The Startup Podcast

Insiders React: Sam Altman's New $6B Partnership + Klarna's AI Backtrack, Bitcoin Over $111K


Listen Later

What does it mean when OpenAI gives away $6 billion worth of equity just to bring one man on board?

In a world where design, brand, and user experience could determine AI dominance, are startups undervaluing human-centered thinking?


In this episode, Chris and Yaniv unpack OpenAI’s jaw-dropping acquisition of Jony Ive's mysterious startup “io,” and what it means for the future of AI hardware. They also break down Claude 4’s strategic shift toward coding, Klarna’s AI misfire in customer service, and Bitcoin’s stunning return to all-time highs.


In this episode, you will:

  • Understand why OpenAI paid $6B for Jony Ive with no product in sight
  • Explore how Claude 4 is positioning itself to dominate AI coding workflows
  • Learn what Klarna’s AI rollback says about the real limits of LLMs in customer service
  • Discover why prompting isn’t just for AIs—and how it applies to human leadership
  • Compare deterministic vs probabilistic software—and what that means for your startup stack
  • Examine how students using AI tools are reshaping education (and why it’s not all good news)
  • Evaluate Bitcoin’s recent surge and whether it’s becoming a lasting store of value


Whether you're building in AI, riding the crypto waves, or figuring out where human judgment still beats automation—this episode is packed with insight from real founders navigating the edge.


The Pact

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Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/


Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/


Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

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The Startup PodcastBy Yaniv Bernstein, Chris Saad

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