This Week in Startups

Today's show: Jason, Lon, and Alex break down a loaded week in tech: Apple's 27% App Store "link-out" fee gets shut down by a judge—unlocking margin for startups and slashing CAC; AI bots on Reddit's r/ChangeMyView are now 6x more effective than humans at changing minds, signaling a seismic shift in online discourse; and Beehiiv CEO Tyler Denk joins to discuss building in public, rapid product iteration, and the irony of being critiqued like a market leader for innovating too fast. The big takeaway? AI is evolving fast, gatekeepers are falling, and founders who build through chaos are best positioned to win.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Episode Teaser(1:20) Introduction and venture capital power law(4:14) Economic data and labor market trends(8:19) Mimicking trades and Dub's Series A funding

(10:05) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.(14:48) Apple App Store ruling and startup implications

(19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.(21:44) App store fees and antitrust concerns(27:34) Fivetran's acquisition and Lena Khan's impact on VC(29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups(32:02) Venture capital scenarios and M&A future(37:23) Jason's Starbucks tweet and union perspectives(45:02) Reddit's AI experiment and online discourse(48:16) Interview with Tyler Denk from Beehiiv(49:52) Beehiiv overview and customer base(51:02) Beehiiv's revenue strategy and Boost feature(57:06) Balancing revenue streams and feature quality(1:04:30) MRR growth and founder transparency(1:08:05) Brand marketing impact and staying focused(1:11:44) Hiring challenges and platform comparisons(1:14:01) Twist 500 initiative update

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

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

Links from episode:

Beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/

Follow Tyler:X: https://x.com/denk_tweets

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) Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.

(19:44) Atlassian - Head to https://www.atlassian.com/startups/twist to see if you qualify for 50 free seats for 12 months.

(29:58) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

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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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 Amin Vahdat, VP of ML at Google Cloud, to unpack the mind-blowing infrastructure behind modern AI. They dive into how Google's TPUs power massive queries, why 2025 is the "Year of Inference," and how startups can now build what once felt impossible. From real-time agents to exponential speed gains, this is a look inside the AI engine that's rewriting the future.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason introduces today's guest Amin Vahdat

(3:18) Data movement implications for founders and historical bandwidth perspective

(5:29) The shift to inference and AI infrastructure trends in startups and enterprises

(8:40) Evolution of productivity and potential of low-code/no-code development

(11:20) AI infrastructure pricing, cost efficiency, and historical innovation

(17:53) Google's TPU technology and infrastructure scale

(23:21) Building AI agents for startup evaluation and supervised associate agents

(26:08) Documenting decisions for AI learning and early AI agent development

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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/

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Follow Amin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vahdat/?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name

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X: https://twitter.com/Jason

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

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Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Today's show: Jason, Alex, Lon and Special Guest Mark Jeffrey of Hash Rate, cover the explosive rise of Bittensor, a decentralized AI compute network some are calling the "third great coin" after Bitcoin and Ethereum, explore Meta's bold move to host its open-source LLaMA models via partnerships with Groq and Cerebras—potentially setting the stage for a future AWS competitor—and unpack shocking revelations from the Wall Street Journal about Meta AI chatbots engaging in inappropriate conversations with underage users. Plus, we explore how AI is now writing up to 30% of code at major tech firms like Google and Microsoft, signaling a radical shift in how software gets built.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Episode Teaser(1:28) Introduction to the episode and guests(2:31) Mark Jeffrey's involvement in crypto and Bittensor project(5:06) Bitcoin vs. Bittensor: Stability and efficiency(10:20) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.(15:16) Governance, staking, and starting a subnet in Bittensor(17:52) Exploring Ready.AI and its impact on the future of AI(20:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(27:17) Trump's influence on crypto regulations and the stablecoin act(30:03) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.com/twist(38:42) AI-driven VC outreach and Alexis Ohanian's advice on cold emailing(45:03) Introducing LayerNext with CEO Buddhika Madduma and customer onboarding challenges(49:04) Ikigai for startups and balancing bespoke work with scalable product development(55:38) Strategies for securing lighthouse customers and the 'bear hug' approach(56:43) Reddit rapid response: Debating the return to office for young professionals(1:04:05) Closing remarks and guest plugs

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Links from episode:

Hash Rate Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@markjeffrey

LayerNext: https://www.layernext.ai/

r/antiwork: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/

Follow Mark:

X: https://x.com/markjeffrey

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

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

(20:08) 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) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://w⁠⁠⁠⁠ww.oracle.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:

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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: we break down the wild story behind Meta's AI chatbots going completely off the rails — including a bombshell WSJ exposé about bots flirting with minors. Then they cover Palo Alto Networks' huge $500M+ acquisition of Protect AI, and sit down with the founder of Formulate, who's building a robotic kitchen for chemicals and cosmetics. Plus, we get into some spicy takes on the secret group chats shaping tech behind the scenes, whether AI can clean up bad code faster than humans, and a Founder Fridays Texas showdown between Osprey and Wispr.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show.

(1:45) Jason's recent trip to Detroit.

(7:47) The influence of group chats on tech, politics, and Trumpism

(10:54) 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!

