This Week in Startups

Today's show:

Jason's back and filling us in on his experiences in Washington DC, at the All-In AI Summit, including getting a Trump shoutout from stage, debating immigration with VP Vance, and calling out Sec. Wright for dismissing solar power.THEN Jason and Alex talk about the immense promise of open-source robotics and check out Hugging Face's Reachy…PLUS picking apart the White House's new AI-related executive orders, why Jason is afraid of China repeating its Huawei success, a free exchange about tariffs vs. free trade, AND a pressing query from a founder on Reddit: how bad is it to add AI to your product too early?

Timestamps:

(0:00) INTRO, Alex updates Jason about all this week's TWiST 500 interviews

(03:33) Inside Jason's experiences at this week's All In AI Summit with POTUS!

(05:33) Jason's back and forth on solar power with US Energy Sec. Chris Wright

(09:56) Inbound - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at [https://www.inbound.com/register](https://www.inbound.com/register.) (Valid thru 7/31)

(11:02) Promo end

(16:54) Jason asks AMD CEO Lisa Su about reaching "superintelligence" and whether it could trigger an unemployment crisis

(19:51) Bolt - Don't be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.

(20:44) Promo end

(23:42) Jason says… any time you have to wait days or weeks for a service or product, there's a MASSIVE opportunity.

(26:16) What do Trump's new AI executive orders actually say?

(27:27) Which EO's are red meat for Trump's base, and which ones are likely to become laws and have real impact?

(29:50) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at https://public.com/twist.

(31:05) Promo end

(35:17) How Huawei went worldwide and why Jason doesn't want that to happen again with AI.

(38:32) Jason and Alex have a little tariff vs. free trade debate.

(47:03) VP Vance complained about US tech companies laying off Americans, then hiring immigrants; Jason gives his take

(53:35) Jason answers a Reddit question: Is adding AI to your product too early a TRAP?

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

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

Thank you to our partners:

(09:56) Inbound - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at [https://www.inbound.com/register](https://www.inbound.com/register.) (Valid thru 7/31)

(19:51) Bolt - Don't be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.

(29:50) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at https://public.com/twist.

*Disclaimer:All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use.Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.

Today's show:

TWiST is back with a three more hugely insightful (and also fun!) founder interviews.

First up, Trey Holterman from Tennr tells us why getting in to see a specialist is so time consuming, and how AI is making the entire health care industry more streamlined.THEN Gill Verdon from Extropic AI unpacks deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and how thermodynamics can make everything from robots to VR more effective.FINALLY, Tyler Denk from our fav newsletter platform Beehiiv walks us through their future roadmap, and explains why they're adding new features SO OFTEN.It's a packed episode full of fresh insights for founders. Check it out!

Timestamps:

(0:00) Alex opens the show with the venture/investor POV on TWiST 500 med tech company Tennr

(03:38) Tennr CEO/co-founder Trey Holterman on the inefficiencies facing medical specialists and why patients are actually "leads"

(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(11:44) Paid Promo END

(14:05) How Tennr trained an AI model to comb through clinical histories, medical files, and doctor's notes

(18:19) Why automation matters for Tennr but it's not the WHOLE story

(20:03) 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!

(21:10) Paid Promo END

(22:57) The incredible cultural influence of the Dominos Pizza Tracker

(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits

(31:20) Gill Verdon from Extropic on the difficulty of keeping up with the demand for compute and the "scaling law"

(35:37) Thermodynamic regimes, the differences between deterministic vs. probabilistic computing, and why this matters

(41:31) Gill on expanding Extropic's research team while keeping a close eye on burn

(52:17) Will robots ever be FULLY autonomous, with no ties or connections back to the fleet? Gill says… maybe!

(58:52) Beehiiv's Tyler Denk on hitting $20M ARR while ALSO scaling up their ad network

(01:00:35) The practical and psychological importance of product velocity and shipping as many features as possible

(01:01:57) Why Tyler says "Substack vs. Beehiiv" is analogous to "Amazon vs. Shopify"

(01:08:08) How much larger can the newsletter market still GROW? (And the promise of moving beyond content and into marketing emails.)

(01:09:00) Why Tyler thinks the strongest publishers own their audience and distribution

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 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:

(10:20) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(20:03) 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!

(29:57) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits

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

Today's show:

TWiST is back with a trio of can't miss interviews with some of our favorite TWiST 500 founders.

