This Week in Startups

Today’s show: Kruze COO, Scott Orn, joins Jason to discuss best practices for early stage startups to prepare for and execute successful board meetings. The two dive into the reasons VCs want governance through board meetings (00:56), what should be in a full board packet (6:51), formal things investors look for (11:10), and much more! Timestamps: (0:00) Kruze COO, Scott Orn, joins Jason (00:56) The reasons VCs seek governance in startups and key tips for developing a standardized board presentation (6:51) Building a startup financial package and the importance of presenting a financial flash page at the start of a board meeting. (11:10) Essential factors investors consider during a board meeting (15:08) The most common question regarding in-depth operational metrics (20:51) Examining R&D and engineering support expenses in the calculation of the cost of goods sold * Check out Kruze: https://kruzeconsulting.com * Follow Scott: https://twitter.com/scottorn * 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

Jerry Colonna, entrepreneur and leadership coach, joins Jason for a philosophical dialogue about the search for meaning as an entrepreneur. They discuss Jerry's journey from venture capitalist to founder coach, challenges leaders face as startups evolve, and how Jerry helps entrepreneurs transition from founder to CEO.

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… 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://www.miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members. The Equinix Startup program offers a hybrid infrastructure solution for startups, including up to $100K in credits and personalized consultations and guidance from the Equinix team. Go to https://deploy.equinix.com/startups to apply today. NetSuite. Once your business gets to a certain size the cracks start to emerge.  Things you used to do in a day take a week. You deserve a customized solution - and that's NetSuite. Learn more when you download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist - absolutely free, at http://www.netsuite.com/twist * Today’s show: Steve Ruiz, Founder of tldraw, joins Jason to discuss how Make Real went viral just one week after a recent funding round (5:35), diving into the debate of creating consciousness with AI (20:41), highlighting tldraw's versatility with multiple demonstrations including creating a stopwatch from simple sketches (24:21), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Steve Ruiz, Founder of tldraw, joins Jason. (2:26) The story behind tldraw and exploring its origins. (5:35) Discussing tldraw's business and how Make Real went viral just one week after a recent venture round. (6:46) Understanding “Open Core” (7:59) Demos: tldraw and Make Real, including the creation of a color picker. (12:01) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://www.miro.com/startups (14:42) Further exploring tldraw demos using Iterations (16:18) How multimodal AI responds to different instructions. (20:41) Are we creating consciousness in AI or merely simulating it? (21:25) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://www.deploy.equinix.com/startups (24:21) More demos! Creating a stopwatch application with varied approaches. (31:21) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://www.netsuite.com/twist (32:42) The future of tldraw and its potential to integrate across various AI models. * Check out tldraw: https://www.tldraw.com Thank you to our partners: (12:01) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://www.miro.com/startups (21:25) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://www.deploy.equinix.com/startups (31:21) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://www.netsuite.com/twist * Follow Steve X: https://twitter.com/steveruizok LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-ruiz-61a150239?originalSubdomain=uk * 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… Embroker. The Embroker Startup Insurance Program helps startups secure the most important types of insurance at a lower cost and with less hassle. Save up to 20% off of traditional insurance today at Embroker.com/twist. While you’re there, get an extra 10% off using offer code TWIST. 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. * Today’s show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo Google’s NotebookLM (5:00), Bard’s new capabilities after Gemini upgrade (17:13), Mixtral’s 8x7B model (53:59), and much more! * TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (5:00) Sunny demos Google NotebookLM (11:22) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (17:13) Bard's Gemini upgrade and Google's branding challenges (24:45) Ars Technica's experimental test bed (28:17) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (29:14) Unpacking Bard's enhanced capabilities (38:44) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (39:50) Evaluating Gemini, Its market position, and the GPT Landscape (53:59) Sunny demos Mixtral's 8x7B model (1:07:38) Sunny creates an AI influencer using Juggernaut XL model in Google Colab (1:18:24) Sunny demos Magnific’s powerful image upscaler * LINKS: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2023/12/chatgpt-vs-google-bard-round-2-how-does-the-new-gemini-model-fare/https://twitter.com/sundarpichai/status/1732433036929589301https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4pX1VAxaAIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kna9E_3kFF0&list=PL24nOpPUQlbYd1U349UDH2rrPaWWreM79&index=3https://notebooklm.google.com/?pli=1poe.comhttps://magnific.ai/upgrade/ * Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep * 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… 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 https://www.vanta.com/twist DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.com/twist * Today’s show: ScOp’s Kevin O’Connor joins Jason (1:39), exploring the early days of the internet, its initial promise, rapid growth, and the recent pivotal changes brought on by AI (1:39). They also discuss tactics for building in a declining market, the emergence of “death-icorns” (19:30), what he looks for in founders (39:18), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason welcomes Kevin O’Connor of ScOp Venture Capital. (1:39) Exploring the early days of the internet, its initial promise, rapid growth, and the recent pivotal changes brought by AI. (5:55) Discussing the impact and future prospects of AI as we approach 2024. (8:41) Delving into the potential influence of AI on sectors like Hollywood and the music industry. (10:03) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (11:11) Transitioning from founding companies to establishing a fund and supporting new startups. (15:25) Examining the evolution of founding a company, market dynamics, and fluctuating trends since the 1990s. (18:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (19:30) Tactics for building in a declining market, the emergence of “death-icorns,” and the pitfalls of debt-financed growth in unprofitable businesses. (27:57) The pendulum swings back after “the great reshuffling of America” and the phenomenon of over-employment. (29:53) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (33:13) Identifying unique opportunities in AI investments. (36:50) Recounting a near acquisition of Kevin’s company Graphiq by Apple for Siri integration. (39:18) What Kevin currently seeks in entrepreneurs before making an investment. (47:35) Discussing current valuation trends and the competitive nature of losing deals in venture capital. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out ScOp Venture Capital: https://www.scopvc.com * Follow Kevin: X: https://twitter.com/kjpoconnor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinoconnorsb Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thanks to our partners: (10:03) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (18:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (29:53) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://www.devsquad.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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jason chats with Scott Orn about founder salaries, discussing the trade-offs of starting a company, the importance of board-approved salaries, and equity. They also address gender disparities in founder salaries, managing personal expenses, and investor expectations. * (0:00) Scott Orn joins to discuss founder salaries (2:25) Trade-offs of starting a company and how salaries increase with funding (4:41) Role of builder founders and dangers of underpaying oneself (8:05) Transitioning into entrepreneurship and managing side hustles (10:03) Importance of board-approved founder salaries and discussing equity (13:05) Gender disparities in founder salaries and efforts to close the gap (15:52) Managing personal expenses and company accounts (17:05) Leading by example and salary distribution within a company (20:26) Investor expectations and high-value employees earning more than founders * Check out Kruze: ⁠https://kruzeconsulting.com⁠ Follow Scott: https://twitter.com/scottorn * 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… Arising Ventures is a holding company that acquires tech startups facing setbacks. Arising Ventures knows what founders care about because they aren’t bankers, they are tech founders themselves! Go to ⁠http://arisingventures.com/TWIST Masterworks. The first company allowing investors exposure into the blue-chip artwork asset class. TWIST listeners can skip the waitlist by going to ⁠https://masterworks.com/twist⁠ and using promo code TWIST. LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to http:/www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Today’s show: Blackshark.ai CEO Michael Putz joins Jason to discuss the necessity and vision behind creating a digital twin of our planet (3:22), why In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture arm, chose to invest in Blackshark.ai (14:59), the story and inspiration behind the name of Blackshark's new product, Orca Hunter (30:25), and much more! * TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Jason welcomes Michael Putz, CEO of Blackshark.ai. (2:40) What are the lessons learned in video game creation that inform creating a startup? (3:22) The necessity and vision behind creating a digital twin of our planet (8:24) Unraveling Blackshark's programming methods and learning algorithms. (11:04) Arising Ventures - head to http://www.arisingventures.com/TWIST to learn more and connect with the team (12:01) The modern approach to data training and insights from developing Microsoft’s Flight Simulator. (14:59) Discussing why In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture arm, chose to invest in Blackshark.ai. (15:41) A live demonstration of Blackshark's innovative new product, Orca Huntr. (22:16) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist (27:16) Planet Labs and the amazing cadence of updated satellite imagery. (30:25) The story and inspiration behind the name of Blackshark's new product, Orca Hunter. (31:48) LinkedIn Marketing ****- Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (34:37) Delving into the Austrian perspective on the in-office versus remote work debate. (36:53) Exploring how Blackshark’s team leverages AI for increased efficiency and effectiveness. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out Blackshark.ai: https://blackshark.ai * Follow Michael: X: https://twitter.com/blacksharkai LinkedIn: https://at.linkedin.com/in/michaelputz Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thanks to our partners: (11:04) Arising Ventures - head to http://www.arisingventures.com/TWIST to learn more and connect with the team (22:16) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist (31:48) LinkedIn Marketing -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups 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… CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://www.claconnect.com/tech House of Macadamias - Get a free month's supply of Macadamia Milk with any order at https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20! .Tech Domains - Apply to get your startup featured on This Week in Startups at https://www.startups.tech/jason Today’s show: 23andMe's Anne Wojcicki joins Jason for a deep dive on genome testing and healthcare. They cover the dramatic reduction in genome sequencing costs from billions to just $99 (3:15), the role of blood testing and sequencing in shaping 23andMe's health approach (27:02), the curious case of the venomous Gila monster (42:09), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Anne Wojcicki of 23andMe joins Jason for an insightful discussion. (1:28) Exploring the impact of 23andMe and the trend of genome sequencing for proactive health management. (3:15) Tracing the dramatic reduction in genome sequencing costs from billions to just $99. (10:58) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://www.claconnect.com/tech (12:24) Discussing a pivotal moment in advancing our understanding of health and genetics. (18:41) Strategies for integrating new health initiatives in the U.S. and international healthcare systems. (22:26) House of Macadamias is the next big health trend! Get a free month's supply of Macadamia Milk with any order at https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20! (23:54) Addressing the need for a paradigm shift in healthcare policies and incentive structures. (27:02) The role of blood testing and exome sequencing in shaping 23andMe's comprehensive health approach. (30:45) Embracing a holistic perspective in personal health and wellness. (32:57) .Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to http://www.startups.tech/jason to find out how! (34:02) Emphasizing the significance of regular blood tests for health monitoring. (41:55) A lesson in healthcare for everyone and the curious case of the venomous Gila monster. (48:59) Connecting the dots between modern healthcare, science, and technology: A real-life 'choose-your-own-adventure'. (52:39) Exploring the benefits of Lemonaid Health's acquisition by 23andMe. (58:32) Anne Wojcicki reflects on her 17-year journey in the field and shares her vision for the future of health and genetics. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out 23andMe: https://www.23andme.com * Follow Anne: X: https://twitter.com/annewoj23 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annewojcicki Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thanks to our partners: (10:58) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://www.claconnect.com/tech (22:26) House of Macadamias is the next big health trend! Get a free month's supply of Macadamia Milk with any order at https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20! (32:57) .Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to http://www.startups.tech/jason to find out how! * 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… 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. Brave. If you’re building AI and search-based applications, train your models with the Brave Search API. Get started for free at brave.com/jason Lemon.io - Hire pre-vetted remote developers, get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist Today’s show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo Figma FigJam (2:08), a product that generates images from real-time drawing (31:05), and more while discussing the implications of IP theft writ large. * Timestamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (2:08) Sunny demos Figma’s FigJam (9:43) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (10:40) Figma FigJam demo continued (16:02) Jason shares his AI generated images and discusses how companies navigate copyright issues (24:58) Brave - Try the Brave Search API at http://brave.com/jason (26:12) Feedback and thoughts for FigJam (31:05) Sunny demos Fal, an AI that gives generated images from real time drawing (40:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (41:49) Sunny demos the Real-Time Latent Consistency Model (47:01) Sunny demos Alibaba’s Animate Anyone * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Check out FigJam: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500004362321-Guide-to-FigJam Check out Fal: https://www.fal.ai/dynamic Check out the hugging face video demo: https://huggingface.co/spaces/radames/Real-Time-Latent-Consistency-Model Check out Animate Anyone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PCn5hLKNu4 * Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep * Follow Jason: Twitter: 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

David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), Co-founder of Basecamp and creator of Ruby on Rails, discusses the future of SaaS, alternative cost structures, challenges of remote work, internal culture struggles at Basecamp, and the importance of branding and domain names for startups.