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This Week in Startups

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Jul 1, 2023 • 1h 11min

Shein registers for US IPO, Trump SPAC insider trading & more | E1771

This Week in Startups is presented by: Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Fin can’t burn its mouth on hot pizza. Or wave at someone who wasn’t waving at them. Fin can resolve half of your customer support tickets instantly before they reach your team. Meet Fin. A breakthrough AI bot by Intercom – ready to join your support team today. Visit https://intercom.com/fin * Today’s show: Nick joins Jason, who breaks down a report that Shein has confidentially registered for a US IPO (1:24). This leads to a discussion about Shein’s alleged unethical labor practices and voting with your dollar (11:22), Shein’s influencer stunt that backfired, DWAC’s insider trading debacle (47:25), and self-driving vehicle footage being used as evidence in criminal cases (33:27). * Time stamps: (0:00) Nick joins Jason for a full news show (1:24) Shein confidentially registers for a US IPO (9:54) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (11:22) Shein’s alleged labor practices and voting with your dollar (31:58) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (33:27) Shein’s TikTok "factory washing" campaign (40:37) Fin - Try Fin, Intercom's new AI customer support chatbot, at https://intercom.com/fin (41:21) Jason’s advice for Dani Carbonari (47:25) Trump’s return to Twitter + Trump SPAC insider trading debacle (57:03) Police forces using autonomous vehicle footage to prosecute suspects * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 28, 2023 • 47min

Creating the future of search and competing vs Google with Perplexity AI’s Aravind Srinivas | E1770

This Week in Startups is presented by: Crowdbotics. Great ideas can change the world, and Crowdbotics is the fastest way to turn those ideas into code. Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at vanta.com/twist OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist * Today’s show: Perplexity’s Aravind Srinivas joins Jason to discuss competing with the major players in the generative search / AI chatbot market (1:25), designing an AI-powered search engine (4:49), and much more. * Check out Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/ Follow Aravind: https://twitter.com/AravSrinivas * Time stamps: (00:00) Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas joins Jason (1:25) Competing in the generative search / AI chatbot market  (4:49) How Perplexity's AI model formulates answers (11:18) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at https://crowdbotics.com/twist (12:46) How Perplexity is citing sources (20:20) Incorporating advertising into AI chatbots (25:32) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (26:40) How Perplexity recruits talent and Aravind's time at OpenAI (32:04) The future of AI technology and overcoming overlap (38:26) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at ⁠https://openphone.com/twist (39:53) Meta's LLaMa model being leaked * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 27, 2023 • 1h 8min

Zapier Co-Founder Mike Knoop on category creation, API evolution & AI architecture | E1769

This Week in Startups is presented by: Embroker. The Embroker Startup Insurance Program helps startups secure the most important types of insurance at a lower cost and with less hassle. Save up to 20% off of traditional insurance today at Embroker.com/twist. While you’re there, get an extra 10% off using offer code TWIST. Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist Eight Sleep. Good sleep is the ultimate game changer. Now you can add the Pod Pro Cover to any mattress! Go to eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Pro Cover and get $150 off at checkout! * Today’s show: Zapier’s Mike Knoop joins Jason to discuss the early days of Zapier before breaking down the evolution of app integrations and API usage (1:20). They dive into reducing friction for Zapier users, regulating AI, the limitations of present-day AI architecture, and more (43:06). * Check out Zapier: https://zapier.com/ Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/mikeknoop * Time stamps: (0:00) Mike Knoop joins Jason (1:20) Zapier’s origin story (8:40) Zapier’s key inflection point and its profit-sharing model (14:05) Zapier’s business model (15:48) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (17:03) The evolution of app integrations and API usage (23:41) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (25:00) Zapier demo + incorporating AI into your workflow (36:43) Eight Sleep - Go to https://eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Cover and get $150 off at checkout! (38:14) Linkedin tightening the belt on its API (41:21) Zapier’s enterprise customers (43:06) Reducing friction for Zapier users (51:41) Regulating AI (55:19) The limitations of present-day AI architecture * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 27, 2023 • 1h 20min

