Podcasts about devsquad

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Oracle. TWiST listeners can try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠ DevSquad. TWIST listeners can get 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist Ramp. TWiST listeners, get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist Todays show: Jason & Alex discuss Palantir's valuation, possible opt-in empire building for the United States and the incoming presidents appointments pulling from tech and VC. (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (0:22) Approaches to population growth: immigration and opt-in empire building (1:40) Live streaming and show schedule (2:09) Introduction of Alex Wilhelm and seasonal greetings (3:41) Jason's Twitter controversy regarding Palantir (7:06) Palantir's financial analysis and market comparison (10:27) Oracle.TWiST listeners can try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠ (13:41) Deeper dive into Palantir's valuation and growth (18:18) Memestock caution and market dynamics (19:03) DevSquad. TWIST listeners can get 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (20:21) Jeff Bezos' fake wedding and Michael Saylor's Bitcoin strategy (22:17) Cultural takes on weddings and Michael Saylor's media attention (22:55) Defense tech: Palantir and Anduril's consortium (27:18) The rise of entrepreneurs in defense technology (28:45) Ken Howery's ambassadorship and US geopolitical strategies (29:49) Ramp. TWiST listeners, get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist (31:13) Funding ambassadorships and their significance (34:10) "Opt-in" empire building for US growth (42:40) Government's recent strategic hires (43:45) Evaluating new government hires and their impact (50:30) AI policy advisory and Surem Krishnan's role (56:09) Investment accreditation and securities law evolution (1:02:15) Modernizing securities laws for new assets (1:03:59) Emil Michael appointed under secretary for research and engineering (1:06:45) Michael Kratzios and emerging technology assistance Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Thank you to our partners: (10:27) Oracle**.** TWiST listeners can try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at ⁠⁠https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist⁠⁠⁠ (19:03) DevSquad. TWIST listeners can get 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (29:49) Ramp. ****TWiST listeners, get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Ramp. The corporate card and spend management software designed to help you save time and money. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist Digital Ocean. Whether you're just getting started with AI, or seeing your project take off, DigitalOcean is the cloud platform that lets you focus on what matters: building killer apps. Right now get up to $100k in free credits at https://www.do.co/twist. Terms and conditions apply. * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (3:03) Government reactions to drone sightings (4:02) Theories and politicians' reactions to the drones (9:21) Ramp. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. (10:48) Official statements on drone sightings (13:34) Speculation on drones' radiation detection capabilities (15:20) TikTok insights and Swiss startup Arctis Radiation Detectors (20:21) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (21:52) Personal reactions and media aspects of drone sightings (26:12) Startups in drone detection and geopolitical implications (30:36) DigitalOcean. DigitalOcean is the cloud platform you need to turn your AI project into a rocket ship. Right now, approved listeners can get up to $100,000 in free credits to try us out. Visit https://www.do.co/twist - get started and view terms and conditions. (32:23) American Security Drone Act of 2023 and government coordination (39:01) Nicole Wischoff joins Alex and Jason. (40:28) Startup pitches and trend discussions (46:14) Investment strategies and AI's impact on startups (51:10) Market dynamics in various industries (52:09) Fundraising strategies and venture capital insights (57:56) Closing thoughts with Nicole Wischoff (58:05) Venture capital performance metrics (1:00:39) Challenges for large venture funds * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Mentioned on the show: Check out Wischoff Ventures: https://www.wischoff.com/ * Follow Nicole: X: https://x.com/NWischoff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholewischoff * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:21) Ramp. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. (20:21) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (30:36) DigitalOcean. DigitalOcean is the cloud platform you need to turn your AI project into a rocket ship. Right now, approved listeners can get up to $100,000 in free credits to try us out. Visit https://www.do.co/twist - get started and view terms and conditions. * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at https://devsquad.com/twist * Todays show: Jason and Alex are joined by Dune's CEO to discuss wealth taxes and their impact on startups, highlighting the need for nations to support digital innovation. Then, they dive into MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy, OpenAI's browser plans, and the 2025 IPO class, including excitement for CoreWeave's debut! * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (6:07) Impact of taxes on startup formation and Norway's economic background (10:17) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (11:53) Norway's wealth tax implications and policy changes (18:09) Exodus of top taxpayers and the paradox of Norway's wealth tax (20:14) Wall of shame for tax critics (27:41) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (28:41) Dune Analytics' revenue growth and new index product launch (36:47) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at https://devsquad.com/twist (38:15) Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy's Bitcoin investment strategy (49:01) Market irrationality and risks associated with Bitcoin investments (55:01) Crypto wealth diversification and new investment structures (1:02:20) OpenAI's new browser project and its impact on search (1:05:51) Increasing reliance on browsers and Bluesky's potential (1:15:37) CoreWeave's IPO and the future of GPU clouds (1:18:22) Bitcoin market dynamics and predictions * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Mentioned on the show: https://www.microstrategy.com/press/microstrategy-announces-third-quarter-2024-financial-results-and-announces-42-billion-capital-plan_10-30-2024 https://x.com/ASvanevik/status/1857568015929455050/photo/1 https://bsky.jazco.dev/stats https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2550877 http://launch3.squarespace.com/blog/l019-bitcoin-p2p-currency-the-most-dangerous-project-weve-ev.html;jsessionid=EE99D323A0E532A507C8E2CD1EF05BAF.v5-web008 * Follow Fredrik: X: https://x.com/hagaetc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrikhaga Check out Dune: https://dune.com * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (10:17) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (27:41) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (36:47) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at https://devsquad.com/twist * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Ramp. The corporate card and spend management software designed to help you save time and money. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist. Digital Ocean. Whether you're just getting started with AI, or seeing your project take off, DigitalOcean is the cloud platform that lets you focus on what matters: building killer apps. Right now get up to $100k in free credits at https://www.do.co/twist. Terms and conditions apply. * Todays show: Jason and Alex kick off the show with a deep dive into Nvidia's blowout earnings and the skyrocketing demand for its upcoming Blackwell chips. Meanwhile, Google's search monopoly took center stage as proposed remedies, including a potential Chrome divestment, sparked heated debate. To unpack the implications, Brave's Jean-Paul Schmetz joined the discussion, offering insights into the fight for search independence. The episode wrapped up with updates from three Founder Friday hosts, sharing what they're hearing from the builders shaping the future. * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (3:20) Google's antitrust case and DOJ's proposed remedies (5:22) Nvidia's market performance and AI chip competition (7:00) Nvidia's Blackwell architecture and AI advancements (9:45) Ramp. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. (11:13) Google's advertising market dominance and Chrome divestiture (21:00) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (22:50) DOJ's negotiation strategy with Google (25:50) Brave browser's business model, competition, and privacy focus (31:00) DigitalOcean - DigitalOcean is the cloud platform you need to turn your AI project into a rocket ship. Right now, approved listeners can get up to $100,000 in free credits to try us out. Visit https://www.do.co/twist - get started and view terms and conditions. (32:13) Brave's search engine development and DOJ's impact (40:26) AI's role in search technology and the future of browsers (44:08) DOJ's remedies and their effect on smaller search engines (46:22) Google's growth strategies and M&A outlook (51:03) Founder culture, motivation, and Founder Fridays initiative (58:50) Founder Fridays host Georges Colbert joins the show (1:06:12) Founder Fridays experiences in Longview, Texas with Kitty and Coco (1:15:09) Endora's success and advice for Founder Fridays hosts * Want to host or join the next Founder Fridays? Check out https://www.founderfridays.tech Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Mentioned on the show: Check out Albetroz: https://albatroz.ai/ Check out Endora: https://www.endora.app/ Check out Brave: https://search.brave.com/ https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/microsoft-backed-startup-d-matrix-launches-first-ai-chip-2024-11-19 https://x.com/Jason/status/1859630517894983977 https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/doj-search-remedies-nov-2024 * Follow Jean-Paul: X: https://x.com/jpschmetz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpschmetz * Follow Kitty: X: https://x.com/endorakitty LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kittyboglesherman * Follow Coco: X: https://x.com/endoracoco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cocoharmon * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:45) Ramp. Get $250 when you join Ramp today at https://www.ramp.com/twist. (21:00) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (31:00) DigitalOcean. DigitalOcean is the cloud platform you need to turn your AI project into a rocket ship. Right now, approved listeners can get up to $100,000 in free credits to try us out. Visit https://www.do.co/twist - get started and view terms and conditions. * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist DevSquad. DevSquad helps startups design better products. If you need UI and UX expertise and don't want to hire an entire design team, head to http://devsquad.com/startups and book a call. Mention that you are coming from TWiST to get 10% off. * Todays show: Josh Reeves joins Alex Wilhelm to discuss building a product people love (21:11), SMB challenges (23:56), growth strategies (36:47), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Josh Reeves joins Alex Wilhelm (2:16) Josh's previous startups and the early days of web development (6:26) Transition to digital solutions and security for small businesses (10:31) Gusto's growth, success metrics, and market penetration (13:38) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (14:30) Gusto's North Star, marketing strategies, and channel growth (21:11) Building a product people love with good unit economics (22:29) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist (23:56) Challenges of selling to SMBs and Gusto's product expansion (28:50) Maintaining simplicity in product development (35:18) DevSquad - Visit https://www⁠.devsquad.com/startups, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! (36:47) Ensuring product quality and the role of organic growth in marketing (44:39) Competitive landscape in payroll and HR space (48:54) Gusto's potential fintech ventures and communication styles among founders (56:07) IT spending growth among SMBs and international expansion (1:00:16) Navigating competition and partnerships (1:01:41) Diversification of go-to-market strategies (1:03:31) Financial strategies and thoughts on going public * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Josh: X: https://x.com/joshuareeves LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuareeves * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Thank you to our partners: (13:38) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (22:29) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist (35:18) DevSquad - Visit https://www⁠.devsquad.com/startups⁠, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://vanta.com/twist .Tech Domains. Don't miss our “Jam with JCal” contest! To apply and get more details go to https://www.jamwithjcal.tech brought to you by .tech domains. DevSquad. DevSquad helps startups design better products. If you need UI and UX expertise and don't want to hire an entire design team, head to https://www.devsquad.com/startups and book a call. Mention that you are coming from TWiST to get 10% off. * Todays show: True Anomaly's Even Rogers joins Jason to discuss US competitiveness and innovation space and defense tech (8:53). They also dive into True Anomaly's innovations (26:41), securing government contracts (31:41), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) True Anomaly's Even Rogers joins Jason (4:35) Space innovations and True Anomaly's tech (8:01) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (8:53) Space defense, treaties, and infrastructure resilience (17:01) Space warfare challenges and scenarios (22:24) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://www.jamwithjcal.tech (23:41) Securing government contracts for space and defense startups (26:41) True Anomaly's Jackal deployment (31:41) Defense contracting: cost-plus vs. fixed price models (34:19) International sales of defense technology and regulations on defense tech exports (36:28) DevSquad - Visit https://www.devsquad.com/startups, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! (37:57) Defense industry's role in capitalism and global politics (43:19) Taiwan-China conflict and its global impact (46:49) The major concern with new weapons technology (50:30) Jam With JCal contest winner Ana Malhotra from Rome joins Jason (54:24) Jason's feedback for Rome * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/ Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Even: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanst-aafl Check out: https://www.trueanomaly.space * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (8:01) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (22:24) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://www.jamwithjcal.tech (36:28) DevSquad - Visit https://www.devsquad.com/startups, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… NetSuite. The number one cloud financial system, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR, into ONE platform. Giving you ONE source of truth. By popular demand, NetSuite has extended its one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks! Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ DevSquad. DevSquad helps startups design better products. If you need UI and UX expertise and don't want to hire an entire design team, head to http://devsquad.com/startups and book a call. Mention that you are coming from TWiST to get 10% off. * Todays show: Sunny joins Jason to dive into all things AI, including the power of Claude Sonnet (6:49), the importance of “AI Native” workers (21:40), Luna Labs and their recent video that brings famous memes to life (36:40), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Sunny joins Jason. (2:26) Living in the toughest fundraising environment and the failure of Lina Khan. (6:49) Let's jump back into AI demos with Claude Sonnet. (10:28) NetSuite - By popular demand, NetSuite has extended its one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks! Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist (11:46) Real-world applications with Jason's team. (13:52) Firing up ChatGPT 4.o for results that are extra-ordinary. (20:16) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (21:40) The importance of “AI Native” workers. (23:50) Is Google search going backwards compared to the power of today's AI models? (28:24) DevSquad -  Visit https://devsquad.com/startups, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! (30:11) The omnipresence of AI at home and with work teams. (36:40) Sunny demos Luna Labs, including the recent creation of bringing famous memes to life in one killer video. (40:17) Sunny demos Kling. (43:33) Sunny shows us Qwen, what he calls the best open-sourced model. (49:04) Sunny demos the voices of Cartesia AI. * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * LINKS: Check out Min Choi's Twitter post: https://x.com/minchoi/status/1807790101033890286 Check out Claude Sonnet: https://claude.ai/new Check out Luma Labs: https://lumalabs.ai/dream-machine Check out Kling: https://kling.kuaishou.com/ Check out Qwen: https://huggingface.co/spaces/Qwen/Qwen2-72B-Instruct Check out Cartesia AI: https://play.cartesia.ai/ * Follow Sunny: X: https://twitter.com/sundeep LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sundeepm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (10:28) NetSuite - By popular demand, NetSuite has extended its one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks! Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist (20:16) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (28:24) DevSquad -  Visit https://devsquad.com/startups, book a call, and mention TWIST for 10% off! * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/ Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ Eight Sleep. Good sleep is the ultimate game changer. The newest generation of the pod, the Pod 4 ultra has arrived. Head to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist and use code TWIST to get $350 off the Pod 4 Ultra. DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist. * Todays show: David Weisburd hosts Konstantine Buhler, Ana Marshall, and Jason Calacanis to discuss VCs not raising new funds (3:04), Cisco's $1 billion AI fund (31:36), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) David Weisburd intros Konstantine Buhler, Ana Marshall, and Jason Calacanis (3:04) VCs not raising new funds, market impact, and the current state of venture capital (5:32) Challenges for new fund managers, power laws, and investment strategies (10:38) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠ (12:01) Capital deployment, returns, and portfolio assessment (17:28) Emerging managers and market trends (29:57) Eight Sleep - Head to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist and use code TWIST to get $350 off the Pod 4 Ultra. (31:36) Cisco's $1 billion AI fund (40:06) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (41:21) AI applications and business models (50:27) Investment strategies for M&A vs. IPO (53:19) Lightning round on latest investments * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/ Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Konstantine: X: https://x.com/KostaBuhler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/konstantinebuhler Check out: https://www.sequoiacap.com * Follow Ana: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-marshall-b072136 Check out: https://hewlett.org * Follow David: X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠⁠ Check out: ⁠⁠https://10xcapital.com * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (10:38) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist (29:57) Eight Sleep - Head to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist and use code TWIST to get $350 off the Pod 4 Ultra. (40:06) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist. Hubspot for Podcast Networks. Looking to up your marketing game? Check out the podcast: Marketing Against the Grain Hosted by: Hubspot CMO Kipp Bodnar and Zapier CMO Kieran Flannigan They bring you the latest in marketing trends, growth tactics and innovation. Available on all your favorite podcast apps. Gelt. It's time to take control over your taxes. Discover how Gelt can help you to manage and optimize both your personal and business taxes. Visit https://joingelt.com/twist now. * Todays show: David Weisburd hosts Apurva Mehta, Jack Altman, and Jason Calacanis to discuss Sam Altman's huge investment wins (2:34), the role of SPVs (13:19), CalPERS increasing their exposure to venture (26:19), and liquidation preferences (45:56). * Timestamps: (0:00) David Weisburd intros Apurva Mehta, Jack Altman, and Jason Calacanis (2:34) Reddit's IPO and Sam Altman's investment success (5:48) Apurva's investment strategy and thoughts on fund size and portfolio strategy (11:50) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (13:19) The role of SPVs and the importance of trust in the investment ecosystem (24:53) Marketing Against the Grain ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHrjktuM1Dc https://lnk.to/h3vKHnTW (26:19) CalPERS and pension funds increasing their exposure to venture capital and private equity (28:11) Is it a good time to invest in venture? (41:48) Gelt. It's time to take control over your taxes. Visit https://joingelt.com/twist now (43:02) Fundraising and decision-making processes (45:56) Higher liquidation preferences at the later stage (55:49) Rapid fire segment on recent investments * Mentioned on the show: https://www.retellai.com https://www.heygen.com https://www.owner.com https://www.foundationhealth.com https://peregrine.io https://www.marvl.io https://getprops.ai https://www.arkitask.ai * Follow Apurva: X: https://twitter.com/mehtaaapurva LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apurvaamehta/ * Follow Jack: X: https://twitter.com/jaltma LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackealtman/ * Follow David: X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠ Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Thank you to our partners: (11:50) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (24:53) Marketing Against the Grain ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHrjktuM1Dc https://lnk.to/h3vKHnTW (41:48) Gelt. It's time to take control over your taxes. Visit https://joingelt.com/twist now * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Northwest Registered Agent. When starting your business, it's important to use a service that will actually help you. Northwest Registered Agent is that service. They'll form your company fast, give you the documents you need to open a business bank account, and even provide you with mail scanning and a business address to keep your personal privacy intact. Visit http://www,northwestregisteredagent.com/twist to get a 60% discount on your next LLC. DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist. Miro. Working remotely doesn't mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members. * Todays show: David Weisburd hosts Bryan Rosenblatt, Michael Downing and Jason Calacanis to discuss Reddit's IPO (1:19), Consumer vs. Enterprise AI (22:02), Sam Altman's New Fund (38:18), and much more! * Timestamps: (0:00) David Weisburd hosts Bryan Rosenblatt, Michael Downing and Jason Calacanis (1:19) Discussion on Reddit's IPO and potential as an advertising business (9:28) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist (10:23) Reddit's IPO and potential as an advertising business cont. (16:44) AI Integration in traditional businesses (20:56) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (22:02) Consumer vs. enterprise AI (37:09) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (38:18) Sam Altman's venture capital fund and the future of the AI ecosystem (1:05:06) Rapid fire segment on recent investments * Mentioned on the show: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/generative-ai-business-implementation-ac995975?mod=tech_lead_pos4 https://www.axios.com/2024/02/15/sam-altman-openai-startup-fund https://www.solace.health/ https://www.agentio.com/ https://www.recursiveventures.com https://originalcapital.com https://silentvc.com https://www.getrecall.ai https://www.micro1.ai https://www.melengo.com * Follow Bryan X: https://twitter.com/BRosenblatt4 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanrosenblatt Check out: https://www.craftventures.com * Follow Michael X: https://twitter.com/michaeldowning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldowning Check out: https://www.mdsv.vc * Follow David: X: ⁠https://twitter.com/DWeisburd⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd⁠ Check out: ⁠https://10xcapital.com * Follow Jason: X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: () Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist () Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups () DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist * Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co * Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university * Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Entrepreneurs often view strategy and tactics as essential elements for propelling their startups toward success. Today, Phil Alves of DevSquad and DevStats sits down with A.J. to shed light on the nuances of strategic planning and tactical decision-making and how to balance these two vital aspects. They also explore the significance of tactical focus in business, how to build operational excellence, and why a good work-life balance is vital for every business owner.About Phil Alves:Phil Alves is currently the CEO of DevSquad and DevStats. He became a successful business owner very early on at 18 after teaching himself to code and becoming an SEO powerhouse—ranking a post at #1 on Google while still in high school. From there, he grew his first venture to a 10-employee size business, then sold it all before he could legally buy a lottery ticket.Phil's relentless zeal for entrepreneurship didn't stop there. He moved to the US from his home country, Brazil, seeking further education, and settled in Salt Lake City, fore-fronting a new adventure by founding DevSquad. Over the years, he successfully grew his startup into a 100-person cross-functional team operating in the US and Brazil. Alongside, he's been instrumental in leading numerous startups to multi-million dollar exits and developing digital products for major establishments like ADP, Box, and the US Ski and Snowboarding team.Key InsightsMake the most out of your team's capabilities. Leverage the unique skills and expertise of your team. When you invest in developing and expanding their skill sets, you boost your business's tactical adaptability. This makes you more equipped to adapt in the face of changes, keeping you at the forefront of your industry's curve. (05:34)Balance autonomy and direction. While giving your team autonomy is key, it's equally important to provide strategic direction. The right balance between the two can improve productivity and bring fresh ideas while moving towards the same business goals. This helps your team be happier, perform better, and feel more motivated. (08:33)Reduce the downs in your business. Every business experiences peaks and downs. However, consistently striving to reduce those downs can strengthen your business and make it more resilient. This involves proactive risk management, where you identify potential problem areas, analyze their impact, and take measures to prevent or reduce their occurrence. (14:56)Build a strong acquisition channel. A strong customer acquisition channel ensures a constant influx of potential customers, allowing businesses to focus on delivering quality products and services without fear of losing current customers. Instead of limiting yourself to one method, use multiple platforms to widen your reach and secure your customer base. (23:23)Find a good balance between life and work. While professional accomplishments are important, they should never override the value of personal well-being. So, aim to find the right balance between work and personal life to avoid burnout and feel more fulfilled. (31:45)Phil's best advice for entrepreneurs:“Every business has ups and downs, but what you're trying to do [...] is reduce the downs. And also, you're going to be able to know better how to behave into those downs because you know it's not the end, and things are going to turn around.” (14:56)Connect with Phil:LinkedInTwitterPersonal WebsiteResources Mentioned:DevSquadDevStatsFollow Beyond 8 Figures:LinkedinTwitterWebsite

