This Week in Startups

NEWS: Anthropic targets $20B+ valuation, Flexport chaos & more! | E1823

Oct 6, 2023

56:10

Snipd AI

Amazon's deal with Anthropic and the state of AI mega-rounds, Flexport's CEO clashes with founder and the company's growing pains, DoorDash's new 'Dine Out' feature.

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Amazon's major investment in Anthropic demonstrates the growing importance of AI and the strategic value it holds for companies like Amazon.

The departure of Flexport's CEO highlights the challenges and tensions that can arise in executive transitions, revealing the need for careful planning and communication.

DoorDash's partnership with Cheddar reflects the company's efforts to diversify its offerings and enhance the overall customer experience by integrating news and content.

Deep dives

Anthropic secures $4 billion investment from Amazon

Anthropic, an AI startup, has announced a major investment deal with Amazon. Amazon will initially invest $1.25 billion into Anthropic, with the potential for an additional $2.75 billion investment. As part of the deal, Amazon will gain early access to Anthropics' models through its AWS platform. This strategic partnership will help Anthropic expand its reach and offerings, while also providing Amazon with valuable AI capabilities for its customers.

The Future of AI

01:11

Gamification and the Impact on Startups and Restaurants

01:00

The Major Risk of Profit Staking and the Influence of Strategic Investors

01:16

The Effects of Firing an Employee Before Their Vesting Cliff

01:07

Introduction

2min

The Schedule, Anthropics, and Chat GPT

5min

Deal between Amazon and anthropic, Startup Insurance, and Unique Investment Agreement

3min

Valuation and Revenue Potential in the Language Model Space

12min

Anthropic, Mercury Rays, and the Flexport Situation

2min

Flexport CEO Transition and Its Implications

12min

Vesting Structure and CEO Compensation

3min

Flexport's Legal Troubles and Potential Future

16min

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Today’s show:

Jason breaks down Amazon’s Anthropic deal and the state of AI mega-rounds (5:29), Flexport’s growing pains through the lens of founding CEO vs. hired gun (24:58), and DoorDash’s new stealthy “Dine Out” feature (44:52).

Time stamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show

(2:42) Recap of Anthropic's big week

(5:29) Amazon’s Anthropic deal and the state of AI mega-rounds

(7:35) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist

(9:04) Two major details in Amazon’s Anthropic deal

(18:57) Strategic investors and Anthropic’s corporate structure

(23:32) Mercury Raise - Visit http://mercury.com/raise to get access to a network, connections, and advice

(24:58) Flexport’s growing pains through the lens of founding CEO vs. hired gun

(35:17) Why Dave Clark being fired “for cause” instead of being allowed to resign matters

(38:20) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://netsuite.com/twist

(39:45) Flexport's offer to Clark