This Week in Startups

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… .Tech Domains. Don’t miss our “Jam with JCal” contest! To apply and get more details go to https://Jamwithjcal.tech brought to you by .tech domains. LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Brave. If you’re building AI and search-based applications, train your models with the Brave Search API. Get started for free at https://brave.com/jason * Todays show: Udio’s David Ding joins Alex to discuss the inception of Udio (1:32), advancements in AI music creation (8:47), and the evolution of Udio’s AI model (10:32). Plus, David demos Udio’s capabilities live (32:47)! * Timestamps: (0:00) Udio’s David Ding joins Alex (1:32) David's journey and the inception of Udio (4:26) AI music generation and user control over music elements (7:52) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech (8:47) Advancements in AI music creation and data annotation (10:32) Evolution of Udio's AI models and early versions (14:59) Udio's target audience and the future of AI in music (20:06) Udio's potential DAW integration and music production terms (21:52) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (23:17) Udio's funding and business model (27:11) Financial discipline and GPU cost efficiency at Udio (31:28) Brave Search API - Get started for free at ⁠https://www.brave.com/jason (32:47) GPU-based compute challenges and a live Udio demo (48:03) Udio's user interface, engagement, and community insights (49:57) Udio's growth, virality, and competitive stance (53:27) Udio's model quality and expansion roadmap * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out Udio: https://www.udio.com * Follow David: X: https://x.com/daviddingai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-fengning-ding-053b1282 * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Thank you to our partners: (7:52) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech (21:52) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (31:28) Brave Search API - Get started for free at ⁠https://www.brave.com/jason * 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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Timestamps: (0:00) Teaser of today’s Liquidity Summit talk from Phil Deutch. (1:29) Alex kicks off the show. (2:11) Jason introduces Phil Deutch at the Liquidity Summit 2024 (3:52) Phil Deutch’s talk “Data Centers & Energy: A First Principles Understanding of Investment Opportunities & Challenges” (4:39) Data center power demands and the impact on energy demand (7:30) The complexity of energy generation and distribution (9:24) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (10:55) Electricity generation in the US, transmission, and distribution challenges (15:17) Market opportunity for faster electricity delivery and sustainability challenges (20:08) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (21:14) The nuclear power debate, role of AI and batteries in energy management (25:55) Consumer awareness and recent outages' impact on energy consumption (29:16) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (30:39) Audience questions on the transition to AI and EV adoption challenges (34:09) Future innovations in energy: Solar, storage, and the potential for free electricity * Subscribe to the TWiST newsletter: https://www.ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out NGP Energy Capital: https://ngpenergy.com/ * Follow Phil: X: https://x.com/pdeutch LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-deutch-21a76a6/ * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/ * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:24) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (20:08) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (29:16) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Linear. Linear helps product teams focus on what they do best: Planning and building great products. Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist Oracle - Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or OCI, is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. Save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠ Fundrise. Fundrise provides access to diversified portfolios of private real estate to all investors with their industry leading, easy to use platform. Sign up today at https://www.fundrise.com/TWIST * Todays show: Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss OpenAI CTO’s departure (2:03), DOJ AI compliance guidelines (9:11), current trends in tech M&A (19:15), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (2:03) Breaking news: OpenAI CTO departure and speculation (8:17) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist (9:11) DOJ AI compliance guidelines (17:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠ (19:15) Current state and trends in tech M&A (29:13) Liquidity, market trust, and the move towards a cashless society (36:05) Fundrise - Sign up today at https://www.fundrise.com/TWIST (37:21) Startup funding, valuations, and disciplined fundraising (50:09) Instacart's valuation journey and venture capital challenges (53:25) Optimism for the AI-driven business super cycle (55:36) The future of labor: Skilled trades vs. knowledge workers (1:02:03) Trends in apprenticeships, college enrollment, and geographic arbitrage (1:08:24) Startup opportunities in vocational training and alternative education models (1:11:09) Google's career certificates initiative (1:14:16) Job expectations and the reality for young professionals (1:15:42) Tenet Media controversy * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Mentioned on the show: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/09/16/the-toolbelt-generation-why-teens-are-losing-faith-in-college.html https://globalventuring.com/corporate/exit/exits-corporate-backed-startups-august-2024 https://www.wsj.com/articles/justice-department-pushes-companies-to-consider-ai-risks-116cfcf7?mod=hp_minor_pos11 https://www.ft.com/content/78b7e7a7-7428-4c5e-bfa2-0921c9d6cd25 * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (8:17) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist (17:52) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠ (36:05) Fundrise - Sign up today at https://www.fundrise.com/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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist Coda. Coda empowers your startup by bringing words, tables, and teams together. Strategize, plan, and track goals effectively with all your valuable data in one place. Go to https://www.coda.io/twist to get started for FREE and get 6 free months of the Team plan. Google Cloud. Accelerate your startup journey with the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Get up to $200K in Google Cloud credits – or up to $350K for AI startups – plus training and guidance. Apply at ⁠https://startups.google.com/twist * Todays show: Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss Amazon's return to office (RTO) policy (11:27), Lina Khan’s 60 minutes (31:09), Apple's new iOS features (48:32), Microsoft's big nuclear deals (1:05:25), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (2:14) Viral tweet from Harry Stebbings about venture capital and entrepreneurship (4:38) Discussion on the balance between luxury and grit in entrepreneurship (9:29) Cleaning up the excesses in the industry (9:58) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (11:27) Amazon's return to office (RTO) policy and its implications (20:11) Potential impact of RTO on Amazon's innovation and stock price (20:55) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist (22:25) Amazon's use of Gen AI to reduce the need for developers (24:32) Amazon's M&A strategy and competitive positioning (29:39) Google Cloud - Accelerate your startup journey with the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Apply at https://startups.google.com/twist (31:09) Lina Khan, antitrust enforcement, and market competition (45:49) Specific anti-competitive behaviors in tech industry and potential solutions (48:32) Apple's new iOS features and their impact on productivity tools (53:00) Siri's evolution and improved AI capabilities in iOS (57:32) The concept of "getting Sherlock'd" and its impact on startups (59:08) Apple's AI advancements and their implications for OpenAI (1:05:05) The potential challenges of AI dominance in OS-level interfaces (1:05:25) Microsoft's involvement in nuclear power and its significance (1:10:30) The importance of energy independence for AI development (1:15:43) Audience question: Return to office in tech vs. other industries (1:18:11) Audience question: App store rules and market share * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:58) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (20:55) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist (29:39) Google Cloud - Accelerate your startup journey with the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Apply at https://startups.google.com/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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… 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 https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to https://www.linkedin.com/twist to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply.a Beehiiv. Power your newsletters with AI tools, referral programs, and ad network features—all in one platform. Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at ⁠⁠https://www.beehiiv.com/twist * Todays show: Pie.org’s Ryan Hudson joins Jason to discuss consumer behavior (5:57), Honey’s business strategy (10:47), Pie’s consumer ad control (14:20), legal considerations of ad blocking (27:21), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Pie.org’s Ryan Hudson joins Jason (2:30) History and initial reactions to Honey (5:57) Consumer behavior, trust, and conversion rates (9:17) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (10:43) Merchant reactions and Honey's business strategy (14:20) Future of Pie and consumer ad control (17:50) Demo of Pie browser extension (20:35) Economic implications of ad blocking (27:23) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist (28:34) Legal considerations of ad blocking (30:20) Apple's privacy stance and ad reintroduction strategies (36:22) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at ⁠⁠https://www.beehiiv.com/twist (37:50) Funding decisions and advice for young founders (43:40) Company values and political engagement (49:08) Remote work and the value of in-person interactions * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Ryan: X: https://x.com/ketau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhudson⁠ Check out: https://www.pie.org * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:17) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (27:23) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist (36:22) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at ⁠⁠https://www.beehiiv.com/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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Todays show: Wilson Sonsini Partner Becki DeGraw joins Jason on the latest edition of Startup Legal Basics! In this episode, they break down challenges in distressed companies(1:04), pay-to-play scenarios (2:31), the importance of a market check in financing (9:25), and high-profile legal and ethical issues (18:03). * Timestamps: (00:00) Wilson Sonsini partner Becki DeGraw joins Jason (1:04) Distressed companies and VCs leaving the board; Challenges in distressed companies (2:31) Insider-led down rounds and pay-to-play scenarios (7:07) Legal actions and stockholder lawsuits in successful turnarounds (9:25) The importance of a market check in financing; Voting against board decisions (18:03) Character and incentives in the startup ecosystem; High-profile legal and ethical issues * Check Out Wilson Sonsini: ⁠⁠https://www.wsgr.com⁠ * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Becki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-degraw-639bbb62 * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… .Tech Domains - Don’t miss our “Jam with JCal” contest! To apply and get more details go to https://jamwithjcal.tech brought to you by .tech domains. 