This Week in Startups

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twistEvery.io - http://every.io/Northwest registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show: Sean Liu gave his OpenClaw “eyes” by hooking the AI assistant up to his Meta Ray Bans. While Jason and Alex consider the implications… guest expert Alex Finn quickly loses interest…It’s another All-Clawdbot TWiST where we debate the most essential uses for the viral agent platform. For their part, Alex Finn and Matt Van Horn are building practical skills to help founders (esp. solo founders)… Alex has a brain trust of AI agents working round the clock to improve his organization and content, while Matt designed a skill for his agent to order sushi lunches (keeping them under $20).PLUS find out how Producer Oliver designed his “Model Council” based on Perplexity’s set-up, why running everything local is “illogical” for most people in 2026, AND why Jason’s next Founder U cohort will all be building with OpenClaw.Timestamps: (00:00) Why Jason is STILL Claw-pilled! We can’t get enough!(03:17) “Mr. Clawdbot” Alex Finn of Creator Buddy joins us! He’s Claw-Pilled too!(04:50) Sean Liu (@_seanliu) added OpenClaw to his Meta Ray Bans… Here’s why Alex doesn’t care!(8:33) Lost your job to AI? Maybe AI can make you a founder!(12:35) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(13:34) “Last 30 Days” skill creator Matt Van Horn (@mvanhorn) joins the show(14:54) Why Jason wants to invest in Matt’s new project.(15:53) Meeting Alex’s organization of AI agents who collaborate on his projects autonomously(22:28) Is Alex planning to turn his OpenClaw set-up into a company? Maybe…(23:10) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(25:16) Using OpenClaw to create a “lights out” startup(28:17) Deciding when to use local models vs. more powerful cloud-based models(29:52) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(30:58) How Producer Oliver created a “Model Council” for LAUNCH based on Perplexity’s set-up(35:52) Why it’s so important to have an orchestrator that knows the right model for the right task(39:12) Why running everything local is “illogical” for most companies in 2026(41:15) Matt walks us through the latest and greatest incarnation of his “Last 30 Days” skill(45:57) Why Jason thinks recursive machine learning is the solution to human laziness(46:38) How Alex has supercharged his social media and his startup during OpenClaw Mania(50:15) Why Founder University is going ALL OPENCLAW next cohort(51:21) How big a jump over Opus 4.5 is Opus 4.6?(53:35) OpenClaw’s going to start scanning skills for malware… Will this help?(57:13) No one was SUPER impressed by the AI dot com Super Bowl ad… except JCal(1:01:11) Matt used his “Order Sushi” OpenClaw skill live on the show to get lunch(1:04:08) Polymarket’s sharps are wagering on Claude 5’s hotly anticipated releaseThank you to our partners:(12:35) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(23:10) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(29:52) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/savingsLemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistThanks to our guests:Alex Cheema of ExoLabs http://exolabs.netRyan Yanneli of NextVisit https://nextvisit.ai/Today’s show: It’s the Age of Ultron at TWiST and LAUNCH. We’ve given our OpenClaw digital Replicants the keys to all of our systems and we’re seeing how much of our jobs they can really do when left to their own devices.Producer Oliver stops by the show to give us a peek behind the curtain, at the new control panel and dashboard OpenClaw built FOR ITSELF (with a bit of human assistance).PLUS we’re joined by Alex Cheema of ExoLabs. His company helps everyday consumers run powerful frontier LLMs on their own devices, essential to protect your data and personalize your AI experience.ALSO congratulations to Ryan Yanneli from NextVisit on winning our Gamma Pitch Deck Competition! He walks away with $25K from LAUNCH and our friends at Gamma.Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing Alex Cheema to the show(3:17) Why it is so important to run AI on local hardware(6:58) Using OpenClaw Producer to automate TWiST(8:59) How to Train your AI(11:58) What is a Chron Job? (Hint: chron means chronological)(13:24) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(17:53) OpenClaw managing the LAUNCH/TWiST team(19:54)  Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(20:58) Turning AI into Ultron, self optimization(27:21) The Future: frontier models: running on your Iphone!(28:37) Prompt injections: how people can hack your OpenClaw(30:25) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(31:31) OpenClaw invites guests that join the show(40:29) Oliver shows off OpenClaw mission control dashboard(46:30) Stacking Apple Silicon vs. Running Kimi-K(50:18) How Exo Labs works — stringing together Mac Silicon(54:29) Ryan from Nextvisit wins Gamma Pitch Competition(59:10) Industry Season 4 reflects tech regulation*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(13:24) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(19:54)  Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(30:25) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle - http://Circle.so/twistCaldera Lab - http://calderalab.com/TWISTLinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twistToday’s show: There was a time, not long ago, when offices everywhere came to a standstill, and everyone became even more fixated on their phones than usual, each time HQ Trivia went live. The app-based game show was a massive viral hit… until suddenly, around a year later, it wasn’t.Now, HQ Trivia host Scott Rogowsky is back with a new concept: Savvy, another game show you play on your phone, this time inspired by the word puzzle hit Wordle. Is lightning about to strike twice? PLUS, Alex chats with Trevor Bennett of space transportation outfit Starfish Space. This comes off two major successes for the team: the Remora mission that proved Stafish’s autonomous rendezvous capabilities and the $52.5 Million dollar contract to dispose of low Earth orbit satellites.Timestamps: (00:00) How Scott first got involved with HQ Trivia(2:23) Why Scott thinks HQ Trivia struck such a chord with fans(4:12) Scott couldn’t get a job in late night, so he made his own show(5:31) Delving into the behind-the-scenes tensions at HQ Trivia(11:07) Circle -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(13:53) The end of HQ Trivia and why Scott jumped ship(16:35) Savvy just had its series premiere: you play the game against the host(20:14) How to play Savvy and win cash(20:57) Why Jason thinks a subscription model is the future of Savvy(22:25) Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(23:31) Introducing Dr. Trevor Bennet of Starfish Space(24:04) What the Otter Spacecraft does: de-orbiting to clean up space(26:46) Why space will need hundreds of Otters in space(29:24) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(30:23) Starfish Space’s business model: operating a starfleet(33:17) The success of the Remora mission: autonomous rendezvous in space.