IRL to shut down after faking 19M users, ZIRP fraud, Databricks acquires MosaicML for $1.3B | E1768

This Week in Startups is presented by: Notion just launched Notion Projects, which includes new, powerful ways to manage projects and leverage the power of their built-in AI features too. Try it for free today at notion.com/twist. LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply Fin can’t burn its mouth on hot pizza. Or wave at someone who wasn’t waving at them. Fin can resolve half of your customer support tickets instantly before they reach your team. Meet Fin. A breakthrough AI bot by Intercom – ready to join your support team today. Visit https://intercom.com/fin * Today’s show: Jason is joined by Vinny Lingham to break down IRL shutting down after faking 95% of users (1:12), ZIRP fraud (12:59), Databricks acquiring MosaicML for $1.3B, and some AI demos! (1:02:31) * Check out Waitroom: https://waitroom.com/ Follow Vinny: https://twitter.com/vinnylingham * Time stamps: (0:00) Vinny joins Jason (1:12) IRL's 19M fake users (5:45) Twitter bots and the fake account problem (11:50) Notion - Try it for free today at https://notion.com/twist (12:59) Diligence in early-stage startups (20:59) Databricks acquires MosaicML for $1.3B (27:02) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at ⁠https://linkedin.com/twist (33:09) Testing Google’s new generative search (37:47) Fin - Try Fin, Intercom's new AI customer support chatbot, at ⁠https://intercom.com/fin⁠ (38:31) Testing generative search on the most expensive steaks in Los Angeles (41:56) Vinny's thoughts on Toxic Wealth and the Titan tragedy (53:34) DeepMind CEO says Gemini is more capable than ChatGPT (1:02:31) Vinny demos Colorize and Replika * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 23, 2023 • 59min

Titan tragedy, Meta removes news in Canada + Elizabeth Yin at Angel Summit | E1767

This Week in Startups is presented by: Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist * Today’s show: Jason first reflects on the Titan submersible tragedy as he discusses the concept of ‘Toxic Wealth’ (1:41). Then, he explains why Meta will remove news content from Instagram and Facebook in Canada due to Bill C-18 (14:59). Finally, Elizabeth Yin gives a presentation live from Angel Summit on her five major learnings from 700+ startup investments (22:59). * Follow Elizabeth: https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33 Check Out Hustle Fund: https://www.hustlefund.vc * Time stamps: (0:00) Elizabeth’s passion (1:41) Jason discusses the Titan submersible tragedy and how money can lead to recklessness and toxic wealth (13:40) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (14:59) Meta removes news content from Instagram and Facebook in Canada (21:33) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist (22:59) Elizabeth Yin of Hustle Fund at Angel Summit (31:32) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (32:51) How to invest in startups (50:17) Q&A with Angel Summit audience * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 21, 2023 • 1h 3min

StoneAlgo’s Devin Jones on “Zillow for diamonds” + Mar Hershenson on the art of picking | E1766

This Week in Startups is presented by: iConnections is a platform to connect and meet with elite capital allocators through their online platform and bespoke events. The first 25 VC funds to sign up for iConnections Miami 2024 event in January of next year will receive a 20% discount! Head to iConnections.io/twist to sign up today! Crowdbotics. Great ideas can change the world, and Crowdbotics is the fastest way to turn those ideas into code. Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist. Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at vanta.com/twist. * Today’s show: First, StoneAlgo CEO Devin Jones joins Jason for a jam session on scaling his startup, which is building “Zillow for diamonds” (4:38). Then, Mar Hershenson gives a presentation on “The Art of Picking.” (38:19) Mar’s talk was recorded live at LAUNCH Angel Summit. * Follow StoneAlgo: https://twitter.com/stonealgo Follow Mar: https://twitter.com/MarHershenson * Time stamps: (0:00) Cold intros DO work! (1:30) Jason explains what LAUNCH looks for in startup investments (4:38) Jason intros StoneAlgo CEO Devin Jones, who breaks down his startup: “Zillow for Diamonds” (14:27) iConnections - Get 20% off iConnections Miami 2024 event at http://iconnections.io/twist (15:58) Bootstrapping StoneAlgo as a side project, never underestimating categories, understanding the diamond market (26:10) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist (27:37) Capital efficiency, frugality, how Devin scored an investment off of a cold email (37:13) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (38:19) Pear VC’s Mar Hershenson gives a talk on “The Art of Picking” live from LAUNCH Angel Summit * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 20, 2023 • 1h 5min