(19:48) The importance of proactive communication in media

(20:04) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠ https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

(21:44) Palo Alto Networks acquires Protect AI

(28:57) ARX Robotics and the future of autonomous military platforms

(29:31) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

(35:27) Sentra's $50M Series B in data security posture management

(42:16) Lightrun's $70M Series B and venture capital trends

(51:28) Meta's AI chatbots, ethical concerns, and Founder Friday competition

(1:05:19) Formulate interview with Osmaan Shah

(1:11:52) Scaling microfactories and the benefits of Formulate's platform

(1:21:10) Business model and future of robotics in manufacturing

(1:24:38) Potential applications in food and agriculture for Formulate Robotics

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

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Links from episode:

Check out Formulate Robotics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formulaterobotics/posts/?feedView=all

Check out Protect AI: https://protectai.com/

Check out Lightrun: https://lightrun.com/

Check out Sentra: https://www.sentra.io/

Check out the WSK article on Meta's "Digital Companions": https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-ai-chatbots-sex-a25311bf?st=6jzH4S&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Check out ARX Robotics: https://www.arx-robotics.com/

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Follow Osmaan:

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

X: https://x.com/osmaanshah

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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:

(10:54) 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!

(20:04) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.

(29:31) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

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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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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

Today's show: Jason, Alex, and Lon break down today's top tech and startup stories — from Slate Auto's customizable $25K EV truck to Discord's major leadership shakeup ahead of a potential IPO. They also cover Uber's self-driving push with Volkswagen, Perplexity AI's aggressive growth moves, and why value-driven products are winning in a tough economy. Plus, Alex sits down with Tailscale CEO Avery Pennarun to unpack how they grew from 5K to 10K customers — and why fixing internet networking could spark the next huge wave of innovation.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason, Lon and Alex kick off the show!

(3:26) Introduction and features of Bezos-backed EV truck company, Slate

(7:55) Market impact and value proposition of Slate's EV trucks

(9:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups

(14:04) EV features and market potential discussion

(17:42) Discord CEO steps down and IPO prospects

(20:19) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(24:00) Uber and Volkswagen's self-driving car partnership

(28:39) Superpower - The best founders know: better health = better business. Visit http://superpower.com/twist to skip the waitlist.

(30:00) Pace of self-driving car adoption and regulation

(37:20) Butterfly Effect secures Benchmark investment

(38:37) Perplexity and Motorola Razr partnership

(43:12) Jason's experience with Light Phone

(45:39) New York Times and Ziff Davis lawsuits against OpenAI

(50:09) Nonprofit structures and OpenAI's mission issues

(54:01) Founder Friday: Pitchfire and TACTUN's two-year plans

(1:02:28) Introduction to Tailscale and Avery Pennarun

(1:10:17) Tailscale's enterprise adoption

(1:21:13) Current Internet networking issues*

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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 episode:

Check out Tailscale: https://tailscale.com/

Check out Slate vehicles: https://www.slate.auto/en

Check out Not For Private Gain:https://notforprivategain.org/

Check out the Light Phone: https://www.thelightphone.com/

Check out Oregon lawmakers article: ****https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/04/oregon-lawmakers-to-decide-whether-big-tech-should-pay-to-support-local-journalism.html

Check out Manus: https://manus.im/

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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:

(9:48) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups(20:19) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(28:39) Superpower - The best founders know: better health = better business. Visit http://superpower.com/twist to skip the waitlist.

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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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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

Today's show: Jason, Alex and Lon unpack the FTC's lawsuit against Uber and what it could mean for subscription UX, break down how AI startup Cursor is growing faster than almost any SaaS company in history, and discuss how dark patterns, consumer trust, and regulatory scrutiny are reshaping product design. They also touch on the future of big tech breakups, share insights from founder Office Hours with GoShare CEO Shaun Savage, highlighting the power of focus, capital, and customer obsession for startups navigating turbulent markets.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Episode Tease(1:21) Jason talks about personal interests, frugality, and TWIST live tour(7:29) Nick Huber's tweet on tariffs and business impact(9:58) NetSuite - Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(11:22) Market uncertainty and paused deals(13:57) Trump's market feedback and tariffs(16:29) Cursor's rapid revenue growth(19:44) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist(21:16) Valuation discussion continuation and FTC sues Uber(29:58) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(31:26) FTC dark patterns and consumer protection(33:23) Founder Friday bracket competition: LifeStack vs MedSimple(43:50) Introduction to GoShare and founder Shaun Savage(45:57) Regulatory challenges in the gig economy and supply chain resilience(57:37) Diversification strategies for GoShare's delivery professionals(1:00:23) Benefits of office hours and brainstorming with portfolio companies(1:01:26) Founder University and Launch Accelerator updates

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 episode:

GoShare: https://goshare.co/

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

Follow Shaun:

X: https://x.com/ShaunSavage19

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

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:

(9:58) NetSuite - Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at https://www.netsuite.com/twist

(19:44) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist

(29:58) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.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

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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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 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

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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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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

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

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

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

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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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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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

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Thank you to our partners:

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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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