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
Aug 7, 2024 • 39min
Exodus at OpenAI, Tech Wreck 2024, Google (Finally) A Monopoly (Reacts)
Can the executive shakeup at OpenAI and a historic antitrust ruling against Google reshape the future of AI and tech innovation?
Dive into this week’s Reacts episode as Chris Saad and Amir Shevat explore these shifts and their ripple effects across the industry.
Exodus at OpenAI: Unpacking the departures of top executives and their implications for AI development.
Tech Market Volatility: Analyzing recent stock and crypto downturns—temporary blip or long-term trend?
Google's Monopoly Ruling: Understanding the antitrust decision and what it means for startups and competitors.
Join us for expert insights and in-depth analysis of these pivotal developments impacting the tech landscape.
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 31, 2024 • 50min
SearchGPT Takes on Google, Meta's AI Clones & The State of AI Investment (Reacts)
Could the launch of SearchGPT by OpenAI and Meta's AI Bots for creators redefine search engines and social media engagement?
Discover how these advancements will reshape the tech landscape in this week's Reacts episode, packed with the latest AI updates.
Join Ben Parr and Jeremiah Owyang as they discuss with Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein:
OpenAI's SearchGPT: Implications for Google, Perplexity, and ad networks.
Adoption barriers for new search models.
Meta's AI Studio: Boosting fan engagement and creator revenue.
AI Startups Surge: Trends in PLG, network effects, and attracting VC interest at events like Llama Lounge, hosted by our guest, Jeremiah.
Tune in for insights on these groundbreaking developments and their impact on the industry.
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 29, 2024 • 35min
Agile vs. Waterfall: Stop Practicing Agile Theater w/ John Cutler
Are you shipping faster than you learn, or learning faster than you ship? Learn the risks of practicing "agile" theater and iterating your product without direction.
On this week's episode, product legend John Cutler joins Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein to discuss:
Why so many teams get Agile wrong
Pros and cons of Agile vs. Waterfall
The dangers of practicing Agile by the book vs. based on experience
Combining Agile and Waterfall: “Wagile”
Book Recommendation: How Big Things Get Done
The importance of planning and strategic vision
If you're ready to get things done while avoiding iterative dead-ends, this episode is for you.
Book Recommendation Link: https://a.co/d/f4NWJDA
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
Content Strategist: Carolina Franco
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang
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 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
