This Week in Startups

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… LinkedIn Jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters. Go to LinkedIn.com/TWIST to post your first job for free. Terms and conditions apply. 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 http://coda.io/twist IntouchCX. Want to build a loyal customer base for your startup? Unlock the power of innovative AI and automated support solutions from IntouchCX to deliver fast, personalized support and enhance your customers’ experience. Schedule your consultation today at http://intouchcx.com/twist * Today’s show: Sunny joins Jason to discuss OpenAI’s DevDay announcements (1:33). Then, Sunny demos an AI-driven chatbot creator (32:49), an AI email-first Chief of Staff (39:12), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason to break down OpenAI DevDay! (1:33) OpenAI DevDay announcements: GPT-4 Turbo, expanded context windows, Custom GPTs, and more (12:57) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (14:28) How OpenAI's "GPT Store" could change the way we consume the internet (22:02) GPT-4 Turbo, speed, cost reduction, expanded context window issues (26:16) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist (32:49) DEMO: Droxy.ai: a custom chatbot platform (37:54) InTouchCX - Schedule a free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist (39:12) DEMO: Mindy.com: an AI-powered email Chief of Staff (45:43) DEMO: Brave Nightly's webpage summarizer (50:24) DEMO: Zapier's AI-powered Zaps * Check out what happened at OpenAI DevDay: https://devday.openai.com/ Check out Droxy Ai: https://www.droxy.ai/ Check out Mindy: https://mindy.com/ Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com 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 Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 www.vanta.com/twist The Embroker Startup Program helps startups secure the most important lines of insurance, at a lower cost, and with less hassle. For guaranteed 10% off on premiums (& up to 20% depending on quote) go to www.embroker.com/twist. Brave is an internet privacy company on a mission to protect your personal info online. Try the Brave Search API at http://www.brave.com/jason Today’s show: Maven Co-Founder and CEO Gagan Biyani joins Jason to break down his startup's live, cohort-based education model (2:28). Then, Gagan dives into his past journeys at Udemy, where he was eventually fired but wound up revolutionizing online learning and going public (35:08), and Sprig, a food-delivery startup that went on to raise $60M and scale to $20M in revenue, but ultimately failed (47:36). * Time stamps: (0:00) Gagan Biyani, CEO of Maven, joins Jason to discuss the future of online learning. (2:24) Maven: the evolution of online learning. (3:23) Exploring Maven's elite courses offered by a diverse pool of passionate professionals. (6:57) Analyzing who is leveraging Maven for education and the cost dynamics of online learning. (10:30) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (11:36) How Maven's live cohort-based learning emphasizes accountability and interactivity for higher success rates. (13:15) Comparing the outdated cost structures of traditional education with modern alternatives. (23:10) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://www.Embroker.com/twist (26:31) Unveiling the potential earnings for educators in the online learning marketplace. 28:27) The online educational landscape featuring insights on Coursera, Udemy, and others. (30:56) Brave - Try the Brave Search API at http://www.brave.com/jason (33:40) Jason built the “pit” at TechCrunch50, where he and Gagan first met. (35:08) How Udemy's early days were shaped by the Founder Institute and Adeo Ressi. (41:28) Gagan shares his personal story of being fired from Udemy and his lessons learned. (47:33) The trials, tribulations, and ultimate closure of the food delivery startup, Sprig. (53:39) Discussing the most effective methods for scaling and growing a product. (55:02) The world of fundraising and understanding the power law in venture capital. Check out Maven: https://www.maven.com Follow Gagan: https://twitter.com/gaganbiyani https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/applyBuy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com 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 Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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… The Equinix Startup program offers provides a hybrid infrastructure solution for startups, including up to $100K in credits and personalized consultations and guidance from the Equinix team. Go to https://equinixstartups.com to apply today. Fitbod. Tired of doing the same workouts at the gym? Fitbod will build you personalized workouts that help you progress with every set. Get 25% off your subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up now at fitbod.me/TWIST. LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Today’s show: Convai CEO Purnendu Mukherjee joins Jason to discuss creating AI-powered NPCs using Convai (6:05), the birth of generative AI (22:17), open-source vs. closed AI (36:01), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Convai CEO Purnendu Mukherjee joins Jason (3:54) The motivation behind Convai (6:05) Purnendu breaks down creating an NPC character using Convai (10:16) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://equinixstartups.com (11:36) Demo of character creation using Convai's unique toolset (17:18) Integrating AI Characters into Game Worlds with Convai (20:50) Fitbod - Get 25% off at https://fitbod.me/twist (22:17) Convai’s business model and the issue game developers have with moving from flat rate to usage-based charges (25:00) Purnendu reflects on his time at Nvidia (29:57) The birth of the generative AI boom (34:30) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (36:01) Navigating the Future: AI Regulation & open-source vs. closed AI (40:11) The countdown to self-creating AI (43:13) Purnendu breaks down data collected for AI and the uses for an AI-enabled Amazon Mechanical Turk Check out Convai: https://www.convai.com Follow Purnendu: https://twitter.com/purn3ndu https://www.linkedin.com/in/purn3ndu * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com 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 Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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

Airtable CEO Howie Liu discusses product-led growth, bridging the gap between spreadsheets and purpose-driven apps, blitzscaling hiring, challenges of switching to profitable growth, connecting chefs with customer feedback, pricing and features of Airtable's enterprise plan, convenience of using Type Form or Survey Monkey, services provided by Northwest Registered Agent, speaker's obsession with AI, AI models in generating investment data, and the benefits of AI tools in writing.

