The Startup Podcast - advice for early stage tech founders from Silicon Valley insiders

Were we wildly wrong, or surprisingly on the money? As 2025 wraps, Chris and Yaniv revisit the bold predictions they made at the start of the year. They reflect on their calls about AI, robotics, VC markets, crypto, and geopolitics. While some were accurate, some were also hilariously off. Together, they unpack what 2025 really looked like for startups, venture capital, and the global tech landscape.In this episode, you will:Learn why both hosts believe their AGI predictions were misses and what “AGI” even means anymore.Understand how Google re-emerged as a serious AI contender, from Gemini to Cloud to Chrome.Discover how VC funding split into a two-speed market, with AI startups booming while everyone else grinds.See why Bitcoin’s stability above $100K signals its cemented role as a store of value.Reflect on how tech dominance, global competition, and Trump-era chaos shaped the broader economy.The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

OpenAI may appear to be building the future, but are they leading the tech industry towards collapse?In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Jacob Ward (journalist, author of The Loop and NBC Technology Correspondent) to break down OpenAI’s latest livestream and what it signals about the next era of AI. Sam Altman may talk the good talk, but his actions, and the priorities of OpenAI at large, may not align with those claims. Chris, Yaniv, and Jacob unpack these differences between words and actions, the emerging social consequences, and what it all means for the tech industry.In this episode, you will:Understand OpenAI’s roadmap for AI-powered research and why "AI research interns" might be closer than you thinkLearn why the promise of autonomous five-year research cycles raised eyebrowsExplore the shift from ChatGPT as a product to ChatGPT as a platform, and what that means for app ecosystemsConsider the emotional and psychological dimensions of AI companionship and relianceEvaluate the trillion-dollar infrastructure buildup underway across data centers, GPUs, and nuclear-scale power demandsExamine how OpenAI’s nonprofit arm plans to invest in disease research and AI resilienceThe Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

What do you need to do to keep employees engaged and committed? What should your position be on remote work? Side hustles? Ping pong tables? Should you offer all employees equity?Bringing Gen Z employees to your workplace is well worth it, but it means a mental pivot from the hiring team, keeping in mind an entirely new set of criteria.Chris and Yaniv discuss all this and more with Dan Brockwell, Founder and Chief Meme Officer of Earlywork, a vibrant community for early-career professionals.In this episode, you will:Understand the four key factors Gen Z professionals weigh when choosing startups: learning, culture, compensation, and impact.Learn why “job risk” and “career risk” are not the same and why startups often offer safer long-term bets.Discover how equity (ESOPs) can be both a powerful motivator and a cultural signal of respect for young talent.Explore the pros and cons of remote vs hybrid work for early-career employees and how to design hybrid intentionally.Recognize the rise of side hustles, and how founders can embrace them to retain ambitious, creative employees.Get insights into how Gen Z finds jobs through online communities, Slack channels, and personal branding instead of traditional job boards.[This is a replay episode. The original was published on May 26, 2022]The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Is this the moment quantum computing becomes real?After years of being “five years away,” Google just announced a verifiable quantum advantage, claiming its Willow chip ran a molecule simulation 13,000× faster than the world’s fastest supercomputer. Is this truly the dawn of the quantum era?In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein dive deep into Google’s latest quantum computing breakthrough, exploring what it means for AI, science, and the future of technology. They'll also expand to cover the rise of brain–computer interfaces, China’s ten-year tech roadmap, and the political turbulence shaping our next decade of innovation.In this episode, you will:Understand Google’s new Willow chip and its role in achieving “verifiable quantum advantage”Learn how quantum computing could accelerate drug discovery, materials science, and AI developmentExplore why Google’s “Quantum AI” lab is merging the worlds of artificial intelligence and quantum physicsHear how emerging brain–computer interfaces (like MIT’s Alter Ego) could usher in near-telepathic communicationDiscover China’s bold 10-year plan targeting quantum tech, robotics, and embodied AI — and what it means for global competitionDebate whether technocratic governance models (like China, Singapore, and Dubai) are overtaking Western democracies in innovation speedThe Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Looking to fund your startup? If you're new to the process, fundraising can be difficult to navigate. Not only are there a myriad of ways to go about it, but it can be hard to tell whether the tips, tricks, and advice floating around are based on any evidence at all.So, what is the truth? And what are the actual, data-backed insights that can help you choose the best method of fundraising for your own business?Enter: Peter Walker. As Head of Insights at Carta, he has access to, and industry knowledge about, the vast sets of funding data that will help you cut through the noise. Today, he joins Chris and Yaniv in discussing the real data behind startup funding trends in 2025 and the key takeaways you can apply to your own startups.In this episode, you will:Discover why Silicon Valley valuations often hurt founders more than they helpUnderstand how AI startups now account for nearly half of all venture funding, and what that means for non-AI foundersLearn how lean AI-driven teams are reshaping early-stage hiring, with Series A companies shrinking from 25 employees to just 15See why most founders misunderstand SAFE notesExplore why 70% of startup employees never exercise their equityUncover the reasons behind why nearly 40% of startups lose a co-founder within seven yearsGet clarity on founder vesting, equity splits, and why a six-year vesting schedule may protect your company better than fourReframe your goals as a founder: why chasing “life-changing money” isn’t the right reason to start a companyThe Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/