(43:47) The rise of the space economy(48:18) Starfish’s $52.5 Million dollar contract and what it means for the space ecosystem*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(11:07) Circle -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(22:25) Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(29:24) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quadratic - http://quadratic.ai/twistToday’s show: Don’t get distracted! Here are the MOST CRUCIAL aspects of running a startup, where founders need to keep their full and uninterrupted focus.- Make sure you’re saving up your cash- Why you need to just get started and build SOMETHING- Trust and reliability is EVERYTHING for new products- Why distribution should be your top priorityDownload all this practical and tactical startup advice from seasoned veterans Jason Calacanis, Amanda Bradford, and William P. Barnes in this Tokyo edition of TWiST.Timestamps:(00:00) Amanda and Will’s big takeaways from Founder U in Saudi Arabia and now Tokyo(3:19) Why cash flow management is so important before you find PMF(5:57) Why first-time founders get the order of operations wrong(6:45) Just build SOMETHING, even if it’s taped together(11:19) “Focus is everything in the early stages”(14:17) From a wedge to a bridge(15:50) Quadratic - Bringing the productivity boost of AI into your spreadsheets. Visit http://quadratic.ai/twist to sign up and use the code TWIST to get one free month of their pro tier subscription.(18:45) What to put on your “Not Right Now” list(19:11) Embracing simplicity(22:00) The importance of trust and reliability (especially for Uber!)(28:12) Why innovation needs a constraining variable(33:40) To really drive word of mouth, you have to overdeliver(36:32) Distribution is the primary job of a founder/CEO(38:19) Some of the panel’s favorite distribution hacks(45:54) Why Jason respects Japan’s commitment to excellence and competency(49:38) Looking for “high slope” in early employees(53:11) Transitioning your team from early-stage startup to growth(57:45) Whoever writes it down gets credit for the idea(58:04) Q: Has the meaning of money changed for the panel now that they’ve had successful exits?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(15:50) Quadratic - Bringing the productivity boost of AI into your spreadsheets. Visit http://quadratic.ai/twist to sign up and use the code TWIST to get one free month of their pro tier subscription.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Uber - http://uber.com/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show: SpaceX is buying xAI, forming a mega-corp that plans to launch data centers into SPACE. Will Tesla also join up, fulfilling Elon’s destiny to become real-life Tony Stark, with his own Musk Industries? Jason and Alex break down the future of SpaceXAI in a breaking news report.THEN, we’re still celebrating OpenClaw (née Clawdbot) Mania! Oliver and Lukas return to TWiST to share their Almost Top 10 (okay it’s just a Top 6) favorite Skills so far. Learn how they’re using Replicants to summarize TWiST episodes, surf Reddit, produce original Gamma decks, train agents to make themselves smarter, and take care of LAUNCH’s administrative and operations tasks.Timestamps:(00:00) BREAKING: SpaceX bought xAI! (1:56) Why it will be cheaper to generate compute in space than here on Earth(8:19) Will Tesla eventually join the club, forming “Musk Industries”?(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(12:37) ALSO BREAKING: We’re still obsessing about Clawdbot/OpenClaw(14:58) So is OpenClaw and all of its various skills secure yet? NO.(16:42) Today we’re looking at our picks for the Top 6 OpenClaw skills(17:13) Alex’s first pick: Reddit (read only), which makes it easier to track down what you want on the aggregator(19:35) Reddit hates bots! But maybe they’ll change their tune?(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(22:46) Our Replicant summarized the last few episodes of TWiST… but at what COST? (18 cents)(26:40) Lukas taught our Replicant to make Gamma decks for us(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(30:21) Our Replicant has ALL the Polymarket data now! The power!(34:14) AI agents are also playing cards together on ClawPoker(35:07) Oliver tested out our pal Matt Van Horn’s (@mvanhorn) self-improving “Last 30 Days” skill(38:22) Why memory is so crucial for getting models to improve themselves over time(40:33) Yo dawg I know you like monitoring tasks so I built you a task monitor that monitors your tasks so you can task monitor your tasks(41:40) What makes OpenClaw so powerful is also what makes it dangerous!(49:12) If you want to really learn about OpenClaw, you need to make your own skills(50:03) Jason’s advice for OpenClaw’s suddenly famous creator: Peter Steinberger (@steipete)(56:31) What would be the best way(s) to monetize OpenClaw?(57:54) Will an OpenClaw agent sue a human in court?