First, we talk about Deutsche Bank getting raided by law enforcement for “greenwashing” its ESG funds (2:59), then we touch on Fidelity marking down its investments in Stripe and Reddit (17:00), then we discuss companies going back to the office over concerns about worker productivity (19:35), Jason explains how he’s collaborating with everyone on the team to increase productivity as we go into this recession (26:00). To end, we have an interview with DroneUp CEO Tom Walker where we discuss their current rollout with Walmart, the regulations that need to get sorted out, and how DroneUp is approaching safety (50:00).
(00:00) Jason and Molly tee up today’s show!

(2:59) Deutsche Bank raided by german law enforcement due to alleged fraudulent advertising of sustainable investment funds

(11:23) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist

(12:37) OpenSea to take legal action against former executive who allegedly engaged in insider trading

(17:00) Fidelity marking down its investments in Stripe and Reddit

(19:35) Remote Work ending: thoughts on productivity

(24:45) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist

(26:00) Productivity advice: how to avoid layoffs

(39:14) Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, get a $1,000 credit at https://coda.io/twist

(40:30) Time blocking, Molly’s thoughts on productivity

(48:00) Toss to Jason and Molly’s interview with DroneUp CEO Tom Walker

(50:00) Tom Walker, CEO of DroneUp, joins to talk about the state of DroneUp and the future of drone delivery service

ESG fraud, Stripe & Reddit markdowns, Remote productivity + DroneUp Founder Tom Walker | E1473

Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.

Technology

Tech News

Podcasting

Gadgets

Software How-To

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
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The Equinix Startup program offers a hybrid infrastructure solution for startups, including up to $100K in credits and personalized consultations and guidance from the Equinix team. Go to https://deploy.equinix.com/startups to apply today.
*
Todays show:
Sohail Prasad joins Jason to discuss Destiny Tech 100 and why it was created (3:46), comparing the market cap to the actual holdings and the pent-up demand (11:35), how Destiny acquires the shares and how they manage both positive and negative reactions (26:49), and more!
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Sohail Prasad of Destiny (D/XYZ) joins Jason.
(3:46) Breaking down Destiny Tech 100 and why it was created.
(5:20) What is a closed-end fund and how does it fit into the ecosystem?
(8:37) The DIY approach used to bring this to the market.
(9:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(10:54) How Destiny Tech 100 works as a direct listing.
(11:35) Comparing the market cap to the actual holdings and the pent-up demand.
(14:46) Looking at how Sohail and the company make their profits and why he does this instead of gathering higher carry.
(18:52) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist
(22:05) The concerns of the swinging nature of the stock price and the long-term view.
(26:49) How Destiny acquires the shares and how they manage both positive and negative reactions.
(30:26) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://deploy.equinix.com/startups
(34:10) Destiny’s access to financials for companies in their portfolio.
(35:51) Strategy behind exits for the fund and companies that then go public.
(43:13) The size of the team needed to run Dest
*
Check out Destiny (D/XYZ): https://destiny.xyz/
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Follow Sohail:
X: https://twitter.com/sohailprasad
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohailprasad/
*
Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(9:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(18:52) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:26) Equinix - Join the Equinix Startup Program for up to $100K in credits and much more at https://deploy.equinix.com/startups
*
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:
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Destiny (D/XYZ) and the Buzz Around Public Access to Private Companies | E1933

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Todays show:
Jason and Presh kick off the Founder University pitch competition (00:00), then we hear from Jared on Umbrella Sports (6:40), Linda on Mastertech (14:47), and Aleksandr on Ellis (24:20). Finally, Jason awards a $25K investment (44:17), and Presh details how to apply!
*
Timestamps:
(00:00) Jason kicks off the show!
(2:49) Jason brings on Presh to explain the fundamentals of Founder University and introduces today's pitches!
(6:40) Jared Lewandowski pitches Umbrella Sports
(13:20) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at https://wistia.com/startups
(14:47) Linda Gray pitches Mastertech
(22:51) Eight Sleep - Go to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist for $200 off the Pod plus free shipping
(24:20) Aleksandr Diamond pitches Ellis
(29:39) Jason and Presh assess the startups and their pitches
(39:43) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
(44:12) Jason picks the startup he will invest in!
(44:51) Feedback on the Founder University experience
*
Founder University: Cohort 8 begins May 9th! Apply here: https://www.founder.university
*
We are doing Founder Fridays! Go check out https://founderfridays.tech
*
Follow Jared:
X: https://twitter.com/_playumbrella
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredlewandowski
Check out Umbrella Sports: https://www.playumbrella.com
*
Follow Linda:
X: https://twitter.com/mastertechai
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-gray-6433b251/
Check out Mastertech: https://www.mastertech.ai/
*
Follow Aleksandr:
X: https://twitter.com/heyaleksandr
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asdiamond
Check out Ellis: https://ellis.so
*
Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(13:20) Wistia - Try Wistia for free at https://wistia.com/startups
(22:51) Eight Sleep - Go to https://www.eightsleep.com/twist for $200 off the Pod plus free shipping
(39:43) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
*
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:
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
*
Founder University: Cohort 8 begins May 9th. Apply here: https://www.founder.university

