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$2.5B Chip Heist, The Future of American AI, and Purpose-Built Robots | This Week in AI Ep 6
25 maart 2026 · 1 uur 15 min
This Week in AI sneak peak! If you enjoy the episode find us on Spotify, Apple podcasts and YouTube by looking up "This Week in AI" or by going to thisweekinai.ai Lees meer
This week Jason sat down with Jake Loosararian and Chris Lattner on Episode 6 of This Week in AI. Jake is the CEO and co-founder of Gecko Robotics, a company deploying purpose-built robots and AI for mission-critical infrastructure inspection across energy, defense, and manufacturing. Chris is the CEO and co-founder of Modular, building a universal software layer that lets developers run AI models across Nvidia, AMD, and Apple silicon without being locked into any single hardware vendor.
We explore the GPU shortage, why China's chip smuggling reveals the stakes of the AI cold war, how purpose-built robotics are beating humanoids on ROI, the case for American reindustrialization, and why the next decade could be the best ever for private equity in capital-intensive industries.
Purpose-Built Robots vs. Humanoids: Jake has been building mission-critical robots for 13 years. He explains why general-purpose humanoids still have too little ROI for industrial use, and why specialized robots that find and fix problems are winning in the field.
The GPU Shortage Is Real: Chris breaks down why you can't just go buy 100 Blackwell chips today, why Nvidia's Cuda creates massive lock-in, and how Modular is building a unified software layer across all major chip architectures.
Google TPUs Are the Sleeper: Chris ranks Google as the number one threat to Nvidia's dominance, ahead of Amazon's Trainium and AMD.
China's Chip Smuggling & the AI Cold War: A Supermicro co-founder allegedly smuggled $2.5B in Nvidia chips to China using fake serial numbers and a hairdryer.
The Best Decade for Private Equity: Jake makes the case that capital-intensive, commoditized infrastructure assets: waste-to-energy, water treatment, old power plants will all generate incredible returns.
Self-Driving State of Play: Chris, a former Tesla Autop… -
Compliance Startup Scandal... Is Delve Guilty? | E2266
24 maart 2026 · 1 uur 27 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - https://linkedIn.com/twist
Sentry - https://sentry.io/twist
Plaud - http://Plaud.ai/twist
Ro.co - http://Ro.co/Twist Lees meerToday's show:
Hustle Fund general partner Elizabeth Yin joined Jason and Alex to discuss how rapid advances in AI have changed the venture capital game, and how the same AI updates are changing how founders build. Founders may need less capital than before, which could reduce their reliance on venture dollars over time.
Ceel founder Ryan Mahdavi joined next to help Jason and Alex dig into the Delve story. Well-funded Delve was publicly criticized for allegedly overselling their compliance tool's capabilities and not being honest with customers. Delve has responded to the allegations, though Mahdavi said that he had his doubts about the competing startup even before the news story broke.
Next, TWiST invited Brick founder Seg Sheng on to explain his startup's plan to use a combination of physical hardware and artificial intelligence to help buildings and data centers reduce their energy bills. Given how much juice the AI era demands, Brick could be onto something big.
And to close out the show, Gavin Zaentz and Pranav Ramesh from LeadPoet (Bittensor Subnet 71) to show off their technology (the pair put in motion a lead hunt for Brick while on-air). It's a packed show with something for everyone. Let's go!Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:18 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!
3:45 Elizabeth Yin from Hustle Fund on how AI tools have changed her workflow
9:21 How founders use AI to learn how to suck less
10:34 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST
13:17 Ryan Mahdavi from Ceel joins to explain the Delve SOC 2 scandal
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The Drone Company Everyone Thought Was Illegal (Now Worth $4B+) | E2265
20 maart 2026 · 1 uur 39 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Lees meerCircle - https://circle.so/twist
Netsuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twist
Today's show:
Zipline founder Keller Cliffton started his company with a simple premise: build automated logistics that serve everyone equally. The only problem? It was literally illegal in the US.
In this live recording from LaunchFest in San Francisco, Keller shares how Zipline went from a 20-person team working on a cow farm in Rwanda to operating the largest commercial autonomous system on Earth. They now complete 130 million autonomous miles with zero accidents, while reducing maternal mortality by 51% in the regions they serve.
PLUS we've got Rahul Vohra from Superhuman taking us through his entire founder journey, and discussing with Jason why "difficult" founders are often the smartest investments.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:16 Keller Cliffton starts off the show
3:05 Starting Zipline in Africa
8:40 The magic of sky maps
13:55 Building the drone was just the beginning
15:11 Making a huge difference in maternal mortality
23:48 The threats of Little Evil Jimmy and dogs
29:37 The shift from Rwanda to Dallas
31:14 Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
32:28 The moral clarity of the mission
41:17 The challenge of staying focused
46:43 Rahul Vohra of Superhuman joins Jason
49:40 Building Rapportive in Cambridge
51:48 Scaling to millions of users via APIs
1:11:46 How getting acquired made Rahul fearless
1:12:31 The boldness of taking on Gmail
1:22:12 Making everyone pay for the product
1:31:24 Inside the Grammarly-Superhuman deal
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:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in… -
How Robinhood became a $68B company w/ Vlad Tenev
18 maart 2026 · 50 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Deel - https://deel.com/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.
Iru - https://iru.com/twistToday's show:
We've got a treat for you today on TWiST! Jason is live from LAUNCH Fest in San Francisco, where he's joined by Robinhood founder Vlad Tenev.
The era of AI is here. Robinhood found success in the midst of the last great technological shift. What lessons did Vlad take from this, and how can founders apply these to this next transformative period? What elements are the same and what elements have changed?
Let's get inside the mind of one of the greatest founders of the last decade!
Timestamps:
0:00 Why Jason runs events like LAUNCH Fest.
3:25 The early days of Jason and Vlad.
5:54 Why getting users before monetizing creates a bigger business.
9:49 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.
11:03 Finding ways to launch a product multiple times.
13:49 How Robinhood identified its initial customers.
20:09 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.
21:04 Robinhood's "give to get" and waitlist mechanics explained.
25:07 Navigating mistakes that feel existential (they're not!)
27:36 Leaning into negative press.
30:30 Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. TWiST listeners get 20% off when they book a demo at https://iru.com/twist
32:13 Tackling competition in the AI era.
37:20 How Vlad hires and develops talent.
42:16 What is good design in an era of vibe coded slop?
46:46 Vlad's top lessons from the last 10 years.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:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn:… -
Are Brain-Computer Interfaces Actually Ready for Humans?