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Thank you to our partners:(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - http://deel.com/twistLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show: On Today’s action packed episode of This Week in Startups, our team is going full AI!Jason is joined by Oliver Korzen and Lukas Durand from the LAUNCH team, alongside Rahul Sood, founder/CEO of Irrevernt Labs and founder of Voodoo PC.With the rise of Clawdbot/Moltbot, the question on everyone’s mind is how fast, how much and how safe! Lukas and Oliver show off the ways that This Week in Startups are automating the hours of research and administrative tasks that take up our days and the what this means for running a podcast and venture firm.Timestamps:(00:00) Why we’re so obsessed with OpenClaw (Clawdbot)(00:47) LAUNCH’s own Lukas Durand has joined the pod for the first time… Here’s how he and Jason met…(02:26) Oliver is also here… check out his new series, This Week in AI(03:11)How LAUNCH has its OpenClaw bot set up (without all the details!!!)(06:03) The first few services that LAUNCH authenticated with our OpenClaw… And why!(6:59) How OpenClaw is helping Oliver to book the show(11:06) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(14:08) Why OpenClaw sometimes struggles with context and memory, and how to work around it(16:03) Understanding how to set up “cron jobs”(20:19) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist That’s http://linkedin.com/twist. Terms and conditions apply.(22:23) How OpenClaw works as our virtual podcast producer, and how much time we’ll save(24:40) Can OpenClaw also help us prep the podcast agenda (aka THE DOCKET)?(28:32) Lon chimes in to talk about how Claude helped him prep Jason’s Davos interviews(31:30) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(32:28) How many “Replicants” or AI agents does one company really need?(36:09) Why Jason asked his OpenClaw bots to self-report on what they’re learning(37:14) What OpenClaw WON’T do… Where did these guardrails come from?(39:44)The hardware side… How much of this can you do from a Mac Studio?(43:29) Zombie Staffers: How OpenClaw can “revive” long-lost employees…(48:09) We’re putting OpenClaw in charge of the TWiST 500(51:18) Rahul Sood joins us to talk about the dangers of OpenClaw and how to stay protected(53:01) Why so many OpenClaw skills have major vulnerabilities(1:00:00) Moltbook: Where bots hang out with other bots and share info(1:06:44) Why powerful AI agents will make creative work by humans so much more important.(1:07:22) Rahul’s final recommendations for max possible OpenClaw security(1:14:00) Is OpenClaw going to bring hiring to a halt?(1:21:10) Why getting comfortable with AI tools will become essential for every employeeThank you to our partners:(11:06) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(20:19) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist That’s http://linkedin.com/twist. Terms and conditions apply.(31:30) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - http://Gusto.com/twistZite - http://zite.com/twistCircle.so - http://circle.so/twistGuest links: Andrew Duffy, Founder and CEO, http://sparkplug.app — Retail incentives and brand partnerships platformFord Smith, Founder of http://Ultranative.com — Investing in transformative startupsSocrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of http://iheartjane.com — One stop shop for cannabis productsToday’s show: On TWiST’s first Cannabis Roundtable, Jason is joined by three top Cannabis founders and investors: Ford Smith of Ultranative, Andrew Duffy of Sparkplug, and Socrates Rosenfeld of Jane.How will the regulatory environment and the move to Schedule III change the industry? Are those regulations shaping consumption? How are investors thinking about cannabis startups given the difficulty with exits? Most importantly, what’s the deal with the increasing potency of cannabis?Each guest has their own perspective, Andrew sees it as a natural reaction from CPG brands to power users, Ford points to “flyover” operators unconcerned with long-term health of the industry, while Socrates refers to moonshine drinking during the prohibition to say that regulations create these problems.Speaking of moonshine, alcohol consumption is dropping dramatically among Gen-Z, with many pointing to cannabis consumption as a substitute. Some perceive cannabis as healthier and lacking caloric nature of alcohol, which could explain why there are now more daily smokers than daily drinkers!Timestamps:(0:00) Guest Introductions for the Cannabis Roundtable!(2:50) Why Jason invested in Sparkplug(6:44) How Ford Smith got into Cannabis investing — is it Cannabis a good investment?(11:40) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at http://Gusto.com/twist.(12:46) Socrates breaks down building a major cannabis marketplace(18:13) Canadian legalization and tailwinds for cannabis.(20:25) How Cannabis startups are pivoting to deal with high competition and regulatory pressure(21:47) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to http://zite.com/twist to get started.(27:07) Who benefits from legalization of cannabis? Healthcare? Retail? Banking?(28:03) How the alcohol industry is getting crushed by cannabis usage(31:27) Circle.so -  The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle’s Professional Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.(32:47) Is new cannabis too potent? Is high potency cannabis a result of illegal rules.(42:05) Why heavy consumers are driving CPG startups to high doses(44:14) Cannabis psychosis and the problem with brands selling potency items.*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(11:40) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at http://Gusto.com/twist.(21:47) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to http://zite.com/twist to get started.(31:27) Circle.so -  The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle’s Professional Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - http://quo.com/TWiSTLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show: Jason is back from Davos and Tokyo! We are jumping right back in with a group of Clawdbot power users: Alex Finn, Matt Von Horn, and Dan Penguine.Clawdbot is a hot open source AI project that lets users automate… everything! Dan helped his automate his aging parent’s tea shop, Matt built news sourcing bots, and Alex runs his one-man SAAS startup with Clawdbot as an AI employee!But with all of that power comes the responsibility of making sure you are not giving your AI too many authorizations that could come under fire! Whether fisching emails, “injections”, or bad decision making from incorrect information online.Check out how these 3 experts, Jason and Alex are thinking about the bleeding edge of AI!