This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsDevStats - https://www.devstats.com/twistCrusoe - https://crusoe.ai/buildToday’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 ex

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Uber - http://uber.com/twistPilot - https://pilot.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’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

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Goldbelly - Goldbelly.comEvery.io - http://every.io/Zite - zite.com/twistToday’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 ot

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Superhuman - http://superhuman.com/podcastSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistEnterpret - https://www.enterpret.com/dlp/this-week-in-startupsToday’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 wil

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry - http://sentry.io/twistLinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsPipedrive - pipedrive.com/twistToday’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 Combinator serve as “finishing schools” for startups(37:52) A Quick Look at some of our fav compani

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCrusoe - http://crusoe.ai/buildGusto - https://www.gusto.com/twistToday’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) Ins

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsVanta - https://www.vanta.com/twistPilot - https://pilot.com/twistToday’s show: Did you know there’s actually a shortage of US bricklayers? It’s TRUE! So feel free to marvel at Monumental’s brick-laying robots. They’re not putting anyone out of work, but filling a much-needed gap.Join Alex and Monumental founder/CEO Salar al Khafaji for a deep-dive on how the startup is making construction robots play nice together by maintaining separate “zones” of operation, why Salar thinks startups need to focus on truly complex, real-world problems to truly blossom, and the secrets of fundraising in Europe.PLUS Alex chats with Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan about designing the next generation of autonomous marine crafts. (That is to say, ocean drones.) From their home base in San Diego, the company is trying to get completely independent of all Chinese parts. Find out how it’s going, how they’re overcoming the “wildly negative” ROI on maritime tech, and why we have so few defenses against tiny, agile drones.All that AND Jason takes some of YOUR Founder Questions.Timestamps:(03:23) How Monumental determined what kinds of robots construction sites need the most(06:49) How maintaining “zones” ensure that the robots all play nice with one another(07:52) There’s a shortage of bricklayers, so Monumental’s NOT taking anyone’s job(9:16) 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.(13:21) Why startups need to tackle large-scale, complex, real-world problems to really grow(15:44) Why Monumental is building in The Netherlands, and running pilots in the UK(19:07) Vanta

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - http://quo.com/TWiSTSquarespace - https://www.Squarespace.com/TWISTMiro - http://miro.com/Today’s show: Michael Saylor’s Strategy play is struggling with the price of Bitcoin on a steep decline… Is his new “dollar reserve” the answer?On TWiST, we’re looking into the state of $MSTR and why Jason remains SO skeptical about this increasingly convoluted financial scheme.Is CNBC giving Michael Saylor a pass? Is that why he won’t go on “All-In”? And do investors realize that loans go BEFORE equity? We’re asking the TOUGH questions…PLUS Jason’s Four Red Flags for companies with convoluted tactics… Why S&P Global downgraded Tether, and why Jason thinks the US government waited TOO LONG to pass stablecoin regulations… Jason reacts to the NYT “hit piece” on Bestie David Sacks… we’re checking out the new Matic robot vacuum and Sunday Robotics’ Memo bot… PLUS much more of the day’s biggest tech news and stories.Timestamps:(03:04) Why Jason broke his “No Demo Day” rule for the LAUNCH 35 Accelerator(07:08) What we can learn from BitcoinTreasuries.net about the marketplace(07:42) Why Jason remains SO skeptical on $MSTR… and any sufficiently convoluted financial scheme…(7:56) Jason’s Four Red Flags for rogue companies and financial schemes(9:49) 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(14:31) When loans go before equity, and how this can dilute your investment!(18:05) Is CNBC giving Michael Saylor a pass? Why Jason thinks he won’t go on “All-In.”(19:30) Checking in with Polymarket’s thoughts on potential MicroStrategy Bitcoin sales(20:21) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at

Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff! 👉🏻 https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show: On TWiST, Alex is chatting with Neubird CEO Gou Rao about the intricate complexity of IT Ops, and the vast amount of layers and components that have to be delivered very quickly to your phone in order to stream a simple video clip.Neubird has developed Hawkeye, an AI “engineer” that uses “context engineering” to isolate and troubleshoot problems, while still keeping costs down. Loading up a video to show your friends may SOUND straightforward, but it’s actually, as Alex notes, a miracle anything on the internet works at all.PLUS we’ve got Subject AI CEO Michael Vilardo stopping by to tell us how the app uses gamification to keep kids learning and engaged. NOTE TO FOUNDERS: Mike got invited on the show because he sends email updates to his “dream investors,” including Jason. It’s a solid best practice!Finally, we’re flashing back to a remarkably prescient 2019 interview with then-Scale AI chief Alexandr Wang, who tells us why he thinks the AI Doomsday scenarios — AND the elaborate AGI promises — are both way overblown.Timestamps:(3:19) Neubird asks: What if we took AI tools and applied them to IT ops?(5:17) Why does IT ops seem to get so much more complicated over time?(6:14) Gou walks us through all the various components that need to be delivered when you post a simple TikTok video(8:41) Why agentic systems (like Hawkeye) are the ideal tool for monitoring metrics, logs, traces and alerts(10:05) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech(11:17) How is IT Ops different from Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)?(12:36) Is Hawkeye an AI Agent or an “Engineer”? How we decide what to call our “co-pilot.”(16:07) How “context engineering” helps Hawkeye isolate problems, and keeps inference costs down(17:27) Is Hawkeye plug and play? Or does it need to be trained on a specific system?(18:59) How Neubird measures Hawkeye’s overall effectiveness(19:59) Perspective AI: Real insights, straight from your customers, and your first two months are on us. Just go to http://getperspective.ai/twist(21:47) Hawkeye can diagnose and make recommendations, or go in and fix the problem itself, if you like!(24:27) What Gou thinks about the pace of AI i

Register here for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff 👉🏻 https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:The team from Familify had released a well-reviewed storytelling app for kids and parents… but it just wasn’t growing!Then they noticed that Bible stories and faith-based content was particularly popular. So they decided released a brand new app, Theo, just for these sorts of lessons and stories. And the new product overtook Storybook in just a few weeks!It’s a vital lesson for founders… Even if you succeed, you may be able to succeed EVEN MORE. Remain flexible and open to strong new ideas (especially if, like Francisco, your wife suggests them!)PLUS we’re chatting with Collin from En Vérité about how AI can make do diligence much less painful for investors AND checking out our latest Gamma Pitch Deck competitor. Find out why Jason says Jake Triton from Pitch Prfct might just be closing in on Product Market Fit.Timestamps:(5:20) How Storybook, then Theo was motivated by a children’s mental health crisis(5:46) Despite great reviews, Storybook wasn’t growing! Here’s what they did.(7:13) The Power of Experiments: Theo overtook Storybook in popularity in JUST WEEKS(10:04) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:04) Digging in to the decision to flip from all stories to Bible stories(12:34) The difference in how users perceive prayer vs. meditation(14:06) Will they make different Theos for different denominations of Christianity? Other faiths?(14:55) Jason makes the case for the Theo app and its team(19:59) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(21:50) Key lessons for founders from Francisco’s pitch today(26:51) Collin Sebastian from En Vérité joins the show to tell us how En Vérité helps prepare founders for the due diligence process(30:00) Enterpret: Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and buil

Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Google and Meta had their cases dismissed (or received a slap on the wrist)… Despite all the backlash and cynicism, AI companies continue making bank and releasing hot new products… What does it all mean?For Jason Calacanis, the signs are pointing to a “major M&A moment,” with huge opportunities for increased efficiency and consolidation among America’s favorite brands and largest companies?Who will it be? Join Jason and Alex for a round of hot speculation.PLUS why Jason thinks Michael Burry is both right and wrong about GPU depreciation, why NOTHING is certain about these OpenAI mega-deals, Google’s Nano Banana Pro can make infographics and they’re VERY impressive… and much more.Timestamps:(1:54) Jason’s calling in from Vegas… He’s doing a hot lap at F1!(3:18) How restaurants are becoming the new Hot IP(6:50) Founder University is heading to TOKYO!(9:27) Why Jason thinks the future of startups is truly global(10:06) Pipedrive - Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist(11:39) Nvidia killed it on the numbers… but what are the vibes around AI? Jason sounds off.(13:05) Why nothing is certain when it comes to the Nvidia/OpenAI deal(19:40) Is Google now WINNING consumer adoption of AI? How did it get this close?(19:57) 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.(26:07) Meanwhile, AI apps are still dominating the iOS Store(27:09) Why Jason and Alex think Michael Burry’s both right and wrong about GPU depreciation(30:13) 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!(37:46) We’re

Today’s show:The race for more compute gets all the headlines, but Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch tells us the REAL danger is running out of data!On TWiST, Jason and Alex are chatting with the head of France’s largest foundation AI company, Mistral AI, about how enterprises can get more out of their AI pilots, whether the West is lacking leadership on open-source, why Mistral AI isn’t pursuing every possible kind of AI application, and optimizing your models for performance rather than benchmarks (aka benchmaxxing). Find out what it’s like to run a huge AI company in today’s intense environment!PLUS… why everyone made the wrong call on OpenAI vs. Google… Kraken’s fresh $20 billion valuation… Jason’s urgent message to every company thinking about M&A… and much more!Timestamps:(3:35) Why did everyone get it wrong on Google vs. OpenAI?(10:51) Why Jason thinks drone delivery will make everyone safer(9:52) SQUARESPACE: Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:26) Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch joins us! What’s it like to run a foundation model AI company in this intense environment?(14:50) Why enterprises aren’t getting enough value out of AI and how Mistral AI aims to correct this(18:45) Why Mistral AI’s goal is, ultimately, to disappear…(20:19) 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.(22:49) Are Europe and the US lacking leadership on open source AI?(24:53) Mistral AI doesn’t need to compete in every category... how big of an advantage is focus?(27:05) The “two bottlenecks” in Machine Learning: Compute and Data(29:01) How Mistral AI works with human experts to annotate their models, and where they source them from(30:06) Nexos.ai: Stop Shadow AI in its tracks with the unified platform for secure AI adoption and productivity. Try it with a free 14-day trial at https://nexos.ai/twist.(34:24) Is optimizing your model for benchmark tests (aka benchmaxxing) like cheating?(40:08) Will we ever be able

AI Model Showdown: Grok 4.1 vs. Gemini 3 | E2211Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:*Will the arrival of two hotly-anticipated, intensely powerful AI models snap the Doomer cycle?On a new TWiST, Jason and Alex consider the current AI landscape, one where cynicism about insider mega-deals, fear of job displacement, and concerns about bubble bursts seem to rule the day. Will the arrival of two powerful new models — xAI’s Grok 4.1 and Google’s Gemini 3 — help the industry to course-correct? And how do we decide how much these models have improved anyway?PLUS we’re investigating Cloudflare’s recent downtime and their acquisition of Replicate. Are we heading toward a future in which everyone runs their own models, locally? And how worried should founders get if their products or sites go down for a few hours?Finally, if you’re an investor, and want to come to Jason’s Dim Sum Demo Day in San Francisco, here’s the link: http://launch.co/dimsumTimestamps:(2:01) Why the internet got broadly degraded when Cloudflare went down(5:00) How worried should founders become when their sites go offline?(6:44) Downtime aside, what did Cloudflare want with Replicate?(8:12) Why Jason predicts one day we’ll run our own local language models(9:39) 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.(15:25) How to turn off “Learn From This App” on your iPhone(17:29) Will the arrival of hotly-anticipated new models stop the spread of Doomerism and AI cynicism(20:00) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.(23:53) Checking back in with the “Best AI Model” Polymarket… why has ChatGPT dropped so low?(29:43) Zite - Zite is the fastest

