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This Week in Startups

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Feb 15, 2022 • 49min

Crypto's Super Bowl blitz, Joby's asian air-taxi partnerships, Affirm's earnings & BNPL growing pains | E1386

First, we break down the Crypto companies that ran super bowl ads and see how they stack up against the dot-com era ads (1:53). Then, we do an update on Joby aviation now that they are trying to roll out an air taxi service in South Korea (28:03). To wrap, Molly covers the BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) space and the challenges these companies are having as they scale, specifically Affirm's recent earnings (36:49). (0:00) Jason and Molly tee up today’s show… from alternate timelines! (1:53) Comparing the 2022 influx of Super Bowl crypto ads with the Dot-com Era ads of 2000, right before the crash (9:29) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (10:47) How tech companies think about Super Bowl advertising PLUS Jason breaks down the big four crypto ads: Coinbase, FTX, Crypto.com and eToro (23:25) Boast - Get your R&D tax credits without the hassle at https://boast.ai/twist (24:40) Jason’s favorite Super Bowl ad, Sopranos theories (28:03) JOBY Aviation making waves lately: SK deal, FCC proposal, Air Force contract, record-breaking speed (35:45) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist (36:49) Molly breaks down the BNPL space and Affirm’s recent troubles FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 13, 2022 • 60min

VC Sunday School: first-tier investor behavior + Climate: Dangerous Ventures' Mike Lin | E1385

Jason and Molly begin this double-header Sunday show with a VC Sunday School segment on top-tier VC behavior (01:38). You will learn: 1. How first-tier VCs compare to second-tier VCs 2. When VCs should intervene in a portfolio company 3. The difference between micromanaging and good governance 4. Jason's framework for ensuring alignment: Mission, Plan, Strategy, Tactics 5. Why good Board Members remain calm and positive Then, Molly is joined by Mike Lin from Dangerous Ventures for a This Week in Climate Startups segment (22:00). You will learn: 1. What Mike learned from working at Makani Power (acquired by Google X) 2. The potential of "muscle-powered" energy and its limits 3. Lessons from the failed Potenco generator & One Laptop Per Child project 4. How Mike got himself fired from Apple for insubordination 5. Why Dangerous Ventures is backing "Dunkirk" climate solutions Show Notes: (00:00) Jason and Molly tee up the show, Top VC vs. Second-tier VCs,  Mike Lin from Dangerous Ventures (01:38) The behavior difference between a top tier VC and a second tier VC (09:23) Where VCs should actually intervene in a portfolio company, micromanaging vs. good governance (11:47) First Republic Bank - Discover what a long-term financial relationship can do for you. Visit https://firstrepublic.com/startup today to learn more. (12:50) What needs to be in alignment Mission, Plan, Strategy, Tactics  (14:58) Why good Board Members are calm and positive (19:30) Jason and Molly intro the This Week in Climate Startups segment (20:40) Superside - Go to https://superside.com/twist to get $3000 or more in credits when you sign up for an annual subscription (22:00) Mike Lin from Dangerous Ventures discusses his previous startup experience at Makani Power (26:09) Can muscle-powered energy come back? (27:57) Pulling Power from the Sky: The Story of Makani (30:56) Notion - Go to https://Notion.so and use promo code TWIST to get $250 off its annual team plan (32:28) Lessons from Mike's time as the founder of Fenix, which was bringing power to low income economies, and the lessons from the failed Potenco generator & One Laptop Per Child project (36:35) How Fenix rose out of the ashes of his previous startup, Fenix's smart battery (39:55) Why Mike Lin was fired as an Apple contractor for insubordination (43:39) Who is going to actually solve the climate crisis? (46:15) Mike's ambition at Dangerous Ventures and why they are backing "Dunkirk" climate solutions (53:43) Managing a micro-fund and using SPVs to build initial momentum Check out Dangerous Ventures: https://www.dangerous.co/ FOLLOW Mike: https://twitter.com/tweetmikelin FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 11, 2022 • 1h 11min

Rapid Disney+ growth, Predicting preference with Qloo's Alex Elias, OK Boomer: Zehra Naqvi's Z-list | E1384