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing today’s Clawdbot experts!(04:09) How Matt Von Horn makes “Skills” with Clawdbot(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST.(13:25) Dan Penguine’s “Normy” use case: automating his parent’s tea shop(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:23) Alex Finn breaks down how Clawdbot lets him run a one man startup(24:28) Alex Finn on Clawdbot autonomously building apps within his business(28:33) Security concerns with Clawdbot, can your AI get hacked?(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(35:07) Why is everyone buying Mac Minis?(37:39) How to think about LLM Token usage(46:02) Clawdbot will build CRMs, project management software, etc without being asked. Is this the end of SAAS?(46:58) Matt live uploads his new Clawdbot skill on aire!(48:22) Why was Clawdbot able to move so much quicker than Anthropic and OpenAI?(50:17) What is Clawdbot’s business model as an open source AI?(53:27) Matt’s recursive AI prompt loop and how AI prompts layer*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry.io - sentry.io/twistHubspot - clickhubspot.com/twist2Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show:One day soon, you might consult an AI general practitioner about your health, and then the computer will recommend human specialists to take up your case.On TWiST Tokyo, Jason chats with Fred Almeida — founder and CEO of American Medical Intelligence Inc. — and Maxwell Weiss, a partner at Pacific Bays Capital.Together, they discuss the future of medicine, and the opportunities for individuals to take greater control over their health and preventative care strategies.PLUS a look at how Japan has stayed at the forefront of technology despite NOT being a manufacturing hub, why so many Americans are willing to take a pay cut to move to Japan for work, and the concept of “genten shugi,” and how it prevents some Japanese people from communicating with English speakers, despite understanding the language.THEN we hear pitches from some of our favorite Founder University x Japan companies, and Fred, Jason, and Max pick their favorites!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing today’s big guests: founder Fred Almeida and investor Max Weiss!(5:43) Why Fred thinks one day soon, an AI will be your general practitioner(8:26) The power of getting self-directed medical diagnostics(13:27) Max says Japan has moved into Decade 2 in its venture capital journey(14:37) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(16:05) Max and Jason had wagyu barbecue the other night(17:10) Japan doesn’t OFFICIALLY have a standing army…(21:37) Why the line between talking startups and politics is blurring(23:05) Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at clickhubspot.com/twist2.(24:59) Japan doesn’t make a lot of things, but it produces the underlying tech behind a lot of things(25:52) Understanding Genten Shugi: Why some in Japan still have an “English allergy”(29:42) Why some Americans will take a pay cut to come work in Japan(33:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(34:10) PITCH #1: Cascade(36:10) PITCH #2: Altsource Global(38:10) PITCH #3: GoalMochi(40:25) Jason, Max, and Fred give feedback on our first three pitches(42:45) Would GoalMochi ever consider adding personas for added expertise, like say a nutritionist?(44:30) How does Cascade plan to compete against the massive ad networks of companies like Google and Meta?(46:05) PITCH #4: RandomChat(48:10) PITCH #5: Eir(50:05) More feedback for our final two pitches of the day(52:44) Fred wants to know how Eir’s product will integrate with other systems(54:19) Why Gigi made herself available to chat in her app(57:50) Why Jason thinks RandomChat should add anonymous personasSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(14:37) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(23:05) Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at clickhubspot.com/twist2.(33:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCrusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/savingsLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedIn.com/twistToday’s show: On today’s TWIST episode, Alex interviews two of the top startup co-founders: Keller Cliffton of Zipline and Anastasis Germanidis of Runway. Zipline announced its $600 million raise at a $7.6 BILLION valuation. Kellers breaks down the origins, economics, and future of Zipline’s contrarian bet in drone delivery. What was science fiction a decade ago is now a regular part of life for many. In fact, Zipline operates more flights than United!Zipline is set to leapfrog the car delivery apps AND self driving cars with the superior economics of drone delivery. It is much cheaper to transport your burrito in a lightweight drone than a 6,000 pound self driving car!Then, Alex is joined by Anastasis Germanidis, the CTO and co-founder of Runway, to explain why the next frontier of generative AI is world models! Runway  is looking to build a universal simulation, which will unlock massive gains in robotics, autonomy, and simulations. The world model would be able to simulate rare edge cases that could take years to find naturally! Check out how this cutting edge AI startup’s NYU Tisch School of Art’s originsThen, See Jason’s answer to the question: “When should founders pivot or give up?”Timestamps: (00:00) The Drone revolution is here!(02:46) Inside Zipline’s factory to build 20K drones a year(04:40) American dynamism Vs. Chinese manufacturing dominance(09:00) How Zipline is growing 75% month on month(9:50) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(11:15) Zipline teleports food and goods to your house(21:54) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(23:02) Is it affordable to use a drone to deliver a burrito?(29:18) Zipline DOUBLES United’s flight numbers(31:11) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant.(32:21) Anastasis break’s down Runway’s AI modeling(35:24) Runway’s Gen 4.5 and the world model(40:57) Why do robotics companies need a world model?