17 maart 2026 · 1 uur 14 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Caldera + Lab - https://CalderaLab.com/TWIST
Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Lemon - https://Lemon.io/twist
Today's show:
Computers that read your mind? Jets that are all wings? Continuously tracking your body's vital signs to live longer? We've got all that and more on the show today.
First, we sat down with the CEO of Paradromics, Matt Angle, to dig into the progress that his brain-computer interface startup has made. Yes, there are more companies working on BCIs than just Neuralink. Paradromics, in particular, is looking for early clinical trial subjects as it works to bring its technology out of the lab and into the market.
If you ever wanted to know more about how BCIs work and how long it will be until we can all benefit from the tech, this is the interview for you.
Next, we got JetZero CEO Tom O'Leary on the phone to tell us all about his startup's jet. No, it's not competing with Boom, a startup that wants to build a supersonic passenger airliner. Instead, JetZero is building jets that are mostly wing, allowing them to fly with far greater fuel efficiency. Best of all? The future JetZero planes can fit right into normal airports.
Finally, we chatted with Nutrisense CEO Dan Zavorotny. While keeping tabs on your glucose levels may not be the sexiest topic in the world, the data that continuous monitoring can bring is incredibly valuable health information. Mix that signal with coaching, and Nutrisense reckons its combination of software, data, and dieticians can really improve health outcomes for its customers.
If you needed a break from pure-play AI news, TWiST has you covered!
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:47 Paradromics
3:26 How do BCIs read your mind?
9:58 Lemon - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at Lemon.io/twist
19:54 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company … Lees meer -
One Genius Rule That Made This Coffee Brand Famous | EP 2262
14 maart 2026 · 1 uur 30 min
Legendary British ad man Rory Sutherland invented a fake business on a podcast, a coffee shop appealing to the busy commuter called "Flat White or F**k Off."
But it's one thing to have a post go big on TikTok or Instagram… but to turn that viral moment into an actual COMPANY is a very different challenge.
On TWiST, Jason and Lon chat with Charlie Hurst, Tom Noble, and Will Sudlow, founders of the online brand "Flat White or F**k Off," about how they took a funny little slogan and turned it into a string of popular social media accounts, a line of merch, a pop-up café, and let's face it, an entire lifestyle.
PLUS we've got Mog and Dubs from Subnet 75 — Hippius! Hear how they're using the blockchain for decentralized storage, and providing server space much cheaper than their famous hyperscaler rivals.
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.
Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Lees meerTimestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:28 Plaud - If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!
00:03:22 What is "decentralized cloud storage"?
00:05:42 How Hippius came together
00:09:57 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.
00:11:38 Incentivizing miners
00:14:25 How many people are contributing?
00:18:42 But where does the value accrue?
00:20:18 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.
00:29:55 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.nor… -
The Global Expansion of Self-Driving Vehicles
11 maart 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Circle - http://circle.so/twist
Sentry - http://Sentry.io
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
Plaud - http://Plaud.ai/twist
Today's show:
It's self-driving time! We're going deep on one of the most exciting spaces developing in the world, autonomous vehicles! We've got 3 experts on the show to talk to us enlighten us, Ben Seidl of Autolane, Ming Maa of Moove, and Nathan Parker of EdgeCase.
What's going on in the world of self-driving? How has the reliability of autonomous vehicles improved? What challenges are we still facing in the industry? Will the US reign victorious, or is China sneaking up? Let's find out on TWiST!
Timestamps:
00:00 intro
02:21 Uber teams up with Zoox!
03:02 Does EdgeCase work with Zoox?
03:03 Operational design domains
06:47 The challenges of bringing self-driving to new environments.
00:10:53 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.
00:13:26 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!
00:17:19 How has reliability of autonomous cars improved?
00:19:18 How Ben Seidl came up with the idea for Autolane!
00:21:08 Sentry: New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST
00:27:47 How Moove helps autonmous vehicles go to market!
00:30:49 Deel: Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.
00:33:28 The logisitcs of managing fleets.
00:37:08 Why is it called Autolane and not multi-modal lane?
00:40:50 Does EdgeCase work with smaller self-driving vehicles as well?
00:41:52 How autonomous systems will interact with one-another!
00:43:14 Why AV's should not talk to ot…
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How agents will change banking forever | E2260
10 maart 2026 · 1 uur 1 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Northwest Registered Agent - northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Quo - quo.com/TWiST
Gusto - Gusto.com/twist
Plaud - http://Plaud.ai/twist
Athena - https://www.athena.com/jcal Lees meerToday's show:
How long until AI models can improve AI models? Once possible, recursive self-improvement by AI technology could accelerate — forever. Thus far, humans (and their coding agents) are still driving AI progress. But a recent project by AI developer extraordinare Andrej Karpathy, called 'autoresearcher', is turning heads as it shows that it is possible — in certain contexts — to allow AI agents to run successive coding experiments to improve specific elements of LLM performance. Call it an early demonstration of the future.
OpenClaw is exploding in China, while here in the United States, AI is polling somewhere underneath the basement. AI in the United States is about as popular as ICE, which could create a political issue for the technology in the coming elections.
Next? Three demos. First, NetXD's Suresh Ramamurthi showed off how he has built OpenClaw functionality to move money, Rohan Arun showed off PhoneClaw automation on Android devices from an AR headset, and Eugene Stuckless gave us a taste of what Eir is building. Our takeaway? OpenClaw is still boring its way into our digital lives, one new skill or tool at a time!
GUESTS:
Suresh Ramamurthi: https://x.com/sureshr7
Rohan Arun: https://x.com/Viewforge/
Eugene Stuckless: https://x.com/eugene_eir_incTimestamps:
0:00 — 'Autoresearcher' and the future of AI improvements
6:52 — Why people around the world are flocking to OpenClaw
7:57 — Plaud - If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!
9:46 — Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get t… -
Wisdom of the $TAO: the future is decentralized AI
7 maart 2026 · 1 uur 8 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Every Banking - https://Every.io
https://Lemon.io - Lemon.io/twist
Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twist
Plaud - https://plaud.ai/twistRo.co - https://Ro.co/Twist Lees meerToday's show:
*Sure, we all love open source models, but what about completely decentralized AI? Rather than leaving the big decision-making in the hands of a few elite CEOs, shouldn't users have a say — and potentially even a stake — in how this incredible technology develops?
On TWiST, we welcome Ala Shaabana of Crucible Labs, one of the co-founders of Bittensor. It's an open-source protocol powering a blockchain-based machine learning network. What does that mean? Users mine a crypto token — $TAO — but rather than using up their compute on solving extremely long equations, they devote it to actually powering a range of innovative AI apps (aka subnets).