First up, John Harris of Harbinger Motors tells us about making his EV batteries right here in the USA, and why the loss of EV tax credits might not hurt the business as much as you'd think…

THEN, we're talking to James Hawkins of PostHog about how keeping his burn rate low opened up a wealth of new opportunities for his company…

THEN Yoshi Yokokawa from Alpaca HQ stops by to talk about working in a category that's no longer the hottest thing in the Valley (like fintech) and the importance of stable coins to his business model.

You won't want to miss this one! Tons of fresh and important insights for founders.

Timestamps:

(0:00) INTRO, The market's hit an ALL TIME HIGH… what does it mean for founders and smaller companies?

(2:19) Figma's going IPO… how its success could impact other the entire landscape for the rest of the year.

(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist

(11:29) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory

(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.

(21:15) Harbinger co-founder/CEO John Harris tells us about building EVs for commercial fleet, live FROM the factory (cont…)

(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.

(31:07) How much of Harbinger's product is actually manufactured in the US (and why that's a more complex question than it sounds)

(31:39) Why the rollback of EV tax credits might NOT have a huge impact on Harbinger's business.

(36:53) James Hawkins of PostHog explains how and why Stripe funded their most recent round.

(40:23) Will it soon be easier to build a virtual product manager than hire the right human person? MAYBE!

(42:11) Why building PostHog as open source was so vital for boosting adoption among developers

(47:45) Why James credits a low burn rate and being "multi-product" with PostHog's success and traction

(01:00:02) Alpaca CEO and co-founder Yoshi Yokokawa explains to us how the API brokerage infrastructure co. actually makes money

(01:00:41) Why it matters that Alpaca is a "self-clearing market maker": Yoshi unpacks how trades actually get executed

(01:07:46) The massive impact of Robinhood on the entire fintech business and how this benefits Alpaca

(01:18:06) Yoshi's tips for founders working in categories that aren't THE HOTTEST IN THE WORLD right now

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 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:

(10:12) Netsuite - Download the ebook Navigating Global Trade: 3 Insights for Leaders for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist

(19:58) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.

(30:07) .TECH: Say it without saying it. Head to www.get.tech/twist or your favorite registrar to get a clean, sharp .tech domain today.

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:

WHY DOES @SUBSTACKINC NEED $100M IN NEW FUNDING?HOW DO THEY PLAN TO STAY AHEAD OF @BEEHIIV?Jason and Alex are debating the future of indie publishing on an all-new TWiST, considering the future of these rival platforms, plus Patreon and more.PLUS they're digging into Lovable's latest raise and what it says about the current economics of vibecoding, surveying the automated driving landscape in light of Uber's new agreement Lucid and Euro, explaining Jason's "meme processing" theory of internet humor, AND looking ahead to Christopher Nolan's IMAX epic "The Odyssey."Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Intro - Everyone is getting hyped for Nolan's "The Odyssey"

(03:49) "Meme Processing," the Astronomer saga, and giving people a little grace

(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)

(18:49) Substack vs. Patreon vs. Beehive: Who ya got?!

(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.

(37:58) Lovable, vibecoding, and how much AGI might one day be worth

(01:00:36) Uber's Lucid/Nuro deal: Alex did the math

(01:08:03) Is autonomous driving about to change EVERYTHING? Jason says… YES.

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 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:

(10:07) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% off your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)

(19:43) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(29:39) Public - Take your investing to the next level with Public. Build a multi-asset portfolio and earn 4.1% APY on your cash—with no fees or minimums. Start now at public.com/twist.

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. Alpha is an experimental AI tool powered by GPT-4. Its output may be inaccurate and is not investment advice. Public makes no guarantees about its accuracy or reliability—verify independently before use. *Rate as of 7/18/25. APY is variable and subject to change.

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

Today's show:

Jason and Alex tackle a full tech and business news docket on today's show, including Jason's big SF trip with Launch Accelerator's 34th cohort, some peculiar social media posts from VC Geoff Lewis, a look inside the HUGE seed rounds being commanded by early-stage AI startups, crunching the numbers on how much compute data centers need to sell before they're profitable, Polymarket asks who will be the next CEO of X and MUCH MUCH MORE.

Join us for the longest-running and most in-depth podcast on Earth for startup founders.