EyeRate CEO Ray Weisberg on scaling from $0 to $10M + Steve Jurvetson on disruptive tech | E1765

This Week in Startups is presented by: LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups. VEED makes it super easy for anyone (yes, you) to create great video. Filled with amazing features like templates, auto subtitles, text formatting, auto-resizing, a full suite of AI tools, and much more, VEED gives you the tools to engage your audience on any platform. Head to VEED.io to start creating incredible video content in minutes. Fin can’t burn its mouth on hot pizza. Or wave at someone who wasn’t waving at them. Fin can resolve half of your customer support tickets instantly before they reach your team. Meet Fin. A breakthrough AI bot by Intercom – ready to join your support team today. Visit intercom.com/fin. * Today’s show: First, EyeRate CEO Ray Weisberg joins Jason to break down his startup’s business model (4:55), category creation and framing (13:32), how they plan on scaling from $10M to $100M (22:51), and more. Then, Steve Jurvetson gives a presentation on discovering and identifying disruptive new technologies. (36:34) Steve’s talk was recorded live at LAUNCH Angel Summit. * Follow EyeRate: https://twitter.com/EyeRateBusiness Follow Steve: https://twitter.com/FutureJurvetson * Time stamps: (0:00) Great founders sometimes means very little contact! (1:42) Jason explains LAUNCH’s investment strategy and ownership targets (4:55) EyeRate CEO Ray Weisberg breaks down EyeRate’s early pivot, how they help real-world businesses increase customer engagement, and how the business is scaling (12:10) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (13:32) Lessons learned from scaling from $0 to nearly $10M in revenue, “category creation,” and framing (21:19) Veed - Sign up and engage your audience on any platform at https://www.veed.io (22:51) Thoughts on scaling from $10M to $100M, understanding market pull, content marketing ideas, hiring C-suite “bar raisers,” write-first culture (35:52) Fin - Try Fin, Intercom's new AI customer support chatbot, at https://intercom.com/fin (36:34) Steve Jurvetson gives a talk on finding and investing in disruptive technologies (1:00:37) Steve takes a couple of questions from Jason and the audience * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 19, 2023 • 1h 5min

Gavin Baker on AI platform shift, upside vs downside, extinction risk, Nvidia outlook & more | E1764

This Week in Startups is presented by: Hampton. Are you a startup founder or CEO seeking expert advice? Join Hampton, the private, highly vetted community for high-growth founders. Get invaluable insights, connections, and support to accelerate your business at joinhampton.com/twist today! Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/twist for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. .Tech domains are the go-to namespace to build anything in tech… and home to the world’s most innovative startups. Secure your .Tech domain today and lock down a 1-year domain for $10, or a 5-year domain for $50 at go.tech/TWIST! * Today’s show: Atreides Management’s Gavin Baker joins Jason to break down the current macro picture, the AI platform shift, and the reshuffling of the entire tech deck. (1:27) They also cover the potential impact of AI recursively improving itself and extinction risks (15:06) before discussing chip demand, Nvidia’s outlook, and more! (25:13) Then, Embroker's Chief Insurance Officer David Derigiotis explains how to differentiate your business with cybersecurity! (40:24) Gavin's fireside chat was recorded live at LAUNCH Angel Summit in Napa. * Time stamps: (0:00) Gavin and Jason on joining the resistance! (1:27) Current macro picture, the AI platform shift, and how AI is reshuffling everything in tech (13:42) Hampton - Join Hampton's community of high-growth founders today at https://joinhampton.com/twist (15:06) Exponential compounding of generative AI, AGI chances, recursive AI improvement (23:55) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (25:13) Chip demand, Nvidia’s outlook, which high-end fields might be most at risk, extinction risks (39:02) .Tech Domains - get a 1-year domain for $10 or a 5-year domain for $50 at https://go.tech/TWIST (40:24) Embroker Chief Insurance Officer David Derigiotis gives a talk on how to differentiate your business with cybersecurity * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast * All opinions expressed in this episode are solely the speakers’ own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any firm affiliated with the speakers. This episode is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Clients of the speakers’ firms may maintain positions in the securities discussed.
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Jun 17, 2023 • 1h 4min

