This Week in Startups

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.

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… 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 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. The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes. * Today’s show: Cecilia joins Jason for an in-depth discussion about the New York Times versus OpenAI case, delving into the intricacies of fair use and analyzing the Fair Use Test (6:07), examining the legal complexities surrounding data scraping for Large Language Models (28:21), exploring possible ramifications of this legal confrontation between these titans (40:06), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Cecilia Joins Jason (2:44) Cecilia’s Background in Law (3:44) Jumping into the case of NY Times vs OpenAI. (6:07) Exploring Fair Use legal tests (11:57) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist (13:50) The case of Roy Orbison vs Two Live Crew and the music industry’s rules on fair use. (19:04) Picking apart the defense of attribution. (22:22) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (24:43) Fair Use Test: Factors two and three (28:21) Legal challenges in data scraping for LLMs (32:40) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes (34:19) The fourth and final factor in the Fair Use Test. (40:06) Potential outcomes of NY Times vs OpenAI case (47:04) Google vs Java and legal discussions on digital platforms (51:49) Jason shares a possible solution to this case and how the subscription wall could change things. (57:54) Cecilia’s Grinch images on X (1:02:22) Legal viewpoint regarding commercial vs non-commercial use. (1:04:14) Summarizing where all this is going with the NY Times and OpenAI trial. (1:12:18) Reviewing the market-based solution to this case. * Check out GC AI: https://getgc.ai Website: ceciliaziniti.com Check out Ziniti Law: ⁠https://www.zinitilaw.com/ Check out Cecilia’s Maven Course here: https://maven.com/ceciliaz * Thanks to our partners: (11:57) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://www.mev.com/twist (22:22) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC athttp://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (32:40) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes * Follow Cecilia X: https://twitter.com/CeciliaZin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceciliaziniti/ * 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… 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. 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 NetSuite.com/twist 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 vanta.com/twist * Today’s show: Jason and Sunny make a bunch of predictions and bet $1000 on each for the upcoming year in AI. * Timestamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason to make some 2024 AI bets (4:46) Bet 1: There will be a top 100 song created by AI (10:22) Power dynamics in the music industry and its intersection with AI (13:01) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (14:34) Bet 2: AI will be capable of replicating Jason doing a TWiST Segment without listeners noticing (18:51) Bet 3: There will be an AI-generated Pixar short that has made it into mainstream (27:46) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://netsuite.com/twist (29:06) Bets 4 and 5: We see a small model deployed locally on an iPhone/Android (39:31) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (49:34) Bet 6: A multimodal model will be #1 by usage, AND open-source multimodal will beat out closed models (52:00) LLaVA: Large Language and Vision Assistant (58:04) The potential implications of the New York Times lawsuit (1:10:01) OpenAI's financial success, copyright lawsuits, and the potential of Disney and the New York Times in AI * LINKS: Midjourney: https://www.tiktok.com/@controllaxyz/video/7319184981987839263?_r=1&_t=8igobwQ1dzq AI Drake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhVuQ06tO3M AI Spongebob: https://twitter.com/Teridax/status/1741205766046888149 AI Pixar: https://twitter.com/eyishazyer/status/1741418522448986492 TinyLlama: https://huggingface.co/TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0 Llava: https://llava-vl.github.io/ Suno AI: https://www.suno.ai/ * Follow Sunny X: https://twitter.com/sundeep Check out Definitive Intelligence: 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

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 http://www.curotec.com/twist  and get $5000 off! 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. Masterworks. The first company allowing investors exposure into the blue-chip artwork asset class. TWIST listeners can skip the waitlist by going to ⁠https://www.masterworks.com/twist and using promo code TWIST. * Today’s show: Lon Harris sits down with Jason to examine product-market fit and market-pull and their role in McDonalds' success (21:11), the importance of complementary skill sets between founders within any startup.(32:41), the path of doubt, fear and uncertainty that founders experience (45:29), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Lon Harris joins Jason (3:35) Lon brings us quick hits on the film The Founder. (9:30) Lon shares his admiration for the film (10:16) Jason discovered the film through a curious link with Mark Knopfler. (12:02) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off (16:00) Delving into the McDonalds' story (17:47) Discussion on a common entrepreneurial revelation: efficiency and customer focus (21:11) Examining product-market fit and market-pull in "The Founder" and its role in McDonalds' success. (24:09) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (25:36) Building a series of innovations will create enormous value. (27:35) Ray Kroc takeaway: the pursuit of relentless self-improvement on the way to his one big win. (32:41) The importance of complimentary skill sets between founders within any startup. (34:25) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist (35:43) Exploring strengths and criticisms of the franchise model. (41:36) The role of spouses in startup formation (45:29) The path of doubt, fear and uncertainty that founders experience before any winning. (49:54) Lessons around deal-making and negotiation. (1:00:07) The power struggle between the McDonald brothers and Ray Kroc (1:02:43) Discussing the significance of equity and stock ownership in business (1:08:26) Ray Kroc’s brilliance came from his power to observe value and opportunity. (1:16:51) Business Breakdown Awards for “The Founder” * Thanks to our partners: (12:02) Curotec - Check out http://www.curotec.com/twist and get $5000 off (24:09) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (34:25) Masterworks - Skip the waitlist to invest in fine art at https://www.masterworks.com/twist * Follow Lon: X: https://twitter.com/Lons * 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