(43:04) Using AI to simulate robot laundry folding(52:37) Runway’s origins at NYU’s art school(55:46) Founder Q/A: When to pivot or give up on your startup*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.com)Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:50) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(21:54) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(31:11) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle.so - http://Circle.so/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistUber AI Solutions - http://uber.com/twistToday’s show:Not long ago, promising young Japanese graduates wanted to go work for the largest, most established, and even oldest corporations: Sony, Mitsubishi, and the like. But now, just over the last few years, more and more Japanese people are becoming entrepreneurs and founders. TWiST Japan continues with a fascinating look inside the country’s growing startup ecosystem with special guest, venture capitalist Shinichi “Shin” Takamiya. He’ll walk Jason through how Japan stayed ahead of the rest of the world in technology, but started falling behind when it came to founding companies, and how the Japanese are now starting to level the playing field.PLUS why his fund, Globis, sees other VC firms as collaborators rather than the competition… How AI is helping Japanese and American founders build their companies more quickly… Why Jason prefers training younger people to become VCs rather than hiring more experienced players… Shin’s guide to eating out in Tokyo… and much more!Timestamps: (00:00) We’re so excited to bring Founder University in Japan!(04:15) Jason and our guest first met 15-25 years ago…(06:06) How is Japan always so far ahead of the rest of the world?(08:29) Globis is one of Japan’s largest and oldest venture capital firms!(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle’s Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(12:38) Why founders need to play the long game when it comes to networking(15:03) “The founder is the most precious resource in the startup community”(16:50) Shin takes us inside his Mercari (a massive Japanese marketplace site) investment(18:20) How startups became “cool” in Japan, just recently(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(21:09) You don’t have to tell an investor your whole story… just get them interested(25:28) Why Jason likes to train young folks to be VCs, rather than hiring for experience(28:44) The differences between being candid and rude(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(35:40) Why Globis sees other VC firms as collaborators(39:08) The world’s OLDEST company is 1500 years old… and it’s from Japan…(39:54) Why a lot of great businesses aren’t right for VC investment(43:34) Why picking the right market is so crucial(48:37) When you know the direction of change but can’t predict the timing(50:34) How founders are using AI to build better companies faster(54:39) Shin’s guide to eating out in Tokyo*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle’s Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Lemon.io - https://lemon.io/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedIn.com/twistToday’s show: Some pitches sound just like ads… and it’s a huge red flag for investors.On our latest edition of TWiST Tokyo, Jason welcomes legendary angel investor (and long-time friend of the pod) Thomas McInerney. His list of investments reads like a Who’s Who of the tech elite, including Notion, SpaceX, Uber, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity….At Founder University x Tokyo, they discuss how the angel investing landscape has shifted, why it’s so important for founders to stay humble, the reasons that investors need to stay not just optimistic but aggressively so, and what angels can add to companies beyond just writing checks.Plus we revisit some classic TWiST clips featuring Thomas from over 10 years ago AND take a look at three of our favorite pitches from our Japanese founders.Timestamps:(00:00) FLASHBACK: Clips from Tom’s classic TWiST appearances(02:54) Why Jason and Tom love hanging and building in Tokyo.(05:30) How has the angel investing landscape changed over the last decade plus?(09:38) “Being an investor is a commodity… You have to provide more than just money.”(12:17) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(13:34) How Thomas evaluates very early stage startups(14:56) Why Thomas invested in nuclear tech when it was hugely unpopular(17:31) Why it’s so important for new founders to be both humble and smart(18:50) The relevance and accuracy of Marc Andreessen’s “Idea Maze” metaphor(20:40) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(21:41) How Elon Musk brings oversized, visionary ideas to life(26:11) Why founders using buzzwords is a huge red flag(27:13) The little “poker tells” Thomas and Jason look for in a founder(28:26) “If there’s any doubt, there’s no doubt.”(30:47) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs’ new AI assistant.(32:04) PRO TIP: Don’t run out of money!(38:10) The importance of being an aggressive optimist for investors(43:27) The human brain cannot comprehend 1000x growth(45:33) PITCH #1: Sakenomist is the cross-border commerce platform, starting with sake exporters (Hiroshi Takeuchi)(51:47) PITCH #2: HomiiWorld, the IRL social app which helps you meet new people anywhere in the world*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(12:17) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(20:40) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(30:47) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs’ new AI assistant.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94Q