Jason and Molly open the shown discussing Disney’s Q1 Earnings and the 37% increase in Disney+ subscribers (01:51). Then, Qloo CEO Alex Elias joins to discuss his AI prediction company (21:12). You will learn: 1. How Qloo uses machine learning to understand taste and draw cultural correlations 2. Why Qloo adopted an API business model and is focused on developers 3. Ways businesses and brands are using Qloo to improve customer experience and drive revenue To wrap, we have an “OK Boomer” segment where Producer Rachel speaks with Zehra Naqvi from Republic (45:21). They disucss Zehra's work at Republic as an investment associate (48:00) and how Zehra developed the Z-list to facilitate intros between startups & VCs (55:21). (00:00) Jason and Molly open the show, Disney Earnings, Alex Elias from Qloo, Rachel OK Boomer (01:51) Disney added 34% increase in revenue and 37% increase in Disney plus subscribers (06:56) Netflix vs. Disney on streaming growth (10:07) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist (11:37) How different streaming companies cultivate and develop new IP vs. exploit existing IP (19:42) Assure - To get 20% off your first Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) visit https://Assure.co/twist (21:12) Alex Elias from Qloo, a company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to understand taste and draw cultural correlations (26:48) How Qloo is used by developers to make predictions (32:06) Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (33:15) Qloo's business model and example use cases with large brands (40:10) How restaurant groups are using Qloo to determine the right music for their restaurants (45:21) OK Boomer intro, Rachel speaks with Zehra Naqvi from Republic (48:00) Zehra's work at Republic as an investment associate (51:09) The path to being an investment associate (55:21) How Zehra developed the Z-list to facilitate intros between startups & VCs Check out Qloo: https://www.qloo.com FOLLOW Alex: https://twitter.com/ape FOLLOW Zehra: https://twitter.com/zehranaqvi_ FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 11, 2022 • 1h 27min

Peloton's new CEO + Cake Ventures' Monique Woodard Angel S6 E5 | E1383

In the opening news segment, Molly and Jason break down the news around Peloton's new CEO, Barry McCarthy,  including the open letter he sent to the company, his background and principles for success (2:05).  Then, Monique Woodard of Cake Ventures joins for Episode 5 of Season 6 of Angel (32:50). Monique was a founder, startup community leader, VC scout, and VC partner before raising her first fund. In this episode you will learn: Her thesis on investing in demographic change What fundraising is like as a founder vs. fundraising as an aspiring fund manager Why she chose to have multiple closes for her fund  Why Monique focused her efforts on institutional LPs, even though they take longer to close than individual LPs What it takes to operate as a solo GP (0:00) Jason and Molly tee up today’s topics: Breaking down Peloton’s new CEO background and leadership style and an amazing interview with Monique Woodard (Cake Ventures) (2:05 ) Understanding Peloton’s new CEO and the value of its user base (12:47) LinkedIn - Post your first job for free at https://linkedIn.com/angel (14:15) Some more fun with numbers, plus breaking down Barry McCarthy’s introduction email to all Peloton employees (21:43) Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (22:54) Finalizing McCarthy’s “principles of success” list and reflecting on the difficulty of a turnaround (31:32) Embroker - Get an extra 10% off insurance for your business at https://Embroker.com/twist (32:50) Introducing Cake Ventures’ Founder & Partner Monique Woodard: Understanding Cake’s thesis on investing in demographic change (42:20) Fundraising as a founder vs. fundraising as an aspiring fund manager, understanding how different types of LPs invest (50:58) Check sizes differences from institutional LPs and individual LPs, understanding multiple fund closes (1:07:18) Managing deal flow as a first-time fund manager, is the industry becoming more welcoming to underrepresented fund managers? Check out Cake Ventures: https://cake.vc/ FOLLOW Monique: https://twitter.com/MoniqueWoodard FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 10, 2022 • 1h 25min

$3.6B crypto hack recovered + Segment co-founder Peter Reinhardt's next bet: Charm Industrial | E1382

