January 24, 2025

Twilio Bets Small, DeepSeek Scares & the GameOn Fraud | E2076

58 minutes

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

Today’s show: Jason and Alex cover Twilio’s team size compression, DeepSeek’s scary good AI for only $6M and the GameOn fraud saga that sounds too crazy to be true.

Timestamps:

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

(6:27) Rundown of potential topics

(7:10) Twilio's team size strategy and AI's impact on workforce

(9:40) Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

(14:52) Entrepreneurship in the AI era and automation concerns

(19:30) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(22:49) Meta's investment in data centers and surplus compute power

(26:36) Technology’s potential to solve humanity’s problems

(30:12) Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

(32:01) Empathy for workers displaced by automation

(34:11) DeepSeq's role in reducing AI industry costs

(37:27) Game On startup fraud case and due diligence in startups

(53:13) Venture capital's role in startup oversight

(55:36) OpenAI's Operator announcement and AI autonomy risks

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 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:

(9:40) Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

(19:30) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(30:12) Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

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

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By Jason Calacanis

4.2

12411,241 ratings

January 24, 2025

Twilio Bets Small, DeepSeek Scares & the GameOn Fraud | E2076

58 minutes

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

Today’s show: Jason and Alex cover Twilio’s team size compression, DeepSeek’s scary good AI for only $6M and the GameOn fraud saga that sounds too crazy to be true.

Timestamps:

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

(6:27) Rundown of potential topics

(7:10) Twilio's team size strategy and AI's impact on workforce

(9:40) Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

(14:52) Entrepreneurship in the AI era and automation concerns

(19:30) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(22:49) Meta's investment in data centers and surplus compute power

(26:36) Technology’s potential to solve humanity’s problems

(30:12) Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

(32:01) Empathy for workers displaced by automation

(34:11) DeepSeq's role in reducing AI industry costs

(37:27) Game On startup fraud case and due diligence in startups

(53:13) Venture capital's role in startup oversight

(55:36) OpenAI's Operator announcement and AI autonomy risks

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 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:

(9:40) Fitbod. Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try out the app for FREE when you sign up: fitbod.me/TWIST

(19:30) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

(30:12) Horatio. Visit https://www.hirehoratio.com/twist and get $2,000 off your initial set up.

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