Timestamps:

(00:00) INTRO

(01:31) Jason's in SF with LAUNCH Accelerator cohort 34… His take on the mood in Silicon Valley.

(07:52) Odd X posts from Bedrock Capital's Geoff Lewis… what does it all mean?

(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(14:44) Ask JCal: What founders can do to guard their own mental health and well-being

(20:17) 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!

(22:04) Thinking Machines Lab set a new record for a seed round: what's going on with these MEGA deals?

(28:51) Alex (and Kabir from LAUNCH's research team) investigated the economics of data centers… just HOW MUCH can you make from selling compute? And how long does it TAKE to turn a profit?

(30:52) Bolt - Don't be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/twist.

(37:09) Superintelligence vs. AGI: Jason thinks we're still more than 2-3 years away…

(39:52) GPx is not a traditional VC fund: here's what industry vet Brian Singerman is up to

(49:37) The importance of setting your own corporate culture… before it gets set for you!

(58:15) Polymarket has ideas for the next X CEO… see where Jason ranks on the list!

(01:03:18) Reddit wants to know… Do investors judge founders negatively who rely on lots of AI tools?

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 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:

(10:09) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist

(20:17) 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!

(30:52) Bolt - Don't be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.bolt.new/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

Today's show:

On today's show… Jason and Alex are considering the fallout of Windsurf's OpenAI deal, the company's latest agreements with both Google and Cognition AI, and how "blitzhiring" is actually playing out in real-world startups.Plus Jason's short- and medium-term predictions for AI's impact on the job market, Tesla's latest expansion of its Austin robotaxi service, Mistral giving the EU a real stake in the AI model race, a look back at the SnapStream live TV archiving service, AND an update on how much more time we have until all our servers are obsolete.All that and more on a brand new Monday edition of This Week in Startups.

Timestamps:

(02:20) Influencers caught an arsonist in LA's Runyon Canyon? (Don't worry, there's always a startup angle)

(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda's Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist

(12:56) Windsurf's OpenAI deal fell through… but there are breaking updates!

(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(23:46) The gap from prototype to production in AI remains HUGE

(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits

(34:56) Things are going well for Tesla's Austin rollout, but will regulators demand LIDAR systems anyway?

(45:47) Maybe NOTHING that's happening right now in AI is as important as what's to come?

(54:31) Follow-Up: So how much more time until all of our servers are obsolete? What happens to them when they're removed?

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 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:

(10:38) Coda - Empower your startup with Coda's Team plan for free—get 6 months at https://www.Coda.io/twist

(20:11) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(29:52) AWS Activate - AWS Activate helps startups bring their ideas to life. Apply to AWS Activate today to learn more. Visit aws.amazon.com/startups/credits

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: Grok 4 just leapfrogged OpenAI to become the top AI model—and it's not just hype. In this episode, @Jason and @alex break down Grok's AGI-level performance, the massive drop in LLM pricing, and why some companies are raising prices anyway. They also dive into the Missouri AG's investigation into AI "bias," the future of First Amendment protections for LLMs, and how autonomous vehicles are creating a new category: "autonomous commerce." If you're building with AI or betting on the future of tech, don't miss this one.

Timestamps:

(1:55) AI models: Grok 4 and performance benchmarks(3:51) Detailed analysis of AI model performance and price trends(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(11:25) AI models' problem-solving capabilities and timeline for solving math problems(16:53) Legal and regulatory challenges for AI

(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(21:12) Bias in AI models and political implications(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that's built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist(32:07) Infinite energy potential and AI impact; Bitcoin's new high(37:11) Crypto regulation and fintech under new administration(45:50) Future of storage, computing power, and GPU lifespan in data centers(53:40) Claude segment by Anthropic(55:09) Guest Ben Seidl of Autolane introduction(57:19) Autolane's impact on autonomous vehicles and commerce(59:05) Rise of autonomous commerce and logistics(1:06:37) Retailer issues with autonomous vehicle integration and orchestration

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 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:

(10:11) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(19:56) Retool - Visit https://www.retool.com/twist and try it out today.(30:41) Vouched - Trust for agents that's built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/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

In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with Yoav Shoham — Stanford professor emeritus and co-founder of AI21 Labs, creators of Jurassic-2, Wordtune, and the new orchestration system Maestro.