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… DevSquad. Most dev agencies only offer developers. Why? Because product management is hard. Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist. LinkedIn Marketing. To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Fitbod. Tired of doing the same workouts at the gym? Fitbod will build you personalized workouts that help you progress with every set. Get 25% off your subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up now at fitbod.me/TWIST. * Today's show: Steven Berlin Johnson joins Jason to demo Google's NotebookLM, a new AI-powered research assistant he helped create at Google Labs. They dive into Steven's journey to Google Labs (1:28), NotebookLM's unique features (14:09), rights of authors in the digital age (40:22), and more! * Timestamps: (0:00) Author Steven Berlin Johnson joins Jason (1:28) Early experiences with the internet and Google's Project Starline (8:01) DevSquad - Get an entire product team for the cost of one US developer plus 10% off at http://devsquad.com/twist (9:00) The significance of document organization, the concept and features of "sources" in NotebookLM, and the impact on writing (14:09) Steven demos Google NotebookLM (28:06) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (29:36) Steven's NotebookLM demo continued (33:47) Jason showcases how he utilizes NotebookLM for TWiST's Business Breakdowns segment (38:56) Fitbod - Get 25% off at https://fitbod.me/twist (40:22) The rights of authors in the digital age (52:01) Superintelligence and the trajectory of language models * Links: https://stevenberlinjohnson.com/writing-at-the-speed-of-thought-21dfb7f689e4https://stevenberlinjohnson.com/good-ideas-the-four-minute-version-7e7856e69621https://www.wired.com/story/googles-notebooklm-ai-ultimate-writing-assistant/ * Follow Steven: https://twitter.com/stevenbjohnson Check out Steven's website: https://stevenberlinjohnson.com/ Check out Steven's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/american-innovations/id1370092284 • Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Phil Alves is a man on a mission: helping underdog SaaS (Software as a Service) founders compete against Big Tech. As the CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, he's led the build of over 100 SaaS products for bootstrapped founders and VC-funded startups alike, leading multiple clients to multi-million dollar exits. Now, he's paving the way for other up-and-coming SaaS founders by developing the strategies, tactics, and insights they need, earning a reputation as a leading expert on taking on tech giants… and winning.   In this podcast episode, Matt Lillie welcomes Phil Alves to explain the concept of SaaS and how it has revolutionized the way software is sold and used. He shares examples of businesses that have successfully transitioned from using internal tools to selling their own SaaS products and discusses the time and cost involved in developing and maintaining a SaaS offering. This episode provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs and business leaders looking to streamline their processes and explore new revenue opportunities through SaaS.     Connect with Phil Alves Website: https://devsquad.com/ Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/philalves_?lang=en Follow the BriteVibe podcast Instagram: @britevibesonly Facebook: @BriteVibe TikTok: @britevibe YouTube: @BriteVibe     00:01:26 SaaS is subscription-based software. 00:05:31 Entrepreneurs can build software. 00:14:34 SaaS development takes time and investment. 00:21:09 Opportunities in outdated industries. 00:25:25 Software for managing government contracts.  

