This Week in Startups

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Pilot - https://pilot.com/twistShopify - https://shopify.com/twistGrasshopper Bank - https://grasshopper.bank/twistToday's show:An AI agent named Valerie is running a real vending machine in San Francisco — setting prices, ordering inventory, managing a bank account, and posting to Instagram. And it's not just a stunt. We're getting an early look at the future of one-agent companies. There's still work to do to help agents ease into the economy, potentially opening up new startup opportunities.Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm cover a stacked docket: Christian van der Henst demos the Valerie AI vending machine powered by OpenClaw; Robert Myers, CEO of Manifold Labs, breaks down Targon, a confidential GPU compute marketplace running on Bittensor Subnet 4; Jason calls Bitcoin "played out;" Alex is impressed by Anthropic's stunning $900 billion upcoming valuation; and the guys discuss Big Tech's accelerating CapEx spend, Chinese AI models in Congress crosshairs, and the NBA Playoffs.Timestamps:0:00 Intro & sponsor reads (Pilot, Shopify, Grasshopper Bank)1:06 Christian van der Henst: Valerie the AI vending machine demo4:28 Legal structure: Giving an AI agent business ownership via trust7:23 Where agents can and can't operate today10:10 Grasshopper Bank: Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.11:48 AI café in Stockholm running on agents18:21 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!19:05 Robert Myers, Manifold Labs: Targon & Bittensor Subnet 4 interview20:21 What is Bittensor? An "incubator with 128 subnets"21:08 Shopify: Turn those What If's into sales with the ecommerce platform powering millions of businesses. Sign up for your $1-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/twist25:21 Pricing, utilization caps, and why GPUs are sold out26:38 Who's using Targon? Customers, use cases, and the mom-and-pop data center argument30:06 Pilot: Focus on your product, let Pilot handle your bookkeeping. Pilot provides the most reliable accounting, CFO, and tax services for startups and small businesses. Head to https://pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.35:07 Jason explains the annotated.com vision — 15 years in the making39:11 Polymarket: Will Anthropic flip Bitcoin by Dec 31?40:29 Jason's Bitcoin bear case: "It's played out. No incremental buyers."46:05 MicroStrategy / Strategy updates52:37 AI compute demand vs. the fiber overbuild analogy55:55 Congress pressuring startups over Chinese AI models (DeepSeek, Moonshot)57:11 A16z on the geopolitical risk of Chinese AI models1:00:08 Reflection AI — America's open source AI champion (or lack thereof)1:01:26 Off Duty: Knicks blow out Atlanta Hawks 140–89, Jason goes road-trippingSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

The TWiST AI Basics series is made possible by Google Cloud!Check out Google Cloud's new report, “Future of AI: Perspectives on generative media for startups,” Featuring thoughts from today's guest, Joaquín Cuenca AbelaVisit: goo.gle/futureofgenmedia to check it out!Today's show:In today's edition of TWiST AI Basics, J-Cal is joined by Joaquin Cuenca Abela, co-founder and CEO of Magnific (formerly known as Freepik). We're discussing how generative AI is transforming the creative landscape for startups.In watching today's show you'll have-consider your expectations of what AI video can actually do for you and your business. What used to take a high end production team months and tens of thousands of dollars now takes 24 hours and one person with patience to learn the right tools. This conversation explores how founders can use these tools to scale their creative output better, cheaper, and faster.Timestamps:0:00 Google Cloud - Check out Google Cloud's new report, "Future of AI: Perspectives on generative media for startups," Featuring thoughts from today's guest, Joaquín Cuenca Abela at https://goo.gle/futureofgenmedia1:10 Welcome to AI Basics, presented by Google Cloud!2:11 Meet Joaquín Cuenca Abela, CEO of Magnific (formerly Freepik)3:12 Building a post-apocalyptic SF ad for TWiST in 24 hours4:25 Storyboarding characters, blending images, and text-prompting scenes6:39 The finished product: post-apocalyptic Jason!7:56 How much cheaper is this than traditional advertising?9:34 The tech stack: Magnific's upscaler and 3rd party frontier models11:02 Which Hollywood productions are actually using AI?13:14 Hollywood's 180 from "F these tools" to enthusiastic adoption14:38 One director's 600-person AI-enabled production15:23 Why Magnific built in Málaga, Spain and how they recruit AI talent16:40 Can AI ever match human creative vision?18:43 The future: 100 versions of the same ad, hyper-localized by city21:35 Where to find Magnific + Google Cloud's Future of AI reportConnect with Joaquín and Magnific!Magnific (formerly Freepik) — Joaquín's AI creative platform, 150M+ MAU, $230M ARR → https://magnific.comJoaquín Cuenca Abela on X → https://x.com/cuencaJoaquín Cuenca Abela on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaquin-cuenca-abela-905717a/Magnific on X → https://x.com/magnificPanoramio — Joaquín's prior startup, acquired by Google in 2007 → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PanoramioFortune feature on Magnific's $230M ARR rebrand (April 2026) → https://fortune.com/2026/04/28/freepik-magnific-joaquin-cuenca-abela-230-million-arr-video-generation-ai-pivot/Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partner!Google Cloud - Check out Google Cloud's new report, “Future of AI: Perspectives on generative media for startups,” Featuring thoughts from today's guest, Joaquín Cuenca Abela at goo.gle/futureofgenmediaCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Render - https://Render.com/TWISTNorthwest Registered Agent - https://NorthwestRegisteredAgent.com/TWISTLinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/TWISTToday's show:A beanie that reads your thoughts and turns them into text — no surgery required? Jason grills the Sabi co-founders on their noninvasive brain-computer interface, backed by Vinod Khosla, and calls a cap on the whole thing (until he doesn't).This episode of This Week in Startups covers a lot of ground: Jason's tactical tip of the day on making everyone the CEO of their domain, a deep dive into Sabi's thought-to-text beanie, a live demo of AI-powered podcast sidebars built by the TWiST audience, the announcement of a new $5K bounty for an annotation tool, and Jason's big five wellness framework.Guests:Sabi: Website, Wired articleCo-founder and CEO Rahul Chhabra: LinkedIn, XCompanies and people discussed:Matt Coffin, founder of LowerMyBills.comVinod Khosla, founder of Khosla VenturesNeuralink, a leading BCI companyElevenLabs, a leading voice AI startupCalm, the popular meditation appTimestamps:0:00 Intro & tactical tip: Make everyone the CEO of their domain1:49 Matt Coffin's "CEO of X" management philosophy3:04 Community ownership: Deputizing Ricky, Lawn, Bianca, Maddie, Kabir4:02 Building the Noti Gang: X group chats and community flywheels5:08 Founder takeaways: Activate your top 1%, make someone the CEO of it6:18 The streamer trick, parasocial dynamics, and creator ethics7:59 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!9:34 Guest intro: Rahul Chhabra of Sabi10:01 What is Sabi? Noninvasive BCI in a beanie with 100,000 sensors10:13 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/TWIST11:02 How it works: From fMRI to EEG, from hospital to hat13:46 The brain foundation model and thought-to-text decoding15:55 Vetting the founders: BITS Pilani, Stanford, athlete fatigue AI17:22 Vinod Khosla's investment thesis: BCI must be noninvasive19:30 Jason's challenge: Say "Calacanis," or it doesn't count20:11 Northwest Registered Agent: Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist21:30 Sabi.com: Reserve your device, release by end of 202622:26 Privacy concerns: Does the beanie read everything?25:41 Bounty #1: AI live sidebar contest — demos from the TWiST audience27:04 Oliver's breakdown: What's easy vs. hard about live AI commentary28:40 Demo #1: Armchair (by Mark Colebrook) — fact-checker + troll personas, live30:59 Render: Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers.35:30 Live political violence test: The sidebar in real time on the WHCD shooting38:45 Demo #2: Pod Commentators / SideCast — browser-based, Gemini-powered40:35 Jason's revised Bounty #1 spec: Fact-checker + cynic, public stream or Zoom42:41 Timeline: check-ins May 1, May 8; final winner May 1544:51 Demo #3: BMD Pat (by Patrick Hughes) — instant URL, all-snarky personas46:52 Bounty #2 announced: Annotated.com — a fair-use multimedia annotation tool49:31 Annotated: the delicious.com of media commentary51:11 Contest rules: Jason owns the domain, winner gets $5K + potential ongoing work53:13 Wrap-up: Bounty 1 = AI sidebar, Bounty 2 = AnnotatedSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:IM8 Health - IM8health.com/twistSentry - Sentry.io/twistDeel - Deel.com/twistPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistWhat's the technology story of the year? No, it's not Anthropic's Mythos model, nor any other AI model. Upcoming IPOs? Wrong again. Jason thinks it's China's government's decision to block Meta's acquisition of Manus. The multi-billion-dollar deal was heralded as evidence that AI companies founded in China could sidestep onerous government meddling by moving their operations to Singapore. That loophole now appears closed.Jason and Lon then dug into the newly-reforged OpenAI-Microsoft partnership. The two companies have had a mutually beneficial, if fractious, operating relationship to date; that they had to rework their agreement is not a shock.Then, your hosts watched and digested a video from China purportedly showing a self-driving car hitting a child at speed. What would happen in the United States if such a tragedy struck? And is that fait accompli?Closing the show, Jason and Lon reacted to the latest Russell Brand implosion, discussed Lon's new favorite show ‘Criminal Record,' and shared recommended foot pedals (for AI dictation) and headphones for the road warriors tuning in.Key Links: OpenAI and MicrosoftOpenAI's announcement of its new Microsoft dealMicrosoft's announcement of its new OpenAI dealOpenAI announces its deal with AWSNews that Microsoft was considering legal action against OpenAIMicrosoft-OpenAI negotiations late 2025 edition, and terms announced in early 2026Amazon announces that OpenAI models are coming to AWSTimestamps:0:00 Show starts1:24 OpenAI and Microsoft have a new deal3:22 Why would Microsoft cede exclusive access to OpenAI models?5:36 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!8:09 Why Jason thinks Microsoft and Apple should work together on AI9:45 China will block the Meta-Manus deal12:12 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.12:23 Golden Shares and what they provide14:57 How do you unravel a multi-billion-dollar deal?22:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST24:42 The Huawei ADC crash29:49 What happens when something similar happens in the United States?31:55 IM8 Health: Start feeling like your best self every day. Go to https://IM8health.com/twist and use the code TWiST to get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order.36:15 Russell Brand's public humiliation41:22 Don't trust palm reading!43:59 Lon's Off Duty streaming pick: Criminal Record46:25 Jason's Pick: Which foot pedal for AI dictation is right for you?48:43 Jason's Pick: In the market for new headphones?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist LinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twistToday's show:It's a News and Off-Duty weekend roundup!AngelList's USVC fund is open to anyone with $500, but it's getting pushback on social media. Do the critics have a point?A Special Forces soldier made $409K betting on the military's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Is the world just a big casino now?And a NYT podcast defends shoplifting and explores “social murder.” Find out why Jason says they crossed the line.Plus: Why you should teach your kids about investment and more, Off-Duty streaming and book recommendations.Related LinksUSVC: https://usvc.com/AngelList: https://www.angellist.com/Naval Ravikant on X: https://x.com/naval“Don't Listen to the Peanut Gallery; USVC is a Watershed Moment” by Hari Raghavan: https://x.com/haridigresses/status/2047503944839016681@Covered_Call USVC tweet: https://x.com/covered_call/status/2047020060900733306Forge Global: https://forgeglobal.com/Calm: https://www.calm.com/Full DOJ indictment of Gannon Ken Van Dyke: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-soldier-charged-using-classified-information-profit-prediction-market-betsNYT “The Opinions” podcast: “The Rich Don't Play by the Rules. So Why Should I?” https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000010849055/the-rich-dont-play-by-the-rules-so-why-should-i.htmlHasn Piker on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/hasanabiNew Yorker: Jia Tolentino: https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jia-tolentinoNYT: Nadja Spiegelman: https://www.nytimes.com/by/nadja-spiegelmanJia Tolentino on X: https://x.com/jiatolentinoGarry Kasparov on X: https://x.com/kasparov63Prof G Media: https://www.profgmedia.com/Kids Investment Club: https://www.kidsinvestmentclub.com/Time stamps:0:00 Intro1:18 Naval's $500 VC Fund Explained5:54 Should You Trust Critics With 2K Followers?7:21 Learn By Betting — Jason's Philosophy10:10 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist12:30 The Maduro Polymarket Scandal13:28 Should the Military Bet on Missions?19:55 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist29:32 NYT Defends Theft & "Social Murder"30:28 There Is No Moral Equivalence33:41 The Nepo Baby Behind the Article35:42 Prof G's "Resist & Unsubscribe" Movement37:54 Walk The Walk — Hasan, Bernie & Performative Outrage44:49 Teaching Kids About Money48:21 The Rich Get Richer & The Poor Stay PoorOff Duty Recommendations“The Complete Maus” by Art Spiegelman: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Maus-Art-Spiegelman/dp/0679406417“Thinking in Bets” by Annie Duke: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Bets-Making-Smarter-Decisions/dp/0735216355“Queen of Chess” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pmJgtLKBXgGreenlight app: https://greenlight.com/Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisvCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Render - https://render.com/twist Agree - https://agree.com Ro - https://Ro.co/Twist Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:The US military is running low on missiles, but now, Firehawk Aerospace is using 3D-printed solid rocket propellant to cut production costs in half and 5x U.S. output.Plus: PhD researcher Maruchi Kim just built camera-equipped earbuds that perform on par with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and could be the next wearable AI platform hiding in plain sight.GuestsWill Edwards: https://x.com/williewocketsFirehawk Aerospace: https://firehawkdefense.com/Maruchi Kim: https://x.com/maruchikimVueBuds project: https://vuebuds.cs.washington.edu/Related LinksThis Week in AI: https://www.thisweekinai.ai/“Ghost Murmur: The Heartbeat-Tracking Tech That Has Experts Questioning the Laws of Physics”: https://www.military.com/feature/2026/04/18/ghost-murmur-heartbeat-tracking-tech-has-experts-questioning-laws-of-physics.htmlNeurometric: https://www.neurometric.ai/Meta Ray-Bans: https://www.meta.com/ai-glasses/Hanwha Defense USA: https://www.hanwhadefenseusa.com/Raytheon: https://www.rtx.com/Pilatus PC-24 corporate jet: https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en/pc-24PlaneSense: https://www.planesense.com/Slopes app: https://slopesapp.com/Speechify: https://speechify.com/Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/Timestamps:0:00 Are all these layoffs really AI's fault?8:51 Why laid off people should start their own companies9:27 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist13:18 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!15:25 Will Edwards of Firehawk joins the show15:46 What are Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs)?20:06 Render: Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers.23:10 Who are Firehawk's customers?24:25 Reimagining and reinventing the US military28:35 How do missiles fit into the military's operations?29:34 Agree - Stop chasing invoices at https://agree.com and tell them Jason sent you to get 50% off for life!31:01 What's next on the roadmap for Firehawk?31:49 How to make propellant (with easy to find ingredients)33:13 A cheaper way to fly private38:03 Ro.co: Ro's insurance checker will let you know if your coverage includes GLP-1s for FREE. Go to https://Ro.co/Twist for your free insurance check.40:48 Maruchi Kim of Vuebuds joins the show!44:35 Why are VueBuds better than meta glasses?46:23 The biggest VueBud use cases48:09 Jason wants to use VueBuds on the slopes55:38 Jason's advice for angel investors: never underestimate anyone!Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Jobs - linkedIn.com/twistGrasshopper Bank - grasshopper.bank/twistNotion - notion.comToday's show:This week, SpaceX announced that it was partnering with AI coding startup Cursor on new AI models. xAI's parent company is bringing compute, while Cursor brings developer market share and recent successes, training its own coding models.The deal, while interesting, comes with a steep price tag. SpaceX will pay Cursor $10 billion for their shared work, with an option to buy the entire company for $60 billion later this year.After poking our way through the deal, Chris Zacharia and Brian McRindle of Bitstarter joined Lon and Alex. Bitstarter is a ‘Kickstarter for Bittensor,' helping founders get their subnet up and running without tripping over their shoelaces. The Bitstarter crew also broke some news on the show, telling TWIST that they have a new accelerator-ish program kicking off.Next, Ning Ren from Trajectory RL joined the program to explain how Bittensor subnet 11 is using decentralized competitions to design and release better skills. Skills — markdown files with words — have become a critical building tool in the agentic era; how Trajectory will monetize is an open, interesting question.Timestamps:2:27 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!4:07 SpaceX/ xAI "partners" with Cursor!9:35 Will the Cursor deal help pump a future SpaceX IPO?9:57 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.12:14 How AI coding models like Cursor help xAI grow recursively.17:24 Chris Zacharia and Brian McRindle of Bitstarter join the show.20:23 Grasshopper Bank: Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.29:59 Notion - Notion brings all your notes, docs, and projects into one connected space that just works with AI built right in. Try Notion, with Notion Agent, at https://www.notion.com/twist33:03 How Bittensor subnets monetize and how it compares to VC funds.37:04 Is Bittensor hard-capped at 128 subnets?42:37 Bittensor's biggest weakness.46:10 Ning Ren of TrajectoryRL joins the show.47:34 Skills now need entire agents just to write them!48:26 Back up… What are skills?1:07:38 Amazon and Anthropic's 5 BILLION deal1:08:48 Google has 2 new chips!1:09:50 Apple CEO, Tim is COOKED! John Ternus is in!1:11:37 Alex is bullish on MacBook Neo!Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - https://quo.com/TWiST Vanta - https://vanta.com/twist Pilot - https://pilot.com/twist Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:*Eragon CEO Josh Sirota believes that you should “own your intelligence.” He demos a live enterprise AI operating system connecting email, Slack, calendar, and financial data into a single agentic layer that's pre-trained to understand any business inside and out.PLUS we've got IONA Drones founder Etienne Louvet, a first look at Moonshot's Kimi K2.6, and a brand new Off Duty with JCal and Lon.FULL SHOW NOTES ON NOTION: https://thisweekinstartups-docket.notion.site/TWiST-2278-SHOW-NOTES-34872ca918e380bd9c71e684ce2db7c9?source=copy_linkGuests :Eragon: https://eragon.aiJosh Sirota on X: https://x.com/joshua_sirotaIONA: https://ionadrones.com/Etienne Louvet on X: https://x.com/etienneldvaRelevant LinksEragon Seed Round coverage: https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/18/this-startup-wants-to-make-enterprise-software-look-more-like-a-prompt/Neurometric: https://www.neurometric.ai/Ollama model: https://ollama.com/Orange Slice: https://www.orangeslice.ai/Corgi Insurance: https://www.corgi.insure/Slash Financial: https://www.slash.com/The Syndicate: https://thesyndicate.com/FAA Part 108 Explained: https://pilotinstitute.com/part-108-explained/Zipline: https://www.zipline.com/Google Wing: https://wing.com/Joby Aviation: https://www.jobyaviation.com/Enterprise Ireland: https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/Éire Composites: https://www.eirecomposites.com/Kimi K2.6 blog post: https://www.kimi.com/blog/kimi-k2-6Kimi K2 series on GitHub: https://github.com/moonshotai/Kimi-K2NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 work station: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/gb300-nvl72/Timestamps:0:00 Josh from Eragon AI joins the show2:01 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!5:07 Why founders should own and control their data sets8:33 What is a "company world model?"9:48 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) - Quo gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at https://quo.com/TWiST11:32 Eragon demo15:55 Giving agents their own bank accounts19:07 Inside Eragon's first partnerships20:14 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist25:50 How does Eragon make money?29:11 Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.39:33 Etienne Louvet of Iona Drones joins the show42:37 What is FAA's Part 108?47:13 How innovation in drones impacts the aviation industry50:26 Working with Enterprise Ireland58:28 Jason attended the Breakthrough Awards1:04:10 Doug Liman's AI-powered "Bitcoin" movie1:09:09 "Love Story" on FX and "Dust Bunny" on HBO Max1:13:10 Jason's love of tinned fishSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:IM8 Health - https://IM8health.com/twist Grasshopper Bank - https://grasshopper.bank/twist Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:Is 3D printing the key to not just solving the housing crisis but bringing us all into a more beautiful and utopian future? ICON founder Jason Ballard thinks so. His company is already building homes for the unhoused and delivering barracks to Fort Bliss at half the cost and a fraction of the time. On TWiST, he tells us space construction is also on the agenda.Explore the potential for robot-powered concrete construction can help build cheap homes for the unhoused, modernize our military infrastructure, AND colonize the solar system in this exclusive interview.Then Seby Rubino of Resi Labs demos his real estate “Oracle,” which can guess the price of any home with 98% accuracy… for just fractions of a penny.PLUS Jason tells a story of the rare founder who got one over on him, and why he's moving away from vengeance and anger and into love and acceptable.AND we've got more JCal and Lon recommendations in a brand-new Off Duty.Guests :Jason Ballard: https://x.com/JasonDBallardICON: https://www.iconbuild.com/ICON on X: https://x.com/ICON3DTechSeby Rubino: https://x.com/SebyverseResi Labs: https://portal.resilabs.ai/Timestamps:0:00 Intro + "balance the ledger" tease1:10 Jason Ballard (ICON) joins — 3D-printed homes + defense (ICON Prime)5:18 Housing basics: commutes, quality of life, "food/water/shelter"7:15 ICON Prime: military construction, survivability, speed, supply chain10:08 IM8 Health: Start feeling like your best self every day. Go to https://IM8health.com/twist and use the code TWiST to get a free welcome kit, five free travel sachets, and 10% off your order.11:35 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!12:43 Fort Bliss barracks: 10 in 6 months, half the cost; blast/ballistics20:23 Beautiful + dignified housing: Community First Village; "where's the floor?"20:29 Grasshopper Bank: Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.30:10 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist37:27 Audience Q&A: longevity/cracking; plumbing + electrical41:33 ICON Titan printer + channel partners; hiring pitch45:47 Sebi Rubino (Rezzy Labs) joins — BitTensor subnet 46 real estate pricing51:18 Tau/BitTensor explained: subnet competitions, "narrow intelligence"59:15 Rezzy demo: portal + pricing engine; customers + business model1:07:49 "Got shivved for 500k" story: acquisition, investors get zero1:20:36 Bounties: annotated.com + AI sidebar + headless CMS on BitTensor1:31:10 Off-duty: View Buds (camera earbuds) + use cases1:38:13 Off-duty: Anker charger/cable/battery "trio"1:41:12 Off-duty: The Audacity (AMC) quick review1:46:43 Wrap-up + secret TWiST group chat on XSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Jobs - LinkedIn.com/twist Every.io - every.io Render - render.com/twistToday's show:*Imagine scrolling through mobile games the way your flip through your TikTok feed. What if you could build your own game in 90 seconds and share it with the world? That's what over 100,000 users are enjoying right now on Nanogram.On TWiST, we meet the co-founders: 22-year-old CEO Albert Brotherton and 24-year-old CTO Boris Radilov. They demo the app for us on the air, and Jason immediately spies the potential. Power users are playing 25+ games per session already.We're digging into the co-founders future plans, including the potential for ads in your game feed, in this TWiST exclusive.PLUS domestic helper bots are here. NEO from 1X Technologies can do the laundry, open the door for guests, and even read and understand Post-It Note messages.Alex talks with CEO Bernt Børnich about building the safety-first 66-lb humanoid, why world models are so crucial for training robots in particular, and why homes are even tougher places for robots to navigate than factory floors.Timestamps:0:59 Nanogram co-creators Albert and Boris join the show3:42 Nanogram is TikTok for casual AI-generated games4:27 Building Nanogram with Google Gemini5:49 Draper and Associates: https://www.draper.vc6:11 Integrating ads into the game feed7:36 Roblox: https://www.roblox.com World of Warcraft: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com8:25 Building in New York9:07 Jason is obsessed with the Staples Baddie https://www.tiktok.com/@blivxx10:12 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist20:36 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io21:40 1X CEO and founder Bernt Børnich joins the show https://x.com/BerntBornich22:31 Designing robots to actually live around people26:30 Teaching NEO about movement in the physical world29:00 TechCrunch coverage: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/13/neo-humanoid-maker-1x-releases-world-model-to-help-bots-learn-what-they-see/29:58 Render: Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers.31:04 Moving beyond training data to true general intelligence33:17 Ensuring NEO pursues the safest possible path34:19 Why are world models so important?41:51 1X World Model Challenge on GitHub: https://github.com/1x-technologies/1xgpt45:14 Robots need to train on a lot of data… Where does it all come from?50:14 Manufacturing NEO from raw materials in San Carlos56:32 Robots building robotsSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry - https://sentry.io/twist Deel - https://deel.com/twist Netsuite - https://netsuite.com/twist Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:*TAO just had its worst week since launch. One of Bittensor's most prominent subnet operators allegedly dumped $10 million in tokens and walked away. We're digging into what we know, how this could change the Bittensor community… and why dedicated builders still believe in this ecosystem.Jason and Lon are joined by Stillcore Capital Partner Mark Jeffrey to break down the Covenant AI and Templar controversy in real time. Then they're joined by three prominent subnet founders: Ken Miyachi of BitMind (Subnet 34) and Will Squires of Steffen Cruz of MacroCosmos (which owns Subnets 1, 9, and 13). Together, they're investigating how Bittensor incentives work, how real products are still emerging from the TAO ecosystem, and what governance fixes could arise to prevent the next (alleged) rug pull.Timestamps:0:00 Mark Jeffrey joins the show! https://x.com/markjeffrey2:18 How Mark Jeffrey learned about Bittensor. https://bittensor.com/6:17 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!7:22 Mark Jeffrey's Bittensor investments. https://stillcorecapital.com/9:25 Check out our discussion with Nova: https://youtu.be/gjRt4eUyiYc?si=HopdmmSarxECark110:16 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST10:41 Check out Ridges! https://www.ridges.ai/11:53 How trading alpha tokens works on Bittensor12:44 Subnet drama: what happened? https://x.com/covenant_ai/status/204238015283195130016:01 Do subnet owners have too much power?18:33 Check out our conversation with Sam Dare (2268): https://youtu.be/TN2RmNuX4-k?si=c58Byh7Fsw1ttnAY19:10 How Sam Dare should've handled walking away (per Mark Jeffrey)20:02 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.23:29 Who should subnets be owned by?24:02 Ken Miyachi from BitMind joins the show https://x.com/kenmiyachi30:56 Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist31:06 Ken's $3M raise & investors (Arch, Canonical, Mechanism)33:18 Token vs. equity: how to think about a subnet investment.41:57 Will Squires and Stefan Kruse of MacroCosmos join the show https://x.com/willsquires https://x.com/sczsteffencruz56:29 Stefan on the Covenant drama: "disappointing, but solvable"1:02:11 Off-duty with J-Cal, Mark Jeffrey, and Lon Harris1:02:48 Bieber vs. Carpenter: does Coachella owe you a spectacle? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp5O72WUqTk https://x.com/FashionXGirl_/status/20432512705095929361:15:20 Jason says Staples should pay the "Staples baddie" $1M/year https://www.tiktok.com/@blivxxSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Pilot - https://pilot.com/TWISTSquarespace -https://squarespace.com/TWISTNorthwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/TWISTPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistCrowdHealth - ⁠https://JoinCrowdHealth.com/twist⁠Today's show:TAO, the token associated with the Bittensor network, fell sharply last night after a major project declared it was taking its business elsewhere. Covenant AI had used Bittensor subnets 3, 39, and 89 before its abrupt and controversial decision to depart for other digital shores.Gareth Howells, a co-founder of Vidaio (Bittensor Subnet 85), joined Jason and Alex to share the community perspective regarding Covenant's decision to leave Bittensor, a choice that was especially bitter given that its recently-released Covenant-72B model trained using the network's decentralized capabilities was hailed at the time as a demonstration of the crypto-AI hybrid's potential. (Covenant's Sam Dare was a recent guest on TWiST.)Howells walked us through Vidaio's product (AI models for high-quality video work, like upscaling) Then it was time to bring new fan-favorite Ole Lehmann on. Ole took an Andrej Karpathy concept, and turned it into a skill that you can use in either OpenClaw or Claude Cowork. GuestsOle Lehmann: https://x.com/itsolelehmannThe AI Solopreneur newsletter: https://aisolo.beehiiv.com/Vidaio: https://vidaio.io/Vidaio on X: https://x.com/vidaio_Timestamps:0:00 Drama in the Bittensor space! Was there a rugpull?1:01 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!1:47 Gareth Howells of subnet85 joins the show: https://x.com/GarethHowells9:56 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/TWIST11:37 Gareth reacts to the Covenant situation… Did Sam sell tokens?14:33 How VidAIo (subnet85) optimizes video as cheaply as possible. https://vidaio.io/20:06 Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/TWIST21:12 Demo: Gareth shows upscaled footage of our very own Lon Harris27:09 Who is actually doing the computing on Bittensor?28:15 How Bittensor recruits tech talent from emerging markets29:42 Pilot - Visit https://pilot.com/TWIST and get $1,200 off your first year.30:58 Jason's explains the Bittensor network. https://docs.bittensor.com/37:28 Jason addresses "pump and dump" allegations40:46 Ole Lehmann joins the show https://x.com/itsolelehmann45:31 Jason's $1,000 "bounty" for enhanced show notes49:35 Check out Ole's newsletter at aisolo.beehiiv.com !59:50 CrowdHealth - CrowdHealth lets you ditch the bureaucracy with a peer-to-peer funding platform for your healthcare. Get started for $99 per month for your first three months by using the code TWIST at https://JoinCrowdHealth.com/twist.1:00:46 Off Duty with Alex and J-Cal!1:04:46 Reacting to the Maul trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkVepshZhGcSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Anthropic just built a model so dangerous, they're not even going to release it (for now). On TWiST, Jason, Alex, and Neurometric CEO Rob May discuss whether or not this is just another frontier model or a potential weapon of mass internet destruction.Claude Mythos Preview is already in the hands of over 40 Anthropic partners — including Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google — as part of its “Project Glasswing” security council.Together, they'll test how quickly and easily the model can thwart today's most elite cybersecurity protocols, and try to develop fresh protocols to keep our most sensitive and critical software systems safe and intact. Once Mythos or a similarly powerful model hits the streets… it's all over!Plus, we're checking out the real-time SaaSpocalypse monitor Death By Clawd, and chatting with its creator, Gyani, about how it feels to have your startup one-shotted by Anthropic's latest model.GuestsRob May: https://x.com/robmayNeurometric: https://www.neurometric.ai/Neurometric SLM Marketplace: https://marketplace.neurometric.ai/Death by Clawd: https://deathbyclawd.com/Nick O'Neill: https://x.com/chooserichThis Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Jobs - LinkedIn.com/twistGrasshopper Bank - Grasshopper.bank/twistRender - Render.com/twistPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:Timestamps:0:00 Anthropic's new, powerful 'Mythos' model3:50 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!5:26 Neurometric's Rob May joins the show10:04 Sam Altman's talent exodus10:50 Render - Go to https://render.com/twist to apply for the Render Startup Program. You'll get anywhere from $500 to $100,000 in free credits.11:50 Has Anthropic Passed OpenAI?15:44 When will Claude release Mythos? Polymarket: https://polymarket.com/event/claude-mythos-released-by18:32 The AI race turns existential19:16 Would Anthropic's model give the CIA the ability to hack a foreign government?20:04 Grasshopper Bank - Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.21:19 Should AI be nationalized?29:43 Subsidizing secret AI development.30:15 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist31:29 How much of the military's $1.5T will go to AI cybersecurity?35:17 Nick O'Neill's "not sponsored" call-in.38:24 What is an SLM?42:01 Tactical/Practical: How can you tune SLMs45:43 How Neurometric can afford 100M free tokens per month for its users?49:04 What is "harness engineering"?50:58 Tactical/ Practical: Every Reddit rant is a startup idea1:00:25 Why Meta is the most un-innovative AI company in the world.1:03:43 Gyani of Deathbclawd joins the show — Is your company COOKED?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Anthropic just pulled the plug on Claude subscriptions for OpenClaw and every third party agentic tool. So Jason and Lon welcome back three of our top TWiST OpenClaw experts to break down what it means, how much it's going to cost now, and whether this is truly the end of the subsidized AI era.And they all brought demos! We're checking out ClawChief from Ryan Carson, Alex Finn's agent Henry, and Yazin Alirhayim's Sidecast protocol, inspired by a special request from JCal!HostsJason Calacanis: http://x.com/jasonLon Harris: https://x.com/lonsGuestsRyan Carson: https://x.com/ryancarsonClawchief: https://github.com/snarktank/clawchiefAlex Finn: https://x.com/AlexFinnCreator Buddy: https://www.creatorbuddy.io/Yazin Alirhayim: https://x.com/yazinsOpenOats / Sidecast: https://github.com/yazinsai/OpenOatsFurther ReadingThe Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande: https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000Marc Andreessen on AI job loss: https://x.com/pmarca/status/2040919227641856307OpenAI acquires TBPN: https://openai.com/index/openai-acquires-tbpn/This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twist Vanta - https://vanta.com/twist Shopify - https://shopify.com/twist Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:Timestamps:0:00 Welcome back to TWiST0:32 Jason's thinks Andor is as good as Empire Strikes Back…2:30 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:26 Check out the checklist manifesto! https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/03124300006:36 Our guests Ryan Carson, Alex Finn, and Yazin Alirhayim, and join the show10:28 Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small businesses and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://Gusto.com/twist.10:46 People are automating their coworkers and getting them fired…18:32 Anthropic Bans OpenClaw20:06 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist24:06 How "caveman talk" makes AI works better27:31 Alex thinks $2000/ month subscription plans are inevitable for AI.29:31 Why is nobody using the leaked Anthropic Model?30:30 Shopify: Turn those What If's into sales with the ecommerce platform powering millions of businesses. Sign up for your $1-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/twist32:37 Open models have been 6 months behind for the past few years35:53 Why did OpenAI acquire TBPN?42:01 Tactical/ Practical: The product itself is the most important thing44:31 Demo or Die! Yazin is back to show off OpenOats55:05 Ryan's "Claw Chief" https://github.com/snarktank/clawchief/blob/main/skills/executive-assistant/SKILL.md?plain=11:02:14 Alex's big announcement, "Henry intelligent machines"1:12:33 Alex Finn DESTROYS Higgsfield's marketing strategy1:15:35 Throwback to "Pay Per Post"Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - deel.com/twistGrasshopper Bank - grasshopper.bank/twistRender - render.com/twistPlaud - Plaud.ai/twistAn AI “holding company” rebuilt dozens of YC Winter ‘26 startups in one weekend. Now we're bringing the founder responsible into Jason's Courtroom to defend himself.PLUS a live demo of Boardy, the AI that acts like a virtual board member and makes crucial introductions. Find out why he gets to have so much agency, how creator Andrew D'Souza used him to raise his own $17 million round, and how this company ever plans to actually make money.Plus Jason celebrates Apple's 50th anniversary with a fiery rant about milking the ghost of Steve Jobs… Why OpenAI is acquiring a tech podcast… Jason's favorite weighted vest for rucking… AND Lon's Off Duty weekend streaming picks.GuestsMarik Hazan:⁠ https://x.com/MarikHazan⁠Feltsense:⁠ https://feltsense.com/⁠Andrew D'Souza:⁠ https://x.com/andrewdsouza⁠Boardy:⁠ https://www.boardy.ai/⁠Timestamps:0:00 Jason's direction for TWiST and thoughts on legacy media5:14 Marik of Feltsense joins the show6:10 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!7:10 Marik's viral YC replicator stunt9:45 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.20:39 Grasshopper bank - Time is money. Don't waste either. Go to https://grasshopper.bank/twist and get an exclusive $500 cash bonus just for opening an account.21:33 Feltsense founder goes on trial!25:26 Jason dunks on Bank of America's app27:59 TBPN acquired by OpenAI29:28 The All In Podcast is worth $1B!30:13 Render - Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers.33:02 Andrew D'Souza joins the show along with his agent, Boardy!43:17 So how does Boardy make money?48:32 Lon is becoming more and more "AI-pilled."50:41 Tactical/ practical: "If we have data, let's look at data. If all we have are opinions, let's go with mine." -Jim Barskdale, former CEO of Netscape1:01:00 Tactical/ practical: hire a PR firm to report on your competitors' wrongdoings.1:02:58 Jason calls out Apple for being DISGRAZIAD!1:15:09 Lon's TV pick of the week: "Something Very Bad is Going to Happen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMc_pWm7G7o1:19:52 Become an Angel Investor at https://thesyndicate.com/Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter:⁠ https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com⁠Check out the TWIST500:⁠ https://www.twist500.com⁠Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple:⁠ https://rb.gy/v19fcp⁠Follow Lon:X:⁠ https://x.com/lons⁠Follow Alex:X:⁠ https://x.com/alex⁠LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm⁠Follow Jason:X:⁠ https://twitter.com/Jason⁠LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis⁠Check out all our partner offers:⁠ https://partners.launch.co/⁠Great TWIST interviews:⁠ Will Guidara,⁠⁠ Eoghan McCabe⁠,⁠ Steve Huffman⁠,⁠ Brian Chesky⁠,⁠ Bob Moesta,⁠⁠ Aaron Levie⁠,⁠ Sophia Amoruso⁠,⁠ Reid Hoffman⁠,⁠ Frank Slootman⁠,⁠ Billy McFarland⁠Check out Jason's suite of newsletters:⁠ https://substack.com/@calacanis⁠Follow TWiST:Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/TWiStartups⁠YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin⁠Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups⁠TikTok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups⁠Substack:⁠ https://twistartups.substack.com⁠

This Week in AI, JCal sits down with three CEOs building the infrastructure, intelligence, and interfaces for the next era of AI: Jeremy Fraenkel (CEO, Fundamental), Victor Riparbelli (CEO, Synthesia), and Nick Harris (CEO, Lightmatter). We break down what's actually happening beneath the AI hype: the data modality LLMs completely missed, why copper is the real bottleneck in AI data centers, OpenAI shutting down Sora, the build vs. buy debate for AI tools, and how close we really are to AGI.AI's Biggest Blind Spot, Tabular Data: LLMs transformed text, images, and code, but 70-80% of enterprise data lives in rows and columns.Copper Can't Keep Up: Nick explains why AI data centers are hitting a wall. GPUs compute faster than they can communicate. Lightmatter's photonic chips push 1.6 terabits per fiber and can 3x training speed.Why OpenAI Killed Sora & Anthropic's Focus is Winning: Victor breaks down why even OpenAI had to learn the lesson of focus, and why Claude Code has every founder talking.Vibe Coding Your Own CRM vs. Buying Salesforce: Jeremy reveals Fundamental built their own internal CRM using vibe coding. The panel debates when building beats buying and when it's a distraction.The Omnipresent CEO: Jason shares how he's using AI agents for root access to Slack, Gmail, and Notion, resurrecting former employees as AI personas, automating SDR workflows, and summarizing employee inboxes while they're on vacation.Are We Already at AGI?: Nick says the rate of progress is a double exponential. Jeremy argues AGI is a moving goalpost. Victor warns of "Future Shock" and societal disruption.

