
The Startup Podcast
A guide to the unique mindset and approach that drives Silicon Valley style disruption.
Build product, raise money, and scale your startup like the best. TSP hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein share practical advice based on decades of experience at Google, Uber, and their own startups.
Latest episodes

Jul 24, 2024 • 52min
President Harris: Tech's New Ally? Crowdstrike's Black Swan Attack and Sam Altman's World Without Work (Reacts) w/ Emil Michael
Could the rise of Kamala Harris as the new Democratic candidate impact the tech industry in significant ways?
Find out how her presidency, Crowdstrike's massive outage, and Sam Altman's UBI experiment could shape the future of your tech startup in this week's insightful Reacts episode.
On this week's episode, Ben Parr and Emil Michael former Chief Business Officer of Uber, join Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
President Harris: Her potential impact on Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry if she becomes President.
Crowdstrike's Massive Outage: Analysis of the causes and implications of their recent outage on big tech and Fortune 500 companies.
Sam Altman's UBI Experiment: The results and implications of his UBI experiment, which gave $1,000 per month to low-income individuals for three years.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jul 22, 2024 • 51min
Co-Founder Relationships - Avoiding the Big Breakup (Edu)
A strong co-founder relationship is crucial for any startup. Learn how to determine the ideal number of founders and understand the distinctions between roles and titles.
Also, Chris and Yaniv explain what you must know about:
The pros and cons of going solo vs. multiple founders.
CEOs and Founders and the distinction between roles and responsibilities.
Considerations on equity splits and vesting schedules.
Co-CEO conflicts and what to do about them.
How to manage breakups between founders gracefully when the relationship doesn’t work anymore.
If you’re looking to have an effective founding team, this episode is packed with strong advice from personal experiences from Chris and Yaniv.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Rippling. Rippling is a single all-in-one platform for your global workforce, covering HR, IT, payroll, expenses, and more. For a TSP listener offer of 3 months free, go to www.rippling.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jul 17, 2024 • 44min
Big Tech Investors Back Trump After Assassination Attempt (Reacts)
There's only one big topic in the headlines this week – the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. What will it mean for the future of tech?
On this week's episode, Elli Hanson joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
Knee Jerk Reactions: Immediate thoughts in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Bide 'n' Seek: What (if anything) Joe Biden and the Democrats can still do to win the next election.
Money Talks: How tech influencers like Elon Musk and David Sacks responded to the assassination attempt, and how this changes the tech field moving forward.
Vance Notice: Understanding JD Vance, Trump's VP pick and former VC principal at Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital.
Huge Language Model: The future of AI under a Trump presidency.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jul 15, 2024 • 57min
Angel Investing 101 – High Risk, High Reward (Edu)
Experienced investor Chris and angel investor Yaniv discuss the ins and outs of angel investing, from what makes a good angel investor to the mechanisms of direct investments and SPVs. They also touch on the challenges and benefits founders face when becoming angel investors themselves. Essential info for navigating the world of angel investing!

Jul 10, 2024 • 46min
Robots vs. Immigrants, AI Mega-Bubble, Facebook's Gaza Dilemma, Presidential Immunity (Reacts)
Could the rise of robotics lead to reduced immigration in Western countries? Learn about the latest events that will affect your tech startup in this week's politically charged Reacts episode.
Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein discuss:
Bubble Wrap: A recent article from Sequoia summarizes the risks of a potential AI investment bubble and its implications for startups and investors. (David Cahn/Sequoia, "AI’s $600B Question": https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/ais-600b-question/)
Zion's Den: Meta's controversial moderation of Israel and Palestine content, including the recent decision to ban the term 'Zionism', raise questions about online censorship and free speech.
King For A Day: The US Supreme Court has granted broad immunity to presidential actions – but is it as bad as it sounds? (Probably.)
Anti-Travel Agents: Yaniv observes how advancements in robotics and AI could upend immigration policies and labor markets.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jul 8, 2024 • 56min
Mastering Impostor Syndrome - Why Mike Scott Thinks You Belong
Impostor syndrome plagues many founders – but why? Founder and podcaster Mike Scott shares his own journey and the practical tools he's developed to overcome imposter syndrome.
In this episode, Mike Scott (SMB Mastery, 'How to be Moderately Successful') joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
Fool's Gold: Why impostor syndrome is common among founders, and why success often exacerbates it rather than alleviating it.
Mirror, Mirror: How to acknowledge, manage, and use imposter syndrome to grow yourself and your business.
