This Week in Startups

Today’s show:It’s another All Star Investor Panel! Jason and Alex welcome TrustFund VC founder Sophia Amoruso AND WeekendFund investor/Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover.Together they’re going DEEP on the current environment for startups, founders, and investors. How do tell durable from brittle revenue… Everyone’s different approaches to follow-on investments and recycling… Strategies on when to trim a position… The benefits of hosting co-working events and jam sessions… And LOTS LOTS more!It’s an essential watch for anyone building or investing in companies in 2025!Timestamps:(0:00) Introducing our amazing investor panel!(03:15) The panel shares their First Fund experiences(10:03) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:27) Show cont…(12:46) Where we’re at on the investor Greed-Fear Index(13:54) The delicate art of investor discipline(20:47) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(21:59) Sophia’s criteria for a follow-on investment(24:17) Founders are going direct on social media(29:35) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.(30:49) Show cont…(32:33) Why we’re seeing so many more Series Bs(33:30) So when do you trim a position?(39:35) There are SO MANY COMPANIES! Why surface area matters.(43:25) Durable vs. brittle revenue and how to tell them apart(46:15) When it’s time to angel invest outside your fund(49:04) The panel’s approaches to capital recycling(57:15) The benefits of co-working “jam sessions”Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:03) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(20:47) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(29:35) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.DISCLAIMER*All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use.Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

Today’s show:SYDNEY SWEENEY’S AMERICAN EAGLE AD DIVIDES OUR PANEL!PLUS WHAT STARTUPS CAN LEARN FROM THE VIRAL ASTRONOMER RESPONSEJason, Alex, and Lon are looking at some of the biggest media stories of the day before returning to their favorite topic, tech. Tune in for deep dives on IMAX’s new AI film festival, Figma’s big IPO and much more!*Timestamps:(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show!(3:45) Lon’s joining Alex and Lon to discuss the controversial Sydney Sweeney genes/jeans ad(7:20) A look at the polarizing takes on this jeans ad.(10:10) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠(11:46) Hear the verdict from Jason, self—proclaimed Chairman of the Interwebs(16:42) Alex points out the economic impact of the controversy(20:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(21:25) Back to the show!(26:35) Paltrow’s Astronomer ad, meme-processing and the ideal way to change the conversation(30:04) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(31:28) Back to the show!(36:48) Netflix and the growing controversy around AI’s role in filmmaking(42:53) IMAX/Runway collaboration and Hollywood’s shifting attitude toward AI(47:34) Everything that went wrong with the Tea App(54:27) Why Jason thinks app stores should ban “anonymous” forms and message boards(1:04:19) Figma upped its IPO price… what does it mean for the return of liquidity? And is this too high or fairly priced?(1:07:53) Paul Graham says you shouldn’t drop out of college to work on a startup… Why Thiel Fellows disagree*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*Thank you to our partners:(10:10) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠(20:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(30:04) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist*Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland*Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com*Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Join a thrilling recap of the All-In AI Summit, where off-script moments with the president spark lively debates. Discover solar power's challenges and its geopolitical implications, while exploring the promise of open-source robotics. The conversation dives into new AI executive orders and examines the future of tech jobs, weighing optimism against the fear of job displacement. Plus, a Reddit founder seeks advice on the risks of prematurely integrating AI into products—all against the backdrop of U.S.-China tech rivalry!

Today’s show:TWiST is back with a three more hugely insightful (and also fun!) founder interviews.First up, Trey Holterman from Tennr tells us why getting in to see a specialist is so time consuming, and how AI is making the entire health care industry more streamlined.THEN Gill Verdon from Extropic AI unpacks deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and how thermodynamics can make everything from robots to VR more effective.FINALLY, Tyler Denk from our fav newsletter platform Beehiiv walks us through their future roadmap, and explains why they’re adding new features SO OFTEN.It’s a packed episode full of fresh insights for founders. Check it out!Timestamps:(0:00) Alex opens the show with the venture/investor POV on TWiST 500 med tech company Tennr(03:38) Tennr CEO/co-founder Trey Holterman on the inefficiencies facing medical specialists and why patients are actually “leads”(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:44) Paid Promo END(14:05) How Tennr trained an AI model to comb through clinical histories, medical files, and doctor’s notes(18:19) Why automation matters for Tennr but it’s not the WHOLE story(20:03) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(21:10) Paid Promo END(22:57) The incredible cultural influence of the Dominos Pizza Tracker(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits(31:20) Gill Verdon from Extropic on the difficulty of keeping up with the demand for compute and the “scaling law”(35:37) Thermodynamic regimes, the differences between deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and why this matters(41:31) Gill on expanding Extropic’s research team while keeping a close eye on burn(52:17) Will robots ever be FULLY autonomous, with no ties or connections back to the fleet? Gill says… maybe!