This Week In Startups is made possible by:PaperOS - https://PaperOS.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent- https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistEvery.io - https://Every.ioPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:Silicon Valley just lined up its biggest liquidity event in years: SpaceX filed confidentially for an IPO that could target a $1.75 trillion valuation — potentially the largest public offering in history. Meanwhile, a new Quinnipiac poll shows that 62% of Americans aren't excited about AI, and 70% think it will destroy their jobs. The disconnect between Sand Hill Road and Main Street has never been wider, and this panel is here to argue about what to do about it.Jason Calacanis and co-host Alex Wilhelm are joined by Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda Space Industries; Salen Churi, General Partner at Trust Ventures, focused on regulated industries and physical infrastructure; and Larsen Jensen, Founder and GP of Harpoon Ventures and former Navy SEAL.They dig into the SpaceX IPO and what it means for LP liquidity, founder formation, and venture capital's comeback story; the gap between Silicon Valley's AI optimism and public hostility; whether defense tech is in a bubble after $49 billion flooded the sector in 2025; the Marc Andreessen "zero introspection" thesis for founders; America's reindustrialization challenge and the rare earths supply chain crisis; and Artemis's path to putting boots back on the Moon.Timestamps:00:00 Intro1:09 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:50 SpaceX files confidentially for IPO: $1.75T valuation, June target9:00 Will the SpaceX IPO reinvigorate venture capital?10:25 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io14:40 Quinnipiac poll: Americans use more AI but trust it less17:31 AI's PR crisis: Dario vs. Jensen, and who's communicating well18:02 Jason's "Invest America" proposal: give workers equity stakes19:55 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist21:39 Larsen: Silicon Valley is walking into the same trap as China offshoring29:04 PaperOS - Whether you're raising a round, launching a fund, or managing a venture portfolio, PaperOS can unlock simplicity and scale across your empire of capital, contracts, and companies. Claim your $10,000 credit at https://paperos.com/twist29:50 Polymarket: 24% chance of a federal AI data center moratorium33:57 Marc Andreessen on zero introspection (David Senra podcast clip)46:48 Is defense tech in a bubble?1:10:32 Saronic raises $1.75B for autonomous drone boats1:25:07 Anthropic vs. OpenAI: where would you put your entire net worth?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - https://quo.com/TWiSTLinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twistIru - https://iru.com/twistPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:Google project manager Shubham Saboo is running 6 AI agents on a Mac Mini that handle all of his side business autonomously, from research, to social posts, to newsletters.He joins Jason and Lon to walk us through his 5-step framework for designing an efficient AI agent team:Start with one agent and onboard them like a new hireStop Googling fixes; just ask your agent how to use itPut your agents on fixed schedulesAdd shared memory so you don't have to repeat yourselfLet agents run self-reviews and rewrite their own instructions.Get the walkthrough to put this entire plan into practice on today's episode. PLUS fresh demos of the “Minecraft”-inspired virtual workspace MoltWorld and AgentMail, which is Gmail for your AI pals, and Jason explains the thinking behind his viral, controversy-stirring “don't talk to journalists” tweet.Follow Shubham: https://x.com/Saboo_Shubham_“How I Built an Autonomous AI Agent Team That Runs 24/7” on X: https://x.com/Saboo_Shubham_/status/2022014147450614038?s=20Follow Mike: https://x.com/mihalich1988MoltWorld: https://moltworld.io/Follow Haakam: https://x.com/haakamaujlaAgentMail: https://www.agentmail.to/Jason's post about talking to journalists: https://x.com/Jason/status/2037573025458016659NYT responds: https://x.com/NYTimesPR/status/2037648223771263082Translated Japanese tweets: https://x.com/melonneet40/status/2038020624015315289, https://x.com/rambling_28/status/2038041455999246422Japanese people singing “Country Roads”: https://x.com/harukaawake/status/2038081269830222259Trailer for “Nuremberg” (now on Netflix in the US): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvAy9C-bipYTimestamps:0:00 Intro1:24 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:05 We're Claw-pilled once again; it's an all AI Agent showcase6:15 Google AI PM Shubham Saboo's Top 5 OpenClaw tips10:14 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at https://quo.com/TWiST.13:26 Tip #1 — Onboard your agent like a new hire17:31 Tip #2 — Talk to your agents constantly19:02 Tip #3 — Put your agents on a schedule19:51 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.23:41 Tip #4 — Add cross-agent memory29:33 Tip #5 — Let your agents self-improve29:51 Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. TWiST listeners get 20% off when they book a demo at https://iru.com/twist!34:03 Why Jason says founders should avoid journalists38:24 How biased IS the New York Times?47:02 DEMO: Co-founder Mike Nosov shows us MoltWorld51:14 But what's the utility of this?1:05:15 DEMO: Haakam Aujla presents AgentMail (YC S25)1:09:59 How does AgentMail make money?1:17:03 How Grok Translations are creating cross-cultural dialogue on XSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistCircle - http://circle.so/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistToday's show:AstroForge is building low-cost, replicable spacecraft to mine platinum group metals from near-Earth asteroids — a $60 billion annual market for materials that are running out on Earth. Founder and CEO Matt Gialich joins the show to talk about the company's ambitious mission, what went wrong on their first two flights, and why Mission 3 could still change everything.PLUS Sam Dare from Templar stops by to talk about training AI models on a decentralized blockchain, and why it's so much cheaper and more efficient than the conventional “data center full of GPUs” method. AND a demo of OpenOats from creator Yazin Alirhayim of his open source Granola alternative.Astroforge: https://www.astroforge.com/Templar: https://www.tplr.ai/Epoch AI decentralized training post: https://epoch.ai/gradient-updates/how-far-can-decentralized-training-over-the-internet-scaleOpenOats on Github: https://github.com/yazinsai/OpenOatsTimestamps:0:00 Intro0:59 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:05 We aplaud Plaud!3:18 Astroforge is mining… asteroids?!6:11 How creating an abundance of Platinum will impact Humanity!9:56 Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.21:16 Circle: The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to https://circle.so/twist.22:01 How Astroforge uses capitalism to unlock abundance24:35 J-Cal subscribed to… A socialist magazine?26:19 Sam Dare of Templar joins the show!27:47 What is TAO doing that's uniquely different from Bitcoin30:15 What is the incentive mechanism that Templar uses?30:44 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.37:49 How much does it cost to run templar's model?45:16 Can decentralized training over the internet scale? https://epoch.ai/gradient-updates/how-far-can-decentralized-training-over-the-internet-scale47:16 Jason addresses his tao investment48:48 Why brand is the moat for startups49:47 When will a better, more exciting version of Bitcoin, can come along?52:20 Yazin of OpenGranola Joins the show53:36 How OpenGranola has local LLM's taking notes for you and giving you real time insights in your meeting!1:01:45 Jason's callout for a sidebar that shows all inputs from agents1:13:50 The economics of the new harry potter series and HBO/ Warner Brothers1:23:33 Why Jason wants government surveillance on Disney adults…Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Luma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twistEvery.io -  https://every.ioLemon.io - https://Lemon.io/twistPlaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:What do drug discovery, the creator economy, and AI vision models have in common? In the case of Metanova, Bitcast, and Score, the answer is Bittensor. Yes, each of the three companies leverages the Bittensor network to get more work done, more quickly, in a completely decentralized fashion.Metanova uses its subnet to run developer competitions to find exciting molecular candidates, parsing through a mountain of possibilities to pluck out the most promising for further investigation.Bitcast uses its subnet to collect visibility demand from brands, which is served by video creators. The company is focused on the crypto niche to start, but will expand in time to other technology topics.Score uses its subnet to generate highly performant, specialized vision models, which it then sells to customers through a platform (Manako).In each case, the Bittensor's economic engine unlocks global creativity to tackle tasks that were previously time-consuming, fragmented, or expensive to complete. Let's see how quickly each company can scale and whether startups building on Bittensor can grow faster than their non-decentralized peers.Timestamps:0:00 Intro2:19 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:40 What is Bittensor?7:22 Metanova Labs joins the show9:28 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist17:16 How Metanova tackles the multi-billion dollar cost of drug discovery20:48 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io30:20 Bitcast joins the show31:23 Luma AI - Luma builds accessible, professional-grade AI tools for creatives. Try Luma Agents for free at https://lumalabs.ai/twist32:30 Mining crypto with YouTube36:48 Why Bitcast is focused on the crypto space to start39:11 How healthy is the creator economy?47:26 When will the AI bubble collapse?53:44 Score joins the show54:42 How Score will make vision AI more accessible57:16 VLMs v. LLMs1:01:14 Demo of the Manako platformSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week in AI sneak peak! If you enjoy the episode find us on Spotify, Apple podcasts and YouTube by looking up "This Week in AI" or by going to thisweekinai.aiThis week Jason sat down with Jake Loosararian and Chris Lattner on Episode 6 of This Week in AI. Jake is the CEO and co-founder of Gecko Robotics, a company deploying purpose-built robots and AI for mission-critical infrastructure inspection across energy, defense, and manufacturing. Chris is the CEO and co-founder of Modular, building a universal software layer that lets developers run AI models across Nvidia, AMD, and Apple silicon without being locked into any single hardware vendor.We explore the GPU shortage, why China's chip smuggling reveals the stakes of the AI cold war, how purpose-built robotics are beating humanoids on ROI, the case for American reindustrialization, and why the next decade could be the best ever for private equity in capital-intensive industries.Purpose-Built Robots vs. Humanoids: Jake has been building mission-critical robots for 13 years. He explains why general-purpose humanoids still have too little ROI for industrial use, and why specialized robots that find and fix problems are winning in the field.The GPU Shortage Is Real: Chris breaks down why you can't just go buy 100 Blackwell chips today, why Nvidia's Cuda creates massive lock-in, and how Modular is building a unified software layer across all major chip architectures.Google TPUs Are the Sleeper: Chris ranks Google as the number one threat to Nvidia's dominance, ahead of Amazon's Trainium and AMD.China's Chip Smuggling & the AI Cold War: A Supermicro co-founder allegedly smuggled $2.5B in Nvidia chips to China using fake serial numbers and a hairdryer. The Best Decade for Private Equity: Jake makes the case that capital-intensive, commoditized infrastructure assets: waste-to-energy, water treatment, old power plants will all generate incredible returns.Self-Driving State of Play: Chris, a former Tesla Autopilot lead, gives his read on Waymo's lead, Tesla's small Austin pilot, and why the real signal is when Tesla starts filing for fully autonomous permits in California.Learn more about Gecko Robotics: https://www.geckorobotics.comLearn more about Modular: https://www.modular.com/This Week In AI is made possible by:*PayPalOpen* - One Platform for all Business: paypalopen.com*Timestamps:*00:00 Welcome & intro to Jake Lu (Gecko Robotics) and Chris Lattner (Modular)01:34 Gecko's 13-year journey & the Cantilever platform05:15 Chris Lattner on Modular: replacing Cuda & unifying AI hardware11:10 Nvidia lock-in, AMD's Rock & why the software stack is broken19:49 The GPU shortage: how real is it?22:13 Who challenges Nvidia? Google TPUs, Amazon Trainium & AMD ranked28:17 China chip smuggling: $2.5B in Nvidia GPUs & the AI cold war37:43 Self-driving update: Waymo, Tesla's Austin pilot & Chris's Tesla history42:20 Figure's humanoid package sorting — real or demo magic?43:47 The best decade for private equity in capital-intensive assets51:04 Reindustrialization, the trades boom & making manufacturing cool58:39 Building tech companies outside Silicon Valley1:06:46 Breaking news: Brett Adcock launches Hark from Figure1:10:15 Closing thoughts: grit over hype, customers over valuationsSubscribe to This Week in AI on Apple: https://thisweekinai.ai/spotifySubscribe to This Week in AI on Spotify: https://thisweekinai.ai/appleThanks for watching!

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistLinkedIn Jobs - https://linkedIn.com/twistSentry - https://sentry.io/twistPlaud - http://Plaud.ai/twistRo.co - http://Ro.co/TwistToday's show:Hustle Fund general partner Elizabeth Yin joined Jason and Alex to discuss how rapid advances in AI have changed the venture capital game, and how the same AI updates are changing how founders build. Founders may need less capital than before, which could reduce their reliance on venture dollars over time.Ceel founder Ryan Mahdavi joined next to help Jason and Alex dig into the Delve story. Well-funded Delve was publicly criticized for allegedly overselling their compliance tool's capabilities and not being honest with customers. Delve has responded to the allegations, though Mahdavi said that he had his doubts about the competing startup even before the news story broke.Next, TWiST invited Brick founder Seg Sheng on to explain his startup's plan to use a combination of physical hardware and artificial intelligence to help buildings and data centers reduce their energy bills. Given how much juice the AI era demands, Brick could be onto something big.And to close out the show, Gavin Zaentz and Pranav Ramesh from LeadPoet (Bittensor Subnet 71) to show off their technology (the pair put in motion a lead hunt for Brick while on-air). It's a packed show with something for everyone. Let's go!Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:18 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!3:45 Elizabeth Yin from Hustle Fund on how AI tools have changed her workflow9:21 How founders use AI to learn how to suck less10:34 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST13:17 Ryan Mahdavi from Ceel joins to explain the Delve SOC 2 scandal18:39 Is Silicon Valley's "bend the rules" culture at fault?20:38 Red and pink flags, and how investors can spot potential fraud21:41 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist23:45 How to not do securities fraud: a simple guide26:50 Ryan asks: How did the company get through diligence?31:03 Northwest Registered Agent — Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist32:25 Were there early warning signs about issues with Delve?33:26 On Delve's use of tactical donuts36:55 What about the Delve board? If there is one?45:24 Seb Sheng stops by to tell us about how Brick Data saves companies massively on energy costs49:38 Who are Brick's customers and how much are they paying?54:16 Lightning Round: A quick history of Brick56:02 Why Jason is so bullish on $TAO56:45 Ro.co: Ro's insurance checker will let you know if your coverage includes GLP-1s for FREE. Go to https://Ro.co/Twist for your free insurance check.1:06:35 How do LeadPoet's "miners" track down the best leads?1:13:09 How Bittensor subnets map to traditional startup forms1:17:15 How can agents build up authority if they can't get hired for their first job?1:21:03 Jason: "I think the game of Bitcoin has ended…"1:23:22 Why Jason likes to place a bet, then learn1:24:16 The inherent risks in crypto investmentSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCircle - https://circle.so/twistNetsuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twistToday's show:Zipline founder Keller Cliffton started his company with a simple premise: build automated logistics that serve everyone equally. The only problem? It was literally illegal in the US.In this live recording from LaunchFest in San Francisco, Keller shares how Zipline went from a 20-person team working on a cow farm in Rwanda to operating the largest commercial autonomous system on Earth. They now complete 130 million autonomous miles with zero accidents, while reducing maternal mortality by 51% in the regions they serve.PLUS we've got Rahul Vohra from Superhuman taking us through his entire founder journey, and discussing with Jason why “difficult” founders are often the smartest investments.Timestamps:0:00 Intro1:16 Keller Cliffton starts off the show3:05 Starting Zipline in Africa8:40 The magic of sky maps13:55 Building the drone was just the beginning15:11 Making a huge difference in maternal mortality23:48 The threats of Little Evil Jimmy and dogs29:37 The shift from Rwanda to Dallas31:14 Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist32:28 The moral clarity of the mission41:17 The challenge of staying focused46:43 Rahul Vohra of Superhuman joins Jason49:40 Building Rapportive in Cambridge51:48 Scaling to millions of users via APIs1:11:46 How getting acquired made Rahul fearless1:12:31 The boldness of taking on Gmail1:22:12 Making everyone pay for the product1:31:24 Inside the Grammarly-Superhuman dealSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - https://deel.com/twistLinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.Iru - https://iru.com/twistToday's show:We've got a treat for you today on TWiST! Jason is live from LAUNCH Fest in San Francisco, where he's joined by Robinhood founder Vlad Tenev.The era of AI is here. Robinhood found success in the midst of the last great technological shift. What lessons did Vlad take from this, and how can founders apply these to this next transformative period? What elements are the same and what elements have changed?Let's get inside the mind of one of the greatest founders of the last decade!Timestamps:0:00 Why Jason runs events like LAUNCH Fest.3:25 The early days of Jason and Vlad.5:54 Why getting users before monetizing creates a bigger business.9:49 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more.11:03 Finding ways to launch a product multiple times.13:49 How Robinhood identified its initial customers.20:09 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.21:04 Robinhood's "give to get" and waitlist mechanics explained.25:07 Navigating mistakes that feel existential (they're not!)27:36 Leaning into negative press.30:30 Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. TWiST listeners get 20% off when they book a demo at https://iru.com/twist32:13 Tackling competition in the AI era.37:20 How Vlad hires and develops talent.42:16 What is good design in an era of vibe coded slop?46:46 Vlad's top lessons from the last 10 years.Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Caldera + Lab - https://CalderaLab.com/TWISTNorthwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistLemon - https://Lemon.io/twistToday's show:Computers that read your mind? Jets that are all wings? Continuously tracking your body's vital signs to live longer? We've got all that and more on the show today.First, we sat down with the CEO of Paradromics, Matt Angle, to dig into the progress that his brain-computer interface startup has made. Yes, there are more companies working on BCIs than just Neuralink. Paradromics, in particular, is looking for early clinical trial subjects as it works to bring its technology out of the lab and into the market.If you ever wanted to know more about how BCIs work and how long it will be until we can all benefit from the tech, this is the interview for you.Next, we got JetZero CEO Tom O'Leary on the phone to tell us all about his startup's jet. No, it's not competing with Boom, a startup that wants to build a supersonic passenger airliner. Instead, JetZero is building jets that are mostly wing, allowing them to fly with far greater fuel efficiency. Best of all? The future JetZero planes can fit right into normal airports.Finally, we chatted with Nutrisense CEO Dan Zavorotny. While keeping tabs on your glucose levels may not be the sexiest topic in the world, the data that continuous monitoring can bring is incredibly valuable health information. Mix that signal with coaching, and Nutrisense reckons its combination of software, data, and dieticians can really improve health outcomes for its customers.If you needed a break from pure-play AI news, TWiST has you covered!Timestamps:0:00 Introduction1:47 Paradromics3:26 How do BCIs read your mind?9:58 Lemon - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at Lemon.io/twist19:54 Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/twist27:24 JetZero29:07 The advantages of more wing30:13 Caldera Lab - Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to CalderaLab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.55:30 NutrisenseSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Legendary British ad man Rory Sutherland invented a fake business on a podcast, a coffee shop appealing to the busy commuter called “Flat White or F**k Off.”But it's one thing to have a post go big on TikTok or Instagram… but to turn that viral moment into an actual COMPANY is a very different challenge.On TWiST, Jason and Lon chat with Charlie Hurst, Tom Noble, and Will Sudlow, founders of the online brand “Flat White or F**k Off,” about how they took a funny little slogan and turned it into a string of popular social media accounts, a line of merch, a pop-up café, and let's face it, an entire lifestyle.PLUS we've got Mog and Dubs from Subnet 75 — Hippius! Hear how they're using the blockchain for decentralized storage, and providing server space much cheaper than their famous hyperscaler rivals.This Week In Startups is made possible by:Plaud - https://Plaud.ai/twistLinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.Wispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistNorthwest Registered Agent  - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistTimestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:01:28 Plaud - If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!00:03:22 What is "decentralized cloud storage"?00:05:42 How Hippius came together00:09:57 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist.00:11:38 Incentivizing miners00:14:25 How many people are contributing?00:18:42 But where does the value accrue?00:20:18 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.00:29:55 Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist00:35:53 The best places to eat in Dubai00:38:06 The inspo behind "Flat White or F Off"00:42:16 From social media to IRL business00:53:06 The secrets of experiential marketing00:57:28 Hospitality's "Rule of 3s"00:59:33 Inside the Flat White London pop-up01:13:11 Lon and Jason's Oscar picks01:26:06 Lon went "Inside the Manosphere"Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle - http://circle.so/twistSentry - http://Sentry.ioDeel - http://deel.com/twistPlaud - http://Plaud.ai/twistToday's show:It's self-driving time! We're going deep on one of the most exciting spaces developing in the world, autonomous vehicles! We've got 3 experts on the show to talk to us enlighten us, Ben Seidl of Autolane, Ming Maa of Moove, and Nathan Parker of EdgeCase.What's going on in the world of self-driving? How has the reliability of autonomous vehicles improved? What challenges are we still facing in the industry? Will the US reign victorious, or is China sneaking up? Let's find out on TWiST!Timestamps:00:00 intro02:21 Uber teams up with Zoox! 03:02 Does EdgeCase work with Zoox? 03:03 Operational design domains 06:47 The challenges of bringing self-driving to new environments. 00:10:53 Circle: The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist. 00:13:26 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off! 00:17:19 How has reliability of autonomous cars improved? 00:19:18 How Ben Seidl came up with the idea for Autolane! 00:21:08 Sentry: New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST 00:27:47 How Moove helps autonmous vehicles go to market! 00:30:49 Deel: Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://deel.com/twist to learn more. 00:33:28 The logisitcs of managing fleets. 00:37:08 Why is it called Autolane and not multi-modal lane? 00:40:50 Does EdgeCase work with smaller self-driving vehicles as well? 00:41:52 How autonomous systems will interact with one-another! 00:43:14 Why AV's should not talk to other AV's on the road 00:45:07 The state of the self-driving market 00:49:12 Why Tesla isn't involving themselves in California 00:50:34 Why the US is leading the way with regulatory clarity in autonomous vehicles 01:02:51 Ben Seidl says federal regulation is a necessity 01:05:20 What is holding back self-driving growth in the US? 01:06:26 What companies make the most money in self driving Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - ⁠⁠northwestregisteredagent.com/twist⁠⁠Quo - ⁠⁠quo.com/TWiST⁠⁠Gusto - ⁠⁠Gusto.com/twist⁠⁠Plaud - http://Plaud.ai/twistAthena - https://www.athena.com/jcalToday's show:How long until AI models can improve AI models? Once possible, recursive self-improvement by AI technology could accelerate — forever. Thus far, humans (and their coding agents) are still driving AI progress. But a recent project by AI developer extraordinare Andrej Karpathy, called ‘autoresearcher', is turning heads as it shows that it is possible — in certain contexts — to allow AI agents to run successive coding experiments to improve specific elements of LLM performance. Call it an early demonstration of the future.OpenClaw is exploding in China, while here in the United States, AI is polling somewhere underneath the basement. AI in the United States is about as popular as ICE, which could create a political issue for the technology in the coming elections.Next? Three demos. First, NetXD's Suresh Ramamurthi showed off how he has built OpenClaw functionality to move money, Rohan Arun showed off PhoneClaw automation on Android devices from an AR headset, and Eugene Stuckless gave us a taste of what Eir is building. Our takeaway? OpenClaw is still boring its way into our digital lives, one new skill or tool at a time!GUESTS:Suresh Ramamurthi: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sureshr7⁠⁠Rohan Arun: ⁠⁠https://x.com/Viewforge/⁠⁠Eugene Stuckless: ⁠⁠https://x.com/eugene_eir_inc⁠⁠Timestamps:0:00 — ‘Autoresearcher' and the future of AI improvements6:52 — Why people around the world are flocking to OpenClaw7:57 — Plaud - If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!9:46 — Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.12:57 — The changing American social contract20:15 — Quo - Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at quo.com/TWIST23:50 — Why China is all-in on AI (and Europe isn't)26:26 — How to keep your job in the AI era28:05 — Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist29:38 — Athena - Get $2,000 off your first EA at https://www.athena.com/jcal34:42 — Demo: Suresh Ramamurthi of NetXD42:47 — Demo: Rohan Arun of PhoneClaw47:35 — Why bringing OpenClaw to your smartphone is what's next49:49 — Demo: Eugene Stuckless of Eir56:45 — How can we make smarter, more efficient agents?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: ⁠⁠https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com⁠⁠Check out the TWIST500: ⁠⁠https://www.twist500.com⁠⁠Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: ⁠⁠https://rb.gy/v19fcp⁠⁠Follow Lon:X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/lons⁠⁠Follow Alex:X: ⁠⁠https://x.com/alex⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm⁠⁠Follow Jason:X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Jason⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis⁠⁠Great TWIST interviews: ⁠⁠Will Guidara,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Eoghan McCabe⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Steve Huffman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Chesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Bob Moesta,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Aaron Levie⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Sophia Amoruso⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Reid Hoffman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Frank Slootman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Billy McFarland⁠⁠Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: ⁠⁠https://substack.com/@calacanis⁠⁠Follow TWiST:Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TWiStartups⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups⁠⁠TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups⁠⁠Substack: ⁠⁠https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Every Banking - https://Every.iohttps://Lemon.io - Lemon.io/twistWispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistPlaud - https://plaud.ai/twistRo.co - https://Ro.co/TwistToday's show:*Sure, we all love open source models, but what about completely decentralized AI? Rather than leaving the big decision-making in the hands of a few elite CEOs, shouldn't users have a say — and potentially even a stake — in how this incredible technology develops?On TWiST, we welcome Ala Shaabana of Crucible Labs, one of the co-founders of Bittensor. It's an open-source protocol powering a blockchain-based machine learning network. What does that mean? Users mine a crypto token — $TAO — but rather than using up their compute on solving extremely long equations, they devote it to actually powering a range of innovative AI apps (aka subnets).Plus we've got Mark Jeffrey, co-founder of the Bittensor Fund Stillcore Capital, to show us some of his favorite subnet projects, and walk us through how he trained his AI agent to mine crpyto.All that AND two amazing new OpenClaw demos.Mark Jeffrey: https://x.com/markjeffreyStillcore Capital: https://stillcorecapital.com/Ala Shaabana (Crucible Labs): https://x.com/CrucibleLabsMichael Ryaboy (Setup Claw): https://setupclaw.com/Pete and Maddie Reese (Bizzby AI): https://bizzby.ai/Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:28 Plaud: If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at https://Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!04:11 The booming intersection of crypto, and AI agents05:49 Mark Jeffrey joins the show!06:13 Bittensor explained — how TAO subsidizes AI products07:37 Mark's top Bittensor projects00:10:40 https://Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.00:12:20 How subnet tokens work00:17:34 How the Crucible Labs wallet simplifies subnet token allocation00:19:33 https://Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist00:22:42 The importance of private inference and encrypted AI prompts00:29:36 Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.00:33:07 How AI is restoring old movies and media!00:40:57 SetUpClaw's “set it and forget it” AI agents00:45:50 https://Ro.co: Ro's insurance checker will let you know if your coverage includes GLP-1s for FREE. Go to https://Ro.co/Twist for your free insurance check.00:54:35 “Off-duty” with Lon and JasonSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Jobs - https://LinkedIn.com/twist.Deel - https://deel.com/twistIru - https://iru.com/twist!Today's show:It's a packed TWiST Today! WITH US, we've got Erik Voorhees of VeniceAI and Logan Allin of Fin Capital on to talk agents, crypto, and… you guessed it, OPENCLAW!Where does agentic AI meet the financial system? How will agents transact? And what does privacy look like in a world with omnipresent AI?Stick around for some demos! We've got George Pickett to demo OpenClaw studio and David Kaufman to show us what he's building at Siteline!Timestamps:00:04:31 What was Logan's original thesis in Circle?10:08 LinkedIn Jobs - Thanks to our partners at @LinkedIn! Post your job for free at https://⁠linkedIn.com/twist⁠ then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs' new AI assistant.00:11:52 Logans thoughts on Open vs. Closed Source00:15:33 How to maintain privacy in AI20:02 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit https://⁠deel.com/twist⁠ to learn more.00:23:29 Why LAUNCH's token usage is trending higher than payroll!00:25:05 How Fin capital uses personality types and AI to assess investments00:29:45 Why Erik thinks Anthropic's defiance of the federal gov. is bravery!32:10 Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. TWiST listeners get 20% off when they book a demo at https://⁠iru.com⁠/twist!00:42:23 How Siteline is helping understand companies and their agent traffic.00:57:15 OpenClaw Studio makes OpenClaw as user friendly as possible.01:10:09 The layers and layers of Microstrategy's business model.01:11:44 Which AI tools are the most indispensable?01:12:25 How Jason uses the Grok button on threadsSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle — http://circle.so/twistHubspot Creators — http://clickhubspot.com/twist2Uber AI Solutions — http://uber.com/ai-solutionsToday's show: *Dave Morin joined the show today to explain how the OpenClaw Foundation came into existence, and what its goals are. Fear not, Peter Steinberger retains directional control of the project. But if you want to sustain an open-source project over time, you need a corporate entity, well-heeled sponsors, maintainers and more. Morin is helping make sure that OpenClaw can stay true to itself well into the future.TWIST also put the day's most critical AI stories to Morin for his insight: What's his take on the Anthropic-DoW fracas? Does Morin think that OpenAI and Anthropic are catching up to OpenClaw in agentic terms? And will OpenAI cede the consumer crown to Anthropic? Next came two amazing demos: Runtools' CTO Greg Kara showed off a 3D interface for OpenClaw that his team built, allowing ‘Claw users to watch their agents work in real time, and even read over their shoulder. Then PickelWatch founder George Yameen showed off an agnetic workflow using OpenClaw and Claude's Chrome plugin side-by-side. The gist? Make sure that the agentic service you select is cost-effective. **GUESTS:**Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin?lang=enGreg Kara: https://x.com/GregKara6George Yameen: https://x.com/GeorgeYameen**Timestamps:** 00:00 Dave Morin Joins the Show02:31 How Dave Morin got Claw-Pilled05:01 Jason's critical OpenClaw moments08:38 How Dave showcases his OpenClaw skills10:47 Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/ai-solutions14:40 How long has the OpenClaw Foundation existed?17:21 How much authority does Peter Steinberger retain?00:20:21 Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist219:20 How ‘air traffic control' works for a project like OpenClaw23:15 The economics of open-source maintainers25:13 Dave's physical OpenClaw setup27:45 How Jason uses OpenClaw to curate his reading, fashion, and travel30:23 Circle - Circle gives you everything you need to build and scale your community-led business. TWIST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan at http://circle.so/twist32:18 Why the second wave of ideas is where things get the most interesting34:06 Apple's slow movement and hesitance to depricate products39:51 How Jason uses OpenClaw to coach the next generation of executives44:52 Are Anthropic and OpenAI catching up to OpenClaw?49:40 Introduction to Runtools.AI53:49 Runtools.AI demo of 3D OpenClaw environment57:06 Introduction to PickleWatch57:27 PickelWatch demo of Claude Chrome vs. OpenClaw01:03:38 How PickleWatch ups your pickleball swing32:56 Jason's advice for founders on stumbling onto new ideas42:16 Jason on the DoW's handling of the Anthropic mess01:11:08 Would Jason fund the tech that Anthropic won't supply?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: [https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups](https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups/)TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: [https://twistartups.substack.com](https://twistartups.substack.com/)