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Arising Ventures - Head to http://arisingventures.com/TWIST to learn more and connect with the team 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 Brave - Download today at https://brave.com/twist to browse faster, search privately and so much more * Today’s show: Sunny joins Jason for more demos! An AI-driven ownership and equity platform for founders (14:37), an AI interviewer who conducts live interviews (27:20), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (6:08) Jason’s experience with ChatGPT multimodal (13:31) Arising Ventures - head to http://arisingventures.com/TWIST to learn more and connect with the team (14:37) Sunny demos Mantle, an AI-powered cap table management platform for founders (25:49) Nuts.com - Get a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at http://www.Nuts.com/twist (27:20) Sunny demos Talently.ai, an AI-powered job interviewer (39:37) Brave - Download today at https://brave.com/twist to browse faster, search privately and so much more (40:50) Sunny demos Morise.ai, a tool that helps YouTube creators generate titles, descriptions, and tags for videos! * Check out Mantle: https://withmantle.com Check out Talently AI: https://interview.talently.ai Check out Morise AI: https://morise.ai Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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… Mercury. With Mercury Raise, startup founders no longer have to navigate roadblocks alone. Visit http://mercury.com/raise to get access to a network, connections, and advice. Corient. Real wealth requires real solutions. Corient provides wealth management services centered around you. For more information, speak with an advisor today at http://corient.com 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://vanta.com/twist * Today’s show: First, Loop Golf's CEO Matt Holder joins Jason for a jam session on scaling his startup, which is building an automatic tee time booking app for golfers (4:32). Then, Jason gives a recap on the news surrounding Cruise robotaxi & more! (32:43) * Time stamps: (0:00) Loop Golf’s Matt Holder joins Jason (4:32) What sets Loop Golf apart from traditional golf booking apps (8:17) Matt demos Loop Golf (15:23) Mercury Raise - Visit http://mercury.com/raise to get access to a network, connections, and advice (16:49) The sudden surge in the popularity of golf (20:53) The current state of golfer-tracking technology (24:27) Corient - Speak with one of Corient's wealth management advisors today at http://corient.com (25:29) Incorporating real-time features into Loop Golf (27:40) Thoughts on surge pricing and additional app features (31:33) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (32:43) The suspension of Cruise’s robotaxi permit in San Francisco. * Check out Loop Golf: https://loopgolf.co/ Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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… Lemon.io. Get access to Lemon Hire, a platform with more than 80,000 pre-vetted engineers that you can interview within 48 hours. Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire today! Codecademy. Build the future you want to see with Codecademy. Codecademy Pro helps you learn everything you’ll need to shape what comes next in the tech space. Try it free for 14 days. Visit Codecademy.com/TWiST 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 * Today’s show: Sunny Madra joins Jason to demo an AI-powered legal docs tool (6:46), detection tool (15:38), Google’s workspace AI (35:15), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Sunny Madra joins Jason (6:46) Sunny demos Legal Now - AI-powered legal docs tool (10:01) Lemon.io - Get $2000 off your first hire at http://lemon.io/hire (11:10) Sunny demos Rows - Web-based Excel (15:38) Sunny demos Originality AI - AI detection tool (22:36) Codecademy - Try Codecademy Pro FREE for 14 days at http://codecademy.com/TWiST (24:02) Apple testing M3 MacBook Pros with 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores (31:32) Sunny demos Summarize.tech - Summarizes YouTube videos (33:57) NetSuite - Download your free KPI Checklist at http://netsuite.com/twist (35:15) Sunny demos Google Docs AI write (43:49) Sunny demos Google Sheets AI * Check out Legal Now: https://ai.legalnow.xyz/ Check out Rows: Rows.com Check out Originality AI: https://app.originality.ai/content-scan/6910415 Check out Summarize.tech: https://www.summarize.tech/www.youtube.com/watch?v=co_MeKSnyAo * Follow Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep Check out Definitive Intelligence: https://www.definitive.io/ Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 https://Embroker.com/twist. While you’re there, get an extra 10% off using offer code TWIST. CLA. Innovation takes balance. CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors can help you get from startup to where you want to end up. Get started now at https://CLAconnect.com/tech IntouchCX. Looking for ways to make your startup more efficient? IntouchCX has a ground-breaking suite of AI-powered tools for end-to-end optimization to give your business the edge it needs to thrive. Get started with your free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist * Today’s show: Jason kicks the show off with a discussion on the state of venture capital in the Middle East (1:34). Then, he breaks down Q3 earnings reports for