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Every.io - http://every.io/LinkedIn Jobs - https://www.linkedin.com/twistZite - http://zite.com/twistToday’s show: Why do 40% of Japanese students want to build a company rather than join the corporate workforce?On TWiST, Jason considers this question along with special guest Kathy Matsui, general partner of the global VC fund MPower Partners.Their wide-ranging discussion also features a look inside one of Jason’s favorite international companies, Japan’s own fashion retailer Uniqlo, where Kathy is a board member. (While in town, he took the opportunity to check out their flagship store in Ginza.)They also take a look back at Japan’s economic crisis in the ‘90s, and why recovery took such a very long time… MPower’s philosophy while raising their second fund, and why they’re so focused on what they call “Japan Dynamism”… the key question of whether Japanese startups should focus on the domestic market first BEFORE chasing global customers… why an ESG (environment, social, governance) focus in Japan is so different from DEI in the US… and much more.Timestamps:(00:00) Kathy Matsui is on the board of one of Jason’s favorite companies, Uniqlo (and its parent, Fast Retailing)(10:52) Why deflation in the ‘90s was “poison” for Japanese businesses and workers(13:41) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(15:05) Why do American entrepreneurs keep falling in love with Japan?(18:17) How the Japanese government is encouraging more founders to start tech companies(20:05) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs’ new AI assistant.(21:15) Why more Japanese grads are becoming entrepreneurs(23:46) What MPower means by “Japan Dynamism” and why they’re focused on it for Fund 2(24:26) The various reasons so few female founders are getting funded in Japan(27:38) The differences between MPower’s approach and corporate DEI in the US(30:03) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to https:/zite.com/twist to get started.(31:48) Is the “first Japan, then the WORLD” approach a waste?(35:34) In Japan, you don’t build trust in just one meeting…(39:19) Kathy’s take on the complex relationship between Japan and the MENA region(42:13) Why the UAE and Saudi Arabia aren’t “dumb money,” as some in Silicon Valley assume(43:49) Can Japan still rely on the United States as a strong geopolitical partner? There are question marks…(48:16) Regarding China: “When you move up the stack… be careful what you wish for!”(49:06) Q: Aladdin is developing smart trash cans… Kathy and Jason’s tips on founder Yuki Kanai’s pitch(54:31) Q: Maya Hojnacki from AltSource Capital asks about how MPower helps startups facing regulatory or policy obstacles(57:17) Q: Hiroki from Goi wants Jason and Kathy’s take on Japan’s point-based immigration policies(1:06:38) Why Japan desperately needs AI to start taking more jobs*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpThank you to our partners:(13:41) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(20:05) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs’ new AI assistant.(30:03) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to https://zite.com/twist to get started.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Netsuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twistLumaAi - https://lumalabs.ai/twistSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistToday’s show: Government fraud and waste has become a prominent issue in the last month.That’s what we are looking at.On Today’s episode of TWiST, Jason interviews Alex Shieh of the The Antifraud Company.Under the False Claims Act, enterprising Americans, like Alex, can receive up to 30% of fraud dollars they uncover! Jason digs into the business of fraud with Alex Shieh and how a generational company could be built around it!PLUS Alex Wilhelm and Marcus Brotman take a look at the history of BOOM, $1.5 Billion dollar startup bringing back supersonic commercial travel!Jason first interviewed Blake Scholl almost 10 years ago in 2016. Back then, BOOM was a dream to bringing back supersonic travel. The Concorde’s failure, and why BOOM is different, is central to Blake’s thinking. What is fascinating is Blake’s mindset and vision for the early stages of this future unicorn startup.THEN, Jason answers live Q/A at Founder University Tokyo! In partnership with JETRO, Jason and the LAUNCH team are bringing Founder University to 35 Japanese startups over the next 9 weeks!Timestamps:(00:00) Why the Concorde failed and how BOOM Supersonic is bringing back faster than light travel(08:34) The 30% efficiency rule for Mach 2 flights(11:46) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(17:12) Building million dollar planes on a startup budget(20:22) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(24:11) The Checklist Manifesto: Lessons for pilots and founders!(26:02) How to build a team that can go supersonic(32:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(33:55) Private Sector Doge: The Anti Fraud Company(38:48) The $500B in Fraud uncovered(48:34) How Alex Shieh’s team uses AI to hunt down fraud(52:48) How you can win 30% of exposed fraud with the false claims Act(56:27) Founder University Tokyo Q&ASubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(11:46) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(20:22) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(32:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCaldera Lab - http://calderalab.com/TWISTPipedrive - http://pipedrive.com/twistToday’s show: TWiST is coming to you all from TOKYO as we launch Japan’s first-ever Founder University! That’s right, a full week of key insights from Japan’s top founders, investors, and tech visionaries… when we can pull ourselves away from our favorite izakaya spots, that is.First up, Jason welcomes HyreSearch.com co-founder Sho Takei, a veteran of Uber and CloudKitchens who now helps startups recruit top talent from around the world.Together they discuss the massive changes AI is bringing to every facet of the hiring process, Sho’s experiences working for infamously “super-pumped” Travis Kalanick, his tips for for establishing a corporate culture when hiring your first few employees, why being a co-founder is just a bit like getting married, and LOTS MORE.Timestamps:(00:00) We’re in TOKYO JAPAN for Founder University with Hyre co-founder (and Uber vet) Sho Takei.(03:13) The challenges of early Uber recruiting in Asia(05:22) Are Japanese workers motivated by stock-based compensation? Or is cash still king?(08:24) Why tax rates give Singapore and Dubai a competitive advantage.(09:17) Do in-person startups have an edge against entirely remote companies?