This Week in Startups 11x in Trouble and China's AI Acceleration | E2103
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Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon dig into the controversy around 11x, the Andreessen-backed startup accused of misrepresenting revenue and using fake logos, and what that says about early-stage accountability. Then we break down China’s dual-front blitz in AI and EVs: DeepSeek’s open-source model rivals GPT-4, and Xiaomi’s $30K SU7 is a straight-up Porsche clone shaking the EV market. Finally, we unpack the “4-persona framework” that helped Wiz rocket to $100M+ ARR faster than anyone — a must-know concept for any founder looking to build, sell, and scale like a beast.
Timestamps:
(0:00) Episode Teaser
(1:27) Introduction of co-hosts Lon Harris and Alex Wilhelm
(3:23) New set design and color analysis(5:43) Announcement of "Twist OT" and potential Patreon model(
8:09) Gamestop's Bitcoin strategy and Michael Saylor's influence
(10:15) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
(14:26) MSTR and their shift to Bitcoin
(17:01) Michael Saylor’s conflict of interest
(20:40) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(23:09) Investment strategies for company treasuries(25:10) Allegations against Eleven x startup
(30:35) Brex - the financial stack founders can bank on. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/banking-solutions.
(32:56) The importance of transparency and accountability in startups
(42:31) Chinese advancements in AI technology and ChatGPT features
(55:09) Insight from Israeli VC Gili Raanan on successful startups
(1:04:26) Founder Friday March Pitch Madness bracket competition
(1:10:26) How to start a Founder Friday chapter and community
(1:11:21) Bracket competition and Launch Accelerator's 34th cohort
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