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - http://deel.com/twistWispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistLuma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twistToday's show:*$110 billion buys you 15% of OpenAI. Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank placed their bets on ChatGPT, which now has 900 million weekly active users and 50 million paying subscribers. Find out why Jason is anticipating the wildest J-Curve swing of all time, and believes we've ALREADY hit AGI… it's just not implemented yet.Plus a visit from our roving correspondent Nick O'Neill, checking in on the Crypto Chaos in Miami Beach, and hot demos from three young founders.GUESTS:Nick O'Neill: https://x.com/chooserichEverest Chris: https://openclaw.unloopa.com/Ben Broca: https://polsia.com/Adi Gabrani: https://makemyclaw.com/Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:33 We're hiring a new producer!05:42 OpenAI raised $110 billion08:59 Understanding the LLM J-Curve00:11:25 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit ⁠https://deel.com/twist⁠ to learn more.00:15:02 CRYPTO CHAOS IN MIAMI BEACH!00:21:10 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit ⁠https://wisprflow.ai/twist⁠ to get started for free today.00:22:54 Mass layoffs at Block00:30:50 Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with the all-in-one Dream Machine text-to-video platform. Visit ⁠https://lumalabs.ai/twist⁠ to try The Dream Machine for free.00:32:04 AI Scott Adams: The Saga Continues00:38:13 Make URLs for local businesses with Unloopa00:45:36 Rent a Polsia agent to run your company00:58:55 Deploy swarms in 60 seconds with MakeMyClaw01:05:05 LAUNCH FEST is coming to SF01:55:49 Will Paramount actually buy WBD?01:06:58 Why Lon loves “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms”01:07:21 On “Neighbors” and First Amendment Warriors01:13:43 All about Jason's favorite chargersSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Lemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twistEvery.io - https://every.io Sentry.io- https://sentry.io/twistToday's show:We're going behind the curtain today — it's a packed show!We found Tyler Yust, OpenClaw's third EVER contributor to share his insights from within foundation! We've got Deedy Das, of Menlo Ventures, on the show to discuss whether SaaS is cooked! Next we met the creator of an OpenClaw instance that fits in your pocket! We've also got the founder of OpenBrowse showing us how he automatically detects and generates OpenClaw skills!Timestamps:00:00 Intro - Deedy Das Joins the Show!04:54 Anthropic's revenue growth and valuation06:07 OpenClaw Contributor Tyler Yuts joins the show09:24 iMessage integration and Apple's proprietary systems00:10:07 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist14:31 Anthropic vs. the Pentagon00:20:02 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.00:30:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST00:35:46 The Infamous Citrini article00:32:47 Come to LAUNCH fest! https://fest.launch.co00:36:28 Why Deedy thinks the Cetrini article is a work of science fiction00:44:51 The illusion of privacy in corporate America00:41:18 Deedy thinks Enterprise SaaS apps aren't going to be vibe coded00:49:20 Jason's Reddit Bot00:52:01 Jason's obsession with Singapore's food00:55:22 How Unbrowse pulls any backend API!01:02:07 Sebastian shows off the smallest OpenClaw form factor!01:12:04 The Prolo ring — for people who doomscroll01:20:21 Deedy's Podcast Player App!Thank you to our partners:(10:07) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(20:02) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.(30:08) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWISTSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Caldera Lab - [calderalab.com/twist](https://calderalab.com/twist)Iru - [iru.com](http://Iru.com)LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twist*OpenClaw is incredible at automating tasks. But what if it could also fix your startup's internal communication problems? Give agents shared memory, and you may be able to break down information silos while ensuring that teammates have the same context.@oliverhenry and @jeffweisbein demo what they've actually built with OpenClaw, including marketing automations, agentic loops, and bug fixing tools. Then we dig into what agentic infrastructure means for how startups operate, and why traditional SaaS products need to quickly adapt for the agentic era.Oliver Henry: The creator of the ‘[Larry](https://clawhub.ai/OllieWazza/larry)' OpenClaw skill, and founder of [Larrybrain](https://www.larrybrain.com/)Jeff Weisbein: The Claw-pilled founder of [WizardRFP](https://www.wizardrfp.com/) and [WhoCoversIt](https://www.whocoversit.com/), who shared his OpenClaw framework [publicly](https://weisbe.in/openclaw) and built a [getting-started guide for the tool](https://github.com/jeffweisbein/openclaw-starter-kit)**Timestamps:** 00:00 Intro(00:01:43) Here's why you never ski alone in a blizzard!(00:04:22) Why everyone at LAUNCH is going to get their own Mac Mini and AI agent(00:08:06) “OpenClaw has changed my entire solo-preneur lifestyle.” — Jeff Weinstein of Hype Lab(00:09:06) Jason's urgent API message to Steve Huffman of Reddit(00:10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist(00:15:12) Oliver shows us his Larry Skill to make viral TikTok content with zero human intervention(00:20:10) Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at https://iru.com.(00:21:22) Why are platforms like TikTok still so hostile toward bots?(00:24:45) The shift from asking a chatbot how to do things, to just telling an agent to do things(00:26:05) How Oliver is training Larry to get better at its job(00:30:09) Caldera Lab - Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to https://CalderaLab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(00:32:47) Why making your agent more PROACTIVE is more important than automating everything(00:37:14) Why pull requests… just aren't really a thing any more.(00:39:40) How Jason is using his new AI assistant, “Roy,” to keep track of everything going on at his company(00:53:00) Is the SaaS crash actually rational after all?(00:51:48) Using AI to create “pools of excellence”(00:54:03) The more you integrate software into AI, the less valuable the software becomes(00:56:56) Why “Agentify Your SaaS” may become the rallying cry(00:58:31) How has the age verification scandal impacted Discord's IPO plans?(01:03:10) When you want to build your own skill vs. downloading someone else's(01:03:53) How Larrybrain finds helpful skills and helps creators monetize(01:08:32) When we will get true experts making verifiably top skills?(01:11:40) Jason's SCARY but also AWESOME new OpenClaw CEO tools(01:18:10) What does this mean for the future of venture capital?(01:18:35) Why a lot of MBAs should probably have PhD'sThank you to our partners:(30:09) Caldera Lab - Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to [CalderaLab.com/TWIST](http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(20:10) Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [iru.com](http://iru.com/).(10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - *Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at* [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer)

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twistCircle - https://circle.so/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show:*Getting OpenClaw set up and running without destroying your bank account is one thing.But now that you have your agent or swarm operational, how can you use them to get real work done?We have three builders who are going to show you how to maximize your OpenClaw output!GUESTS:Jordy Coltman: Viral X author and creator of the WeeklyClaw newsletterJesse Leimgruber: Creator of the OpenHome.com smart speaker and kitTremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of PulsePLUS, on Off Duty, Lon and Jason talk “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms” and “The Pitt,” react to the “Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer, and check out some of Jason's favorite headphones and earbuds.Timestamps:00:40 We're gonna show you how to maximize your IRL OpenClaw productivity00:50 Even AI skeptic Lon is blown away by OpenClaw's power01:46 Jordy Coltman's top time-wasting mistakes made by OpenClaw beginners03:00 Why Jordy thinks new hardware is the best home for your agents05:38 Why Jason thinks “OpenClaw is a box” is coming soon08:29 Tremaine Grant of Pulse demos his “virtual office” interface and the “Heartbeat Protocol”00:10:15 Gusto - Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.00:15:16 What's really happening when agents “chat” together?00:18:53 Jesse Leimgruber's demos his OpenHome AI smart speakers00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.00:22:55 Freeing agents from screens and making them proactive00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent - Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist00:30:58 Why Jason wants his agent to read Slack and emails to him00:50:05 Who polices autonomous agents? Other agents?00:53:32 Jason and Lon's thoughts on “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”00:56:20 Lon's favorite picks from Quentin Tarantino's Top 10 movies01:01:13 “The Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer reaction01:05:22 Jason's favorite earbuds and headphonesSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:00:10:15 Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - Try Gusto today and get 3 months free at http://uber.com/ai-solutionsCrusoe Cloud - Reserve your capacity for the latest GPU's at http://uber.com/ai-solutionsUber AI Solutions - Book a demo today at http://uber.com/ai-solutions*Today's show: It's a packed show! We've got YouTuber and Openclaw enthusiast Matthew Berman, Ryan Yaneli, founder of Nextvisit, and Jason Grad, founder of Massive! We're all in on Openclaw, but we have no doubts there's still room in the market for a GIANT Openclaw consumer app to shift the paradigm. What will that look like? Will it be an app? Will it be baked into the iPhone? Let's explore!**Timestamps:* 00:00 Intro02:04 Why Matthew thinks Openclaw is not ready yet to be brought to the consumer04:45 Jason doesn't want hundreds of different apps, and thousands of tabs05:45 Why Ryan sees open claw giving consumers access to opportunities they couldn't have gotten to otherwise.07:02 Only 10% of people are technical enough to install openclaw08:16 Would Openclaw be better off as an app?08:27 *Gusto*. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at [Uber.com/twist](http://uber.com/ai-solutions)00:10:52 The killer use case that could bring Openclaw to the consumer00:12:13 Why Meta acquired Manus.00:15:13 How Ryan uses Openclaw in his personal life00:18:44 *Crusoe Cloud*: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.00:23:24 What Jason's “Clawpod” does00:24:38 Jason demos his Openclaw workflow00:28:23 *Uber AI Solutions -* Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/ai-solutions00:30:04 How Matt used Openclaw to figure out he's been having stomach issues00:32:27 What will be the ultimate UX for AI?00:38:53 Anthropic has patched the ability to use Openclaw through its pro plan!00:42:20 Matt and Jason hope for a multi-model future — but we haven't made progress!00:52:21 Jason has skepticisms about the Openclaw foundation00:52:59 Ryan predicts a new Openclaw fork coming from the shadows!00:54:21 Peter Steinberger is going to OpenAI, NOT to work with Openclaw… Will he “orphan” openclaw?00:58:19 does raspberry AI stand a chance against Apple?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*Thank you to our partners:*Gusto*. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at [Uber.com/twist](http://uber.com/ai-solutions)*Crusoe Cloud*: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit [crusoe.ai/savings] to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.*Uber AI Solutions -* Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at [Uber.com/twist](http://uber.com/ai-solutions)Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/*Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: [https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups](https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups/)TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: [https://twistartups.substack.com](https://twistartups.substack.com/)

Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/HiringProOfferToday's show:*OpenAI hired OpenClaw creater Peter Steinberger. What does this mean for the future of the AI virtual assistant platform, and what can the OpenClaw community do TODAY to help protect their favorite free, open-source resource?Jason and Alex consider the future of OpenClaw alongside guest experts and founders Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet. Plus we're taking a look at all of their OpenClaw creations. Check out demos of Hiten's “personal CRM” for busy investors and Jesse's family media aggregator.PLUS we've got “AI Scott Adams” creator John Arrow to talk about why he was inspired to create an AI clone of the iconic podcaster and “Dilbert” creator, and why he thinks it has so many internet commenters up in arms.Hiten Shahhttps://x.com/hnshahhttps://crazyegg.comJesse Genethttps://x.com/jessegenethttps://Lumi.comJohn Arrowhttps://x.com/johnarrowhttps://www.aiscottadams.com/Timestamps:(0:00) Introducing our guests Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet!(2:27) The panel's biggest concerns about OpenAI hiring OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger(6:03) Jason gives us his most optimistic and pessimistic OpenAI takes(7:58) Why Jason thinks OpenAI will give everyone their own closed-source assistant(10:45) Jesse's Mac Minis now outnumber her children!(15:28) What the OpenClaw community can do right now(17:08)  Can companies “hijack” OpenClaw via hosting and skills?(20:12)  Hiten live-trains an OpenClaw skill based on Jason's book “Angel”(22:37)  How much is everyone spending on tokens anyway?(25:56)  How Jesse vibe-coded an app to aggregate non-Slop videos for her family(34:19)  Why Jason thinks Jesse's app is a great potential business(37:27)  Hiten built the “personal CRM” busy people have always dreamed of having(44:12)  “We're in an appless world.”(45:19) Why markdown files (.md) are perfect for humans and their AI agents(52:36)  So why are founders so obsessed with OpenClaw?(58:47)  John Arrow, the creator of AI Scott Adams, joins the show(1:02:44) How does AI Scott Adams get more like Scott Adams over time?(1:04:37)  The legal and ethical considerations around posthumous AI Clones