Phil Alves, CEO & Founder of DevSquad, talks about his passion for piloting, how he was introduced to it, how it has helped improve his problem-solving skills and much more!

Phil Alves is the Founder and CEO of DevSquad, a boutique consulting firm specializing in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. A SaaS aficionado, Phil has led the build of 100-plus software products for bootstrapper founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises such as ADP, Box, and the US ski team. In addition, he is the Founder of DevStats, a developer analytics tool that helps product and engineer leaders optimize data and improve how they measure performance metrics to build healthier teams. Phil also hosts The SaaS Origin Stories Podcast, where he sits with founders to explore their SaaS journeys and share insights on navigating the world of SaaS. In this episode… Are you aiming to thrive in the SaaS world as an entrepreneur? How can you create a SaaS product that meets your expectations and exceeds the expectations of your users?  Many SaaS entrepreneurs have intelligent ideas for creating new products, revamping existing ones, and writing custom software to transform their businesses. Still, they often need more skills to implement them successfully. Furthermore, with many competitors in the market, it is challenging to stand out and gain traction with your target audience. Phil Alves recommends partnering with a consulting firm to help you strategize, design, and develop SaaS products. With consulting advice, you can take your SaaS company to the next level and achieve your desired success.  In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz welcomes Phil Alves, Founder and CEO of DevSquad, to discuss how to build a successful SaaS company. Phil talks about his companies, how to balance innovation and growth in SaaS startups, and the mistakes people make while building a SaaS company.

 In this episode of Zero to CEO I speak to Leading SaaS Visionary, Phil Alves about Leadership, SaaS, and Founder-Product Fit. Explore the world of entrepreneurship with Phil as we navigate critical topics such as the value of competition, the game-changing potential of spinoff SaaS products, the significance of leaders forming leaders, and the vital concept of founder-product fit. 