Plus we've got Mark Jeffrey, co-founder of the Bittensor Fund Stillcore Capital, to show us some of his favorite subnet projects, and walk us through how he trained his AI agent to mine crpyto.
All that AND two amazing new OpenClaw demos.
Mark Jeffrey: https://x.com/markjeffrey
Stillcore Capital: https://stillcorecapital.com/
Ala Shaabana (Crucible Labs): https://x.com/CrucibleLabs
Michael Ryaboy (Setup Claw): https://setupclaw.com/
Pete and Maddie Reese (Bizzby AI): https://bizzby.ai/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro01:28 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!04:11 The booming intersection of crypto, and AI agents05:49 Mark Jeffrey joins the show!06:13 Bittensor explained — how TAO subsidizes AI products07:37 Mark's top Bittensor projects00:10:40 https://Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.00:12:20 How subnet tokens work00:17:34 How the Crucible Labs wallet sim… -
Is Anthropic Making the Biggest Mistake in AI History | E2258
5 maart 2026 · 1 uur 21 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Plaud - Plaud.ai/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.
Deel - https://deel.com/twist
Iru - https://iru.com/twist! Lees meerToday's show:
It's a packed TWiST Today! WITH US, we've got Erik Voorhees of VeniceAI and Logan Allin of Fin Capital on to talk agents, crypto, and… you guessed it, OPENCLAW!
Where does agentic AI meet the financial system? How will agents transact? And what does privacy look like in a world with omnipresent AI?
Stick around for some demos! We've got George Pickett to demo OpenClaw studio and David Kaufman to show us what he's building at Siteline!Timestamps:
00:04:31 What was Logan's original thesis in Circle?
10:08 LinkedIn Jobs - Thanks to our partners at @LinkedIn! Post your job for free at https://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs' new AI assistant.
00:11:52 Logans thoughts on Open vs. Closed Source
00:15:33 How to maintain privacy in AI
20:02 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.
00:23:29 Why LAUNCH's token usage is trending higher than payroll!
00:25:05 How Fin capital uses personality types and AI to assess investments
00:29:45 Why Erik thinks Anthropic's defiance of the federal gov. is bravery!
32:10 Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. TWiST listeners get 20% off when they book a demo at https://iru.com/twist!
00:42:23 How Siteline is helping understand companies and their agent traffic.
00:57:15 OpenClaw Studio makes OpenClaw as user friendly as possible.
01:10:09 The layers and layers of Microstrategy's business model.
01:11:44 Which AI tools are the most indispensable?
01:12:25 How Jason uses the Grok button on threads
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on … -
How the OpenClaw foundation bullet-proofed its future (w/Dave Morin) | E2257
3 maart 2026 · 1 uur 15 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle — http://circle.so/twistHubspot Creators — http://clickhubspot.com/twist2Uber AI Solutions — http://uber.com/ai-solutionsToday's show: *Dave Morin joined the show today to explain how the OpenClaw Foundation came into existence, and what its goals are. Fear not, Peter Steinberger retains directional control of the project. But if you want to sustain an open-source project over time, you need a corporate entity, well-heeled sponsors, maintainers and more. Morin is helping make sure that OpenClaw can stay true to itself well into the future.TWIST also put the day's most critical AI stories to Morin for his insight: What's his take on the Anthropic-DoW fracas? Does Morin think that OpenAI and Anthropic are catching up to OpenClaw in agentic terms? And will OpenAI cede the consumer crown to Anthropic? Next came two amazing demos: Runtools' CTO Greg Kara showed off a 3D interface for OpenClaw that his team built, allowing 'Claw users to watch their agents work in real time, and even read over their shoulder. Then PickelWatch founder George Yameen showed off an agnetic workflow using OpenClaw and Claude's Chrome plugin side-by-side. The gist? Make sure that the agentic service you select is cost-effective. **GUESTS:**Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin?lang=enGreg Kara: https://x.com/GregKara6George Yameen: https://x.com/GeorgeYameen**Timestamps:** 00:00 Dave Morin Joins the Show Lees meer
02:31 How Dave Morin got Claw-Pilled
05:01 Jason's critical OpenClaw moments
08:38 How Dave showcases his OpenClaw skills
10:47 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/ai-solutions
14:40 How long has the OpenClaw Foundation existed?
17:21 How much authority does Peter Steinberger retain?
00:20:21 Hubspot - Check out the guide "Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days." Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2
19:20 …
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The Biggest Private Funding Round in History | E2256
28 februari 2026 · 1 uur 20 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twist
Luma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twist Lees meerToday's show:
*$110 billion buys you 15% of OpenAI. Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank placed their bets on ChatGPT, which now has 900 million weekly active users and 50 million paying subscribers. Find out why Jason is anticipating the wildest J-Curve swing of all time, and believes we've ALREADY hit AGI… it's just not implemented yet.
Plus a visit from our roving correspondent Nick O'Neill, checking in on the Crypto Chaos in Miami Beach, and hot demos from three young founders.
GUESTS:
Nick O'Neill: https://x.com/chooserich
Everest Chris: https://openclaw.unloopa.com/
Ben Broca: https://polsia.com/
Adi Gabrani: https://makemyclaw.com/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro
01:33 We're hiring a new producer!
05:42 OpenAI raised $110 billion
08:59 Understanding the LLM J-Curve
00:11:25 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.
00:15:02 CRYPTO CHAOS IN MIAMI BEACH!
00:21:10 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.
00:22:54 Mass layoffs at Block
00:30:50 Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with the all-in-one Dream Machine text-to-video platform. Visit https://lumalabs.ai/twist to try The Dream Machine for free.
00:32:04 AI Scott Adams: The Saga Continues
00:38:13 Make URLs for local businesses with Unloopa
00:45:36 Rent a Polsia agent to run your company
00:58:55 Deploy swarms in 60 seconds with MakeMyClaw
01:05:05 LAUNCH FEST is coming to SF
01:55:49 Will Paramount actually buy WBD?
01:06:58 Why Lon loves "Knight of the 7 Kingdoms"
01:07:21 On "Neighbors" and First Amendment Warriors
01:13:43 All about Jason's favorite chargers
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.this… -
Behind the Scenes with an early OpenClaw contributor! | E2252
26 februari 2026 · 1 uur 22 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Lemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twist
Every.io - https://every.io
Sentry.io- https://sentry.io/twistToday's show:
We're going behind the curtain today — it's a packed show!