(11:50) How Jason thinks Hyre could grab their ultimate domain name…(13:26) Northwest Registered Agent: Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(15:32) Just because a startup tactic works in the US… doesn’t mean it will work in Japan(17:39) Travis Kalanick and Uber’s unique “super pumped” approach to recruiting(20:01) It’s hard to fire someone in Japan! The high stakes for hiring mistakes.(23:35) Sho’s tips for establishing a culture and hiring your first few employees (“hiring is guessing, and firing is knowing”)(25:33) Why being a co-founder is kind of like getting married(27:46) Caldera Lab: Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to  http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(28:59) How AI is revolutionizing the hiring process, and why you still need a human in the loop(34:02) How do you win over amazing talent that’s already happy at another company(39:47) Pipedrive: Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at http://pipedrive.com/twist(43:19) How Hyre operates as an agency and also an in-house recruiter(44:57) The surprising importance of “candidate experience” when hiring in Japan*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(13:26) Northwest Registered Agent: Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(27:46) Caldera Lab: Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(39:47) Pipedrive: Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at http://pipedrive.com/twist

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist1Circle.so - http://circle.so/twistSentry - http://sentry.io/twistToday’s show: On the last TWiST episode before Jason goes to Japan and Alex begins on paternity leave, the hosts break down the blockbuster tech news that is kicking off 2026.Discord AND Strava both eyeing billion dollar IPOs, two massive social media apps with millions of daily active users. Jason unpacks Discord’s the growth story, from a gaming-first product launch in 2015, to a community/work platform and social media for all. Jason explains why Strava proves that data is the MOAT for consumer apps.PLUS Jason and Alex are joined by Producer Oliver to rank the top CES products. Jason gave his thoughts on the different robots, self driving cars, and multi-fold phones on display.Would you buy a triple-fold phone?Timestamps:(00:00) Discord looks to go public at $7 Billion!(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(13:37) Strava going public and why data IS the moat for consumer software(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(22:25) Anthropic’s $350B valuation and why it makes sense(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(33:05) Why is China upset about META’s Manus acquisition — and why Jason is hopeful for the US-China relationship(37:24) Jason’s favorite part of CES: The rise of open source AI!(40:59) Why Jason LOVES his self driving Tesla — why public companies need to be safe and not push too quickly(44:24) Producer Oliver’s Top CES Tech products(54:46) Jason’s Major Takeway from CES(59:43) How many times can you fold a phone?(1:04:04) New interfaces for smartphones*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWISTGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94QAaron Leviehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545Sophia Amorusohttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978Reid Hoffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reid-hoffman-on-ais-crescendo-moment-regulation-and/id315114957?i=1000612548498Frank Slootmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/snowflake-ceo-frank-slootman-on-moving-the-needle-win/id315114957?i=1000602560622

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://www.gusto.com/twistLemon IO -  https://lemon.io/twistQuo - http://quo.com/TWiSTToday’s show: We keep hearing about how AI is killing our ability to think, filling our media with slop, and ruining our kids’ ability to learn. It seems the internet is filled with negative sentiment about the future AI is bringing.Jason is joined by Grant Lee, CEO and co-founder of Gamma, as well as Steven Johnson, editorial director of NotebookLM to tackle these questions on today’s AI roundtable!Grant and Steven break down how they are using AI to push forward their own productivity as well as their teams. Both say that AI makes you more creative! Steven points out that it helped him write his books by having AI do the “chore work” while he got to focus on the valuable insights and higher level thinking.One valuable tip was that AI can be used to uncover customer insights in a new medium. Steven and Grant both put customer feedback into an LLM, allowed them to have high level conversations with their whole user base about what features and products they each enjoy. If that isn’t creative, then what is?Learn about all this and more in today’s roundtable!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing Steven Johnson and Grant Lee!(10:12) Gusto: Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist(11:28) How Jason and the TWiST team uses NotebookLM(12:37) Will AI replace lawyers in startups and VC? Should they?(16:08) How the Gamma team uses AI understand their consumers(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:38) How the Google team uses AI to “talk” to their whole user base.(24:45) Is AI replicating our brains and consciousness?(28:18) The ways that AI is changing how companies process information.(30:39) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(31:43) Jason thinks groupchats are the modern coffee shop for interesting ideas!(32:48) Why Steven thinks AI makes creatives MORE ORIGINAL(40:02) HALF of US adults think AI makes you less creative(43:20) Grant defends using AI for doing research + making business decisions(45:28) Superforecasting — How to think about your thinking(53:00) Is education going back to blue books and oral exams?(56:30) Jevons Paradox and How AI will increase jobs for all!