55:09) Guest Ben Seidl of Autolane introduction(57:19) Autolane's impact on autonomous vehicles and commerce(59:05) Rise of autonomous commerce and logistics(1:06:37) Retailer issues with autonomous vehicle integration and orchestration
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
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/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