Join Matt DeCoursey and Phil Alves, Founder & CEO of DevSquad, as they talk about finding a product market fit. Tune in as the founders delve into the essence of product-market fit and its pivotal role in your success journey. Matt and Phil also dissect the telltale signs of a well-aligned product or service and the decision to pivot or persevere.   Find Startup Hustle Everywhere: https://gigb.co/l/YEh5 This episode is sponsored by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io   Learn more about DevSquad: http://devsquad.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taking to the skies, every pilot understands the intricate balance between the intoxicating freedom of soaring and the precise discipline within the cockpit. While they venture into new horizons, their safety and mastery rely on diligently monitoring their flight instruments. This precision and need for measured freedom is mirrored in the B2B SaaS sector. Success isn't about wild gambles but about innovating with a keen eye on vital metrics that determine the trajectory of the enterprise.Phil Alves, a virtuoso of the SaaS realm and CEO at DevSquad, draws a striking parallel between piloting planes and pioneering in tech. Recognizing the importance of metrics and innovation, Phil emphasizes that the best don't just follow but rely on indispensable instruments. In our upcoming episode, join us as we navigate the SaaS skies with Phil, uncovering the crucial gauges every company must watch to achieve unparalleled success.High-Level OverviewDecision Making & Rule Breaking in Business: Phil Alves discusses his approach to not always following best practices in business and market decisions, emphasizing the importance of understanding markets before making a choice. Learning from SaaS Founders Through Podcasting: Andrew Davies and Phil Alves discuss the "SaaS Origin Stories" podcast that Phil runs. They delve into the insights and themes that have emerged from interviewing SaaS founders.The Evolution of Market Strategies: Phil highlights how market strategies have changed over time, and how strategies that worked a few years ago might not be as effective today.Advice for Early-stage SaaS Founders: Both speakers share advice for new SaaS founders, particularly when planning their MVP. Emphasis is placed on the importance of focusing on the initial stages of a business, being adaptive, and learning from the early days of successful companies.The 6 Pivotal Instruments for SaaS Success: planning accuracy, failure rate change, cycle time, deployment frequency, code quality review, and rework rate.The 6 Instruments to Keep Your Product AliveIn the vast skies of SaaS development, while innovation and groundbreaking ideas give your product the initial thrust, it's the vigilant monitoring of key instruments that ensures sustained flight. Think of these instruments as the critical gauges in the cockpit of a plane: without keeping an eagle eye on them, even the most impressive flights could encounter turbulence. The six essential instruments to keep your SaaS product thriving are planning accuracy, failure rate change, cycle time, deployment frequency, code quality review, and rework rate.Planning Accuracy:Begin by setting clear, measurable goals for each sprint or project.Regularly review and adjust targets based on the evolving needs and feedback.Allow a buffer for unexpected challenges, keeping in mind that a target of 80% is healthy to maintain flexibility and innovation.Failure Rate Change:Continuously monitor product deployments for bugs or issues.Implement a robust testing framework to catch potential failures before deployment.Foster a culture where quick fixes are prioritized to maintain user trust.Cycle Time:Track the time taken from initiating a project to its deployment.Strive for shorter cycle times to increase agility, but ensure quality isn't compromised.Use agile methodologies to enhance efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness.Deployment Frequency:Regular deployments signal a dynamic product environment to users.Invest in automation tools that streamline and standardize the deployment process.Aim for at least a weekly deployment to remain competitive and responsive to user needs.Code Quality Review:Implement thorough code reviews as a mandatory step before any deployment.Foster a culture of constructive feedback, ensuring that code reviews become learning opportunities.Keep reviews concise, targeting under 200 lines for optimal comprehension.Rework Rate:Differentiate between productive refactoring and unproductive rework.Track instances where previous work has to be redone and investigate root causes.Use this metric as a mirror to reflect on the clarity of initial requirements and communication.In closing, while charting the unknown is the dream of every SaaS pioneer, it's essential to remain tethered to these six instruments. They not only ensure smooth flight but also guide towards uncharted territories safely. Remember, in the realm of SaaS, it's not enough to just take off; sustained flight requires vigilance, responsiveness, and an unwavering commitment to quality and user satisfaction.

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 768 features our interview with Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad. Phil and I covered a wide range of topics starting with how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments and culminating in a discussion of SaaS and entrepreneurship. Software development of any stripe is a team sport; either get it right or suffer the consequences.  Phil describes himself as a SaaS Aficionado!  He builds products for bootstrapped founders, fast-growing startups, and big enterprises at DevSquad. His SaaS company, DevStats, helps product and engineering leaders measure what matters. Phil also is a podcaster!  The SaaS Origin Stories Podcast uncovers those pivotal moments and decisions that turned SaaS companies into major successes. Contact Information DevSquad: DevStats: Podcast:   Re-Read Saturday News In Chapter 5 of we find that an analytical approach reduces people's ability to be emotionally connected to an idea or concept. Without an emotional connection, they are far less apt to act. Calls to action that are emotionally engaging will generate action.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Week 7: -   Next SPaMCAST  In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 769, we return to our summer theme of Critical Thinking. My daughter (Meghan also is the editor for the blog and podcast and sounding board on a wide range of topics) pointed out a model for levels of research. The model provides an interesting filter to help understand the types of research we use and the “power” each delivers.  We will also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi. Keis brings her wit, empathy, and wisdom as a Scrum Master in complex environments to help you improve. 

In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 767,  we continue our summer dive into critical thinking.  In this installment, we consider research and evidence. The discussion of research and evidence ties into this week's installment of Re-Read Saturday (Chapter 4 of which is about credibility). Research and evidence provide credibility and that is not always a good thing. Tony Timbol brings his To Tell A Story column to the podcast. In this installment, Mr. Timbol continues to unravel the mystery of the agile requirements and user stories. Re-Read Saturday News Credibility is the fourth requirement for maximum stickiness (short of Gorilla Glue) discussed in  . Credibility is defined as the quality or power of inspiring belief or trust. Without credibility, the attributes of simplicity, unexpectedness, and concreteness crumble.  Buy a copy of the book and then catch up on the logistics of this re-read: Week 1: -   Week 2: -   Week 3: -   Week 4: -   Week 5: -   Week 6: -   Next SPaMCAST  In the Software Process and Measurement Cast 768, Phil Alves, CEO of DevSquad discusses how he structures teams to perform in dynamic environments. Software development of any stripe is a team sport, you either get it right or suffer the consequences.   

Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and LiveStats, is a software entrepreneur driven by building impactful solutions. From his humble beginnings, coding at age 12, to becoming a leader of development teams, his path has been marked by curiosity, determination, and a desire to improve developers' lives.Phil placed the start of his journey with Flash and ActionScript and then with PHP, with which he created his first business at the age of 16. We then discussed learning in the open, growing and selling his business. Moving to the USA, returning to school, and taking his first (and last) "job." We talked about his side business, which became DevSquad, his company of 100 people now. We talked about product developers vs. software developers. We discussed development cycles and customer relations. And we finished talking about the SaaS business he is creating, DevStats, and how to create hyper-performing teams.In this episode, Phil discusses his journey from a self-taught developer to an entrepreneur creating high-performing development teams. He delves into the challenges of growing a company and transitioning from deep work to managerial tasks. He also shares insights on building a solid company culture, fostering efficiency, and promoting a balance between productivity and preventing burnout. The conversation further delves into the role of data in improving team performance and the importance of product mindset in developers.If you want to learn more about fostering high-performing development teams and get inspiration from Phil's incredible journey, tune in to this episode!Three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:Learn from Phil Alves' journey from being a self-taught programmer to a successful entrepreneur. His experiences offer a unique perspective on the different paths one's career in tech can take.Understand the importance of strong company culture and the role of data in improving team performance. These are critical elements that can contribute to the success of any tech team.Gain insights into the importance of a product mindset in developers. This can help aspiring developers understand their work's broader impact and become more effective team contributors.Support the show

If you want to grow your consulting business and enhance your marketing, you're in luck! Today, we have a special guest who will share his secrets to success in driving business growth. Phil Alves, the CEO of DevSquad, has a unique strategy to grow his consulting business through inbound marketing to generate endless consulting clients. He provides tips on how you can avoid digital marketing mistakes that could cost you thousands. Phil also shares his strategy to attract the best employees and how you can create an optimal environment to fuel your creativity. Witness Phil's expertise as he ventures through inbound marketing today!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://www.consultingsuccess.com/podcast

Founding a successful SaaS company has never been easy, but as of 2022, it got much harder. Valuations took a hit, investment dollars became scarce, and for the first time ever, SaaS companies actually started laying off employees. In this episode of TECHtonic, Thomas is joined by Phil Alves, SaaS entrepreneur, CEO of DevSquad, and host of SaaS Origin Stories, a podcast where he interviews SaaS founders. In this fantastic conversation on the current state of SaaS, they discuss:How the current economic environment is impacting SaaS companiesThe best approach to starting a SaaS companyHow AI plays into SaaS valuationsWhether AI will soon start to replace technical staffReady to learn more? Keep up to date on this subject by subscribing to TSIA's Research Journey, The Year of Profitable SaaS today!

EPISODE SUMMARYProduct development is the backbone of software companies, so nurturing your dev team is paramount to success. Despite this, the knee-jerk response to product development usually measures the KPIs for an optimal go-to-market. However, the secret to productivity lies in numbers and developer experience.In this week's episode of Scale Your SaaS, DevStats Founder, and DevSquad CEO Phil Alvez shares the ingredients for successful product development with Host and B2B SaaS Sales coach, Matt Wolach. He highlights the importance of culture and encourages minimalism in software development. Set your developers for success and enjoy the domino effect on your bottom line by watching the video!PODCAST-AT-A-GLANCEPodcast: Scale Your SaaS with Matt WolachEpisode: Episode No. 271, "How to Make Sure Your Dev Team Productivity is Maximized - with Phil Alves"Host: Matt Wolach, a B2B SaaS sales coach, Entrepreneur, and InvestorGuest: Phil Alves, Founder at DevStats and CEO at DevSquadTOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODEFocus on Good Developer ExperienceMake Culture the Bedrock of Your CompanyTalk to Customers to Understand the ProblemCreate Solutions that Target Pain PointsAvoid Copying Bigger CompaniesEPISODE HIGHLIGHTSSmaller Companies Have Lesser BureaucracyThe Best Software Leaders are Expert Visionaries Software Creation will Become Niched TOP QUOTESPhil Alves[7:55] "I want to make my firm like the Disney for software developers."[13:20] "I'm not talking to my customers to understand the solution. I'm talking to my customer to understand the problem.[14:17] "I don't believe we can build software by using democracy."Matt Wolach[12:22] "Once we found the culture that worked for us, it just became so strong within our organization. It was something that we could hire to, something we could train to, something that people just kind of felt, and it helped them become more passionate for the business and what the business was doing."LEARN MORETo learn more about DevStats, visit: https://www.devstats.com/To learn more about DevSquad, visit:https://devsquad.com/You can also find Phil Alves  on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/enFor more about how host Matt Wolach helps software companies achieve maximum growth, visit https://mattwolach.com/Get even more tips by following Matt elsewhere: Sales Tips LinkedIn Twitter Instagram

Phil Alves, the CEO of Devstats (& Devsquad), discusses how they grew their developer performance improvement SaaS to 50 customers within 12 months of its launch, with an ACV of around $10k. In this interview, we cover their product, journey from 0 to 1, growth over the past 12 months, sales cycle, and long-term vision.In the interview, we discuss the following:How Devstats is the only engineering management tool for leaders focused on actionable performance data and healthy teams.How they acquired over 50 customers in the past 10-12 months with an ACV of around $10k, primarily using founder-led sales.How they used cold emailing to acquire all of their first set of customers.What their sales cycle looks like and how it took almost 10-12 months to close their first set of customers.How Phil built a hugely successful dev consulting company (Devsquad) with around 100 employees doing in excess of $10MN in top-line revenue.How he plans to bootstrap the company using his other successful dev consulting business.Their vision and team.

Today we have another episode of Better Done Than Perfect. Listen in as we talk to Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and DevStats. You'll learn how to prioritize feature development, how to take care of your developers' well-being, what non-technical founders should know, and more.Please head over to the episode page for the detailed recap and key takeaways.Show notesDevSquad — Phil's consultancyDevStats — Phil's productShape Up — a book by Ryan SingerUI Breakfast Podcast Episode 238: The Allied Team Model with Anthony ArmendarizDORA MetricsSPACE FrameworkSaaS Origin StoriesCheck out Phil's websiteFollow Phil on TwitterThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about this new show on Twitter mentioning @userlist, or leave us a review on iTunes.SponsorThis show is brought to you by Userlist — an email automation platform for SaaS companies. Onboard, engage, and nurture your customers, as well as marketing leads. To follow the best practices, download our free printable email planning worksheets at userlist.com/worksheets.Interested in sponsoring an episode? Learn more here.Leave a ReviewReviews are hugely important because they help new people discover this podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please leave a review on iTunes. Here's how.