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 https://www.vanta.com/twist Micro1. Micro1 is an AI recruitment engine to hire world class engineers fast. Visit https://www.micro1.ai/twist to open a talent search and get a 2 week free trial per hire. * Todays show: Comma’s Harald Schäfer joins Jason to discuss the future of autonomous driving, Comma’s open-source approach (7:24), how camera-based systems stack up against lidar (20:52), self-driving technology developments globally (32:55), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Comma’s Harald Schäfer joins Jason (2:02) Comma's approach to self-driving technology (4:06) Cost, installation, and car manufacturers' reactions to Comma (6:38) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech (7:24) Open source and different approaches in autonomous driving (13:08) Comparing Waymo, Tesla FSD, and comma AI's strategies (20:52) Lidar vs. camera-based systems in autonomy and the advantages of camera-based systems over human drivers (24:05) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (24:56) Autonomous vehicle rollout timeline and predictions (27:33) Open source projects and major car manufacturers' adoption (31:25) Micro1 - Visit https://www.micro1.ai/twist to open a talent search and get a 2 week free trial per hire. (32:55) Self-driving technology developments in China (34:25) Tesla's anticipated announcements and AI integration in robotics (39:48) Accessing and contributing to open-source self-driving projects (41:01) Data sharing and transparency in autonomous driving (43:14) Global adoption and demographics of self-driving technology * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Harald: X: https://x.com/___harald___ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harald-schäfer-567830132 Check out: https://www.comma.ai * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (6:38) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech (24:05) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (31:25) Micro1 - Visit https://www.micro1.ai/twist to open a talent search and get a 2 week free trial per hire. * 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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Squarespace - Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.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. Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist CommandAI. Seamlessly integrate an AI-powered guide into your software, making navigation intuitive and interactive. Visit https://www.command.ai/twist to get a custom live demo. * Timestamps: (0:00) Recall’s Sankari joins Jason (4:15) Explanation of automatic taxonomy creation and adding content to Recall (8:11) Recall’s augmented browser feature and web content indexing (10:26) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (14:39) B2B applications, multiplayer mode, and capturing institutional knowledge (19:15) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist (20:40) AI costs for summarization and model preferences (22:08) Personalized learning features and Recall pricing strategy (26:10) The concept of luxury software and jamming on potential features (31:00) CommandAI - Visit https://www.command.ai/twist to get a custom live demo. (32:34) LinkedIn integration and visual knowledge graph representation (35:26) Jason and Sanks play with the quiz section of Recall (40:43) Final thoughts on startup journey and investment opportunities * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/ Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Founders! Apply to LAUNCH: https://www.launch.co/apply * Check out Recall: https://www.getrecall.ai/ * Follow Sankari and Recall: X: X: https://x.com/getRecallAI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sankari-nair-13a549a7 * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (10:26) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (19:15) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://www.Lemon.io/twist (31:00) CommandAI - Visit https://www.command.ai/twist to get a custom live demo. * 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/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Alex Wilhelm, a tech and business commentator, joins to explore OpenAI's latest model and its enhanced reasoning capabilities. He discusses the complexities of OpenAI's corporate structure and recent fundraising challenges. The conversation shifts to Uber's partnership with Waymo, analyzing implications for autonomous vehicles in ride-sharing. Additionally, they delve into MrBeast's content creation strategies and the evolving dynamics of media criticism and journalism in today’s digital landscape.

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… LinkedIn Ads. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Runway. Looking to up-level your financial planning Runway is the modern and intuitive way to model, plan, and align your business for everyone on your team. Sign up at ⁠https://www.Runway.com/TWIST to get your first 3 months free. Beehiiv. Power your newsletters with AI tools, referral programs, and ad network features—all in one platform. Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at ⁠https://www.Beehiiv.com/TWIST * Todays show: Meghan Reynolds takes the stage at Liquidity Summit 2024 to discuss the intricacies of raising capital and pitching to VCs. Meghan dives into many topics including the importance of relationships (3:07), fund size rationalization (20:36), market sentiment (25:55), and other crucial aspects of successful fundraising! * Timestamps: (0:00) Meghan Reynolds takes the stage at Liquidity Summit 2024 (3:07) Meghan Reynolds’ talk “Relationship Advice: Of the LP / GP Sort” (9:43) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (10:59) Client service in investor relations and fundraising strategies (15:07) The complexity factor in raising capital (19:19) Runway - Sign up at https://runway.com/twist to get your first 3 months free. (20:36) Rationalizing fund size, securing re-ups, and worst pitching practices (25:55) Market sentiment and single deal SPV dynamics (29:34) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist (31:02) VC allocations, private credit, and market dynamics * Subscribe to the TWiST newsletter: https://www.ticker.thisweekinstartups.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out Altimeter: https://www.altimeter.com * Follow Meghan X: https://x.com/MeghanKReynolds LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghankreynolds * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:43) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (19:19) Runway - Sign up at https://runway.com/twist to get your first 3 months free. (29:34) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast