Today’s show: Jason and Lon break down the biggest stories in tech and startups this week: OpenAI’s new models are powerful but glitchy, Meta’s internal docs hint that Zuck knows the Facebook friends graph is toast, and fintech startup TapCheck might actually be doing some good. Plus, robot lifeguards and humanoid races — the wildest videos of the week and what they mean. Then, Alex sits down with Jason Reminick, founder of Thalamus, the platform that helps match medical residents to hospitals (with 85% market share!). They talk about becoming a Public Benefit Corp and how Thalamus is tackling the doctor shortage in the U.S.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show(1:43) OpenAI's new models and issues with Wikipedia as AI knowledge bases

(8:27) FTC antitrust case around Meta; breaking up big tech

(11:13) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(13:04) Tapcheck's impact on employee retention and minimum wage variations

(19:56) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(24:31) New company Revel's safety software

(27:14) Humanoid robot marathon in Beijing

(30:15) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://brex.com/banking-solutions

(35:46) New color discovery “Olo”

(40:30) Blue Sky is Falling: Robots, delivery, surveillance, and privacy concerns(55:20) Alex sits down with Jason Reminick of Thalamus

(56:01) Thalamus and the medical residency application process

(59:42) AI in residency applications and standardizing medical school grades

(1:03:30) Thalamus' market share and collaboration with medical associations

(1:10:08) Impact of budget cuts on rural hospitals and business model expansion

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Links from episode:

Check out Thalamus: https://www.thalamusgme.com/

Check out the Robot Lifeguard: https://oceanalpha.com/product-item/dolphin1/

Check out TapCheck: https://www.tapcheck.com/

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Follow: Jason Reminick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-reminick-md-mba-ms-bb251645/

Thalamus on X: https://x.com/ThalamusGME/status/1757812695787581485*

Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

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Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(11:13) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(19:56) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

(30:15) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://brex.com/banking-solutions

*

Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon discuss the rise of LMArena as it spins out into a full-fledged startup, what that means for AI benchmarking, and how it could monetize its growing community. They also dive into the emerging value of application-layer AI startups and why OpenAI’s acquisition spree is just beginning. Plus, branding expert Scott Bair drops tactical design tips for founders—from logos to product UX—that can give your startup the edge.

Timestamps:

(0:00) AI companies and value accrual in the AI rush(1:29) Productivity in remote work(5:12) Overview of LM Arena as a startup(7:22) Business models for AI and benchmarking(10:05) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://fidelityprivateshares.com⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.(14:16) Milestone-based investing and early-stage funding(16:34) OpenAI's acquisition moves and AI market dynamics(20:12) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist(21:15) Intangible value and strategic acquisitions in AI(24:30) High valuations and consumer AI pricing models(26:00) The rise of drone startups and autonomous weapon systems(29:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(32:00) Venture interest in drones and geopolitical considerations(32:30) Branding, design, and founder questions(43:51) Brand mission and work environment culture(47:10) Savage my startup and live clinic(49:30) Logo design and color theory(56:29) Designing great websites and apps(59:29) Founder University website review(1:00:49) Closing remarks and social media plugs

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Check out:

Lunour: https://www.lunour.com/

Founder Fridays: https://www.founderfridays.tech/

Founder University: https://www.founder.university/

Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

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:

(10:05) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://fidelityprivateshares.com⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

(20:12) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at https://www.openpjhone.com/twist

(29:46) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

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

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with CapitalG partner Jill Chase to break down how AI is reshaping the startup ecosystem — from founders to investors to incumbents. They cover how CapitalG (Alphabet’s independent growth fund) thinks about the AI stack, why speed alone isn’t enough for startups today, and how to build durable advantages in a world where anyone can copy your product. Jill shares insights from portfolio companies like Motif (next-gen CAD for architecture) and Abridge (AI-powered doctor’s scribe), plus how startups can use AI “in the business” (product) and “on the business” (ops, GTM, etc). They also explore the transition from copilots to agents — and what that means for the next wave of software. If you’re building or investing in AI, this is a must-watch.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show