How do you get the best ROI from your engineering team while keeping them happy? In this episode, we talk to Phil Alves, founder of DevSquad and DevStats. You'll learn how to prioritize feature development, how to take care of your developers' well-being, what non-technical founders should know, and more.Visit our website for the detailed episode recap with key learnings.DevSquad — Phil's consultancyDevStats — Phil's productShape Up — a book by Ryan SingerUI Breakfast Podcast Episode 238: The Allied Team Model with Anthony ArmendarizDORA MetricsSPACE FrameworkSaaS Origin StoriesCheck out Phil's websiteFollow Phil on TwitterThanks for listening! If you found the episode useful, please spread the word about the show on Twitter mentioning @userlist, or leave us a review on iTunes.SponsorThis show is brought to you by Userlist — an email automation platform for SaaS companies. Onboard, engage, and nurture your customers, as well as marketing leads. To follow the best practices, download our free printable email planning worksheets at userlist.com/worksheets.

This week in our SaaS Fuel™ Expert Series, Jeff is joined by Phil Alves, CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, who delves into the significance of comprehensively understanding a problem to create a successful product. By sharing personal experiences and insights gained from working with clients, Phil underscores the significance of data-driven decision-making and comprehending the crucial metrics for constructing high-performing development teams. Moreover, they touch upon the hurdles of business scaling and adapting to changing circumstances, while emphasizing the value of prioritizing profitability rather than solely pursuing revenue.Make sure you don't miss out on valuable insights and practical tips by tuning in to SaaS Fuel!Key Takeaways00:00:00 Recent Graduation Ceremonies In Texas00:04:55 Insider Secrets: Venture Capitalist Reveals Future of SaaS00:10:02 How Solving Your Own Problems Can Lead to the Best Products00:13:33 How One Company Created Their Own Benchmarks and Changed the Game00:17:48 The 6 Key Metrics Every High-Performing Team Needs to Track00:23:30 The Importance of Planning Accurate Rates in Development Teams00:25:15 How Dev Stats Helped Us Deliver More Accurately00:31:14 The Evolution of a CEO in Scaling a Business00:33:21 Funding Your Second Business After Selling Your First00:36:59 Why Profitable SaaS Companies Should Be the New Unicorns00:40:08 Why Being Bootstrapped is the Key to Serving Your Customers00:44:51 Mastering the Art of Investing: Why Small Bets Can Lead to Big WinsTweetable Quotes"Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, but it's worth it when you see your vision come to life." - Phil Alves (09:45)"The key to success in SaaS is to focus on solving a real problem for your customers." - Phil Alves (14:20)"Benchmarking six key numbers is crucial for high-performing teams in software development." - Phil Alves (18:38)As a SaaS founder, you have to be willing to pivot and adapt to changing market conditions." - Jeff Mains (22:10)"Effective planning is key to the success of any product." - Phil Alves (25:25) "Building a successful SaaS company requires a team effort, with each member bringing their unique skills to the table." - Phil Alves (30:15)"As a SaaS founder, you have to be closer to those who have already achieved what you're striving for." - Phil Alves (46:29) "Building a huge company comes with trade-offs, it's important to weigh them carefully." - Jeff Mains (40:08)The best way to learn about entrepreneurship is to talk to other entrepreneurs who have been there and done that." - Jeff Mains (46:29)SaaS Leadership LessonsBenchmarking is crucial for high-performing teams. By tracking metrics such as customer acquisition cost and lifetime value, SaaS leaders can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to drive growth. Effective planning is key to product success. By taking a strategic approach to product planning, SaaS leaders can ensure that their products meet the needs of their target customers and drive business growth. The evolution of CEOs and founders in growing companies. As companies grow, the role of the CEO and founder evolves. By adapting to the changing needs of their companies, SaaS leaders can drive growth and achieve long-term success. The overlooked strategy of doing a spin-off of an existing company to fund a SaaS. By leveraging the resources and expertise of an existing business, SaaS leaders can reduce...

DevSquad is a bootstrapped, profitable, ~90-person boutique consulting firm that specializes in strategizing, designing, and developing SaaS products. We build SaaS products for bootstrapper founders, VC-funded fast-growing startups, and big enterprises like ADP, Box, and the US ski team. Here is some of what we touched on: -Phil's journey from Brazil to the United States and how he has developed his team, their core values, and why simplicity is so important to them. -The mindset difference between a founder and CEO and the beauty in founder thinking. -Insights into lessons learned through rapid scaling. -How Dev Squad seeks to reduce the chance of SaaS development horror stories and increase the odds of success and satisfaction for clients who build custom SaaS products.  -The importance of their website in lead development and how relevant content is to inbound pull and then the story will help potential customers self-select that the fit is right for them. -Technologies they are coding in today such as JavaScript and React and why sometimes the simplest technology is the best solution. -How Phil balances stress with adventure as a pilot flying his own plane, cycling, and Brazilian jujitsu. Phil Alves is a man on a mission: helping underdog SaaS founders compete against Big Tech. As the CEO and Principal Consultant at DevSquad, he's led the build of over 100 SaaS products for bootstrapped founders and VC-funded startups alike, leading multiple clients to multi-million dollar exits along the way. Now, he's paving the way for other up and coming SaaS founders by developing the strategies, tactics, and insights they need, earning a reputation as a leading expert on taking on tech giants… and winning. Connect with Phil: Website: https://devsquad.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philalves/  Connect with Allison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/  Website: DisruptiveCEONation.com Twitter: @DisruptiveCEO   #futurist #CEO #startup #startupstory #founder #founderstory #business #businesspodcast #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phil Alves is the CEO of DevSquad & DevStats and the Host of the SaaS Origin Stories Podcast. He shares his journey from starting and selling his first company, moving from Brazil to Utah and gives some tips for founders and revenue hires for quickly scaling revenue. Contact Phil: Website: https://philalves.com/ DevSquad: https://devsquad.com/ DevStats: https://devstats.com/ Podcast: https://www.saasoriginstories.com/ Join the Free SSP Slack Community: https://launchpass.com/saas_sales_players If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review & share. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jesse-woodbury/support

On this episode of The Meat & Potatoes Podcast Garrett sits down with Phil Alves, a successful entrepreneur and technology expert who is the founder and CEO of two innovative software development companies: DevSquad and DevStats. With more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Phil has established himself as a thought leader and an expert in software development and team management.   Outline of the conversation: 0:00 Introduction to DevSquad 5:45 Building DevSquad 12:00 Different customers 14:00 DevStats 16:15 Success stories 19:50 Podcast 24:00 Piloting 25:00 Closing remarks   Show links: https://devsquad.com https://devstats.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-origin-stories/id1634444637   Social: Twitter - https://twitter.com/siliconslopes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/siliconslopes/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-slopes/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8aEtQ1KJrWhJ3C2JnzXysw