(58:52) Beehiiv’s Tyler Denk on hitting $20M ARR while ALSO scaling up their ad network(01:00:35) The practical and psychological importance of product velocity and shipping as many features as possible(01:01:57) Why Tyler says “Substack vs. Beehiiv” is analogous to “Amazon vs. Shopify”(01:08:08) How much larger can the newsletter market still GROW? (And the promise of moving beyond content and into marketing emails.)(01:09:00) Why Tyler thinks the strongest publishers own their audience and distributionSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(20:03) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/creditsGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

Today’s show:TWiST is back with a trio of can’t miss interviews with some of our favorite TWiST 500 founders.First up, John Harris of Harbinger Motors tells us about making his EV batteries right here in the USA, and why the loss of EV tax credits might not hurt the business as much as you’d think…THEN, we’re talking to James Hawkins of PostHog about how keeping his burn rate low opened up a wealth of new opportunities for his company…THEN Yoshi Yokokawa from Alpaca HQ stops by to talk about working in a category that’s no longer the hottest thing in the Valley (like fintech) and the importance of stable coins to his business model.You won’t want to miss this one! Tons of fresh and important insights for founders.Timestamps:(0:00) INTRO, The market’s hit an ALL TIME HIGH… what does it mean for founders and smaller companies?(2:19) Figma’s going IPO… how its success could impact other the entire landscape for the rest of the year.(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(11:29) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(21:15) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory (cont…)(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.(31:07) How much of Harbinger’s product is actually manufactured in the US (and why that’s a more complex question than it sounds) (31:39) Why the rollback of EV tax credits might NOT have a huge impact on Harbinger’s business.(36:53) James Hawkins of PostHog explains how and why Stripe funded their most recent round.(40:23) Will it soon be easier to build a virtual product manager than hire the right human person? MAYBE!(42:11) Why building PostHog as open source was so vital for boosting adoption among developers(47:45) Why James credits a low burn rate and being “multi-product” with PostHog’s success and traction(01:00:02) Alpaca CEO and co-founder Yoshi Yokokawa explains to us how the API brokerage infrastructure co. actually makes money(01:00:41) Why it matters that Alpaca is a “self-clearing market maker”: Yoshi unpacks how trades actually get executed(01:07:46) The massive impact of Robinhood on the entire fintech business and how this benefits Alpaca(01:18:06) Yoshi’s tips for founders working in categories that aren’t THE HOTTEST IN THE WORLD right nowSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show:WHY DOES @SUBSTACKINC NEED $100M IN NEW FUNDING?HOW DO THEY PLAN TO STAY AHEAD OF @BEEHIIV?Jason and Alex are debating the future of indie publishing on an all-new TWiST, considering the future of these rival platforms, plus Patreon and more.PLUS they’re digging into Lovable’s latest raise and what it says about the current economics of vibecoding, surveying the automated driving landscape in light of Uber’s new agreement Lucid and Euro, explaining Jason’s “meme processing” theory of internet humor, AND looking ahead to Christopher Nolan’s IMAX epic “The Odyssey.”Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.Timestamps:(0:00) Intro - Everyone is getting hyped for Nolan’s “The Odyssey”(03:49) “Meme Processing,” the Astronomer saga, and giving people a little grace(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)(18:49) Substack vs. Patreon vs. Beehive: Who ya got?!(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.(37:58) Lovable, vibecoding, and how much AGI might one day be worth(01:00:36) Uber’s Lucid/Nuro deal: Alex did the math(01:08:03) Is autonomous driving about to change EVERYTHING? Jason says… YES.Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use.*Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Today’s show:Jason and Alex tackle a full tech and business news docket on today’s show, including Jason’s big SF trip with Launch Accelerator’s 34th cohort, some peculiar social media posts from VC Geoff Lewis, a look inside the HUGE seed rounds being commanded by early-stage AI startups, crunching the numbers on how much compute data centers need to sell before they’re profitable, Polymarket asks who will be the next CEO of X and MUCH MUCH MORE.Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.Timestamps:(00:00) INTRO(01:31) Jason’s in SF with LAUNCH Accelerator cohort 34… His take on the mood in Silicon Valley.(07:52) Odd X posts from Bedrock Capital’s Geoff Lewis… what does it all mean?(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(14:44) Ask JCal: What founders can do to guard their own mental health and well-being(20:17) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(22:04) Thinking Machines Lab set a new record for a seed round: what’s going on with these MEGA deals?(28:51) Alex (and Kabir from LAUNCH’s research team) investigated the economics of data centers… just HOW MUCH can you make from selling compute? And how long does it TAKE to turn a profit?