This Week in Startups

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC.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/twistGusto is easy online payroll, benefits, and HR built for modern small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist*Gusto pricing shown in ad is based on pricing prior to March 2025*Today’s show:Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo video creation platform Hour One (9:28), meal planner Dinnerfly (26:35), a short film titled “Borrowed Time,” entirely created using AI tools (49:18), and more!*Timestamps:(0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason(1:37) Exploring the dynamics of AI in the workplace, focusing on remote work management and efficiency debates.(9:28) Sunny demos Hour One sparked from Reid Hoffman’s deep fake post.(12:06) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(13:35) Sunny further demos his own use of Hour One.(17:22) Sunny demos Bland AI.(21:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(22:37) Jason and Sunny analyze "Bland AI," discussing various applications and evaluating the demo.(26:35) Sunny demos Dinnerfly.(31:52) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist(34:25) A conversation on Apple’s behaviour regarding its oxygen technology in smartwatches, including a fun John Malkovich reference from the film "Rounders.”(37:42) Sunny demos AI Comic Factory.(49:18) Sunny presents a short film entirely created using AI tools, titled “Borrowed Time.” Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*LINKS:Check out Hour One: https://app.hourone.ai/homeCheck out Bland: https://www.bland.ai/turboCheck out Dinnerfy: https://app.dinnerfy.com/Check out AI Comic Factory: https://huggingface.co/spaces/jbilcke-hf/ai-comic-factoryCheck out AI short film “Borrowing Time”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCIsHNQHcKQCheck out Jason and Sunny’s 2024 AI bets: http://www.thisweekinstartups/betsCheck out our AI demo clips: http://www.thisweekinstartups.com/AI*Thanks to our partners:(12:06) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(21:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(31:52) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist*Gusto pricing shown in ad is based on pricing prior to March 2025*Follow SunnyX:  ⁠https://twitter.com/sundeep⁠Check out: ⁠https://www.definitive.io/*Follow Jason:X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*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.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin*Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jason Shuman and Raja Doddala join the host to discuss startup valuations in 2024, caution for new shareholders, and benefits for existing shareholders. They talk about the changing definitions of funding rounds, importance of product-market fit, challenges faced by startups, and the rise of strategic investing by tech giants. They also touch on the shift to Series A funding, managing liquidity in venture capital, and investor roles and decision making.

This Week in Startups is brought to you 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. Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC. LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http://linkedin.com/angelpod * Today’s show: Joshua Berkowitz joins Jason discuss the critical role of LPs in venture capital, his family office's diversification into the field (4:37), strategies for evaluating and selecting fund managers (14:26), and the intricacies of fund management and fundraising (30:41). * Timestamps: (0:00) Berkocorp’s Joshua Berkowitz joins Jason (4:37) Why family offices diversify into venture capital - higher returns, high dispersion of returns, and the entrepreneurial aspect (9:32) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (10:59) Evaluating emerging managers - looking for exceptional strategies and execution (14:26) Decision making processes at venture firms - consensus vs individual decision-making. (19:56) What a VC fund has to do to be successful (25:48) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (26:41) Pros and cons of GPs being very vocal/political on social media (30:41) Quick disqualifications when evaluating new VC funds and challenges with GP "tourism" (34:59) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod (36:20) What kills companies - "likely winners" vs "definitive winners" (58:42) Clarity in the process for GPs raising funds from LPs * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out: https://www.berkocorp.ca/ * Thanks to our partners: (9:32) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (25:48) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (34:59) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://linkedin.com/angelpod * Follow at: X: https://twitter.com/berkowitz_josh https://twitter.com/Jason * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Curotec. Are you one of those companies that knows you need to be using AI, but you're not even sure where to start? Well then you need Curotec. They are AI experts, and they're offering TWiST listeners an AI Strategy Roadmap tailored to your business for $5000. That's 50% off the normal cost just for telling them we sent you. Check out curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off! Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members. Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST * Today’s show: Flexport's Ryan Petersen joins Jason to discuss the economics of "pick and pack" (5:42), factory-to-consumer effects (16:00), the impact of the Red Sea crisis (24:14), Flexport's leadership changes (35:11), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Flexport’s Ryan Petersen joins Jason (1:19) Ryan explains Flexport and the companies focus (5:42) The Economics of Pick and Pack - Shipping Directly from China to Customer (11:15) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (12:31) The Origin of Pick and Pack in Global Logistics (16:00) Factory-to-Consumer Effects on Fulfillment Centers and Product Quality (22:50) Curotec - Check out http://curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off (24:14) Analyzing the Impact of the Red Sea Crisis on Shipping (29:35) The Trend of Companies Sourcing from Factories Outside China (33:58) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST (35:11) Inside the Flexport CEO Drama and Leadership Challenges (42:28) How the Market Collapse Influenced Flexport's CEO Transition (47:51) Deciding When a Company Should Go Public (52:07) The State of the Global Workforce and Remote Work in Today's World * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * LINKS: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/flexport-acquires-shopifys-fulfillment-business https://customscity.com/from-past-to-present-a-historical-overview-of-section-321-and-its-influence-on-customs-compliance/#:~:text=Section https://news.usni.org/2024/01/07/indian-navy-retakes-merchant-ship-from-armed-hijackers-in-the-arabian-sea https://www.oberlo.com/blog/what-is-epacket-delivery https://www.neom.com/en-us/about/business?gclid=CjwKCAiA-vOsBhAAEiwAIWR0TWI18Hs6lr63ifzYvlOoQMChQJQ9Dqmt4XNzza3SoFSC-_16kQtvCxoCikAQAvD_BwE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BubAF7KSs64 * Thanks to our partners: (11:15) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (22:50) Curotec - Check out http://curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off (33:58) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST * Follow at: X: https://twitter.com/typesfast https://twitter.com/Jason * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… 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 MEV. Tired of the dev shop rollercoaster? Mev is your reliable technical partner, offering a well-established software development process designed to consistently deliver unparalleled value to their clients. Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist Imagine AI LIVE is an AI conference where you'll learn how to apply AI in YOUR business directly from the people who build and use these tools. It's taking place March 27th and 28th in Las Vegas, and TWiST listeners can get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist * Today’s show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to explore CES 2024 highlights including the buzzworthy new device Rabbit R1 (3:57), Elli Q, a new AI companion for the elderly (23:44), the launch of the GPT store (49:22), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (2:11) Review of CES, highlighting AI's omnipresence. (3:57) The new device 'Rabbit' at CES, generating significant buzz! (10:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (11:34) Evaluating the Rabbit R1 and purpose-built devices. (19:42) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist (21:04) The role of AI in integrating services via Large Language Models (LLMs). (23:44) Sunny demos Elli Q, a new AI companion for the elderly. (32:03) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist (33:37) Sunny showcases a new smartphone designed for kids. (49:22) The launch of the GPT store (43:23) Sunny checks out a GPT called “The Associate” and pitches a fun startup idea. (45:57) Exploring the brave new world and disruptive ability of the GPT store using All Trails as a case study. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out Definiteive Intelligernce: https://www.definitive.io/about * LINKS: Verge Article on CES and AI: https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/13/24035152/ces-generative-ai-hype-robots Bill Gates / Sam Altman Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkXELH6Y2lM Rabbit AI**:** https://www.rabbit.tech/ Elli-Q: https://elliq.com MMGuardian article: https://venturebeat.com/games/mmguardian-debuts-ai-smartphones-for-kids/ * Thanks to our partners: (10:26) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (19:42) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist (32:03) Imagine AI LIVE - Get 20% off tickets at http://www.imagineai.live/twist * Follow at: X: https://twitter.com/sundeep https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Michael Kim, Jason Calacanis, and David Weisburd discuss doubts LPs have about valuations, managing portfolios effectively, Keith Rabois' move from Founders Fund back to Khosla Ventures, and more! They also delve into the challenges of valuing investments in venture capital and the importance of staying informed about fund managers and portfolio companies. The speakers debate the balance between supporting startups and making profits, and explore decision-making cultures in VC firms, including the success of Founders Fund.