*Are we finally reaching Peak eVTOL? Jason and Alex on Joby’s big Abu Dhabi moves and Archer’s purchase of LA’s Hawthorne Airport.On a PACKED Monday TWiST, Jason is BACK from MENA and Tokyo. Hear tales from his whirlwind trips launching new Founder University satellite programs… and find out why construction and fintech are BOOMING across the Middle East.PLUS Ramp raised $300M… here’s why Alex calls the round “pretty baller.” We question why AI companies are growing SO MUCH FOUNDER than their SaaS counterparts. We’re digging into the Problem with Dropbox.AND we’re saying goodbye to KitKat, the beloved SF bodega cat who was reportedly run over by a Waymo. Here’s why Jason’s not too broken up about it (but he’s JUST JOKING!)👉 Register here for Founder University Japan’s kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Timestamps:(2:17) Big takeaways from Jason’s MENA Founder University trip(6:54) Why construction and fintech are booming across the Middle East(9:56) Netsuite. The business landscape is very chaotic right now. That’s why you need NetSuite, by Oracle. Download the CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(12:35) Everything was very different at Founder University Japan! It’s coming in January.(15:59) Ramp raised $300M at a $32B valuation… why Alex says it’s “pretty baller”(17:15) Ramp says AI agents are making money more intelligent… the heck does that mean?(19:26) We’re building more space for machines than humans now… and why Jason’s not sure this will last(19:48) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(23:41) Why AI is growing SO MUCH faster than even top SaaS companies(25:32) The Problem with Dropbox…(30:21) 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.(32:39) Jason ate his way across Tokyo… here’s all the deets(33:16) RIP KitKat, beloved SF bodega cat killed by a Waymo(39:03) So who SHOULD get to make decisions about local roads?(44:15

👉 Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Nox’s new app RPLY reminds you to text your friends back, getting you to iMessage inbox zero.On today’s TWiST, we’ve got Molly Cantillon of Nox, telling us how she plans to make lackadaisical texters (like our co-host Alex) more effective, even if it means breaking into Apple’s walled garden. Hear about how RPLY maps your relationships so that it can understand your messages contextually, and help you stay organized.Then, Gregg Mojica of Alloy Automation swings by the show to dispel some common myths about AI agents. For the most part, these little machine learning helps aren’t truly autonomous… Hear how Alloy’s agents decide when it’s time to bring in a human for help. PLUS is AI in a “lull” right now? Hear why Gregg thinks there’s still a LOT of room for these apps to improve.Finally, it’s another TWiST Flashback. We’re jumping back to 2013 for an eye-opening chat between Jason and Shopify founder/CEO Tobi Lutke. Hear some fascinatingly prescient takes on the rise of SaaS, how early Shopify differentiated itself from other ecommerce and website building solutions, AND why Tobi dreamed of making Ottawa a true tech hub.Timestamps:(02:57) Molly Cantillon of Nox is trying to help you get better at texting(04:01) How RPLY gets even chaotic texters like Alex more organized(05:10) The complexities of entering into Apple’s “walled garden”(07:20) Keeping RPLY safe, in case you’re using it for work!(09:24) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out miro.com to find out how!(11:59) How RPLY uses relationship mapping to understand and prioritize your messages(19:23) Perspective AI - Real insights, straight from your customers, and your first two months are on us. Just go to getperspective.ai/twist.(21:08) Why Nox wants its AI to become “the Invisible OS.”(29:30) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.(30:40) We’ve got Gregg Mojica of AI agent makers Alloy Automation(31:42) How the rise of AI agents changed the core of Gregg’s business(34:03) Why most AI agents still aren’t truly autonomous