(30:52) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.(37:09) Superintelligence vs. AGI: Jason thinks we’re still more than 2-3 years away…(39:52) GPx is not a traditional VC fund: here’s what industry vet Brian Singerman is up to(49:37) The importance of setting your own corporate culture… before it gets set for you!(58:15) Polymarket has ideas for the next X CEO… see where Jason ranks on the list!(01:03:18) Reddit wants to know… Do investors judge founders negatively who rely on lots of AI tools?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(20:17) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(30:52) Bolt - Don’t be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show:On today’s show… Jason and Alex are considering the fallout of Windsurf’s OpenAI deal, the company’s latest agreements with both Google and Cognition AI, and how “blitzhiring” is actually playing out in real-world startups.Plus Jason’s short- and medium-term predictions for AI’s impact on the job market, Tesla’s latest expansion of its Austin robotaxi service, Mistral giving the EU a real stake in the AI model race, a look back at the SnapStream live TV archiving service, AND an update on how much more time we have until all our servers are obsolete.All that and more on a brand new Monday edition of This Week in Startups.Timestamps:(02:20) Influencers caught an arsonist in LA’s Runyon Canyon? (Don’t worry, there’s always a startup angle)(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist(12:56) Windsurf’s OpenAI deal fell through… but there are breaking updates!(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(23:46) The gap from prototype to production in AI remains HUGE(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits(34:56) Things are going well for Tesla’s Austin rollout, but will regulators demand LIDAR systems anyway?(45:47) Maybe NOTHING that’s happening right now in AI is as important as what’s to come?(54:31) Follow-Up: So how much more time until all of our servers are obsolete? What happens to them when they’re removed?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/creditsGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: Grok 4 just leapfrogged OpenAI to become the top AI model—and it’s not just hype. In this episode, @Jason and @alex break down Grok’s AGI-level performance, the massive drop in LLM pricing, and why some companies are raising prices anyway. They also dive into the Missouri AG’s investigation into AI “bias,” the future of First Amendment protections for LLMs, and how autonomous vehicles are creating a new category: “autonomous commerce.” If you’re building with AI or betting on the future of tech, don’t miss this one.Timestamps:(1:55) AI models: Grok 4 and performance benchmarks(3:51) Detailed analysis of AI model performance and price trends(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(11:25) AI models' problem-solving capabilities and timeline for solving math problems(16:53) Legal and regulatory challenges for AI(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(21:12) Bias in AI models and political implications(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(32:07) Infinite energy potential and AI impact; Bitcoin's new high(37:11) Crypto regulation and fintech under new administration(45:50) Future of storage, computing power, and GPU lifespan in data centers(53:40) Claude segment by Anthropic(55:09) Guest Ben Seidl of Autolane introduction(57:19) Autolane's impact on autonomous vehicles and commerce(59:05) Rise of autonomous commerce and logistics(1:06:37) Retailer issues with autonomous vehicle integration and orchestrationSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twistGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with Yoav Shoham — Stanford professor emeritus and co-founder of AI21 Labs, creators of Jurassic-2, Wordtune, and the new orchestration system Maestro.They unpack:Why enterprise AI struggles with reliabilityWhat orchestration really means (and why LLMs alone aren't enough)The pitfalls of “agent-washing”Small vs large models, agent-to-agent protocols, and where real opportunities lieThis one is for founders building with AI — if you're navigating hallucinations, chasing automation, or exploring multi-agent workflows, this episode is a must.*Timestamps:(0:00) Yoav Shoham joins Jason to discuss AI Basics.(1:05) What AI21 Labs is building — from Jurassic-2 to Maestro(5:49) The overuse and confusion of the seductive term “agent”(8:22) Small models vs large models: what's best for enterprise?(10:53) The verticalization of AI: legal, accounting, and beyond(12:17) The challenge of agent-to-agent communication and shared semantics(17:08) What’s overhyped vs underhyped in AI — Yoav’s advice for founders*Uncover more valuable insights from AI leaders in Google Cloud's 'Future of AI: Perspectives for Startups' report. https://goo.gle/futureofai*Explore FurtherGoogle Cloud’s Report: The Future of AIGet insights from 23 leading experts on how startups can leverage AI for real business impact.👉 Read the full reportMore AI Basics EpisodesFounders, operators, and builders — catch up on our full Startup Basics series (Legal, Finance, Growth & AI):👉 thisweekinstartups.com/basicsLinks from episde:Google Cloud — Build smarter with AI tools built for startupsAI21 Labs — Makers of Wordtune, Jurassic-2, and MaestroMaestro — Orchestrate AI agents and tools across workflowsJamba — AI21’s hybrid language model with breakthrough efficiencyLearn About Google’s A2A (Agent-to-Agent) ProtocolThe next evolution in agent interoperability and coordination:Official A2A AnnouncementHands-on A2A Tutorial (Medium)*Follow Yoav:X: https://x.com/yshohamLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoavshoham/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com