Dara Khosrowshahi, Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, and Jason Calacanis discuss Uber's growth and future plans, including Khosrowshahi's initial reservations about joining Uber and how he overcame them. The podcast also dives into the qualities of a CEO, game theory and network effects, understanding stock prices, raising capital, and the future of secondaries in tech companies.

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit http://www.scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month. Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC. 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 http://www.vanta.com/twist * Today’s show: Jon Miller, CEO and Founder of halcyon joins Jason to discuss how ransomware attackers get away with it and stay anonymous (6:12), hacker markets, bounties, tools, and AI's role (16:20), proactive measures for startups to safeguard themselves (34:42), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jon from Halcyon joins host Jason. (2:52) Delving into the renaissance of ransomware. (6:12) How ransomware attackers get away with it and stay anonymous. (8:27) Strategies for counteraction and policy implications. (10:10) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist (11:31) 2023 ransomware attacks on MGM and Caesar's in Las Vegas. (13:52) Halcyon's endpoint agent: a solution to thwart threats. (16:20) Exploring hacker markets, bounties, tools, and AI's role. (19:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (21:55) The effectiveness of multi-factor authentication and strong passwords. (22:49) Comparing financial vs. espionage attacks and the Colonial Pipeline event. (29:26) The escalating danger for companies and the Uber cyber attack. (31:27) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist (32:35) AI and quantum computing: new frontiers for hackers. (34:42) Proactive measures for startups to safeguard themselves. (37:08) Growing hacker sophistication in places like China, North Korea and Iran. (41:00) How the USA ranks in the world with cybersecurity and computer hacking. (43:41) Your privacy is an illusion and a look at the information available on TikTok. (48:01) The biggest threat that keeps Jon up at night. (50:36) American Power Grid Vulnerabilities and ways to be prepared. * Check out halcyon: https://www.halcyon.ai * Thanks to our partners: (10:10) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://www.scalablepath.com/twist (19:57) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (31:27) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist * Follow Jon: X: https://twitter.com/HalcyonAi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmillerhalcyon * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Nuts.com is offering new customers a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST Coda is the all-in-one doc for teams. And they introduced an AI-powered assistant to take the BUSY out of the WORK! Get started for free at coda.io/twist! * Today’s show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo an AI-driven room decorator (9:24), a website that uses AI to design and deliver clothing from concept to completion (26:57), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (1:37) Jason and Sunny discuss http://podcastai.com (7:54) Nuts.com - Get a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist (9:24) Demo 1: Roomreinvented - Submit a photo of your room and specify your desired decor or choose from presets (19:41) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://hvmn.com/TWIST (20:54) Demo 2: FaceID Plus - Upgrade stock photos with enhanced features (26:57) Demo 3: Pixite - Create clothing designs using generative AI, then purchase them (31:38) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist (33:04) Demo 4: SDXL Turbo (Stable Diffusion Clipdrop) - Realtime image generation (40:14) Demo 5: Storia Lab - AI-assisted image editing (46:10) Final Demos: Open Motion Lab and DreaMoving * LINKS: https://melengo.com/showroom https://www.semrush.com/website/youtube.com/overview/ https://www.roomreinvented.com/ https://huggingface.co/spaces/multimodalart/Ip-Adapter-FaceID https://pixite.ai/ https://clipdrop.co/stable-diffusion-turbo https://lab.storia.ai/ https://huggingface.co/spaces/OpenMotionLab/MotionGPT https://huggingface.co/spaces/jiayong/Dreamoving http://clipdrop.co/ * Follow Sunny X:  https://twitter.com/sundeep Check out: https://www.definitive.io/ * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Bill Gurley, Tech industry expert, joins David Weisburd to discuss the market downturn's impact on startups and the AI boom. They also talk about chatbots' potential and hype, as well as predicting the performance of tech giants in 2024.