We found Tyler Yust, OpenClaw's third EVER contributor to share his insights from within foundation! We've got Deedy Das, of Menlo Ventures, on the show to discuss whether SaaS is cooked! Next we met the creator of an OpenClaw instance that fits in your pocket! We've also got the founder of OpenBrowse showing us how he automatically detects and generates OpenClaw skills!Timestamps:
00:00 Intro - Deedy Das Joins the Show!04:54 Anthropic's revenue growth and valuation06:07 OpenClaw Contributor Tyler Yuts joins the show09:24 iMessage integration and Apple's proprietary systems
00:10:07 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist14:31 Anthropic vs. the Pentagon
00:20:02 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.
00:30:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST
00:35:46 The Infamous Citrini article00:32:47 Come to LAUNCH fest! https://fest.launch.co00:36:28 Why Deedy thinks the Cetrini article is a work of science fiction00:44:51 The illusion of privacy in corporate America00:41:18 Deedy thinks Enterprise SaaS apps aren't going to be vibe coded00:49:20 Jason's Reddit Bot00:52:01 Jason's obsession with Singapore's food00:55:22 How Unbrowse pulls any backend API!01:02:07 Sebastian shows off the smallest OpenClaw form factor!01:12:04 The Prolo ring — for people who doomscroll01:20:21 Deedy's Podcast Player App!Thank you to our partners:
(10:07) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(20:02) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back…
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Kill Your Startup's Knowledge Chaos with OpenClaw (with Oliver Henry and Jeff Weisbein) | E2254
24 februari 2026 · 1 uur 19 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:Caldera Lab - [calderalab.com/twist](https://calderalab.com/twist)Iru - [iru.com](http://Iru.com/twist)LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twist*OpenClaw is incredible at automating tasks. But what if it could also fix your startup's internal communication problems? Give agents shared memory, and you may be able to break down information silos while ensuring that teammates have the same context.@oliverhenry and @jeffweisbein demo what they've actually built with OpenClaw, including marketing automations, agentic loops, and bug fixing tools. Then we dig into what agentic infrastructure means for how startups operate, and why traditional SaaS products need to quickly adapt for the agentic era.Oliver Henry: The creator of the '[Larry](https://clawhub.ai/OllieWazza/larry)' OpenClaw skill, and founder of [Larrybrain](https://www.larrybrain.com/)Jeff Weisbein: The Claw-pilled founder of [WizardRFP](https://www.wizardrfp.com/) and [WhoCoversIt](https://www.whocoversit.com/), who shared his OpenClaw framework [publicly](https://weisbe.in/openclaw) and built a [getting-started guide for the tool](https://github.com/jeffweisbein/openclaw-starter-kit)**Timestamps:** 00:00 Intro
(00:01:43) Here's why you never ski alone in a blizzard!
(00:04:22) Why everyone at LAUNCH is going to get their own Mac Mini and AI agent
(00:08:06) "OpenClaw has changed my entire solo-preneur lifestyle." — Jeff Weinstein of Hype Lab
(00:09:06) Jason's urgent API message to Steve Huffman of Reddit
(00:10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer).
(00:15:12) Oliver shows us his Larry Skill to make viral TikTok content with zero human intervention
(00:20:10) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [www.iru.com/twist](www.iru.com/twist).
(00:21:22) Why are platforms like TikTok still so hos… Lees meer -
We Asked 3 Experts How to Get More Value out of OpenClaw | E2253
21 februari 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twist
Circle - https://circle.so/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Today's show:
*Getting OpenClaw set up and running without destroying your bank account is one thing.
But now that you have your agent or swarm operational, how can you use them to get real work done?
We have three builders who are going to show you how to maximize your OpenClaw output!
GUESTS:
Jordy Coltman: Viral X author and creator of the WeeklyClaw newsletter
Jesse Leimgruber: Creator of the OpenHome.com smart speaker and kit
Tremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of Pulse
PLUS, on Off Duty, Lon and Jason talk "Knight of the 7 Kingdoms" and "The Pitt," react to the "Mandalorian and Grogu" trailer, and check out some of Jason's favorite headphones and earbuds.
Timestamps:
00:40 We're gonna show you how to maximize your IRL OpenClaw productivity
00:50 Even AI skeptic Lon is blown away by OpenClaw's power
01:46 Jordy Coltman's top time-wasting mistakes made by OpenClaw beginners
03:00 Why Jordy thinks new hardware is the best home for your agents
05:38 Why Jason thinks "OpenClaw is a box" is coming soon
08:29 Tremaine Grant of Pulse demos his "virtual office" interface and the "Heartbeat Protocol"
00:10:15 Gusto - 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 Gusto.com/twist.
00:15:16 What's really happening when agents "chat" together?
00:18:53 Jesse Leimgruber's demos his OpenHome AI smart speakers
00:19:47 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 the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.
00:22:55 Freeing agents from screens and making them proactive
00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent - Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Nor… Lees meer -
When Will Openclaw go Mainstream? | E2252
19 februari 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Gusto - Try Gusto today and get 3 months free at gust.com/twist
Crusoe Cloud - Reserve your capacity for the latest GPU's at crusoe.ai/savings
Uber AI Solutions - Book a demo today at http://uber.com/ai-solutions
Today's show: It's a packed show! We've got YouTuber and Openclaw enthusiast Matthew Berman, Ryan Yaneli, founder of Nextvisit, and Jason Grad, founder of Massive! We're all in on Openclaw, but we have no doubts there's still room in the market for a GIANT Openclaw consumer app to shift the paradigm. What will that look like? Will it be an app? Will it be baked into the iPhone? Let's explore!**Timestamps:*
00:00 Intro
02:04 Why Matthew thinks Openclaw is not ready yet to be brought to the consumer
04:45 Jason doesn't want hundreds of different apps, and thousands of tabs
05:45 Why Ryan sees open claw giving consumers access to opportunities they couldn't have gotten to otherwise.
07:02 Only 10% of people are technical enough to install openclaw
08:16 Would Openclaw be better off as an app?
08:27 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 gusto.com/twist
10:52 The killer use case that could bring Openclaw to the consumer
00:12:13 Why Meta acquired Manus.
00:15:13 How Ryan uses Openclaw in his personal life
00:18:44 Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today
00:23:24 What Jason's "Clawpod" does
00:24:38 Jason demos his Openclaw workflow
00:28:23 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
00:30:04 How Matt used Openclaw to figure out he's been having stomach issues
00:32:27 What will be the ultimate UX for AI?
00:38:53 Anthropic has patched the ability to use Openclaw through its p… -
Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251
17 februari 2026 · 1 uur 27 min
Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Lemon IO - https://lemon.io/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer Lees meerToday's show:
*OpenAI hired OpenClaw creater Peter Steinberger. What does this mean for the future of the AI virtual assistant platform, and what can the OpenClaw community do TODAY to help protect their favorite free, open-source resource?