(1:10) CapitalG's investment strategy in AI

(3:04) Understanding value in AI investments

(5:16) Durability in AI startups and market challenges

(10:18) Practical applications of AI in business

(17:52) Case studies of successful AI startups

(21:35) Building massive businesses with small teams

(23:55) Evolution from AI copilots to autonomous agents

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Uncover more valuable insights from AI leaders in Google Cloud's 'Future of AI: Perspectives for Startups' report. Discover what 23 AI industry leaders think about the future of AI—and how it impacts your business. Read their perspectives here: https://goo.gle/futureofai

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Check out all of the Startup Basics episodes here: https://thisweekinstartups.com/basics

Check out Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/

Check out CapitalG: https://www.capitalg.com/

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Follow Jill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-greenberg-chase-53747538/

X: https://x.com/jillchase124

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon discuss Figma’s surprise IPO filing following its $1B breakup from Adobe, OpenAI’s quiet push into social networking through a Sora image-sharing feed, and how sweeping new China tariffs are wreaking havoc on ecommerce companies—impacting jobs, supply chains, and pricing. Plus: the Substack vs. Patreon battle heats up, Lyft expands internationally, and we talk to the founders of Nerd Crawler and Cuts Clothing about how policy decisions ripple through startup land. A packed show with insights founders can’t afford to miss.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Tariffs impact on ecommerce and CPG(2:22) Figma files to go public and Adobe's billion-dollar breakup fee(6:48) IPO market, competition, and Hammerspace's $100 million raise

(9:34) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.(11:32) Patreon's new streaming feature and Substack's growth(19:08) Jason's experience with Patreon and Substack apps(19:33) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist(25:58) OpenAI's new social network and Temu’s Google Shopping ads shutdown(29:24) Notion - Try it for free today at https://notion.com/twist(37:11) Nerdcrawler's business model and comic book industry economics(42:33) Marketplaces, scaling challenges, and tariff policy impact on startups(47:29) Steven Borrelli's viral tweet on tariffs and administration response(50:26) Effects of tariffs on costs, supply chain, and American manufacturing(57:56) Infrastructure, investment for US production, and potential layoffs(1:02:34) Closing remarks, endorsements, and quality of Cuts clothing(1:04:25) Addressing misconceptions about Asian manufacturing(1:05:00) OpenAI acquisition of Codium and market impact of tariff fears(1:05:52) Critique of tariff policy communication and domestic job creation discussion

Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

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Check out:

Nerd Crawler: https://nerdcrawler.com

Cuts: https://www.cutsclothing.com/

Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

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:

(9:34) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

(19:33) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

(29:24) Notion - Try it for free today at https://notion.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

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: Alex interviews founders from Abacus and Synthesia—two companies leading the charge in vertical AI. Abacus is deploying on-prem LLMs to banks and insurers with a focus on data control, accuracy, and integration with legacy infrastructure. Synthesia just hit $100M ARR by helping 70% of the Fortune 100 turn internal documents into scalable AI video. If you're interested in how generative AI is moving from hype to real enterprise utility, this one's for you.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction to vertical AI with Abacus and Synthesia(1:57) Real-world applications of AI in regulated industries & Interview with Abacus founder David Moscatelli(5:02) Unique challenges for banks and credit unions using AI & Abacus OS private LLM(9:56) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(11:57) Abacus features, benefits, and customer acquisition strategies(12:27) Decentralized indexer, data integration, and voice AI technology with VAPI(19:58) Vapi - Go to vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life.(24:47) On-premise setup, combating AI hallucinations, and trust in AI responses(30:08) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.(33:40) Abacus company growth, fundraising, and sales hiring(38:25) Introduction to Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli, AI avatars, and building a startup in Europe(41:34) Synthesia’s market positioning, target use cases, and personalized avatars(46:33) Synthesia's training data, partnerships, and improvements in AI avatar technology(55:57) Synthesia’s growth, Fortune 100 companies usage, and financial aspects(1:00:21) AI model competition, market appetite, and enterprise focus(1:02:09) Future of AI in video creation, ethicalconsiderations, and Synthesia's plans

Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com

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Check out:

Abacus: https://www.goabacus.co/

Synthesia: https://www.synthesia.io/

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:

(9:56) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.

(19:58) Vapi - Go to vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life.

(30:08) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.

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

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: In this episode, Jason, Alex, and Lon dive into Blue Origin’s all-female celeb spaceflight (yes, Katy Perry sang on reentry), Hugging Face’s unexpected move into robotics, and Jack Dorsey’s wild take that we should “delete all IP law.” Plus, they break down Figure AI’s eye-popping $39B valuation, the risks of SPVs, and what founders and investors can learn from the SPAC boom. As Jason puts it: “You just have to assume an 80% failure rate.”

