

This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 12, 2023 • 46min
Using AI to revolutionize video game development with Scenario CEO Emmanuel de Maistre | E1741
Emmanuel de Maistre joins Jason to demo Scenario’s AI-powered game asset generator (3:54) before breaking down future applications of Scenario’s technology. Then, Presh gives a presentation on how to build no-code apps (26:41).
(0:00) Emmanuel de Maistre joins Jason
(1:29) The cost of developing video games
(3:54) Emmanuel demos Scenario
(11:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist
(12:45) Emmanuel demos Scenario continued, and the cost and use cases for this technology
(22:49) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off and a free bottle of cold-pressed macadamia oil at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20
(24:20) Addressing artist’s concerns
(26:41) Other applications for Scenario’s technology
(29:08) Emmanuel’s prior ventures
(31:23) Regulating AI
(36:50) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at http://crowdbotics.com/twist
(37:59) How to build No-Code apps
FOLLOW Emmanuel: https://twitter.com/emmanuel_2m
FOLLOW Presh: https://twitter.com/preshdkumar
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 11, 2023 • 1h 1min
Building brands and community + influencer marketing that actually works with Dee Murthy | E1740
Dee Murthy joins Jason to discuss the origin of the Group Chat podcast before talking about his new startup, Ghost (1:44). They then delve into fostering a community, staying true to your brand, and more! (30:12)
(0:00) Dee Murthy joins Jason
(1:44) The Origin of Group Chat podcast
(11:32) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist
(13:06) The impact of the Group Chat podcast
(18:49) The premise of Ghost
(22:57) QuickNode - Get one month free by using code TWIST at https://go.quicknode.com/twist
(24:15) Focusing on your customers and raising capital
(30:12) Fostering a community
(37:26) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist
(39:00) Understanding your brand’s voice
(46:09) Effective influencer marketing
(52:01) More on Ghost
FOLLOW Dee: https://twitter.com/deemurthy
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 10, 2023 • 1h 2min
Reid Hoffman on AI's "crescendo moment," regulation and real-world applications | E1739
Reid Hoffman joins Jason to discuss AI's current "crescendo moment," and its ability to amplify human capabilities (1:50). Then, they discuss AI regulation, real-world use cases, and much more! (25:55)
(0:00) Reid Hoffman joins Jason
(1:50) AI’s “crescendo moment,”
(12:48) Release - Get your first month free at https://release.com/twist
(14:20) AI's ability to amplify human capability
(24:21) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups
(25:55) Regulating AI
(35:35) Veed - Head to https://www.veed.io/pricing?utm_campaign=TWIS&utm_medium=Marketing&utm_source=YouTube and start creating professional-quality videos in minutes!
(36:45) The future of AI startups and Inflection AI's mission
(44:01) AI's real-world applications
(48:20) Compensating creators and real-world uses for AI
(57:27) Google's ability to compete in the AI race
FOLLOW Reid: https://twitter.com/reidhoffman
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 9, 2023 • 1h
Box CEO Aaron Levie breaks down Box AI and generative AI’s impact on business | E1738
Aaron Levie joins Jason to discuss the launch of Box AI (19:13), AI as a platform shift, its potential effects on employment dynamics (25:53), and much more!
(00:00) Aaron Levie joins Jason
(4:12) Thoughts on the impact and pace of AI
(6:54) Aaron's "Aha!" moment
(10:02) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST
(11:33) Getting consent to use data from customers
(13:50) Creating an AI model for early adopters
(19:13) Aaron demos Box AI
(24:33) MasterClass - Get up to 35% off for Mother’s Day at https://masterclass.com/startups
(25:53) AI making the workforce more efficient
(33:29) How AI technology affects morale
(36:45) The non-obvious uses of AI
(38:24) Hampton - Join the Hampton community today at http://joinhampton.com/twist
(39:44) The Writers Guild strike in Hollywood
(46:57) Copyright and citations
(53:49) The challenges with Crypto
FOLLOW Aaron: https://twitter.co/levie
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 9, 2023 • 54min
GPT-4 web browsing, plugin demos, AI layoffs + more with Sunny Madra & Vinny Lingham | E1737
Vinny and Sunny join Jason for another AI roundtable to demo ChatGPT’s web browsing capabilities (1:44), discuss AI’s effect on productivity and the workforce (13:53), demo Opus Clip and ChatGPT’s Zillow plugin (33:44), and more!
(0:00) Vinny and Sunny join Jason
(1:44) GPT-4 web browsing demo
(9:10) Inside.com’s AI strategy
(12:22) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(13:53) AI’s effect on productivity and the workforce
(23:36) Hyperice - Get $50 off your order of $150 or more with code TWIST50 at http://hyperice.com/
(25:04) Personal use cases for ChatGPT
(30:56) Market Pull
(33:44) Opus Clip demo
(39:55) Trovata - Use code TWIST at https://trovata.io/twist for 30% off one year of premium features, like AI forecasting
(41:08) Synthesia
(43:11) Zillow plugin demo
(49:51) The future of ChatGPT Plugins
FOLLOW Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep
FOLLOW Vinny: https://twitter.com/vinnylingham
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 5, 2023 • 46min
Mining asteroids with AstroForge CEO Matthew Gialich | E1736
AstroForge CEO Matthew Gialich joins Jason to discuss his startup’s lofty goal of mining Platinum Group Metals from asteroids (1:11). They discuss the recent launch of their Brokkr-1 space vehicle, the company’s road map to gather PGMs successfully from space, and SpaceX’s impact on the space industry (5:42). Then, Founder University’s Kelly Schricker gives a presentation on how to set up a fundraising process for your startup (31:51).