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry - http://sentry.io/twistCircle - http://Circle.so/twistWispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistToday's show: What makes OpenClaw feel so much more ALIVE than other AI agents?On TWiST, we're welcoming three amazing builders who are truly connecting with their OpenClaw bots, not just using them for productivity but getting to know them and their personalities on a deeper level.Serial entrepreneur Ryan Carson shows us Antfarm, which creates a team of agents with specialized roles, who work together to complete complex tasks.THEN David Im shows us Clawra, his AI virtual girlfriend that learns about you and your tastes, and even buys you presents!FINALLY, Alex Liteplo presents RentAHuman, a marketplace where bots can pay real people in stablecoins to complete IRL tasks.The future may not just be humans and AIs working side by side, but hanging out, being social, and learning from one another as well!Timestamps: (0:00) It's a Friday show with Lon and we've got THREE awesome OpenClaw builders(6:41) First up, Ryan Carson shows off his open source too, AntFarm(7:57) What is a “Ralph Wiggum Loop”?(10:54) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to http://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(17:14) NOTI Q: What about security?!(18:13) David Im shows us his AI virtual girlfriend, Clawra(19:21) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(20:33) Introducing your IRL girlfriend to your AI girlfriend(23:23) How to program an AI companion(28:26) Should Clawra be a best pal instead of a GF?(32:38) Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.(33:54) Jason's Productivity Hack of the Month(36:17) Alex Liteplo shows us RentAHuman, where AI agents can hire real people(38:22) What are the bots hiring people to do, exactly?(50:02) Why robots might be better bosses than people…(50:51) Hiring 100 goth girls to hold signs in Times Square(55:25) OFF DUTY! Norwegian skier breaks down on live TV(58:01) Lon's fav Best Picture nominees(59:08) Why Apple acquired “Severance.” Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500https://twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:54) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to http://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(19:21) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(32:38) Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:NetSuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twistLuma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twistSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistToday's show: On today's epsiode of TWiST, Jason gets pitched by two top founders, Presh Dineshkumar and Peter Cetale! Presh used to work for Jason at Launch! When he left, Jason invested $200K into Presh's new startup The Wellness Company. Presh pitches Jason on what he has been building, and Jason gives Presh advice for improving the product!Peter went through Andreesen Horowitz's Speedrun accelerator program as CEO and co-founder of Sourcerer. Sourcerer uses AI agents to help US firms and distributors find the best prices for mass produced goods. Check out how Jason digs in with these founders!Timestamps:(0:00) Presh was originally a TWiST fan who emailed Jason!(1:59) Why Jason invested in Presh's startup(3:19) Checking out the Wellness Company's hot new app, Tempo(4:03) How Tempo monitors your health and offers proactive advice with consistency(9:10) Why Jason recommends adding a group or family feature to make it stickier(9:51) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(11:28) The end goal: bringing app advice and guidance into the real world(13:34) Presh shares where his apps are finding the most engagement(14:13) The key importance of Product Velocity and World-Class Design(17:27) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post-production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(18:38) Introducing Peter Cetale and Sourcerer!(19:32) How Sourcerer uses AI to help distributors and manufacturers automate their sourcing(22:48) How Sourcerer manages to actually bring costs down(25:02) Lining up REAL customers, not Letters of Intent (aka Letters of Nothing)(26:04) Peter's experiences in a16z's Speedrun accelerator(28:08) Working with agents on BOTH the supply and demand side(29:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(30:32) How has Tariff Mania impacted Peter's business?(35:35) Why Peter thinks startups will keep getting leaner and compute will keep getting cheaper*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:51) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(17:27) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post-production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(29:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist2Deel - http://deel.com/twistIru - http://www.iru.com/Today's show: Today on TWiST we're joined by 3 founders building on Open Claw,  Presh Dineshkumar, Vishnu, and Sean Liu!First, long time friend of the pod, Presh Dineshkumar, shows us how he's using Open Claw to automate his work at The Wellness Company. His Open Claw agent, Eywa, lives in his email and in his product, able to compile user lists at his discretion.Then, we're joined by Vishnu, who brings Open Claw to the masses. Non-technical folks, it's your lucky day! Time to get Clawd-shotted! Last, Sean Liu joins the show to tell us about how he's connecting Meta glasses to his Open Claw instance to interact with context that users can physically see!Timestamps:(0:00) We're joined by Presh Dineshkumar of the Wellness Company, another OpenClaw fanatic(1:50) We meet Presh's Replicant — Eywa — who spies on all of his emails(2:53) How Eywa is helping Presh keep track of his app's most active users(4:35) LLMs have become very smart but they are trapped in the corner(6:10) How Presh gave Eywa its own email address and avoids prompt injections(8:56) Using Presh's Replicant to do daily research dives(10:40) Hubspot: Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2(13:21) Presh also has Eywa hunting down and fix bugs in his apps, all from email(16:16) Way more startups can be profitable now that they don't need 10+ person teams(19:15) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(20:36) We're joined by two more OpenClaw builders: Vishnu and Xiaoan (Sean) Liu(21:16) Sean hooked his Meta Ray Bans up to his OpenClaw!(29:53) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at http://iru.com/(31:05) Some dystopian thoughts on how to use VisionClaw technology(32:47) What kinds of startups will get the most value out of OpenClaw?(34:43) Why Vishnu made a product to simplify OpenClaw set-up and security(37:34) What inspires people to stop considering OpenClaw and go “all in” on the tech(40:17) Will Vishnu and Sean quit their jobs and take Jason's investment $125K investment deal… YESSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:40) Hubspot: Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2(19:15) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:53) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at http://iru.com/Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twistEvery.io - http://every.io/Northwest registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show: Sean Liu gave his OpenClaw “eyes” by hooking the AI assistant up to his Meta Ray Bans. While Jason and Alex consider the implications… guest expert Alex Finn quickly loses interest…It's another All-Clawdbot TWiST where we debate the most essential uses for the viral agent platform. For their part, Alex Finn and Matt Van Horn are building practical skills to help founders (esp. solo founders)… Alex has a brain trust of AI agents working round the clock to improve his organization and content, while Matt designed a skill for his agent to order sushi lunches (keeping them under $20).PLUS find out how Producer Oliver designed his “Model Council” based on Perplexity's set-up, why running everything local is “illogical” for most people in 2026, AND why Jason's next Founder U cohort will all be building with OpenClaw.Timestamps: (00:00) Why Jason is STILL Claw-pilled! We can't get enough!(03:17) “Mr. Clawdbot” Alex Finn of Creator Buddy joins us! He's Claw-Pilled too!(04:50) Sean Liu (@_seanliu) added OpenClaw to his Meta Ray Bans… Here's why Alex doesn't care!(8:33) Lost your job to AI? Maybe AI can make you a founder!(12:35) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(13:34) “Last 30 Days” skill creator Matt Van Horn (@mvanhorn) joins the show(14:54) Why Jason wants to invest in Matt's new project.(15:53) Meeting Alex's organization of AI agents who collaborate on his projects autonomously(22:28) Is Alex planning to turn his OpenClaw set-up into a company? Maybe…(23:10) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(25:16) Using OpenClaw to create a “lights out” startup(28:17) Deciding when to use local models vs. more powerful cloud-based models(29:52) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(30:58) How Producer Oliver created a “Model Council” for LAUNCH based on Perplexity's set-up(35:52) Why it's so important to have an orchestrator that knows the right model for the right task(39:12) Why running everything local is “illogical” for most companies in 2026(41:15) Matt walks us through the latest and greatest incarnation of his “Last 30 Days” skill(45:57) Why Jason thinks recursive machine learning is the solution to human laziness(46:38) How Alex has supercharged his social media and his startup during OpenClaw Mania(50:15) Why Founder University is going ALL OPENCLAW next cohort(51:21) How big a jump over Opus 4.5 is Opus 4.6?(53:35) OpenClaw's going to start scanning skills for malware… Will this help?(57:13) No one was SUPER impressed by the AI dot com Super Bowl ad… except JCal(1:01:11) Matt used his “Order Sushi” OpenClaw skill live on the show to get lunch(1:04:08) Polymarket's sharps are wagering on Claude 5's hotly anticipated releaseThank you to our partners:(12:35) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(23:10) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(29:52) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/savingsLemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistThanks to our guests:Alex Cheema of ExoLabs http://exolabs.netRyan Yanneli of NextVisit https://nextvisit.ai/Today's show: It's the Age of Ultron at TWiST and LAUNCH. We've given our OpenClaw digital Replicants the keys to all of our systems and we're seeing how much of our jobs they can really do when left to their own devices.Producer Oliver stops by the show to give us a peek behind the curtain, at the new control panel and dashboard OpenClaw built FOR ITSELF (with a bit of human assistance).PLUS we're joined by Alex Cheema of ExoLabs. His company helps everyday consumers run powerful frontier LLMs on their own devices, essential to protect your data and personalize your AI experience.ALSO congratulations to Ryan Yanneli from NextVisit on winning our Gamma Pitch Deck Competition! He walks away with $25K from LAUNCH and our friends at Gamma.Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing Alex Cheema to the show(3:17) Why it is so important to run AI on local hardware(6:58) Using OpenClaw Producer to automate TWiST(8:59) How to Train your AI(11:58) What is a Chron Job? (Hint: chron means chronological)(13:24) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(17:53) OpenClaw managing the LAUNCH/TWiST team(19:54)  Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(20:58) Turning AI into Ultron, self optimization(27:21) The Future: frontier models: running on your Iphone!(28:37) Prompt injections: how people can hack your OpenClaw(30:25) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(31:31) OpenClaw invites guests that join the show(40:29) Oliver shows off OpenClaw mission control dashboard(46:30) Stacking Apple Silicon vs. Running Kimi-K(50:18) How Exo Labs works — stringing together Mac Silicon(54:29) Ryan from Nextvisit wins Gamma Pitch Competition(59:10) Industry Season 4 reflects tech regulation*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(13:24) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(19:54)  Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(30:25) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle - http://Circle.so/twistCaldera Lab - http://calderalab.com/TWISTLinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/twistToday's show: There was a time, not long ago, when offices everywhere came to a standstill, and everyone became even more fixated on their phones than usual, each time HQ Trivia went live. The app-based game show was a massive viral hit… until suddenly, around a year later, it wasn't.Now, HQ Trivia host Scott Rogowsky is back with a new concept: Savvy, another game show you play on your phone, this time inspired by the word puzzle hit Wordle. Is lightning about to strike twice? PLUS, Alex chats with Trevor Bennett of space transportation outfit Starfish Space. This comes off two major successes for the team: the Remora mission that proved Stafish's autonomous rendezvous capabilities and the $52.5 Million dollar contract to dispose of low Earth orbit satellites.Timestamps: (00:00) How Scott first got involved with HQ Trivia(2:23) Why Scott thinks HQ Trivia struck such a chord with fans(4:12) Scott couldn't get a job in late night, so he made his own show(5:31) Delving into the behind-the-scenes tensions at HQ Trivia(11:07) Circle -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(13:53) The end of HQ Trivia and why Scott jumped ship(16:35) Savvy just had its series premiere: you play the game against the host(20:14) How to play Savvy and win cash(20:57) Why Jason thinks a subscription model is the future of Savvy(22:25) Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(23:31) Introducing Dr. Trevor Bennet of Starfish Space(24:04) What the Otter Spacecraft does: de-orbiting to clean up space(26:46) Why space will need hundreds of Otters in space(29:24) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.(30:23) Starfish Space's business model: operating a starfleet(33:17) The success of the Remora mission: autonomous rendezvous in space.(43:47) The rise of the space economy(48:18) Starfish's $52.5 Million dollar contract and what it means for the space ecosystem*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(11:07) Circle -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(22:25) Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(29:24) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist Terms and conditions apply.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.com

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quadratic - http://quadratic.ai/twistToday's show: Don't get distracted! Here are the MOST CRUCIAL aspects of running a startup, where founders need to keep their full and uninterrupted focus.- Make sure you're saving up your cash- Why you need to just get started and build SOMETHING- Trust and reliability is EVERYTHING for new products- Why distribution should be your top priorityDownload all this practical and tactical startup advice from seasoned veterans Jason Calacanis, Amanda Bradford, and William P. Barnes in this Tokyo edition of TWiST.Timestamps:(00:00) Amanda and Will's big takeaways from Founder U in Saudi Arabia and now Tokyo(3:19) Why cash flow management is so important before you find PMF(5:57) Why first-time founders get the order of operations wrong(6:45) Just build SOMETHING, even if it's taped together(11:19) “Focus is everything in the early stages”(14:17) From a wedge to a bridge(15:50) Quadratic - Bringing the productivity boost of AI into your spreadsheets. Visit http://quadratic.ai/twist to sign up and use the code TWIST to get one free month of their pro tier subscription.(18:45) What to put on your “Not Right Now” list(19:11) Embracing simplicity(22:00) The importance of trust and reliability (especially for Uber!)(28:12) Why innovation needs a constraining variable(33:40) To really drive word of mouth, you have to overdeliver(36:32) Distribution is the primary job of a founder/CEO(38:19) Some of the panel's favorite distribution hacks(45:54) Why Jason respects Japan's commitment to excellence and competency(49:38) Looking for “high slope” in early employees(53:11) Transitioning your team from early-stage startup to growth(57:45) Whoever writes it down gets credit for the idea(58:04) Q: Has the meaning of money changed for the panel now that they've had successful exits?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(15:50) Quadratic - Bringing the productivity boost of AI into your spreadsheets. Visit http://quadratic.ai/twist to sign up and use the code TWIST to get one free month of their pro tier subscription.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Uber - http://uber.com/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show: SpaceX is buying xAI, forming a mega-corp that plans to launch data centers into SPACE. Will Tesla also join up, fulfilling Elon's destiny to become real-life Tony Stark, with his own Musk Industries? Jason and Alex break down the future of SpaceXAI in a breaking news report.THEN, we're still celebrating OpenClaw (née Clawdbot) Mania! Oliver and Lukas return to TWiST to share their Almost Top 10 (okay it's just a Top 6) favorite Skills so far. Learn how they're using Replicants to summarize TWiST episodes, surf Reddit, produce original Gamma decks, train agents to make themselves smarter, and take care of LAUNCH's administrative and operations tasks.Timestamps:(00:00) BREAKING: SpaceX bought xAI! (1:56) Why it will be cheaper to generate compute in space than here on Earth(8:19) Will Tesla eventually join the club, forming “Musk Industries”?(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(12:37) ALSO BREAKING: We're still obsessing about Clawdbot/OpenClaw(14:58) So is OpenClaw and all of its various skills secure yet? NO.