They unpack:

• Why enterprise AI struggles with reliability
• What orchestration really means (and why LLMs alone aren't enough)
• The pitfalls of "agent-washing"
• Small vs large models, agent-to-agent protocols, and where real opportunities lie

This one is for founders building with AI — if you're navigating hallucinations, chasing automation, or exploring multi-agent workflows, this episode is a must.

*

Timestamps:

(0:00) Yoav Shoham joins Jason to discuss AI Basics.

(1:05) What AI21 Labs is building — from Jurassic-2 to Maestro

(5:49) The overuse and confusion of the seductive term "agent"

(8:22) Small models vs large models: what's best for enterprise?

(10:53) The verticalization of AI: legal, accounting, and beyond

(12:17) The challenge of agent-to-agent communication and shared semantics

(17:08) What's overhyped vs underhyped in AI — Yoav's advice for founders

*

Uncover more valuable insights from AI leaders in Google Cloud's 'Future of AI: Perspectives for Startups' report.

https://goo.gle/futureofai

*

Explore Further

Google Cloud's Report: The Future of AI

Get insights from 23 leading experts on how startups can leverage AI for real business impact.

👉 Read the full report

More AI Basics Episodes

Founders, operators, and builders — catch up on our full Startup Basics series (Legal, Finance, Growth & AI):

👉 thisweekinstartups.com/basics

Links from episde:

• Google Cloud — Build smarter with AI tools built for startups
• AI21 Labs — Makers of Wordtune, Jurassic-2, and Maestro
• Maestro — Orchestrate AI agents and tools across workflows
• Jamba — AI21's hybrid language model with breakthrough efficiency

Learn About Google's A2A (Agent-to-Agent) Protocol

The next evolution in agent interoperability and coordination:

• Official A2A Announcement
• Hands-on A2A Tutorial (Medium)

Follow Yoav:

X: https://x.com/yshoham

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

*

Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

*

Follow TWiST:

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

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

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

On a brand new TWiST, Jason and Alex ponder… What if every Tesla doubled as a Starlink-powered Wi-Fi hotspot? Plus, Nvidia's historic $4T valuation, Perplexity's fancy new AI browser that literally books flights, Linda Yaccarino steps down as X CEO, Waymo launches teen accounts, and maybe recording everything all the time has some disadvantages? Later, Tim Ranzetta joins to explain how his nonprofit is making personal finance mandatory in high schools. A must-watch for founders, investors, and anyone navigating the future of tech.

Timestamps:

(03:04) Linda Y is out at X but it's NOT because of Grok's Hitler moment

(09:59) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(13:23) Nvidia is worth more than any other company EVER?

(17:40) Granola's charging individuals MORE than business accounts? But why?

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(23:39) Jason thinks the AI recording and transcript lawsuits will begin by next year…

(24:05) Perplexity launches the Comet browser: we're checking how it compares with Dia and other rivals!

(30:07) Bolt - Don't be left behind. Build apps quickly without knowing how to code with Bolt.new. Try it free at https://www.Bolt.new/twist.

(34:09) Waymo is expanding… Why there's no shame in the robotaxi game…

(41:28) Robinhood is tokenizing US equities for EU investors… we unpack what it all means and how it works.

(49:18) Tim Ranzetta of Next Gen Personal Finance tells us what we don't teach kids about finance and what they most need to know

(01:29:25) Why finance and investing is all about psychology, and how to "think in bets"

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Thank you to our partners:

(09:59) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.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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Today's show:

Cloud seeding startup Rainmaker faced a viral backlash after deadly floods in Texas—so @Jason hosted an emergency X Spaces with founder Augustus Doricko to unpack what really happened. Did Rainmaker cause the floods? How much water can cloud seeding actually produce? Is it safe, and should we even be doing it? They dive into the science, conspiracy theories, regulation, and how cloud seeding compares to desalination as a tool to fight drought and preserve ecosystems. A fascinating, good-faith convo on the future of climate tech.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Cloud seeding controversy and its impact on Texas floods(2:24) Background and impact of the Texas flooding event(8:05) Comparing cloud seeding to other environmental solutions(10:20) Discussing population, water distribution, and environmental restoration(14:22) Cloud seeding timeline, feasibility, and solar panels on water canals(17:17) Ethics, concerns, and regulatory framework for cloud seeding(24:07) Public safety, ethical considerations, and social media interactions regarding cloud seeding(26:00) Closing remarks and future collaboration

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Follow Lon:

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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

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:

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