Judge Dread: Tactical, practical steps to help you make better decisions, focus your energy, and build an incredible startup while living a fulfilling life.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Rippling. Rippling is a single all-in-one platform for your global workforce, covering HR, IT, payroll, expenses, and more. For a TSP listener offer of 3 months free, go to www.rippling.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jul 3, 2024 • 37min
AI's New Reality Takes Shape: Perplexity & Google Data + Facebook AI Labeling + Regulation in CA (Reacts)
Who are the winners and losers from this week in AI? Learn how Perplexity, Google, Facebook, and the state of California are handling (or not handling) the latest developments in tech.
In this week's episode, Amir Shevat and Emil Michael join Yaniv to discuss:
License to Crawl: The ethics and practical implications of Perplexity AI ignoring the robots.txt protocol.
Corpus Bride: How Google's data licensing deals for AI grounding may become the new industry standard.
Not So Binary: After backlash from artists and photographers, Facebook change their AI content labeling rules.
The Ungovernable Machine: Why most government efforts to regulate AI will fail, including recent proposals in California.
Tune in for a wide-ranging discussion of the philosophical, technological, and regulatory challenges of AI.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jun 26, 2024 • 1h 3min
Is DEI Really 'Anti-Merit'? Plus: Microsoft Teams' Antitrust, Ilya's 'Safe' AI & More (Reacts)
What lies at the intersection of 'diversity' and 'meritocracy'? Learn how Silicon Valley insiders defy polarized pop narratives to build talented teams with diverse perspectives.
In this week's episode, Amir Shevat joins Chris and Yaniv to discuss:
Tipping the Scale: The seasonal 'meritocracy vs. diversity' debate returns to Silicon Valley. Scale AI CEO Alexander Wang suggests replacing DEI with MEI ('merit, excellence and intelligence').
Thinking Cap: Ilya Sutskever takes a few parting shots at OpenAI as he launches a new startup, SSI ('Safe Super Intelligence'), focusing on AI safety. Can an AI startup move fast without breaking things?
Dig Up, Stupid: The old adage suggests that those who sell shovels get rich during a gold rush. But are there too many AI picks and shovels, and not enough miners?
Failing Vision: Apple have struggled to make a case for the Vision Pro. Has AI made AR more appealing than VR?
There's No EU in Teams: Microsoft faces an EU antitrust case over anti-competitive behaviour for bundling Teams with Office.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
The Startup Podcast is also sponsored by Rippling. Rippling is a single all-in-one platform for your global workforce, covering HR, IT, payroll, expenses, and more. For a TSP listener offer of 3 months free, go to www.rippling.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jun 22, 2024 • 16min
Hot Takes w/ Tim Doyle (Bonus)
Is marketing more art than science? Should VC-backed startups push for profitability?
Learn from Eucalyptus founder Tim Doyle as he tackles two highly debated topics in the startup world:
Brand Loyal: In the generational battle between performance marketers and brand storytellers, Tim advocates for a resurgence in compelling brand narratives.
Worshipping False Profits: Tim, Chris and Yaniv explain why it's contentious to push for profitability in venture-backed startups, emphasizing the need for bold, long-term growth over short-term gains.
Don't miss Tim’s refreshing and spicy takes on running a high-growth venture-backed business, developing effective marketing strategies, and the real economics of venture funds.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Jun 19, 2024 • 42min
AI vs Unions, Threads vs X, People vs Machines & Key Global Threats (Reacts)
Are Amazon workers fighting the inevitable? Learn how founders, investors and industry leaders are responding to the big trends in AI.
In this week's episode, Chris and Yaniv discuss:
Amazon Warriors: The Amazon Labor Union have joined the Teamsters. But how will warehouse worker representation matter amidst rising automation and AI?
A Common Thread: How does Meta's launch of the Threads API compare to Twitter's current and former developer ecosystems?
Hey Big Vendor: Why the US might be facing 'key vendor risk' in many areas, including from NVIDIA, Elon Musk, and Israel.
My Friend Robot: How AI's capacity to replace human labor may shift our loyalties towards AI-generated content.
The Pact
Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
Follow us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast
Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following.
Key links
The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp.
The Startup Podcast is also sponsored by Rippling. Rippling is a single all-in-one platform for your global workforce, covering HR, IT, payroll, expenses, and more. For a TSP listener offer of 3 months free, go to www.rippling.com/tsp.
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Credits
Editor: Justin McArthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
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