Jason and Alex consider the future of OpenClaw alongside guest experts and founders Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet. Plus we're taking a look at all of their OpenClaw creations. Check out demos of Hiten's "personal CRM" for busy investors and Jesse's family media aggregator.
PLUS we've got "AI Scott Adams" creator John Arrow to talk about why he was inspired to create an AI clone of the iconic podcaster and "Dilbert" creator, and why he thinks it has so many internet commenters up in arms.
Hiten Shahhttps://x.com/hnshahhttps://crazyegg.com
Jesse Genethttps://x.com/jessegenethttps://Lumi.com
John Arrowhttps://x.com/johnarrowhttps://www.aiscottadams.com/Timestamps:
(0:00) Introducing our guests Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet! (2:27) The panel's biggest concerns about OpenAI hiring OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger (6:03) Jason gives us his most optimistic and pessimistic OpenAI takes (7:58) Why Jason thinks OpenAI will give everyone their own closed-source assistant (10:45) Jesse's Mac Minis now outnumber her children! (15:28) What the OpenClaw community can do right now (17:08) Can companies "hijack" OpenClaw via hosting and skills? (20:12) Hiten live-trains an OpenClaw skill based on Jason's book "Angel" (22:37) How much is everyone spending on tokens anyway? (25:56) How Jesse vibe-coded an app to aggregate non-Slop videos for her family (34:19) Why Jason thinks Jesse's app is a great potential business (37:27) Hiten built the "personal CRM" busy people have always dreamed of having (44:12) "We're i… -
OpenClaw is Our Friend Now | E2250
14 februari 2026 · 1 uur 6 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Sentry - http://sentry.io/twist
Circle - http://Circle.so/twist
Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twist
Today's show:
What makes OpenClaw feel so much more ALIVE than other AI agents?
On TWiST, we're welcoming three amazing builders who are truly connecting with their OpenClaw bots, not just using them for productivity but getting to know them and their personalities on a deeper level.
Serial entrepreneur Ryan Carson shows us Antfarm, which creates a team of agents with specialized roles, who work together to complete complex tasks.
THEN David Im shows us Clawra, his AI virtual girlfriend that learns about you and your tastes, and even buys you presents!
FINALLY, Alex Liteplo presents RentAHuman, a marketplace where bots can pay real people in stablecoins to complete IRL tasks.
The future may not just be humans and AIs working side by side, but hanging out, being social, and learning from one another as well!
Timestamps:
(0:00) It's a Friday show with Lon and we've got THREE awesome OpenClaw builders
(6:41) First up, Ryan Carson shows off his open source too, AntFarm
(7:57) What is a "Ralph Wiggum Loop"?
(10:54) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to http://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST
(17:14) NOTI Q: What about security?!
(18:13) David Im shows us his AI virtual girlfriend, Clawra
(19:21) 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 the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist
(20:33) Introducing your IRL girlfriend to your AI girlfriend
(23:23) How to program an AI companion
(28:26) Should Clawra be a best pal instead of a GF?
(32:38) Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.
(33:54) Jason's Productivity Hack of the Month
(36:17) Alex Lite…
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Why J-Cal Invested to 200K in a former Employee | E2249
13 februari 2026 · 40 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
NetSuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twist
Luma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twist
Squarespace - https://squarespace.com/twist
Today's show:
On today's epsiode of TWiST, Jason gets pitched by two top founders, Presh Dineshkumar and Peter Cetale!
Presh used to work for Jason at Launch! When he left, Jason invested $200K into Presh's new startup The Wellness Company. Presh pitches Jason on what he has been building, and Jason gives Presh advice for improving the product!
Peter went through Andreesen Horowitz's Speedrun accelerator program as CEO and co-founder of Sourcerer. Sourcerer uses AI agents to help US firms and distributors find the best prices for mass produced goods.
Check out how Jason digs in with these founders!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Presh was originally a TWiST fan who emailed Jason!
(1:59) Why Jason invested in Presh's startup
(3:19) Checking out the Wellness Company's hot new app, Tempo
(4:03) How Tempo monitors your health and offers proactive advice with consistency
(9:10) Why Jason recommends adding a group or family feature to make it stickier
(9:51) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(11:28) The end goal: bringing app advice and guidance into the real world
(13:34) Presh shares where his apps are finding the most engagement
(14:13) The key importance of Product Velocity and World-Class Design
(17:27) 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
(18:38) Introducing Peter Cetale and Sourcerer!
(19:32) How Sourcerer uses AI to help distributors and manufacturers automate their sourcing
(22:48) How Sourcerer manages to actually bring costs down
(25:02) Lining up REAL customers, not Letters of Intent (aka Letters of Nothing)
(26:04) Peter's experiences in a16z's Speedrun accelerator
(28:08) Working with agents on BOTH the supply and …
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How These 3 Founders are building on Open Claw | E2248
12 februari 2026 · 45 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist2
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
Iru - http://www.iru.com/
Today's show:
Today on TWiST we're joined by 3 founders building on Open Claw, Presh Dineshkumar, Vishnu, and Sean Liu!
First, long time friend of the pod, Presh Dineshkumar, shows us how he's using Open Claw to automate his work at The Wellness Company. His Open Claw agent, Eywa, lives in his email and in his product, able to compile user lists at his discretion.
Then, we're joined by Vishnu, who brings Open Claw to the masses. Non-technical folks, it's your lucky day! Time to get Clawd-shotted! Last, Sean Liu joins the show to tell us about how he's connecting Meta glasses to his Open Claw instance to interact with context that users can physically see!
Timestamps:
(0:00) We're joined by Presh Dineshkumar of the Wellness Company, another OpenClaw fanatic
(1:50) We meet Presh's Replicant — Eywa — who spies on all of his emails
(2:53) How Eywa is helping Presh keep track of his app's most active users
(4:35) LLMs have become very smart but they are trapped in the corner
(6:10) How Presh gave Eywa its own email address and avoids prompt injections
(8:56) Using Presh's Replicant to do daily research dives
(10:40) Hubspot: Check out the guide "Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days." Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2
(13:21) Presh also has Eywa hunting down and fix bugs in his apps, all from email
(16:16) Way more startups can be profitable now that they don't need 10+ person teams
(19:15) 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.
(20:36) We're joined by two more OpenClaw builders: Vishnu and Xiaoan (Sean) Liu
(21:16) Sean hooked his Meta Ray Bans up to his OpenClaw!
(29:53) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a de…
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Does Clawdbot (OpenClaw) Need Eyes? (feat. Alex Finn and Matt Van Horn) | E2247
10 februari 2026 · 1 uur 8 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twist
Every.io - http://every.io/
Northwest registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Today'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 cre… -
We built OpenClaw Ultron to replace 20 people at our company | E2246
7 februari 2026 · 1 uur 11 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/savings
Lemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Thanks to our guests:
Alex Cheema of ExoLabs http://exolabs.net
Ryan 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 …
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Savvy is HQ Trivia + Wordle (feat. Scott Rogowsky) | E2245
5 februari 2026 · 54 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Circle - http://Circle.so/twist
Caldera Lab - http://calderalab.com/TWIST
LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twist
Today'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) Wh…
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Where early-stage founders MUST focus to success | E2244
3 februari 2026 · 1 uur 7 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Quadratic - http://quadratic.ai/twist
Today'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.c…
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SpaceX + xAI deal gets us one step closer to Musk Industries | E2243
3 februari 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Uber - http://uber.com/twist
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Today'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.…
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How OpenClaw (Clawdbot) Is Rewriting the Way Our Team Works with Rahul Sood | E2242
31 januari 2026 · 1 uur 28 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel - http://deel.com/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Lees meerToday'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 Reg…
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How decriminalization led to an explosion in cannabis startups (Feat. Ford Smith, Andrew Duffy, and Socrates Rosenfeld) | E2241
29 januari 2026 · 56 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Gusto - http://Gusto.com/twist
Zite - http://zite.com/twist
Circle.so - http://circle.so/twist
Guest links:
Andrew Duffy, Founder and CEO, http://sparkplug.app — Retail incentives and brand partnerships platform
Ford Smith, Founder of http://Ultranative.com — Investing in transformative startups
Socrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of http://iheartjane.com — One stop shop for cannabis products
Today'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 mark…
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Clawdbot is an inflection point in AI history | E2240
27 januari 2026 · 1 uur 2 min
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Today'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 wi…
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Why You'll Choose an AI Doctor (feat. Fred Almeida and Max Weiss) | E2239
24 januari 2026 · 1 uur 3 min
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Today'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 t… Lees meer -
From Blood Transfusions to Burritos, How Zipline is Automating Delivery | E2238
22 januari 2026 · 1 uur 4 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
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Today'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 origins
Then, 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. …
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How startups suddenly became "cool" in Japan (feat. Shin Takamiya of Globis Capital) | E2237
21 januari 2026 · 58 min
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Today'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 u…
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Avoiding buzzwords and marketing-speak (feat. Thomas McInerney) | E2236
16 januari 2026 · 1 uur 3 min
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Today'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
(28:2…
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Japan's Startup Revolution (feat. Kathy Matsui) | E2235
15 januari 2026 · 1 uur 8 min
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Today'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 founde…
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How to Make Billions from Exposing Fraud | E2234
13 januari 2026 · 1 uur 5 min
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Today'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
…
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Secrets of Startup Recruiting in the US AND Japan! (feat. Sho Takei) | E2233
13 januari 2026 · 52 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
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Today'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 cultu…
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Jason's Top CES Products and Takeaways | E2232
10 januari 2026 · 1 uur 9 min
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Sentry - http://sentry.io/twist
Today'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
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AI makes you more creative, AI Roundtable with Steven Johnson and Grant Lee | E2231
8 januari 2026 · 1 uur 6 min
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Today'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 …
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2026 Starts with a bang: META AI Drama and Nvidia's $20B Groq Acquisition | E2230
6 januari 2026 · 55 min
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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 t…
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THE 2025 TWISTY AWARDS! Biggest Trends, Best Guests, Top Name Drops, and more | E2229
30 december 2025 · 56 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
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Today'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
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Jason's ultimate dream mega-purchase + Founder Q's | E2228
29 december 2025 · 45 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
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Today'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…
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Waymo Madness in SF! Why robotaxis clogged the streets | E2227
23 december 2025 · 1 uur
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Today's show:
Why did a power outage in the Bay Area cause Waymos to pile up on city streets?
Jason was actually in San Francisco to take in the spectacle of Waymos blocking traffic. But why did this happen? And can we look forward to a day when automated cars are more graceful and coordinated than ballet dancers performing "Swan Lake"? We're asking the tough (and also culturally erudite) questions!
PLUS self-driving cars are coming to London, Coinbase's buying spree continues, another entrant in our nearly-complete Gamma Pitch Deck Competition, AND why Jason predicts that Google is going to buy UBER!
You won't want to miss this holiday TWiST!
Timestamps:
(00:00) It's a holiday TWiST! Jason's calling in from vacay in Lake Tahoe.
(03:11) Jason was in SF for the great Waymo power outage!
(06:06) Why Jason says one day Waymos will be better coordinated than dancers in "Swan Lake"
(07:33) We predicted Starlink coming to every Tesla nearly 3 years ago!
(09:05) 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.
(11:29) Jason calls what Tesla's Optimus team is planning "otherworldly"
(14:39) Why Jason thinks we're all going to live in an "Opt-In Truman Show" someday soon
(18:52) Baidu, Lyft, and Uber bring self-driving cars to London… they don't have them already?!
(20:49) 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.
(24:02) When do we get to 50% of all rides being done by autonomous vehicles… and how many robotaxis will that take?
(27:50) Why Jason thinks Google is going to buy… UBER?!
(31:12) Uber AI Solutions: …
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Level up your copywriting w/ Sam Parr | E2226
20 december 2025 · 1 uur 6 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Luma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Lemon IO - https://lemon.io/twist
Today's show:
DID YOU KNOW… most of the tried and true techniques devised by marketing gurus in the '40s and '50s still apply today?
On TWiST, we're joined by online marketing expert Sam Parr, host of "My First Million" and founder of Hampton. He's sharing all of his top tips and tricks for making your writing more compelling, and converting your readers into new customers.
In this essential pod for any and all founders, hear Jason and Sam run down their list of the best-ever marketing books, why there's no such this as "too long" only "too uninteresting," when to use AI and when to rely on your own brain, why you're the average of your five best friends, and lots more deep insights.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Sam Parr of The Hustle, Hampton, and My First Million is here to teach us how to become better copywriters
(03:59) How Sam got interested in the (then-shady) world of internet marketing
(06:26) Why Sam recommended THESE advertising books to Jason
(08:15) All the principles that ad execs developed in the '50s still work!
(09:43) Glengarry had it right; the magic of A.I.D.A.
(11:19) 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
(14:30) There's no such thing as "too long," just "too uninteresting"
(16:15) The goal is to write at a 4th grade reading level
(18:12) Why Sam only uses AI for "The Big Idea," not the actual writing
(19:37) Why you're the average of your five best friends
(21:14) 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!