Google, Microsoft, and Snap (18:12), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:34) The state of VC in the Middle East (10:15) The founder ecosystem and adapting to EU regulations (13:57) Updates on "THE LINE" (16:45) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (18:12) Google Q3 earnings (22:48) Microsoft Q3 earnings (28:21) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech (29:57) Snap’s Q3 earnings (38:33) InTouchCX - Get started with a free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist (39:57) Snap’s Daily Active Users (DAU) (43:15) Frameworks for investing in consumer internet companies (44:56) Greycroft layoffs * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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 https://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. Catalog. Stop wasting time and money with expensive design firms and unreliable freelancers! Get fast, 3-day turnarounds for a flat monthly fee with Catalog! Get $1200 off right now at https://trycatalog.com/twist .Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to https://startups.tech/jason to find out how! * Today’s show: Mathew Russell Lee from Inner City Press joins Jason to discuss life as an independent journalist (13:47), startup fraud trends (2:27), his firsthand observations from the SBF courtroom (17:05), the state of the justice system (1:01:16), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Inner City Press’ Matthew Russell Lee joins Jason (2:27) The failed Nikola Badger launch and trial of CEO Trevor Milton (10:03) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist (11:24) Current status of the SBF trial (13:47) Matthew's approach to journalism (17:05) Firsthand observations from the SBF courtroom and reflections on cooperators’ testimonies (20:56) The dynamics among the accused and framing of their involvement (23:54) The jury’s key point of interest (28:38) Catalog - Get $1200 off right now at https://trycatalog.com/twist (30:07) SBF’s family involvement and use of effective altruism (34:58) SBF's defense strategy and alleged misuse of client funds (40:58) .Tech Domains - Apply to get your startup featured on This Week in Startups at https://startups.tech/jason (43:25) SBF’s extradition and Sam Trabucco's role in the Chinese bribery scheme (47:09) Recouping money (50:57) Remaining aspects of the SBF trial (53:57) SBF's character and upbringing (56:19) Outcomes of previous fraud cases and thoughts on SBF's conviction (1:01:16) SDNY's nature and the state of the U.S. justice system * Follow Matthew: https://twitter.com/innercitypress Check out Inner City Press: https://www.innercitypress.com/ Check out Matthew's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MatthewRussellLee * Check out TWiST episode 1090: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH-zhlqvJWM Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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… IntouchCX. Looking for ways to make your startup more efficient? IntouchCX has a ground-breaking suite of AI-powered tools for end-to-end optimization to give your business the edge it needs to thrive. Get started with your free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist Fount. Do you want access to the performance protocols that pro athletes and special ops use? With Fount, an elite military operator supercharges your focus, sleep, recovery, and longevity, all powered by your unique data. Want a true edge in work and life? Go to fount.bio/TWIST for $500 off. .Tech Domains has a new program called startups.tech, where you can get your startup featured on This Week in Startups. Go to startups.tech/jason to find out how! * Today’s show: Sanctuary AI CEO Geordie Rose joins Jason for an incredible interview on the complexities of using AI to train robots (11:09), developing large behavior models (17:53), the 'lights out' moment in manufacturing (42:52), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Sanctuary AI CEO Geordie Rose joins Jason (3:42) Sanctuary AI's approach to robotics and motivation behind creating humanoid robots (6:05) The human hand's integral role in AI-driven robot development: Planning, reasoning, and understanding the world (11:09) Moravec’s paradox and the challenges of instilling perception in robots (16:40) InTouchCX - Get started with a free consultation at http://intouchcx.com/twist (17:53) The significance of "Micro-Policies" and developing large behavior models (22:59) Exploring human cognition and large behavior models (28:52) Fount - Get $500 off an executive health coach at https://fount.bio/twist (30:23) Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix robot, robot training, and use of large language models (37:46) Robotics in automotive manufacturing (41:43) .Tech Domains - Apply to get your startup featured on This Week in Startups at https://startups.tech/jason (42:52) The"lights out' moment in manufacturing and the challenge of regulatory capture in AI (56:01) Humans’ problem-solving nature and roots of technological fear * Check out Sanctuary AI: https://sanctuary.ai/ Follow Geordie: https://twitter.com/realgeordierose * Check out Bill Gurley’s 2,851 Miles: https://youtu.be/F9cO3-MLHOM?feature=shared * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/fourApply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * 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