We have a great interview with a serial-founder today! But first, Molly and Jason cover one of the craziest stories of the year. A couple has been charged with conspiring to launder ~$3.6B worth of crypto from the 2016 Bitfinex hack. Ilya is a former YC founder and Heather part-time rapper.  Today’s Guest is Peter Reinhardt, the co-founder of Segment, a customer data platform that sold to Twillio for $3.2B. Peter discusses his new company, Charm Industrial, which is focused on carbon capture and removal.  You will learn: 1. How they turn agricultural waste and biomass into a high-carbon fuel 2. The carbon-removal benefits of injecting the bio-fuel into old oil wells 3. Why carbon capture is an important piece of getting to Net Zero 4. The potential impact of Charm Industrial if it succeeds (total CO2 tonnage) 5. Why this process differs from more passive ways of carbon offsets 6. How he landed customers like Shopify & Stripe (and why he thinks companies will continue to do this, even without government regulation) 0:00 Jason and Molly tee up today’s topics: a MAJOR crypto scandal and an amazing interview! 2:14 Breaking down the $3.6B Bitcoin seizure federal investigators 13:39 Eight Sleep - Go to https://eightsleep.com/twist to check out the Pod Pro Cover and get $150 off at checkout! 14:56 Explaining how the laundering happened mechanically 18:21 Jason’s prior emails re: the YC founders’ company, jumping to BAYC “doxxing” story 24:25 Vanta - Get get $1,000 off automating your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist 25:44 The most amazing part of this story: Razzlekhan the rapper, and Ilya the s***poster; plus Jason and Molly cast the docu-series for this disaster 33:12 Fiverr - Sign up for https://Fiverr.com/Business free for the first year and save 10% on your purchase with promo code JASON 34:34 Crypto brigading, crypto’s impact on the environment 42:00 Charm Industrial’s Peter Reinhardt (formerly of Segment) speaks about Segment selling to Twilio for $3B+ 51:38 Charm Industrial’s origin story, understanding industrial de-carbonization and carbon removal 1:05:11 1 TAM for carbon removal companies, breaking down the 4 quadrants of fighting climate change Check out Charm Industrial: https://www.charmindustrial.com FOLLOW Peter: https://twitter.com/reinpk FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 9, 2022 • 1h 3min

Peter Thiel departs FB board, John Foley steps down at Peloton, Should Amazon spin off AWS? + Startup of the Day: Island | E1381

Molly and Jason cover Peter Thiel stepping down from FB’s board and look back at the board's evolution over time (2:07). Next, we cover Joe Lonsdale’s op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, where he argues AWS should be split off from Amazon (27:41). We debate if valuations would increase if separated. Then, Peloton Founder & CEO John Foley is stepping down as the firm lays off 2800 people (40:30). We debate if they angling for an acquisition or making a turnaround attempt. To wrap, we discuss our startup of the day, Island, which is a browser for enterprise with a big valuation for a pre-product company (50:11). 00:00 Jason and Molly tee up today’s topics 02:07 Peter Thiel is stepping down from Meta’s board after almost 17 years of service 11:48 Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST 13:12 Thiel maximizing political influence, Marc Andreessen’s shadow advice to Zuckerberg, other $FB board squabbles 24:32 Marlow - Get 15% off your individual or team memberships at https://getmarlow.com/twist. 25:47 Reed Hastings testy email to Peter Thiel in 2016 (while they were both $FB board members) 27:41 Joe Lonsdale’s case for splitting AWS away from Amazon’s retail business 39:08 Indochino - Get $50 off any purchase of $399 or more by using code TWIST at checkout https://indochino.com 40:30 Peloton CEO John Foley steps down as the company lays off ~2800 employees (20% of its corporate workforce) 50:11 Startup of the Day: Island.io — enterprise browsers in the cloud: valuation vs. traction, founder, market, and more FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 8, 2022 • 1h 3min

Spotify's saga continues, $FB warns of EU exit, GoFundMe's protest refund, Peloton's suitors | E1380

Molly and Jason catch up on the big news stories from the weekend. First, we talk about the Joe Rogan & Spotify saga (1:51) and size up the odds of Rogan finishing out his contract with Spotify (15:41). Then, we cover Facebook warning about pulling Instagram and Facebook out of Europe due to privacy regulations (29:54). Next, we cover GoFundMe’s decision to pull funding for the “Freedom Convoy” protesters in Canada. We wrap with a discussion of the WSJ's reporting that Amazon is considering acquiring Peloton (57:26). 0:00 Jason and Molly intro today’s topics! 1:51 Daniel Ek’s comments on the newest Joe Rogan controversy: Is Spotify a publisher? Why or why not? 14:26 Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist 15:41 Jason predicts the endgame for Joe Rogan and Spotify, Molly and Jason break down the odds of Rogan finishing out his contract with Spotify 27:45 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist 29:03 Wrapping on Rogan/Spotify 29:54 $FB warns the SEC and shareholders they could pull out of Europe pending new privacy laws, how Meta could win over public sentiment 39:29 Superside - Go to https://superside.com/twist to get $3000 or more in credits when you sign up for an annual subscription 40:51 Meta’s need for a “coalition,” does $FB need new leadership? Plus, Jason fixes Meta’s PR mess 45:52 GoFundMe’s controversial decision re: Canadian truckers “Freedom Convoy” 57:26 Amazon rumored to be looking at a potential Peloton acquisition, Jason takes credit for a hot take FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 6, 2022 • 1h 19min

John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins with Ryan Panchadsaram + VC Sunday School: cap table management | E1379

John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins joins to discuss his lessons from a career of investing and his new book "Speed & Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now," alongside his co-author Ryan Panchadsaram.  But first, Jason gives a 10-minute crash course on how to navigate messy cap tables in our latest VC Sunday School segment (1:54). Then John and Ryan join Molly and Jason for a conversation (15:11). In this episode, you will learn: 1. The six objectives and four accelerants to reach zero emissions by 2050 2. Why Nuclear power is an important part of the plan, but cannot be the only solution 3. The biggest blockers to rapid climate progress and why "the climate crisis is under-hyped" 4. Hard-won lessons from funding solar companies 5. How John assesses founders and develops conviction to invest 6. Indications John saw that Jeff Bezos was an exceptional entrepreneur 7. Where investors should focus to drive the biggest output (0:00) Jason and Molly intro the show, John Doerr, saving the climate and cap tables (01:54) VC Sunday School - When is a Cap table too messy? (07:29) Why VCs want founders to maintain more than 50% equity in the seed round (10:02) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist (11:08) What are the metrics for a red flag? (15:11) Interview - John Doerr and Ryan Panchadsaram, on the path to zero emissions (20:44) Bubble. Get one month free of a no-code plan at https://bubble.io/twist (22:17) Six objectives to reach zero emissions (30:22) The four accelerants needed to cut emissions in half by 2030 and hit the target by 2050 (31:28) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist (32:56) Where investors can focus to drive the biggest change, why the time for "individual action has passed" and we need collective action (35:22) Why Nuclear power is an important part of the plan, but will not be deployed in time (42:06) Identifying the biggest blockers to rapid progress (47:37) Lessons from funding solar companies, why they require more capital and more intellectual rigor (51:32) How Kleiner's early climate investment portfolio performed (54:40) How Jason came to own the Roadster that KP Partner Ray Lane had ordered (56:29) How Kleiner invests in Beyond Meat (58:16) How John assesses founders and develops conviction to invest (1:03:52) John spending time with Jeff Bezos, how Jeff actually knew how to pull his own revenue numbers with a UNIX grep command (1:07:49) Why John thinks the Climate Crisis is under-hyped (1:16:13) Where should investors focus? Read Speed & Scale: https://speedandscale.com FOLLOW John: https://twitter.com/johndoerr FOLLOW Ryan: https://twitter.com/rypan FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood
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Feb 4, 2022 • 1h 8min

NYC delivery wars, Cruise gives driverless rides in SF + Gopuff Co-CEO Rafael Ilishayev | E1378