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on mod revolt, building a legendary community & more | E1763

This Week in Startups is presented by: Trovata. Starting up is hard. Trovata makes managing cash easy. Start automating your cash management at Trovata.io/TWIST. Use Code TWIST for 30% off one full year of premium features like AI forecasting. Embroker. The Embroker Startup Insurance Program helps startups secure the most important types of insurance at a lower cost and with less hassle. Save up to 20% off of traditional insurance today at Embroker.com/twist. While you’re there, get an extra 10% off using offer code TWIST. Eight Sleep. Good sleep is the ultimate game changer. Now you can add the Pod Pro Cover to any mattress! Go to eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Pro Cover and get $150 off at checkout! * Today’s show: Reddit CEO and Co-Founder Steve Huffman joins Jason to discuss building a platform that serves Reddit's community (13:33), addresses the situation with third-party apps and moderators (35:00), and much more! * Time stamps: (00:00) Reddit CEO Steve Huffman joins Jason (2:40) The evolution of Reddit and its community (4:10) The tailwinds powering Reddit and Steve's thoughts on speech mitigation (12:00) Trovata - Use code TWIST at https://trovata.io/twist for 30% off one year of premium features, like AI forecasting (13:33) The Reddit "Keep it real" ethos and the importance of allowing open debate (17:47) Authoritarianism and challenging orthodoxies (24:29) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at ⁠https://Embroker.com/twist (25:44) Steve's optimism for AI and why this is only the beginning (35:00) The response to Reddit's API use in various LLMs (37:57) Eight Sleep - Go to https://eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Pro Cover and get $150 off at checkout! (39:29) Going in-depth on Reddit's situation and API history (48:03) What it comes down to for third-party apps (56:20) What changed Steve's opinion on advertising * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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Jun 14, 2023 • 53min

How AI is making influencers bionic with Forever Voices CEO John Meyer | E1762

This Week in Startups is presented by: The Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub helps all founders build a better startup, at a lower cost, from day one. Startups get up to $150K in Azure credits, access to free OpenAI credits, free dev tools like GitHub, technical advisory, access to mentors and experts, and so much more. There is no funding requirement, and it only takes minutes to join. Sign up today at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups. Crowdbotics. Great ideas can change the world, and Crowdbotics is the fastest way to turn those ideas into code. Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at openphone.com/twist Today’s show: Forever Voices CEO John Meyer joins Jason to discuss becoming a Thiel fellow (2:48), how his AI technology can make influencers and celebrities bionic (15:26), how it enables universal interaction (23:37), and more! Follow John: https://twitter.com/BEASTMODE Time stamps: (0:00) Forever Voices CEO John Meyer joins Jason (2:48) John discusses becoming a Thiel fellow (9:25) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups (10:58) John explains what led to his decision to start Forever Voices (15:26) How this technology will evolve over time (18:05) The use of AI in grief counseling (22:28) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at ⁠https://crowdbotics.com/twist (23:37) Thoughts on expanding past celebrities and influencers (24:38) What CarynAI is and its impact on society (37:21) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at ⁠https://openphone.com/twist (38:50) Developing these AI models and preventing addiction on this platform (45:46) Will the AI variants be developed by others (48:25) Jason’s advice for founders on raising capital * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

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