This Week in Startups

Jason breaks down an AI experiment conducted by Google and Stanford researchers, where they created a simulated Sims-like video game with characters driven by AI (2:27). Then, he discusses Bloomberg announcing its own financially-focused LLM and what it means for analysts (21:58). He wraps with two quick hits about San Francisco’s dire commercial real estate situation and the collapse of an instant delivery startup (37:51). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:27) Stanford and Google paper "Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior" (10:10) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (11:38) Prompting the agents and programming AI (20:28) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (21:58) Bloomberg releases BloombergGPT (32:35) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20 (34:03) The future for financial analysts (37:51) San Francisco's commercial real estate debacle  (47:03) MilkRun shuts down 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

The man behind the anonymous accounts “prayingforexits” on Instagram and “@mrexits” on Twitter joins Jason for a jam-packed episode. Topics covered: what founders can learn from Logan Roy (2:29), what recent ZIRP fraudsters have in common (21:39), where GPT-4 ranks in terms of revolutionary product launches (31:28), AI’s impact moving forward, the state of VC (1:02:29), and so much more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show  (2:29) Succession, Logan Roy’s mentality & winning (9:22) Purpose-driven CEOS (20:07) Orgspace - Get $2000 in credits at http://orgspace.io/twist (21:39) ZIRP fraudsters (29:56) Issuu - Sign up for free or get 50% off an annual premium account by using promo code twist at https://issuu.com/podcast (31:28) Revolutionary product launches  (42:24) Brilliant.org - Get 20% off an annual subscription at http://brilliant.org/twist (43:52) AI’s impact moving forward (1:02:29) The state of VC (1:18:51) Mayor Jason FOLLOW PrayingForExits: https://twitter.com/mrexits 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

Jason breaks down the valuation tension surrounding YC demo days (2:36), how to get better prices on YC-equivalent startups (8:59), Garry Tan's response to complaints (15:18), and more! Then, Jason reacts to a law firm's leaked expectations list that went viral (29:29) before wrapping with some thoughts about Substack (41:59). (0:00) Jason tees up Friday's topics! (2:36) Understanding the valuation tension of YC's demo day; why some investors resent YC (8:59) Jason's three ways to avoid overpaying for YC startups (13:56) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (15:18) Garry Tan's response to demo day valuation complaints; Harry Stebbings and Garry Tan's back and forth on valuations/expectations (24:07) Linode - Apply to Linode's Rise program for a $500 credit and up to six figures in discounts at https://linode.com/twist (25:34) How startups that got accepted into YC can cold email top VCs to raise pre-demo day (29:29) Jason reacts to a law firm's leaked expectations list that went viral (36:13) QuickNode - Get one month free by using code TWIST at https://go.quicknode.com/twist (37:25) Reactions to the viral expectations list (41:59) Substack publishes 2021 gross revenue, net loss, and cash on hand and Jason breaks down the company's position Email your pitch deck to yc@launch.co if you were rejected by YC and want to meet with the LAUNCH team! Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

Satya Patel joins Jason to discuss the economics of being a self-funded GP and the structure of their fund (6:51). Then, they have an all-encompassing discussion about the challenges of running Google today, the state of VC, and much more (15:44). Before wrapping, they discuss their investing frameworks and when and when they will not break them (43:29).  (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:21) Satya's early days a Google (6:51) The economics of being a solo GP (9:29) Mercury - Apply in minutes and get up to $5M in FDIC insurance at https://mercury.com (10:58) The structure of a fund (15:44) The challenges of running Google today (17:51) The evolution of chat-based search  (22:55) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (24:25) The balkanization of AI data  (29:55) The pace of AI and the harsh reality of the private sector  (38:11) Clumio - Start a free backup, or sign up for a demo at https://clumio.com/twist (39:28) Saying "no" to external funds  (43:29) Flexible Frameworks (58:05) Founder Archetypes  (1:01:38) Being "founder friendly" and the importance of board meetings  (1:14:09) Screendoor  (1:22:25) Satya's thoughts on SVB  FOLLOW Satya: https://twitter.com/satyap 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

Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring three startups from our Founder University program! Apply for Founder University: https://course.founder.university (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:07) Introducing Founder University (7:14) Pitch 01: Xinyue Ma of Sticker (11:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (13:00) Jason’s feedback for Sticker (15:07) Pitch 02: Joseph Homsy of Outmost (17:11) Jason’s feedback for Outmost (23:14) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist  (24:40) Pitch 03: Cam Richardson of PaySquad (26:55) Jason’s feedback for PaySquad (29:45) Ranking the pitches (35:20) Mayfair - Get 4% APY on your idle cash automatically at https://getmayfair.com/twist (36:50) The importance of product velocity (39:41) Final thoughts on Sticker (42:23) Final thoughts on Outmost (44:26) Final thoughts on PaySquad (46:04) Jason invests $25k in… (47:39) Q&A with Jason  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

