This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
Recent Episodes
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Todays show:
Altimeter's Jamin Ball joins Alex Wilhelm to discuss VC-founder dynamics, fund returns, rapid fundraising, and its impact on M&A. They cover public vs. private valuations, startup liquidity, AI's influence, SaaS trends, and Jamin’s outlook on IPOs and exits.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jamin joins Alex to kick off the show
(6:30) Alignment of incentives between VCs and founders
(10:25) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(11:54) Venture capital allocation demand and its impact
(15:55) Comparison of returns between small and large venture funds
(21:54) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
(23:23) Power laws in startups and venture capital's impact
(24:19) Effects of rapid fundraising cycles on founders
(31:33) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
(32:59) Raising large rounds and long-term commitments
(35:15) Venture capital's influence on startup M&A activity
(37:38) Public vs private market valuation disparities
(39:24) Future of startup liquidity and exit scenarios
(46:06) Proposals for realigning venture capital funds and founder incentives
(47:41) Impact of AI on startup growth and venture capital
(52:20) SaaS multiples and cloud software market analysis
(57:43) Software spending trends and startup optimism for 2024
(1:00:15) Procurement scrutiny in startup budgets and market differentiation
(1:01:17) Promising companies and Jamin Ball's investment outlook
(1:01:28) Expectations for IPOs and startup exits in the coming year
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Mentioned on the show:
Join Jamin’s substack here: https://cloudedjudgement.substack.com/
Jamin’s article: https://cloudedjudgement.substack.com/p/clouded-judgement-102524-misaligned
Check out Altimeter: https://www.altimeter.com/home
Follow Bill Gurlery on X: https://x.com/bgurley
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Follow Jamin:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamin-ball-49366137
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:25) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
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(31:33) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech
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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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Todays show:
Jason and Alex host Phil Deutch, CEO of NGP Energy Tech Partners, to discuss solar power’s potential in the energy crunch fueled by data center growth. They then explored the FBI's raid on Polymarket’s CEO, and wrapped up with Y Combinator’s latest startup requests, including Alex’s space venture dreams and Jason’s interest in AI-proof jobs.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show
(1:09) Robotic demo from Columbia University and the future of human interaction
(3:09) Population declines and changing societal norms
(5:38) NGP Energy Technology Partners’ Phil Deutch joins the show
(6:28) Fundrise - Sign up today at https://www.fundrise.com/TWIST
(8:02) Global Solar Energy Trends and Impact of Regulations
(17:27) Historical Energy Fears and Future Energy Predictions
(21:39) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(22:40) Nuclear energy in the United States and data center demand
(30:07) The impact of energy on geopolitics
(34:48) Historical energy crises and solutions
(37:38) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/twist
(38:35) EV tax credits, political implications, and air pollution statistics
(50:14) The Polymarket mess and prediction market regulation
(1:09:55) Y Combinator's latest startup requests
(1:13:05) Stablecoins, government software, and public safety technology
(1:22:26) Gig economy and AI's impact on platforms like Fiverr and Uber
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Mentioned on the show:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/technology/polymarket-shayne-coplan-fbi-search.html
https://berkeleyearth.org/air-pollution-and-cigarette-equivalence
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
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Follow Phil:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-deutch-21a76a6
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(6:28) Fundrise - Sign up today at https://www.fundrise.com/TWIST
(21:39) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist
(37:38) Linear - Streamline issues, projects, and product roadmaps in a tool your team will actually enjoy using. Get 25% off at https://www.linear.app/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
*
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
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show
(2:40) VATN Systems’ Nelson Mills joins the show
(4:01) The Torsk and its applications, focusing on defense and cost efficiency
(7:23) Product velocity, military drone usage, and vehicle speed and depth capabilities
(10:48) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(12:01) Discussion on Chinese navy, US shipbuilding, and Rhode Island's manufacturing capabilities
(15:45) Climate for raising money in defense tech and competition in global politics
(21:04) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(22:33) Underwater drone technologies: Autonomy, swarming, communication challenges, and battery life
(28:32) Defense technology importance and peace through strength
(29:17) Sprig - Visit https://www.sprig.com/twist to book a demo and get a $75 gift card.