First Jason and Molly discuss reports from "The Information" that Jokr is looking to sell its NYC delivery business due to heightened competition (1:51). Next, they cover how Cruise is opening up its driverless vehicles to give rides in San Francisco (11:09).  Then, Gopuff Co-founder and Co-CEO Rafael Ilishayev joins to discuss his rapid delivery business (19:12).  Almost a decade ago, Raf and his co-founder Yakir Gola started one of the fastest-growing commerce businesses while in college.  Most recently they raised $1B at a reported $15B valuation in July 2021. In this episode, you will learn: 1. The rationale behind operating a vertically-integrated model 2. How they operate hundreds of micro-fulfillment centers & manage deliveries in 20 minutes 3. Why they acquired BevMo and Liquor Barn to accelerate their alcohol delivery business instead of building it themselves 4. The challenges he sees going forward to operate the business well 5. Why Gopuff launched their own private label called “Basically” and hot food offering called "Gopuff Kitchens" 6. How influencers like Mr. Beast are choosing Gopuff as a key platform to distribute products Check out Gopuff: https://www.gopuff.com FOLLOW Raf: https://twitter.com/Rafaelilishayev FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood (00:00) Molly and Jason intro the show (01:51) The Information reported that Jokr is shopping it's NYC delivery business (09:57) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in art using promo code TWIST at https://Masterworks.io (11:09) We Live in the Future - Cruise Robotaxis open up for SF public in limited quantities (17:56) Linode - Apply to their Rise program for founder-led, early-stage startups and get 3 years of discounts at https://linode.com/twist. (19:12) Interview Gopuff Co-CEO Rafael Ilishayev (31:41) Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist (32:54) Gopuff's focus on the SKUs that matter for their customers (35:10) Can Gopuff operate profitably? (38:41) Managing Gopuff deliveries (43:34) Gopuff's pace of expansion (49:45) Will Gopuff enter the cannabis market? (50:51) What are Gopuff's potential headwinds? (53:27) Why Mr. Beast picked Gopuff as a distribution channel (59:24) How Gopuff picked up talent from the defunct Brandless team to launch their house brand, Basically (61:59) Gopuff's sustainability measures
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Feb 4, 2022 • 1h 14min

Full $FB earnings breakdown, NFT company violates music IP + Behind Genius' Paige Finn: Angel S6 E4 | E1377

In the opening news segment, Molly and Jason break down the numbers behind Facebook's colossal drop in market cap (2:42). Then, they cover a company that seems to be violating music copyrights to sell NFTS (38:14). Then, Paige Finn of Behind Genius joins for Episode 4 of Season 6 of Angel (49:45). Paige became interested in venture capital during college, but within a year and a half of graduating in 2020 she already has a fund!  In this episode you will learn: 1. How she secured her first allocation before having a fund 2. The steps she took to set up an SPV while being a non-accredited investor 3. How she raised a $1.6m fund 4. Behind Genius' investing thesis and strategy 5. The books that have most influenced her work and writing style 6. Why she wrote a picture book (for adults) called "Seed to Harvest: A Simple Explanation of Venture Capital" 00:00 Jason & Molly introduce the show 02:42 Facebook's painful $220B market cap drawdown 07:32 Is blaming Apple 10:29 LinkedIn - Post your first job for free at https://linkedIn.com/twist 11:37 "This is one of the most hardcore hits I've ever seen in business" 14:11 Would Zuckerberg leaving hurt the company even more? 17:33 Do rebrand's ever really work? 20:08 Embroker - Get an extra 10% off insurance for your business at https://Embroker.com/twist 21:29 Could Facebook have been a successful hardware operator? 25:03 Breaking down the numbers around Meta's future business 30:32 Ourcrowd - Check out the deal of the week at https://ourcrowd.com/twist 31:51 Is there a solution for Zuckerberg? 36:28 How Jason's divorced friends use Instagram 38:12 NFT site "Hitpiece" accused of trying to sell songs without consulting original artists 49:44 Interview - Paige Finn of Behind Genius 52:02 How Paige learned about VC in 2018 55:28 Behind Genius' investing thesis and strategy 1:00:05 How Paige set up an SPV while being a non-accredited investor 1:10:11 How her book "Seed to Harvest: A Simple Explanation of Venture Capital" helped her gain credibility 1:13:51 Paige's most influential books 1:23:09 Paige's day to day life as an investor 1:33:55 Plugs from the TWIST team Check out Behind Genius Ventures: https://www.behindgeniusventures.com FOLLOW Packy: https://twitter.com/paigefinnn FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

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