👉 Register here to join the kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Just getting our stuff into orbit isn’t enough… Orbital Operations wants to help companies take things HIGHER.In today’s TWiST 500 interview, Alex chats with Ben Schleuniger, whose startup Orbital Operations is solving the complexity of space logistics. The advent of reusable rockets has made it easier and cheaper than ever for us to place objects in Low Earth Orbit (or LEO).But what if we want to reach higher orbits? That’s a much more challenging issue: space is already kind of CROWDED, and not all of our vehicles can carry enough fuel to power them that far out into the cosmos.Orbital’s fix? Cryogenic orbital maneuvering vehicles (or OMVs) like the Astraeus, which uses hyper-efficient propulsion systems, allowing them to travel further and faster speeds, and even potentially get refueled in orbit.Learn more about this fascinating tech PLUS we’re looking back at classic Jason interviews with Greg Brockman of OpenAI and Vlad Tenev of Robinhood, AND checking in with Oliver’s latest This Week in AI demo for Character AI’s blockbuster conversational chatbots.Timestamps:(02:56) Alex opens the show with Ben Schleuniger, co-founder of space tech startup Orbital Operations(03:47) Why is movement within orbit such a challenging problem?(4:28) The key importance of launch vehicle reusability(07:05) How Orbital’s Astreaus vehicle utilizes cryogenic propellants… and why(08:49) The secret to keeping those propellants cool(10:04) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(13:57) How Orbital is preparing for their Series A, and how they plan to spend the cash(20:37) 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!(28:09) TWiST FLASHBACK: Revisiting OpenAI Greg Brockman’s visit from 2018(31:31) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at lea

Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Find out why AI is perfectly suited to legal tasks… despite being too fast for “billable hours”On today’s TWiST, Alex takes a deep dive into LLM Law with Harvey AI co-founder/president Gabe Pereyra. It turns out, much like software development, doing legal work relies on learning specialized language and sifting through a dense and expansive corpus of information… making it an IDEAL use case for LLMs.Buuuuut AI works so fast… the current structure of legal payments (billable hours) no longer applies. Find out how Harvey is working around these challenges — and what they plan to do if OpenAI decides to get into the legal game — in this fascinating interview.THEN, Alex chats with another AI visionary — OpenRouter co-founder and CEO Alex Atallah — who allows developers to plug and play all the major models into their applications. Find out why specialized LLMs trained for “resourcefulness” are coming into fashion… why benchmarks and evals have become so crucial to the industry… AND whether we’ll end up spending as much on AI inference as the human workers it’s replacing… in this essential discussion.PLUS Jason stops by for some more Founder Q’s!Timestamps:(0:00) Welcome back to TWiST!(1:32) Alex kicks off the show with Harvey AI co-founder and President Gabe Pereyra to talk about applying AI to the legal profession(4:52) How major international law firms (and their enterprise clients) fueled Harvey’s mega-growth(6:54) Why LLMs are perfectly suited for legal work(9:24) Enterpret - Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and build next. Head to Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.x and build next. Head to Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.(17:22) Looking ahead: expanding beyond the law.(20:42) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at Uber.com/twist(21:44) The problem: AI can’t charge “billable hours”… it’s too fast!(23:44) Will the major AI pl

👉 Register here for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:*Three of our favorite TWiST 500 startups — Ledger, 1Password, AND Mercury — are circling IPOs. Find out why the cybersecurity space remains so hot… AND why Jason says you really need to have multiple banks.PLUS Marc Andreessen called The Pope an AI Doomer on X, then thought better of it. We’re tracking the entire viral controversy…SPEAKING OF viral feuds, allegations are FLYING around about recently-funded AI agent makers Giga. Does the startup pose some genuine red flags, or was it just a questionable launch video?AND why Alex and Jason remain optimistic the AI vibes could turn around, presentation maker Gamma is growing FAST, plus an update on Jason and Alex’s Polymarket IPO wager…Timestamps:(02:17) Jason is hosting the big show from Tokyo today (tonight for him)… Where is Founder U headed next?(04:03) Jason’s eating his way across Japan… what are his top “bang bangs” so far?(07:47) Is The Pope a Doomer? Why Andreessen called out His Holiness (then deleted it)(9:22) Quo - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get started free, plus get 20% off your first 6 months, at http://quo.com/TWiST(12:08)Why Jason still thinks mass AI job displacement is coming(17:48) Will AI-related job loss lead to an explosion in startups and small businesses?(19:24) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist(20:39) Have lots of Americans suddenly turned on AI Why?(25:30) Why Alex and Jason remain optimistic that the AI vibes could turn around(29:44) 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.(31:01) Alex’s new favorite definition of Product Market Fit, or “Market Pull,” as Jason clarifies(33:31) Delving into the Giga controversy… “ugly” talk, wild X allegations, etc.(46:11) THREE TWiST 500 are readying IPOs… Catching up with Ledger, 1Password, and Mercury(53:42) Why Jason and Alex think you need multiple banks

Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:*The key to avoiding long airport delays? Low-altitude sea planes! Why didn’t you think of that?We’ve got an awesome line-up of TWiST 500 founders giving us an inside glimpse inside their startups on this Friday special edition.FIRST: Billy Thalheimer of REGENT introduces us to their aircraft/boat hybrid The Seaglider, and walk us through how it all works, AND why they’re operating in BOTH the commercial and defense sectors from their Rhode Island HQ.THEN, we’ve got Convexia co-founder Ayaan Parekh showcasing how they’re using a collective of specialist AI agents to exploit other pharma labs’ leftovers and turn them into new drugs and treatments for rare diseases.FINALLY, Hunter Leath of Archil joins the show to tell us why efficient utilization of cloud data remains a surprisingly complex, and unsolved problem. His solution? Caching-as-a-Service! Find out how it all works, and why pre-caching is SO difficult to do, in this TWiST exclusive chat.Timestamps:(03:01) Billy Thalheimer of REGENT introduces us to the Seaglider(05:06) Inside the EV aircraft/boat hybrid’s three modes of operation(08:22) How REGENT uses low altitude flight to avoid airport-related hassles(9:42) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to ⁠http://sentry.io/twist⁠ and use code TWIST(13:57) The converging tech that makes Seaglider possible(18:20) How REGENT is operating in BOTH the commercial and defense sectors(19:39) 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.(25:05) Why Rhode Island?!(29:23) Pipedrive - Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at ⁠https://pipedrive.com/twist⁠(31:04) Convexia co-founder Ayan Parekh joins Alex to discuss “the world’s first AI-maximalist pharmaceutical company”(33:02) Using AI agents to revisit leftover bio IP

Register for Founder University Japan’s kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:*On TWiST, Jason welcomes an all-star VC panel — Deedy Das of Menlo Partners and Jay Eum of GFT Ventures — for a deep dive into the shocking scale of early-stage AI raises, a transitional moment for investors, the growing importance of the “prosumer” market, ChatGPT’s insane smile curves, and much much more.IN THIS EPISODEWhat the panelists make of Roelof Botha’s exit from Sequoia… and is he really going anywhere…Why Jason says VC is no longer the best way to get rich…Why so many private companies are growing SO HUGE before going public…And much more!Timestamps:(00:03:37) Jason is fresh from surviving Riyadh traffic but he’s here and introducing our all star panel(00:04:03) Why Jason compares Riyadh to Silicon Valley in the 1960s(00:05:21) Friend of the Pod Roelof Botha is stepping down at Sequoia… our insiders try to guess what might have happened…(10:00) Crusoe - Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/startup to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(00:13:11) Deedy moved up at Menlo without being a venture native… he shares the secrets behind his rise.(00:19:09) Was Roelof wrong about “return-free risk”? Does more capital always = more great companies?(20:00) 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!(00:26:54) With so many private companies growing SO HUGE… when is the right time to go public? Considering the case of Glean and Stripe…(30:00) AWS Marketplace - If you’re ready to really accelerate your sales cycle, AWS Marketplace is your next stop. Head to https://aws.com/startups to learn more.(00:30:07) Why Jason says venture capital is no longer the best way to get rich(00:32:34) Why AI apps are so appealing to enterprises after years of paying for SaaS(00:36:32) The growing importance of “prosumers”(00:37:31) Why Deedy says a smile curve is the most beautiful depicti