Startup pitch competition! Jason invests $25K into one of three founders | E1932

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*
Todays show:
Sunny joins Jason to dive into AI news and demos including, Adam Schiff and the new bill to force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art (9:03), Udio the recent AI music creator catching a lot of hype (17:48), the AI dictation power of Aqua (39:10), and more!
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Sunny joins Jason to dive into this weeks AI news and demos.
(4:02) AI News: Meta, Google and Intel all launched chips this week.
(9:03) Adam Schiff and the new bill to force AI companies to reveal use of copyrighted art
(9:51) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist
(17:48) Sunny demos Udio - the recent AI music creator catching a lot of hype.
(19:36) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://www.withmantle.com/TWIST
(20:56) Sunny and Jason further explore Udio and discuss the copyright issues around AI models.
(31:45) Hubspot for Startups - Learn more and get extra benefits for being a TWiST listener now at  https://www.hubspot.com/startups. Check out their report “How AI is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy” here: https://bit.ly/hubspot-ai-report
(36:31) Sunny creates a song with Udio about Jason’s passion for copyright laws.
(39:10) Sunny demos Aqua.
(45:36) Sunny demos SWE-Agent
*
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
*
LINKS:
Check out Udio: https://www.udio.com/
Rolling Stone article on Udio: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/udio-ai-music-chatgpt-suno-1235001675/
Check out Aqua: https://withaqua.com/
Check out SWE-Agent: https://swe-agent.com/demo
Meta’s new chip news: https://twitter.com/Techmeme/status/1778078194345955765
Google’s new chip news: https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1777654095601348775
Intel’s new chip news: https://twitter.com/Techmeme/status/1777725152102699026
Article on Adam Schiff introducing new bill: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/apr/09/artificial-intelligence-bill-copyright-art
Check out statmuse: https://www.statmuse.com/
*
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:
(9:51) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.gusto.com/twist
(19:36) Mantle - Get your first 12 months free at https://www.withmantle.com/TWIST
(31:45) Hubspot for Startups - Learn more and get extra benefits for being a TWiST listener now at  https://www.hubspot.com/startups. Check out their report “How AI is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy” here: https://bit.ly/hubspot-ai-report
*
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:
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Udio AI’s Music Magic, Aqua’s Unique Dictation, Copyright Laws & the 1000x Potential of AI  | E1931

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Todays show:
David Weisburd hosts David Clark, Tomasz Tunguz, and Jason Calacanis to discuss the new YC class (1:59), startup valuations (19:34), the investment landscape (30:17), and more!
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Timestamps:
(00:00) David Weisburd intros David Clark, Tomasz Tunguz, and Jason Calacanis
(1:59) The latest YC class and rise of AI startups
(9:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(10:55) Role of the founding team in AI startups
(19:34) Startup valuations and the changing landscape of seed deals and Series A rounds
(29:01) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist
(30:17) Tomasz Tunguz’s journey to raising his fund and the challenges of the VC industry
(37:32) Personality types in venture capital and handling company wind downs
(39:20) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(40:52) VC’s moving out and the challenge of picking the right company to invest in
(59:27) Active reserves management
(1:09:00) Lightning round: Top 3 investments
*
Mentioned on show:
https://motherduck.com
https://arbitrum.io
https://www.omni.co
https://www.podengine.ai
https://www.getrecall.ai
https://newcomergames.com
*
Follow David Clark:
X: https://twitter.com/daveclark85
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-clark-6678b6b/
Check out VenCap: https://www.vencap.com/
*
Follow Tomasz Tunguz:
X: https://twitter.com/ttunguz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasztunguz
Check out Theory Ventures: https://theory.ventures
*
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:
(9:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(29:01) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at http://www.openphone.com/twist
(39:20) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
*
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:
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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

Tomasz Tunguz and David Clark on how to invest in AI and Q1 2024 startup valuations | E1930

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
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*
Todays show:
Alef’s Jim Dukhovny joins Jason to discuss different approaches to flying car tech (1:16), Alef’s vehicle design (9:17), commercial aspects (22:39), and more!
*
Timestamps:
(00:00) Alef’s Jim Dukhovny joins Jason
(1:16) Alef’s mission and the different approaches to VTOL and flying car technologies
(8:25) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist
(9:17) Alef’s approach to vehicle design and use of existing technologies in a new format
(12:10) Technical details of Alef’s vehicle design, including propulsion systems and structural innovations
(14:27) Challenges of designing flying vehicles that function both as cars and aircraft
(21:11) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(22:39) Commercial aspects, including pricing, customer pre-orders, and manufacturing plans
(26:13) Regulatory and certification challenges and the potential timeline for bringing the product to market
(32:46) Zendesk - Get six months free at https://zendesk.com/startups
(34:16) Ballistic parachute systems in drones, planes, and Alef’s vehicles
(38:53) The long-term vision for autonomous flying cars
*
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtzuL3WSiGY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gzdo107SmE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBCUQlF3MMU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxaFFuN1vpc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT4buS7avd4
*
Follow Jim:
X: https://twitter.com/AlefAeronautics
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdukhovny
Check out Alef: https://alef.aero
*
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:
(8:25) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at http://www.vanta.com/twist
(21:11) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(32:46) Zendesk - Get six months free at https://zendesk.com/startups
*
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

ESG fraud, Stripe & Reddit markdowns, Remote productivity + DroneUp Founder Tom Walker | E1473

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