(0:00) AstroForge’s Matthew Gialich joins Jason
(1:11) The purpose of mining asteroids
(5:42) Brokkr-1 mission
(10:38) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST
(12:09) AstroForge’s roadmap
(16:07) Unit economics of hardware-based businesses
(17:38) Scaling Virgin Orbit and Virgin Galactic
(20:51) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist
(22:20) The evolution of the space economy
(30:43) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at http://crowdbotics.com/twist
(31:51) How to set up a fundraising process
FOLLOW Matt: https://twitter.com/MattGialich
FOLLOW Kelly: https://twitter.com/KSchricks
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 4, 2023 • 1h 9min
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on early rejection, customer focus & AI’s future in hospitality | E1735
Airbnb CEO and Co-Founder Brian Chesky joins Jason to tell the story of Airbnb’s early startup struggles (1:29) and discuss how the company has restructured operations to heighten focus on the product and its customers (16:05). They dive into addressing customer complaints, hyper-focused marketing, the AI opportunity for Airbnb, and much more (40:26).
(0:00) Airbnb’s Brain Chesky joins Jason
(1:29) Brian’s experience with early rejection
(14:48) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(16:05) Airbnb’s company structure and focusing on product first
(25:26) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups
(26:42) Staying focused, getting permission from your customers, and Airbnb’s new updates
(38:53) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist
(40:26) Addressing customer complaints and Brian’s philosophy on remote work
(49:23) AI’s future in hospitality and Brian’s personal experience with ChatGPT
FOLLOW Brian: https://twitter.com/bchesky
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 3, 2023 • 51min
Uber earnings + using AI to revolutionize clinical trials w/ Unlearn.AI’s Charles Fisher | E1734
First up, Jason breaks down Uber’s huge Q1 results! (1:21) Then, Unlearn.AI CEO Charles Fisher joins to discuss the advancements his company is making in fast-tracking clinical trials (9:49), how machine learning is used in drug development (16:24), Unlearn’s business model (35:24), and more!
(0:00) Jason kicks off the show
(1:21) Uber’s Q1 earnings
(8:31) QuickNode - Get one month free by using code TWIST at https://go.quicknode.com/twist
(9:49) The foundation of Unlearn.AI
(12:42) Unlearn.AI’s impact on the clinical trial process
(14:24) Criticisms of the current clinical trial model
(16:24) ML’s Impact on drug discovery
(24:16) CacheFly - Get 10 terabytes free by signing up at https://twist.cachefly.com
(25:42) The data used in the medical system today
(34:05) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups
(35:24) Unlearn.AI’s business model
(40:22) Building a foundational model for health
(44:06) The pace of AI today vs. the previous decade
(46:35) More on Unlearn.AI’s business model
(48:15) Creating foundational datasets in health
FOLLOW Charles: https://twitter.com/charleskfisher
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 2, 2023 • 1h
BuzzFeed vs Gawker, AI’s impact on the future of media, and more with Semafor’s Ben Smith | E1733
Jason is joined by Semafor Co-Founder and EIC Ben Smith to dive into his new book and explore the current state of media. They break down BuzzFeed vs Gawker, why media unions might not work (29:35), the future of journalism (36:54), and much more!
(0:00) Jason kicks off the show
(1:55) Semafor's Ben Smith joins Jason
(4:27) Ben's career in media
(6:19) The previous era of publishing
(9:13) The significance of BuzzFeed and Gawker
(13:49) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist
(14:53) Gawker's ethos
(19:31) The bet on companies like Facebook for media
(23:25) BuzzFeed's future
(24:51) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist
(26:07) Vice and Vox
(29:35) Unions in media
(35:34) iConnections - Get 20% off iConnections Miami 2024 event at https://iConnections.io/twist
(36:54) The clash between journalism and business
(45:34) Broadcast TV and going direct
(46:19) What is happening with Fox and CNN
(52:48) SBF and Semafor
FOLLOW Ben: https://twitter.com/semaforben
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

May 1, 2023 • 1h 12min
Demoing the most innovative new ChatGPT features with Sunny Madra and Vinny Lingham | E1732
Sunny and Vinny are back to break down ChatGPT's latest innovation: the Code Interpreter. They demonstrate its capabilities with two separate datasets on EVs in America and US Bank Failures (10:58) before discussing how platforms like ChatGPT will revolutionize organizational efficiency (31:19).
(0:00) Jason kicks off the show
(2:06) ChatGPT's new code interpreter
(9:24) OpenPhone - Start your free trial and get 20% off at https://openphone.com/twist
(10:58) ChatGPT's Code Interpreter example with EV data
(23:50) Coda - Get a $1,000 startup credit at https://coda.io/twist
(25:13) The global GPU shortage
(28:10) ChatGPT's Code Interpreter example with US Bank Failures
(31:19) How ChatGPT will change the modern-day organization
(38:55) Release - Get your first month free at https://release.com/twist
(40:27) Getting more efficient with ChatGPTs new updates
(47:53) Web browsing with ChatGPT
(56:11) How this technology will enable people
(1:04:15) How this has impacted Sunny
FOLLOW Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep
FOLLOW Vinny: https://twitter.com/vinnylingham
FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis
Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1
FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190
OTHER LINKS:
https://twitter.com/jbrowder1/status/1652387444904583169?s=20