(22:15) Using AI to dig in and research, to make your writing more inte…
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INSIDE How AI Startups hire, AI Roundtable with Wade Foster, Mikey Schulman, and Ali Ansari | E2225
18 december 2025 · 1 uur 27 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
LinkedIn Ads- http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
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Enterpret - http://Enterpret.com/twist
Today's show:
How do top tech CEOs hire? AI has thrown out the playbook for getting hired — so what are the most innovative firms looking for? Anyone can learn any skill and automate much of it, what is to be valued in the modern labor market?
On our first AI Roundtable episode of TWiST, Jason is joined by three top tech CEOs: Wade Foster (Zapier), Mikey Schulman (Suno), and Ali Ansari (Micro1). They each give their perspective on the tech talent wars and how to get hired in 2026.
The resounding answer on how to get a job? JUST START DOING THE JOB! If you want to be a designer, start sending designs to companies you want to be hired by — don't just sit around waiting to be hired. The biggest value you can bring is a "high agency" mindset to your company and the role. Show you get after it!
They are also hitting on:
- How AI is getting used to make music today
- The tech industry's communication problem
- How to raise kids in the age of AITimestamps:
(00:00) It's our first ever "This Week in AI" Roundtable, and we've got an amazing panel
(05:50) How Meta and OpenAI skew how everyone thinks about compensation
(09:37) The importance of looking beyond SF for talent
(10:24) 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.
(14:39) Is AI making more people seek out developer jobs?
(18:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist
(19:36) When design becomes its own bottleneck… and some workarounds.
(22:37) It's not how much you know, it's how adaptable you are
(24:10) The best way to get hired: just start doing the job
(30…
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Is this the end for the Roomba? Why iRobot went bankrupt | E2224
16 december 2025 · 1 uur 1 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Vanta - https://www.vanta.com/twist
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Lemon.io - https://lemon.io/twist
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Today's show:Domestic robots have never been hotter… so why is iRobot in so much trouble?!
On TWiST, we're investigating the recent troubles facing the automated vacuum robot, Roomba. We've all seen these little discs sweeping up our friends' floors… but now the company behind them is running out of cash.
What happened to iRobot, and would things have turned out differently if they had been sold to Amazon back in 2022?
PLUS why Jason thinks you should spend your disposable income on investing… Is Alex still a journalist, and what does that actually mean for his portfolio?… Are founders and investors too cautious when it comes to signaling risk?… Why did all those internal Pipe documents leak online?… And MUCH MORE!
Timestamps:
(00:00) Why Jason loves Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation!
(09:48) Jason warns "no one is coming to help you with your job loss"; you're on your own!
(10:21) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(13:05) Why Jason thinks laid-off HR folks should be starting their own "micro-funds"
(14:13) Does Alex consider himself a journalist? Is it unethical for him to invest in companies? (Let's get INTO IT.)
(16:02) You can't become complacent when you're in the lead!
(20:03) Why you should use disposable "entertainment" income on investing
(22:32) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist
(23:36) $9B in new funds?! What is Lightspeed up to?
(26:10) Is everyone too cautious about "signaling risk"?
(28:39) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(31:21) How does Jason think those Pipe documents leaked? And WHY?
(38:15) The critical importance of diversification
(39:35) iRobot went BANKRUPT! Who killed the Roomba?
(44:47…
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Disney and OpenAI sign landmark deal… and we saw it coming! | E2223
13 december 2025 · 58 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
DevStats - https://www.devstats.com/twist
Crusoe - https://crusoe.ai/build
Today's show:
FINALLY, you can hang out with Kylo Ren and Olaf the Snowman… thanks to the magic of AI.
On TWiST, we're digging into the mega OpenAI-Disney deal. Mickey is giving Sam Altman a $1 billion investment AND will allow is copyrighted characters to appear in Sora and ChatGPT images.
Of course, Jason predicted this would happen WAY BACK during the summer months and even showed off his "Darth Calacanis" creation on the "All-In Podcast."
PLUS Amazon has been launching and pulling AI features from Prime Video… what gives? Jason's predictions on the coming AI blowback and who's on what side. Why he's so focused on Education, Health Care, and Housing as issues. AND why founders should always take calls from Big Companies, even if it might just be a fishing expedition.
It's a new Friday TWiST! Check it out!
Timestamps:
(00:00) Lon joins Alex and Jason to talk about the big Disney-OpenAI deal bringing Disney characters to Sora
(03:10) Jason totally called the Disney-OpenAI stuff on All-In
(9:42) 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.
(18:59) DevStats - DevStats integrates your dev work and your business goals into a shared language that everyone can understand. Get 20% off, plus access to their dedicated Slack channel. Just go to https://www.devstats.com/twist.
(20:15) Why Amazon Prime Video pulled its AI recaps and anime dubs
(24:44) Who gets to set the rules around AI: The Debate Continues
(26:13) Jason's predictions on the AI blowback coming in 2026… with clips!
(30:11) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to res…
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"The best founders find a way to make it happen": VC Roundtable with Bryan Kim and David Clark | E2222
11 december 2025 · 1 uur 10 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Lees meer
Uber - http://uber.com/twist
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Today's show:
Boom is still making supersonic jets but ALSO plans to start selling their turbines as power sources for AI data centers. It's a perfect example of problem-solving on the go and how "the best founders… MAKE IT HAPPEN."
Join us for another insightful VC roundtable episode, featuring special guests Bryan Kim (a16z) and David Clark (Ven Cap).
They're discussing why Boom's turbine announcement is about necessity AND opportunity PLUS…
- Why we might NOT be in an AI bubble after all
- Promoting your startup without spending your entire runway on marketing
- Why founders need to be RELENTLESS
- Bill Gurley's classic response about Uber's Total Addressable Market
- AND LOTS MOREBill Gurley's iconic "Miss By a Mile" post: https://abovethecrowd.com/2014/07/11/how-to-miss-by-a-mile-an-alternative-look-at-ubers-potential-market-size/
Link to David's LinkedIn (including the AI Bubble chart): https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7404139606398443520/
Timestamps:
(02:11) It's a VC Roundtable with special guests Bryan Kim (a16z) and David Clark (Ven Cap)
(03:07) Why Bryan is leading a Series A into learning app Oboe
(06:20) Calculating a startup's value to make everyone "somewhat unhappy"
(09:19) How Oboe hits a lot of the same metrics that LAUNCH looks for in startups
(11:58) 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/ai-solutions
(12:57) How funds decide when to cash out and lock in some DPI
(18:12) When some LPs want to sell and others want to buy…
(19:57) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
(24:07) Is the threat of AI job displacement boosting self-improvement apps?
