Today’s show: A $6M open-source AI model from China, DeepSeek, sends shockwaves through Wall Street, wiping billions off NVIDIA’s market cap and forcing a rethink on AI infrastructure spending. We explore the 25% surge in startup shutdowns, the lessons from leaner teams, and why some companies just couldn’t make the runway. Plus, SailPoint returns to the public markets saddled with $1.6B in debt—what does this say about private equity’s “buy, fix, and flip” strategy? Don’t miss this deep dive into the latest tech and startup news!
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show.
(1:58) DeepSeek's market impact and Project Stargate
(4:18) Innovation, H100 GPUs, and open-source AI models
(8:41) Jevons paradox, Pat Gelsinger's analogy, and AI efficiency
(10:03) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today.
(13:25) AI's benefits for startups and privacy concerns
(19:32) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(19:51) AI optimization vs. hardware consumption
(22:20) OpenAI's revenue, valuation, and NVIDIA's market value
(30:13) LinkedIn Jobs. Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(33:21) Unified AI digital assistants and DeepSeq's new model
(35:01) AI's role in venture capital and team size reduction
(41:04) China's influence and DeepSeek's market impact
(43:22) Startup shutdowns and potential for increased M&A activity
(53:02) Nvidia's historical analysis, risks of leverage, and SailPoint's IPO
*
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 Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
*
Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
*
Thank you to our partners:
(10:03) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today.
(19:32) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(30:13) LinkedIn Jobs. Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
*
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
*
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
*
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