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

(1:34) Blue Origin all-female crew launch and space tourism

(7:17) Emerging technologies and tech adoption trends

(10:07) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

(12:38) Hugging Face acquires Pollen Robotics; Open AI and robotics debate

(19:42) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(20:42) Significance of Hugging Face in generative AI; Jack Dorsey's IP law stance

(25:01) U.S. high-tech job market; revisiting IP law discussions

(30:03) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(31:03) IP law and American innovation(32:22) Challenges in startup exits and secondary trading platforms

(37:09) Figure AI's valuation controversy

(46:37) Startup insights and investing perspectives

(50:39) Jeff Bezos on risk assessment

(57:03) Jason’s personal journey and reflections

(1:02:06) Developing a samurai mindset; societal systems abstraction

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Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

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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:

(10:07) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

(19:42) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(30:03) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/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

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: We dive into the latest tech and startup news — including Palantir’s bold new fellowship program that challenges the traditional college path, and DoorDash’s rollout of burrito-delivering Coco robots in LA and Chicago. We debut our new segment “Tips from the Trenches,” focused on how to land your first customers, and wrap up with two great Office Hours: BRX.ai (self-healing AI agents) and InviteJet (calendar-based marketing). Plus, one founder’s wild story about a fake investor using an AI deepfake on Zoom. Don’t miss Jason’s tactical GTM advice and a reminder that if no one complains about your pricing, you’re probably too cheap.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

(2:01) Palantir's new fellowship program and alternative education paths

(9:12) Digg's Groundbreakers program and paid community model

(10:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(13:21) DoorDash's partnership with Coco robotics for deliveries and the future of robotic deliveries

(20:26) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

(21:56) Tips from the Trenches “Your First Customers”

(22:31) Strategies for acquiring first customers from Y Combinator founders

(30:35) AdQuick - For TWiST listeners - AdQuick is waiving their fee on your first campaign. Visit https://www.adquick.com/twist

(32:00) Office Hours with Jake and Daniel from BRX about their product and growth strategy

(41:05) Feedback on BRX's website clarity and branding strategies

(46:45) Office Hours with Brian Watson from InviteJet

(49:00) Challenges faced by InviteJet and dealing with fraudulent investors

(56:43) InviteJet's churn rates, ideal customer profiles, and future plans

(1:01:43) Discussing Invitejet's pricing strategies, customer loyalty, and marketing tactics

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Links from the show:

BRX AI: https://brx.ai/

InviteJet: https://www.invitejet.com/

*

Follow BRX:

X: https://x.com/BRXinc

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Follow InviteJet:X: https://x.com/InviteJet

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Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/lons

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Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(10:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(20:26) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist

(30:35) AdQuick - For TWiST listeners - AdQuick is waiving their fee on your first campaign. Visit https://www.adquick.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

*

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon talk about stories reshaping the startup world: 70mph drone deliveries are officially live in Dallas, with Zipline and Walmart promising groceries “as the crow flies” in under 5 minutes. Meanwhile, Trump slaps a 125% tariff on China and hints at a global economic shakeup — Jason warns founders to brace for layoffs and bankruptcies unless they’ve got a Plan B and C. Finally, a UK startup sells for $450M and VCs barely break even… but the founders walk with $20M. Jason explains how small exits create the most dangerous kind of founder: the one who never needs another check. Plus Office Hours with Orchestra CEO Sergie Poe.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!(1:37) Tariffs, market volatility, and startup implications(5:33) Startup resilience: Layoffs and bankruptcies(10:35) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions(12:10) Globalization and startup ecosystems(13:52) Recent startup deals and Zipline's expansion(19:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(21:16) Zipline drones and Marquese Brownlee’s review(24:31) 70MPH Drones and the future of ddeliveries(30:05) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(31:51) Founder FridaysPitch Madness matchups(33:35) LifeStack and Burble pitches and discussion(43:26) Arcana and Tactun pitches and discussion(50:12) Summer West Whiskey and MomSub pitches and evaluation(56:36) Orchestra's office hours: Challenges and strategies

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

Links from the show:

Orchestra: https://orch.so/

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:

(10:35) Brex. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at ⁠https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions

(19:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(30:05) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!