(59:50) Edison put whale hunters out of business but brought in electricians and movie industry(1:02:36) Jason coaches his employees to 10x themselves with AI tools to push value(1:05:54) Jason’s call to join the AI revolution*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:12) Gusto: Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(30:39) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/buildUber - http://uber.com/twistEvery.io - http://every.io/Today’s show: Jason and Alex are BACK on TWiST for 2026! This holiday season was anything but calm, with deca-corn acquisitions, massive Polymarket bets, and major new startups breaking from stealth!Jason talks the recent Nvidia-Groq $20B acquisition, a major exit for Chamath as the lead investor back in 2017! Jason delves into how the VC fund math shapes out for pre-seed VC funds vs. Series A VC funds.Jason and Alex delve into drama swirling META’s AI team. Yann LeCun, META’s former Chief AI Scientist, announced that he would be leaving META to become Executive Chairman at AMI Labs. LeCun left the META team in the new year, calling the new Chief AI Scientist, Alexandr Wang, inexperienced. LeCun now looks to move AI beyond the era of LLM at AMI Labs.PLUS Jason and Alex talk about the new social media app Tangle, from Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, and Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest. Their Startup, West Co, launched tangle, which seeks to become an “intentional living” app. The two look to improve how humans interact with modern tech. Jason points out that very few news products have worked, but is eager to see how two industry veterans build in the space. Timestamps:(00:00) Why Restaurants are OVER — Peptides and other self medications(06:41) Nvidia Acqui-Hires Groq for $20 BILLION(9:48) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(11:00) The VC fund math between seed vs. Series A funds(15:00) META buys TWiST 500 Company, Manus! Why it matters.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(21:24) Why Yann LeCun left META, and what could be behind it(25:27) Producer Claude on the Gondola Crash in Zurich(29:13) Jason’s Request for Augmented human intelligence(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(32:04) How one Trader made $436.8k on one bet on polymarket!(36:05) Jason’s Predictions for 2026 IPOs(40:01) Is news broken? How Tangle is tackling it.(45:53) How much should startup incur in legal expenses? Should founders try to use AI to avoid costs?(50:59) Why Google should let NotebookLM cook, make it a standalone brand! *Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:48) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsSquarespace -https://squarespace.com/twistHubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist1Today’s show: We’re saying goodbye to 2025 with our annual TWISTY Awards, looking back on our favorite pod moments from throughout the year.Featured clips include Jason’s message to the members of Reddit’s r/AntiWork community…Why JCal would NEVER work with Sam Altman or OpenAI…The time that Jason got doxxed and then found the guy responsible on LinkedIn…Why LA Mayor Karen Bass earned a *disgraziad*…Alex saying “Yessir!” in a weird way…And much more classic TWiST content.See y’all next year!Timestamps:(00:00) It’s the final episode of the year: The TWiSTY Awards for our favorite moments and guests of the year(2:06) The nominees for Best Name Drop(7:02)2025 in Trends(9:52) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(14:28) The best Jason anecdotes and personal stories(19:43) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(22:28) Our favorite 2025 guests, including Doug Leone, Coffeezilla, Anton Osika, and more(29:03) The year in Jason Rants(30:18) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(36:11) Controversial moments and the year’s hottest takes(44:11) DISGRAZIAD! Here are the most shameful people and companies of 2025(50:50)Alex’s best/worst Dad Jokes(54:32) It’s a simple word… groceries*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:52) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(19:43) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(30:18) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistVanta - http://www.vanta.com/twistLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistToday’s show: Jason’s already a millionaire many times over… but what are the huge, blockbuster, dream purchases that he’s still holding off on? BESIDES the private jet we all know he wants? The Noti Gang has asked, and JCal finally answers, on a holiday TWiST where we’re taking questions from viewers and fans.Check out the episode for lots more intriguing queries, like how to push forward and glean useful information when your first customers aren’t using your product the way you’d envisioned. Plus, is there room for both AI agents and great SaaS startups in the coming years? Hear why Jason thinks there IS.AND we’ve got the very last Gamma Pitch Deck Competition entry before we announce our winner in the new year. Check out AskHumans, an innovative approach to improving market research.Timestamps: (00:00) On a special holiday TWiST, we’re answering YOUR pressing Founder Questions!(8:35) 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!(09:35) What should a founder do when a VC reaches out cold?(13:37) The importance of maintaining “ball control”(15:35) A European founder asks: Should I take European investments if they’re targeting American customers?(19:47) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(20:51) A member of the Noti gang asks for JCal’s dream mega-purchases(24:12) Why Jason thinks there’s room for BOTH AI agents and great SaaS companies(27:18) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(28:23) It’s our final Gamma pitch with Zak from AskHumans!(29:24) How AskHumans uses AI to improve on marketing surveys and research(34:33) Management and measurement were designed before computers could understand language… why this matters.(35:48) Why no one ever wants to give feedback in a video(39:01) Why Zak’s pitch is “two chapters of the same story”… and was this a pivot?(44:14) Why founders need to assume LLMs are going to get exponentially better*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(8:35) 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!(19:47) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(27:18) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twistGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94QAaron Leviehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545Sophia Amorusohttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978