First up, Jason touches on Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund disclosing which VC firms it has made LP investments in (2:48), which leads to him pondering the human rights issues and if founders care where their money comes from (18:52). Jason caps off the show by breaking down the SEC’s charges against Frank founder Charlie Javice for allegedly closing a $175M acquisition based on over 4M fake user accounts (30:18). (0:00) Jason kicks off today’s show (2:48) Saudi Arabia discloses LP positions (8:24) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups (9:52) Why is Saudi Arabia diversifying? (17:21) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (18:52) Founders’ thoughts on where their funding comes from (21:26) Jason’s passion for human rights (29:01) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist  (30:18) Frank founder charged with fraud (33:03) Be clear about your customers (34:35) Allegations against Charlie Javice (47:00) Lessons for founders  (44:56) Ivy League convicts LINKS: Sanabil Investments LP Disclosure document https://www.sanabil.com/en/our-partners/ 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

Jason kicks off the show by breaking down clips from a recent conversation between Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Adam Neumann about Saudi Arabia’s promising startup scene (2:44). This leads to Jason diving into new city concepts and Trump’s presidential campaign (13:01). Then, BioFluff CEO Martin Stübler joins the show to discuss his sustainable fashion alternative (30:44). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:44) Saudi Arabia’s promising startup scene (11:31) Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, sign up for free at https://coda.io/twist (13:01) Creating cities and societies  (18:21) Trump-topia (23:33) Mercury - Apply in minutes and get up to $5M in FDIC insurance at https://mercury.com (25:02) Trump’s presidential campaign  (29:16) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist (30:44) BioFluff CEO Martin Stübler on developing plant-based fur FOLLOW Martin: https://twitter.com/MartinStubler 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

Stephen Wolfram of Wolfram Research joins Jason for an all-encompassing conversation about AI, from the history of neural nets (7:53) to how modern ai emulates the human brain (19:33). This leads to an in-depth discussion about the pace at which AI is evolving (43:46), The “Post-Knowledge Work” era (58:45), the unintended consequences of AI (1:03:52), and so much more. (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:24) Under the hood of ChatGPT (7:53) What is a neural net?  (10:05) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud cost audit with a personal consultation at https://cast.ai/twist (11:33) Determining values and weights in a neural net (18:28) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (19:33) Emulating the human brain (23:26) Defining computational irreducibility (26:14) Emergent behavior and the rules of language (31:49) Discovering logic + creating a computational language (38:10) Clumio - Start a free backup, or sign up for a demo at https://clumio.com/twist (39:38) Wolfram’s ChatGPT plugin (43:46) The rapid pace of AI  (58:45) The “Post-Knowledge Work” era (1:03:52) The unintended consequences of AI  (1:11:45) Rewarding innovation  (1:16:12) The possibility of AGI  (1:20:07) Creating a general-purpose robotic system FOLLOW Stephen: https://twitter.com/stephen_wolfram 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

Vinny Lingham joins Jason to break down the state of crypto’s de-platforming by the US government. They discuss recent happenings with Coinbase (2:13), Balaji’s Bitcoin bet (20:00), Binance (38:23), SBF (44:07), and more! Then, they wrap with a discussion about the coming balkanization of AI (52:54). (0:00) Jason tees up today’s topics (2:13) Coinbase’s Wells notice & the state of crypto (8:08) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (9:36) Clarity within the crypto industry (15:06) The future of Bitcoin in the US  (18:29) Orgspace - Get $2000 in credits at http://orgspace.io/twist (20:00) Balaji’s bet and hyperinflation (25:50) A debate on whether to short Coinbase (36:52) Issuu - Sign up for free or get 50% off an annual premium account by using promo code twist at https://issuu.com/podcast (38:23) CFTC sues Binance  (44:07) SBF’s indictment  (49:00) Why is the government clamping down on crypto?  (52:54) The balkanization of AI 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

Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring three startups from our Founder University program! Apply for Founder University: https://course.founder.university (0:00) Jason kicks off the show  (1:58) Kelly and Presh discuss reactions from the Founder University community (6:47) Presentation 1: Kevin O'Connell, Founder and CEO of Kapsule (12:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at ⁠https://Squarespace.com/TWIST⁠  (13:38) Presentation 2: Julien Hoachuck, Founder of ArkiTask  (19:48) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at ⁠https://Embroker.com/twist ⁠  (21:10) Presentation 3: David Axelrod, Founder of Open Insure (32:07) CacheFly - Get 10 terabytes free by signing up at ⁠https://twist.cachefly.com ⁠ (33:28) Deliberations  (37:36) Jason's thoughts on the three companies (41:13) Key takeaways from Founder University (46:22) How to learn more about Founder University FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Presh: https://twitter.com/preshdkumar FOLLOW Kelly: https://twitter.com/KSchricks 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