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

Today’s show: Jason and Alex unpack a wild week in tech and the markets — including a fake tweet that moved $4 trillion and Trump’s latest tariff talk. Lon jumps in for another round of Founder Fridays Pitch Madness, where four early-stage startups compete for a spot in the Elite Eight. Plus, Alex chats with Sunny Khamkar, CEO of MenuData, about how AI is revolutionizing the food industry. They also dive into how founders should rethink their runway, what Shopify’s bold AI memo means for the future, and whether VCs are placing earlier bets to chase that $1M ARR milestone. Don’t miss the founder pitches and a fresh take on AI-powered food trend tracking!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

(2:11) Market chaos, tariffs, and their effects

(5:59) Economic uncertainty: Advice for founders

(8:00) Tariffs' potential impact on tech sectors

(9:58) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com ⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

(13:27) SignalFire's billion-dollar fund

(17:32) Achieving significant startup revenue and its importance

(20:20) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team Plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist

(21:54) Krea's $87 million raise and subscription model analysis

(27:33) Big tech's influence on niche subscription services

(30:02) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

(31:09) AI advancements: Midjourney v7 and voice activation

(36:43) Shopify's AI Manifesto

(41:00) Founder Friday bracket updates

(57:16) Founder Q&A: Lessons for first-time founders

(1:05:00) MenuData's CEO Sunny Khamkar interview

(1:16:10) MenuData's pricing, customer base, and growth plans

(1:23:38) AI's vertical impact and Menu Data's strategy

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Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com

Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

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Links from the show:

Check out MenuData: https://www.menudata.ai/

Check out Krea: https://www.krea.ai/

Check out Tobi Lutke’s ”AI Manifesto” https://x.com/tobi/status/1909251946235437514

Check out Pitchfire: https://www.pitchfire.com/

Check out CREATANT: https://www.creatant.com/

Check out Vidala Labs: https://vidalalabs.com/

Check out Kippy: https://kippy.ai/

Follow Sunny Khamkar:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunny-khamkar-84b905a

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Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

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Follow Lon:

X: https://x.com/Lons

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonharris

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(9:58) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com ⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

(20:20) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda’s Team Plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist

(30:02) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

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Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Today’s show: Jason and Alex dive into the startup world’s latest chaos — from Nasdaq’s slide and Trump’s tariffs to Klarna’s IPO pause and Rippling’s $16B target. They break down what founders really need to know: tightening CIO budgets, longer sales cycles, but easier hiring. Plus, TikTok’s ban gets another delay (with Bezos possibly lurking?). In Office Hours, they chat with two sharp founders: Luke Belbina from PodEngine, who's building AI for podcasters and doubling revenue, and David Moscatelli from Abacus, who’s bringing secure, on-prem AI to banks and just hit $1M ARR. Don’t miss it! 👇

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!

[3:37] Cloud stocks dip: What it means for startups

[5:31] Trump's tariffs: A new startup recession?

[7:01] Retail’s reaction to tariff pressure

[10:16] LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

[12:35] Supply chains & startup struggles

[14:53] What’s still getting funded in VC

[17:21] Layoffs looming? What founders should prep for

[19:10] AI, macro takes & market signals

[21:32] Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

[23:21] European tech cooling off?

[24:36] Hiring freezes vs. easier recruiting

[27:39] Startup strategies in tough markets

[29:34] Vapi - Go to https://vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life.

[31:38] How to communicate tough changes

[33:33] TikTok ban delayed… again

[39:38] Trump’s China playbook: Startup impact

[42:12] Office Hours: Luke from PodEngine

[47:31] Automating with AI & driving sales

[55:53] Pricing, lead gen & scaling tips

[1:06:30] Office Hours: David from Abacus

[1:08:32] On-prem AI for banks + hitting $1M ARR

[1:14:42] Team building & founder strategy

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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

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Links from the show:

Check out PodEngine: https://www.podengine.ai/

Check out Abacus: https://www.goabacus.co/

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Follow Luke:

X: https://x.com/lukebelbina

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukebelbina/

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Follow David:

X: https://x.com/DaveMoscatelli

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Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

Thank you to our partners:

[10:16] LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

[21:32] Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

[29:34] Vapi - Go to https://vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life.

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

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916