(35:00) LG's new stretchable screen technology and Deep Robotics' quadruped robot
(45:19) Robotics in warfare, cybersecurity, and civilian impact
(48:50) Autonomous surgical robots and science fiction predictions in AI
(54:14) Fintech market insights: Klarna's IPO and political climate effects on valuations
(1:00:18) Unicorn IPO challenges and influencing in the crypto market
(1:03:08) Comparison of the current market to previous manias and government efficiency
(1:08:42) Impact of AI on job market, economy, and autonomous trucking
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Mentioned on the show:
https://x.com/DeepRobotics_CN/status/1856601226357387396
https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/11/11/surgery-robots-trained-with-videos
https://www.paymentsdive.com/news/klarna-adds-savings-accounts-competing-banking-business/724369
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Follow Nelson:
X: https://x.com/nelson_mills_
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millsn
Website: https://www.vatnsystems.com
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:48) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(21:04) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(29:17) Sprig - Visit https://www.sprig.com/twist to book a demo and get a $75 gift card.
*
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
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
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Todays show:
Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss Serve Robotics’ self-driving robots, delivery economics, and building while public with CEO Ali Kashani. Then, the pair dug into high-skill immigration under the upcoming administration and massive price gains in stocks and crypto assets. Alex wondered if the stock market isn't overvalued, full-stop, but both hosts agreed that enthusiasm is hot heading into the new year.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show (7:27) Serve Robotics' Ali Kashani joins to discuss Serve's latest developments (10:38) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist (12:37) Expansion challenges and navigating regulations (20:42) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist (22:19) Business model, future plans, and partnerships (29:14) Cloud Devs - Visit https://www.clouddevs.com/twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring elite Latam talent today. (30:41) Coopetition in the robotics and delivery space (35:16) Autonomous deliveries forecast for 2030 (49:17) High skill immigration and global talent competition (54:19) Leadership styles and labor market shifts (1:07:16) Government's stance on cryptocurrency (1:13:25) Blockchain innovation and tokenizing venture capital
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Mentioned on the show:
https://investors.serverobotics.com/static-files/96eeebc1-712f-46fe-9aee-c1242bddea38
https://www.vebulabs.com/autocado
https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/a-positive-path-forward
https://www.longtermtrends.net/market-cap-to-gdp-the-buffett-indicator
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/11/nx-s1-5186522/tom-homan-border-czar-trump
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Follow Ali:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alikashani
Website: https://www.serverobotics.com
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Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:38) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
(20:42) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(29:14) Cloud Devs - Visit https://www.clouddevs.com/twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring elite Latam talent 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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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
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Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://www.vanta.com/twist
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Todays show:
Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss Apple’s on-device AI and its privacy implications, Reddit’s earnings, and Amazon’s multi-billion dollar investment interest in Anthropic with strategic chip conditions. They also discuss economic indicators like inflation’s impact on voter sentiment and what metrics will define success for the next administration. Finally, they explore how product velocity has been key to Toast’s SaaS success and share valuable lessons for startup growth.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show
(3:29) Discussion Apple Intelligence and privacy concerns
(10:32) Runway - Sign up at https://www.runway.com/twist to get your first 3 months free.
(12:12) Trust in tech companies and privacy
(17:20) Trends on AI topics and ChatGPT
(17:20) Trends and tech product comparisons
(20:59) OpenAI's Chat.com acquisition
(22:45) Mac mini unboxing experience wrap-up
(24:40) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(26:12) Analysis of Toast's business and growth
(36:25) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(37:30) Reddit's growth, user engagement, and moderation challenges
(47:36) Social media incentives and reputation systems
(52:07) Reddit's AI translations and community management strategies
(57:25) Reddit's potential for creating a search engine
(1:00:38) OpenAI's citation challenges
(1:05:30) Amazon's interest in Anthropic and AI regulation
(1:07:37) US immigration and AI regulation under Trump administration
(1:11:43) TikTok's role in US-China relations
(1:15:42) Major IPOs and market potential
(1:17:19) Economic topics and inflation's impact on consumer spending
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Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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Mentioned on the show:
https://security.apple.com/blog/private-cloud-compute/
*
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
*
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(10:32) Runway - Sign up at https://www.runway.com/twist to get your first 3 months free.
(24:40) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(36:25) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.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
*
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