(16:42) Today we're looking at our picks for the Top 6 OpenClaw skills(17:13) Alex's first pick: Reddit (read only), which makes it easier to track down what you want on the aggregator(19:35) Reddit hates bots! But maybe they'll change their tune?(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(22:46) Our Replicant summarized the last few episodes of TWiST… but at what COST? (18 cents)(26:40) Lukas taught our Replicant to make Gamma decks for us(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(30:21) Our Replicant has ALL the Polymarket data now! The power!(34:14) AI agents are also playing cards together on ClawPoker(35:07) Oliver tested out our pal Matt Van Horn's (@mvanhorn) self-improving “Last 30 Days” skill(38:22) Why memory is so crucial for getting models to improve themselves over time(40:33) Yo dawg I know you like monitoring tasks so I built you a task monitor that monitors your tasks so you can task monitor your tasks(41:40) What makes OpenClaw so powerful is also what makes it dangerous!(49:12) If you want to really learn about OpenClaw, you need to make your own skills(50:03) Jason's advice for OpenClaw's suddenly famous creator: Peter Steinberger (@steipete)(56:31) What would be the best way(s) to monetize OpenClaw?(57:54) Will an OpenClaw agent sue a human in court?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Thank you to our partners:(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - http://deel.com/twistLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show: On Today's action packed episode of This Week in Startups, our team is going full AI!Jason is joined by Oliver Korzen and Lukas Durand from the LAUNCH team, alongside Rahul Sood, founder/CEO of Irrevernt Labs and founder of Voodoo PC.With the rise of Clawdbot/Moltbot, the question on everyone's mind is how fast, how much and how safe! Lukas and Oliver show off the ways that This Week in Startups are automating the hours of research and administrative tasks that take up our days and the what this means for running a podcast and venture firm.Timestamps:(00:00) Why we're so obsessed with OpenClaw (Clawdbot)(00:47) LAUNCH's own Lukas Durand has joined the pod for the first time… Here's how he and Jason met…(02:26) Oliver is also here… check out his new series, This Week in AI(03:11)How LAUNCH has its OpenClaw bot set up (without all the details!!!)(06:03) The first few services that LAUNCH authenticated with our OpenClaw… And why!(6:59) How OpenClaw is helping Oliver to book the show(11:06) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(14:08) Why OpenClaw sometimes struggles with context and memory, and how to work around it(16:03) Understanding how to set up “cron jobs”(20:19) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist That's http://linkedin.com/twist. Terms and conditions apply.(22:23) How OpenClaw works as our virtual podcast producer, and how much time we'll save(24:40) Can OpenClaw also help us prep the podcast agenda (aka THE DOCKET)?(28:32) Lon chimes in to talk about how Claude helped him prep Jason's Davos interviews(31:30) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(32:28) How many “Replicants” or AI agents does one company really need?(36:09) Why Jason asked his OpenClaw bots to self-report on what they're learning(37:14) What OpenClaw WON'T do… Where did these guardrails come from?(39:44)The hardware side… How much of this can you do from a Mac Studio?(43:29) Zombie Staffers: How OpenClaw can “revive” long-lost employees…(48:09) We're putting OpenClaw in charge of the TWiST 500(51:18) Rahul Sood joins us to talk about the dangers of OpenClaw and how to stay protected(53:01) Why so many OpenClaw skills have major vulnerabilities(1:00:00) Moltbook: Where bots hang out with other bots and share info(1:06:44) Why powerful AI agents will make creative work by humans so much more important.(1:07:22) Rahul's final recommendations for max possible OpenClaw security(1:14:00) Is OpenClaw going to bring hiring to a halt?(1:21:10) Why getting comfortable with AI tools will become essential for every employeeThank you to our partners:(11:06) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(20:19) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at http://linkedin.com/twist That's http://linkedin.com/twist. Terms and conditions apply.(31:30) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - http://Gusto.com/twistZite - http://zite.com/twistCircle.so - http://circle.so/twistGuest links: Andrew Duffy, Founder and CEO, http://sparkplug.app — Retail incentives and brand partnerships platformFord Smith, Founder of http://Ultranative.com — Investing in transformative startupsSocrates Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of http://iheartjane.com — One stop shop for cannabis productsToday's show: On TWiST's first Cannabis Roundtable, Jason is joined by three top Cannabis founders and investors: Ford Smith of Ultranative, Andrew Duffy of Sparkplug, and Socrates Rosenfeld of Jane.How will the regulatory environment and the move to Schedule III change the industry? Are those regulations shaping consumption? How are investors thinking about cannabis startups given the difficulty with exits? Most importantly, what's the deal with the increasing potency of cannabis?Each guest has their own perspective, Andrew sees it as a natural reaction from CPG brands to power users, Ford points to “flyover” operators unconcerned with long-term health of the industry, while Socrates refers to moonshine drinking during the prohibition to say that regulations create these problems.Speaking of moonshine, alcohol consumption is dropping dramatically among Gen-Z, with many pointing to cannabis consumption as a substitute. Some perceive cannabis as healthier and lacking caloric nature of alcohol, which could explain why there are now more daily smokers than daily drinkers!Timestamps:(0:00) Guest Introductions for the Cannabis Roundtable!(2:50) Why Jason invested in Sparkplug(6:44) How Ford Smith got into Cannabis investing — is it Cannabis a good investment?(11:40) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at http://Gusto.com/twist.(12:46) Socrates breaks down building a major cannabis marketplace(18:13) Canadian legalization and tailwinds for cannabis.(20:25) How Cannabis startups are pivoting to deal with high competition and regulatory pressure(21:47) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to http://zite.com/twist to get started.(27:07) Who benefits from legalization of cannabis? Healthcare? Retail? Banking?(28:03) How the alcohol industry is getting crushed by cannabis usage(31:27) Circle.so -  The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.(32:47) Is new cannabis too potent? Is high potency cannabis a result of illegal rules.(42:05) Why heavy consumers are driving CPG startups to high doses(44:14) Cannabis psychosis and the problem with brands selling potency items.*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(11:40) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at http://Gusto.com/twist.(21:47) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Go to http://zite.com/twist to get started.(31:27) Circle.so -  The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - http://quo.com/TWiSTLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show: Jason is back from Davos and Tokyo! We are jumping right back in with a group of Clawdbot power users: Alex Finn, Matt Von Horn, and Dan Penguine.Clawdbot is a hot open source AI project that lets users automate… everything! Dan helped his automate his aging parent's tea shop, Matt built news sourcing bots, and Alex runs his one-man SAAS startup with Clawdbot as an AI employee!But with all of that power comes the responsibility of making sure you are not giving your AI too many authorizations that could come under fire! Whether fisching emails, “injections”, or bad decision making from incorrect information online.Check out how these 3 experts, Jason and Alex are thinking about the bleeding edge of AI!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing today's Clawdbot experts!(04:09) How Matt Von Horn makes “Skills” with Clawdbot(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST.(13:25) Dan Penguine's “Normy” use case: automating his parent's tea shop(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:23) Alex Finn breaks down how Clawdbot lets him run a one man startup(24:28) Alex Finn on Clawdbot autonomously building apps within his business(28:33) Security concerns with Clawdbot, can your AI get hacked?(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(35:07) Why is everyone buying Mac Minis?(37:39) How to think about LLM Token usage(46:02) Clawdbot will build CRMs, project management software, etc without being asked. Is this the end of SAAS?(46:58) Matt live uploads his new Clawdbot skill on aire!(48:22) Why was Clawdbot able to move so much quicker than Anthropic and OpenAI?(50:17) What is Clawdbot's business model as an open source AI?(53:27) Matt's recursive AI prompt loop and how AI prompts layer*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:53) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(19:50) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(32:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry.io - sentry.io/twistHubspot - clickhubspot.com/twist2Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday's show:One day soon, you might consult an AI general practitioner about your health, and then the computer will recommend human specialists to take up your case.On TWiST Tokyo, Jason chats with Fred Almeida — founder and CEO of American Medical Intelligence Inc. — and Maxwell Weiss, a partner at Pacific Bays Capital.Together, they discuss the future of medicine, and the opportunities for individuals to take greater control over their health and preventative care strategies.PLUS a look at how Japan has stayed at the forefront of technology despite NOT being a manufacturing hub, why so many Americans are willing to take a pay cut to move to Japan for work, and the concept of “genten shugi,” and how it prevents some Japanese people from communicating with English speakers, despite understanding the language.THEN we hear pitches from some of our favorite Founder University x Japan companies, and Fred, Jason, and Max pick their favorites!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing today's big guests: founder Fred Almeida and investor Max Weiss!(5:43) Why Fred thinks one day soon, an AI will be your general practitioner(8:26) The power of getting self-directed medical diagnostics(13:27) Max says Japan has moved into Decade 2 in its venture capital journey(14:37) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(16:05) Max and Jason had wagyu barbecue the other night(17:10) Japan doesn't OFFICIALLY have a standing army…(21:37) Why the line between talking startups and politics is blurring(23:05) Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at clickhubspot.com/twist2.(24:59) Japan doesn't make a lot of things, but it produces the underlying tech behind a lot of things(25:52) Understanding Genten Shugi: Why some in Japan still have an “English allergy”(29:42) Why some Americans will take a pay cut to come work in Japan(33:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(34:10) PITCH #1: Cascade(36:10) PITCH #2: Altsource Global(38:10) PITCH #3: GoalMochi(40:25) Jason, Max, and Fred give feedback on our first three pitches(42:45) Would GoalMochi ever consider adding personas for added expertise, like say a nutritionist?(44:30) How does Cascade plan to compete against the massive ad networks of companies like Google and Meta?(46:05) PITCH #4: RandomChat(48:10) PITCH #5: Eir(50:05) More feedback for our final two pitches of the day(52:44) Fred wants to know how Eir's product will integrate with other systems(54:19) Why Gigi made herself available to chat in her app(57:50) Why Jason thinks RandomChat should add anonymous personasSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(14:37) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(23:05) Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at clickhubspot.com/twist2.(33:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCrusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/savingsLinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedIn.com/twistToday's show: On today's TWIST episode, Alex interviews two of the top startup co-founders: Keller Cliffton of Zipline and Anastasis Germanidis of Runway. Zipline announced its $600 million raise at a $7.6 BILLION valuation. Kellers breaks down the origins, economics, and future of Zipline's contrarian bet in drone delivery. What was science fiction a decade ago is now a regular part of life for many. In fact, Zipline operates more flights than United!Zipline is set to leapfrog the car delivery apps AND self driving cars with the superior economics of drone delivery. It is much cheaper to transport your burrito in a lightweight drone than a 6,000 pound self driving car!Then, Alex is joined by Anastasis Germanidis, the CTO and co-founder of Runway, to explain why the next frontier of generative AI is world models! Runway  is looking to build a universal simulation, which will unlock massive gains in robotics, autonomy, and simulations. The world model would be able to simulate rare edge cases that could take years to find naturally! Check out how this cutting edge AI startup's NYU Tisch School of Art's originsThen, See Jason's answer to the question: “When should founders pivot or give up?”Timestamps: (00:00) The Drone revolution is here!(02:46) Inside Zipline's factory to build 20K drones a year(04:40) American dynamism Vs. Chinese manufacturing dominance(09:00) How Zipline is growing 75% month on month(9:50) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(11:15) Zipline teleports food and goods to your house(21:54) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(23:02) Is it affordable to use a drone to deliver a burrito?(29:18) Zipline DOUBLES United's flight numbers(31:11) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant.(32:21) Anastasis break's down Runway's AI modeling(35:24) Runway's Gen 4.5 and the world model(40:57) Why do robotics companies need a world model?(43:04) Using AI to simulate robot laundry folding(52:37) Runway's origins at NYU's art school(55:46) Founder Q/A: When to pivot or give up on your startup*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.com)Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:50) Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(21:54) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(31:11) LinkedIn Jobs - post your job for free at http://linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs new AI assistant.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle.so - http://Circle.so/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistUber AI Solutions - http://uber.com/twistToday's show:Not long ago, promising young Japanese graduates wanted to go work for the largest, most established, and even oldest corporations: Sony, Mitsubishi, and the like. But now, just over the last few years, more and more Japanese people are becoming entrepreneurs and founders. TWiST Japan continues with a fascinating look inside the country's growing startup ecosystem with special guest, venture capitalist Shinichi “Shin” Takamiya. He'll walk Jason through how Japan stayed ahead of the rest of the world in technology, but started falling behind when it came to founding companies, and how the Japanese are now starting to level the playing field.PLUS why his fund, Globis, sees other VC firms as collaborators rather than the competition… How AI is helping Japanese and American founders build their companies more quickly… Why Jason prefers training younger people to become VCs rather than hiring more experienced players… Shin's guide to eating out in Tokyo… and much more!Timestamps: (00:00) We're so excited to bring Founder University in Japan!(04:15) Jason and our guest first met 15-25 years ago…(06:06) How is Japan always so far ahead of the rest of the world?(08:29) Globis is one of Japan's largest and oldest venture capital firms!(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(12:38) Why founders need to play the long game when it comes to networking(15:03) “The founder is the most precious resource in the startup community”(16:50) Shin takes us inside his Mercari (a massive Japanese marketplace site) investment(18:20) How startups became “cool” in Japan, just recently(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(21:09) You don't have to tell an investor your whole story… just get them interested(25:28) Why Jason likes to train young folks to be VCs, rather than hiring for experience(28:44) The differences between being candid and rude(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(35:40) Why Globis sees other VC firms as collaborators(39:08) The world's OLDEST company is 1500 years old… and it's from Japan…(39:54) Why a lot of great businesses aren't right for VC investment(43:34) Why picking the right market is so crucial(48:37) When you know the direction of change but can't predict the timing(50:34) How founders are using AI to build better companies faster(54:39) Shin's guide to eating out in Tokyo*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/