(27:37) Why Jason says we're all standing on the shoulders of B…
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FLASHBACK: The future of remote work, juggling APIs, and dream integrations with Wade Foster of Zapier | E2221
10 december 2025 · 1 uur 17 min
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Today's show:
Today, Zapier's a multi-billion company helping enterprises integrate AI agents and other time-saving shortcuts into their workflows… but we had the founder on TWiST when they were just getting started!
In a 2016 chat, founder Wade Foster walked JCal through their 2012 seed round, running a small entirely remote team with no HQ, the complexities of building a tool that relies on third-party APIs, and why Microsoft Office was the "Holy Grail" for his integration software.
PLUS we've got a new entrant in your Gamma Pitch Deck competition! Tour CEO/CTO Amulya Parmer tells us how his app is saving property managers time and grief, while eliminating "looky-loos" and increasing their "hit rate."
FINALLY, Alex chats with Tomas Puig of TWiST 500 marketing analysis startup Alembic. It turns out, LLMs aren't ideal for scrutinizing marketing campaigns because they lack the requisite historical data. Find out how they're using Spiking Neural Networks (SNN) to dig deeper than GPT and Claude can go.
Timestamps:
(02:40) Amulya from Tour opens the show with praise for Jason
(03:34) Tour's 2-minute Gamma pitch: automated property tours for managers
(06:47) Why Jason thinks Tour is an ideal tool for Gen Z
(10:01) Goldbelly - Goldbelly ****ships America's most delicious, iconic foods nationwide! Get 20% off your first order by going to Goldbelly.com and using the promo code TWiST at checkout.
(13:32) How Tour can eliminate "looky-loos" and increase the "hit rate"
(14:38) Why Tour prices based on individual properties and apartments
(19:13) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.
(20:23) Jason wants to sprinkle some AI into Tour
(24:29) Welcoming Tomas Puig from Alembic
(25:12) Does epic-scale brand marketing actually pay off for these brands?
(27:2… Lees meer -
What's REALLY going on with those "ads" in ChatGPT | E2220
9 december 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
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Today's show:
A screenshot showing a "Target Ad" in ChatGPT results went viral… over the weekend, but the OpenAI chatbot has NOT actually opened the advertising floodgates just yet.
As ChatGPT staffers were quick to explain on social media, this was actually an invitation for a user to integrate their Target account into ChatGPT, for an easier agentic browsing and shopping experience.
But it does prompt Jason and Alex to ask some intriguing questions… Is OpenAI just waiting for Google or someone else to launch AI ads first, and face the inevitable flood of backlash they'll presumably receive? Is there someone at OpenAI already thinking DEEPLY about how these in-feed ads should work? And what does this mean for their wager on when ChatGPT is going to actually get ads? Is that already decided?
These answers and more are coming your way on today's action-packed TWiST… PLUS the latest on the Warner Bros Discovery-Netflix deal, PR guru Lulu Cheng Meservey's new venture fund, and why Jason and Lon are obsessing about Apple TV's "Pluribius."
Timestamps:
(01:59) They put Target ads in ChatGPT? Or was it just an integration? Is there a difference?
(5:24) Is someone at OpenAI really thinking deeply about how in-feed ads should work?
(07:36) Is OpenAI just waiting for Google to start running ads to post their own? Jason has suspicions…
(10:01) Why Jason thinks startup people have so much trouble communicating with normies
(10:32) Superhuman - Get AI that works where you work. Unlock your Superhuman potential at http://superhuman.com/podcast
(13:22) The insane competition now facing down OpenAI and Sam Altman
(18:40) Why Jason will no longer use data from SaaS companies looking for a marketing win
(19:52) Does this mean ChatGPT TECHNICALLY has ads? Does Alex win the be…
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Netflix buys WB + why Jason should run Disney | E2219
6 december 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Sentry - http://sentry.io/twist
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Today's show:
Netflix wants to gobble up Warner Bros. Do they just want to own Batman and Harry Potter, or is this secretly about destroying movie theaters?
Sure, this is usually a startup show, but news THIS BIG warrants attention! So Lon stops by to tell Jason and Alex about the big Netflix acquisition news, why so many theatrical movie fans are terrified for the future, and why this might face particular regulatory scrutiny both at home and abroad.
PLUS… are Googlers gaming Polymarket? This is one scenario in which prediction markets are NOT exactly like stocks.
THEN we're looking at some of our favorite startups from the Fall '25 Y Combinator cohort (and asking Producer Claude for his picks)… Considering why Perplexity keeps getting sued and how they can stop it… and doing a victory lap for Jason's early investment in breakout AI training project Micro1.
Timestamps:
(02:05) Netflix buying Warner Bros! Jason, Lon and Alex react.
(05:04) Jaytrade Update: J kind of missed the boat on this one
(05:36) What does this mean for theatrical cinema?
(08:42) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST
(09:52) Jason's pitch to Disney CEO Bob Iger (please send this to him!)
(19:36) 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.
(23:29) Is this deal going to get approval, at home and abroad?
(25:52) Are Googlers gaming Polymarket?
(28:02) Can you do "insider trading" on a prediction market?
(29:23) Pipedrive - Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist
(37:00) How accelerators like Y Combina… Lees meer -
Getting past the "Cardinal Sins of Delegating" with Jonathan Swanson of Athena | E2218
4 december 2025 · 57 min
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
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Today's show:
Delegating is its own unique skill, requiring training and a real investment of time and attention.
On TWiST, Jason chats for a full hour with the founder of one of his favorite startups, Athena, which trains online assistants and pairs them with busy founders and executives. (Jason has 2!)
But getting the MOST out of your executive assistants is less obvious than it looks. Jonathan unpacks some of the secrets to "Black Diamond Delegating," and how he manages to keep 6 different high-level helpers operating at once.
Plus, Jason and Jonathan look back at the Open Angel Forum days, where Jason invested in Jonathan's previous company, Thumbtack, praise the "Checklist Manifesto," discuss the telltale signs you've achieved market pull, and lots more insights.
Timestamps:
(01:53) We're joined by Jonathan Swanson from one of JCal's fav startups, Athena!(02:02) Jason and Jonathan first met during the Open Angel Forum, when Jonathan was working on Thumbtack(06:44) Finding the "little touches" that can help make an app more delightful(9:47) 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!(12:05) The shift from Thumbtack to Athena was all about time(12:52) How Jonathan delegates to 6 exec assistants at once(14:22) Pricing Athena's EAs: Jason runs the numbers(15:09) Why Athena made Jason believe in hiring assistants again(18:15) Getting past the "Cardinal Sins of Delegation"(19:38) 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.(20:48) Will AI ever be able to replace Athena assistants?(23:41) Inside how … Lees meer