On this episode of The Meat & Potatoes Podcast Garrett sits down with Phil Alves, a successful entrepreneur and technology expert who is the founder and CEO of two innovative software development companies: DevSquad and DevStats. With more than 15 years of experience in the technology industry, Phil has established himself as a thought leader and an expert in software development and team management.   Outline of the conversation: 0:00 Introduction to DevSquad 5:45 Building DevSquad 12:00 Different customers 14:00 DevStats 16:15 Success stories 19:50 Podcast 24:00 Piloting 25:00 Closing remarks   Show links: https://devsquad.com https://devstats.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-origin-stories/id1634444637   Social: Twitter - https://twitter.com/siliconslopes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/siliconslopes/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-slopes/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8aEtQ1KJrWhJ3C2JnzXysw

DevSquad comprises a team of over 80 elite developers focused on helping successful entrepreneurs take their SaaS ideas from concept to reality. We don't just work with our clients on project development, we engage in the full product development process. This means we build relationships with our clients to continuously improve their software and SaaS sales. Connect with Phil

The number one reason that exits fail is a decline in performance during the sales process. Going into the sales process, you must ensure that you can sustain performance. On this episode, Phil Alves, CEO at DevSquad, recalls how his firm was able to demonstrate sustainability to potential buyers by expanding their service offerings and reinforcing their business development efforts.

All founders dream that their business will skyrocket and succeed from the very beginning, but the reality is that most will fail. However, this isn't a reason to give up. When you bounce back and start again, the story can repeat itself unless you learn the lessons of your failure. That was exactly the case for Jose Cayasso of Slidebean, who shares his insights and learnings from re-starting a SaaS business after failing the first time..In this episode, we discuss:The right moment to start a businessSolving problems for other SaaS entrepreneursWhy SaaS founders should focus on what they are good atHow to develop an effective customer acquisition strategyThe Right Moment to Start a BusinessBefore Slidebean, Jose left college and founded a startup that failed, which was when he started Slidebean. However, Jose believes that starting another company immediately after you fail is a bad idea because you focus on generating revenue quickly rather than following your business interests. For him, the best time to start a new business is once you're an expert in an industry and discover a problem or opportunity. Then you can work on your company from a position of comfort rather than risking everything you have.I think the best companies get started when you have a job and discover something in the market that you have unique insight and expertise to solve. But you can do that from a position you can question this concept, whether it's a good or a bad idea - Jose CayassoLet Your First Product Do Its JobThe original version of Slidebean was simple, yet it served its purpose well. That's a great strategy for building the first version of your product, in that it solves a specific problem for your customers. After that, you can develop it, add new features, and customize it for your clients.The original product was so simple, and I loved it. We came up with the concept that you could only build a slide with one piece of content and make a simple but beautiful presentation - Jose CayassoRunning an Effective Customer Acquisition StrategyIn a market where you have to compete with Prezi and PowerPoint, Slidebean started acquiring customers through organic reach, which proved ineffective. That forced the team to rethink the pricing and conversion funnels and opt for paid direct marketing acquisition channels, which feeds you customers quickly to test with and adjust your strategy.Any startup, any SaaS company, especially B2B, should first focus on getting profitable unit economics via paid marketing. It's an equation of running ads, understanding how much those ads cost, and understanding the revenue that those ads generated or the conversions that those ads generated are enough to pay for the cost of the service, the software, and the cost of acquiring those customers - Jose CayassoFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

What makes great SaaS companies thrive? Every business has its own story.  But there's one thing they all share, and that is a passionate founder who wants to solve a problem or cover a need. That is the case for Ben Dowling of IPinfo, who shares his company journey with the audience.In this episode, we discuss:How can IP data help your business?Building a business where you love to work Bootstrapping versus fundingAn effective hiring strategyHow to approach sales in SaaSHow Can IP Data Help You?IP data has plenty of uses, from website personalization to customizing website language, and currency and in cybersecurity, attacks on your network. Effectively, IP data also helps you gather more information and make more cost-effective decisions, deliver a better customer experience, and improve business advertising.We focus as a company on making sure our data's great and then leaving how customers want to use it to them. And there are a bunch of different use cases that it's useful for - Ben DowlingTake Your TimeSo many entrepreneurs try to move too quickly when building their businesses. Instead, try growing your company little by little, to the point where it makes enough money to support you. That allows you to create an enduring business where you love to work and don't need to rely on investors and instead can keep bootstrapping that company.I wanted to create something that I wanted to work on, a company where I wanted to work, the environment that I wanted to work in, and I was in no rush to see how big we can make it in a couple of years - Ben DowlingBootstrapping Versus FundingRaising money gives you a bunch of resources you can use. Funding can also be critical in some industries where you have well-funded competitors. However, bootstrapping allows you to grow your business slowly, experiment with different opportunities, and explore the problem you're trying to solve.The nice thing with going at the pace that we're going at, which is quick for a bootstrap business, is that you get to identify opportunities as you go along. You incrementally build out what you're working on, and you have more time to explore the problem - Ben DowlingFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!

Building great products starts with a strong desire to solve a problem you have encountered in your own experience. But there is more to it than that; you have to think about what makes it different, the value it brings to people, your brand's messaging, and much more.Matthew Barnett knows what it takes to build SaaS products that thrive. Matthew is the Founder and Papa Bear of Bonjoro, and today, he shares what SaaS founders need to do to develop products that people will love and help them grow successful businesses.In this episode, we discuss:Why are industry experts more likely to build successful startups?Biggest fears and challenges startup founders experienceHow can you drive customer loyalty?How should founders approach brand building?The Right Founder for the Right ProductIndustry experts are more likely to succeed when building a business. They are the ones who experience and understand industry problems, thus developing products that solve them is much easier.I think a lot of the most successful startups you see come from people who have a problem in a specific industry - Matt BarnettPrioritize Your Growth StrategyFrom day one, think about your specific growth mechanism, which depends on your company. Every business is different. Some are sales-driven, marketing-led, or ads-led. What works for one company doesn't mean it will work for you. I think it's extremely important…you have a mechanism that can do that - Matt BarnettHow Can You Drive Customer Loyalty?When people mention loyalty, they think about loyalty cards, discounts, and other benefits. However, loyalty is the ability to increase the lifetime value of your customers and generate advocacy, which leads to net new customers.If you nail loyalty, you increase the lifetime value of every customer. So every customer spends more and stays longer, and then you increase that by basing your customers as its growth channel - Matt BarnettYour Brand is More Than the LogoMany founders don't understand what a brand represents. Most just think about the logo and stop there. Besides visual elements, a brand is also how you talk to customers, what you stand for, your views, values, and people.A brand is basically like the external facing piece of your culture - Matt BarnettFor more interviews from the SaaS Origin Stories podcast, check us out on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast player!