This Week in Startups

Google weighs $23B for Wiz, startups in a second Trump admin, and Sequoia's Stripe sale | E1980

Jul 15, 2024

01:08:29

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Tech journalist Alex Wilhelm joins to discuss social media's role in spreading conspiracy theories post-Trump shooting, Silicon Valley's views on Biden vs. Trump, Sequoia's strategy with Stripe shares, Google's potential acquisition of Wizz, and cybersecurity challenges.

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Social media amplifies conspiracy theories post-Trump incident

Silicon Valley's divided views on Biden vs. Trump policies

Sequoia's strategic move with Stripe shares impacts venture capital landscape

Deep dives

Cybersecurity Company Wizz Acquisition by Google

Google is considering the acquisition of the Israeli - American cybersecurity company, Wizz, for $23 billion. Wizz, founded in 2020, has seen rapid growth, reaching $100 million in ARR within 18 months and surpassing $350 million ARR recently. The company has attracted significant investments and raised $1.9 billion in total. The potential deal illustrates the high demand for cybersecurity solutions, the profitability of fast - growing companies, and Google's interest in strengthening its cybersecurity capabilities.

Intro

2min

Reflections on Political Violence and Media Influence

6min

Discussion on inflammatory rhetoric in politics and the importance of SEO tools

3min

Exploring Surrogates in Politics and the Impact of Tragedies

10min

Discussing Political Alignments and AI Revolution in Customer Support

3min

Evaluating Trump vs. Biden for Startups

7min

Analysis of political figure's support from different groups and potential consequences of policies

3min

The Impact of US Economy, Tech Acquisitions, and Cybersecurity in Venture Capital

13min

Venture Capital Landscape and Strategic Acquisitions

21min

Todays show:

Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss the role of social media and rhetoric in spreading conspiracy theories in the wake of the attempt on Trump (5:43), Silicon Valley's political landscape and views on Biden and Trump’s policies (20:14), Sequoia's strategy with Stripe shares, secondary markets, and private investments (50:00), and more!

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show

(1:57) Reflections on the assassination attempt on Trump and media cycles

(5:43) The role of social media and rhetoric in spreading conspiracy theories

(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(11:19) Political implications of post-shooting events and allure of conspiracy theories

(20:14) Silicon Valley's political landscape and views on Biden's policies

(22:31) Intercom - TWIST listeners can get 90% off Intercom’s platform at https://www.intercom.com/twist

(25:03) Trump's policies and their impact on Silicon Valley and startups

(33:31) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist

(35:00) Market conditions, Google's potential acquisition of Wizz, and cybersecurity

(47:02) State-sponsored hacking and the complexity of cybersecurity