This Week in Startups

Jenny Lefcourt of Freestyle VC joins Jason for an insightful conversation. They delve into the mission of All Raise and the importance of diversity in venture capital (2:04). Jenny shares her thoughts on embracing non-consensus bets and her experiences investing in Narvar and Discord (20:04). Additionally, they discuss the value of strategy meetings in comparison to traditional board meetings (59:10). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:04) Co-Founding All Raise: Promoting Diversity in Venture Capital (9:53) Prenuvo - Save $300 on Full Body Scans at http://prenuvo.com/twist (11:23) Biases Towards Certain Business Models (15:05) Identifying and Avoiding Unsuccessful Business Models (18:54) LinkedIn Jobs - Post Your First Job for Free at https://linkedIn.com/angel (20:04) Embracing Non-Consensus Bets (22:53) Jenny’s Investment in Narvar (28:16) Understanding the Economics of a Seed Fund (35:14) Comparing Hype: Generative AI versus Web 3.0 (40:47) Miro - Collaborate with Unlimited Team Members for Free at https://miro.com/startups/ (42:28) Insights from Jenny's Investment in Discord (47:05) Attaining Product-Market Fit and Making a Significant Impact (56:56) Exiting Deals: When to Move On (59:10) Strategy Meetings Compared to Board Meetings (1:04:04) Jenny's Ideal Timeline for Committing to Investments FOLLOW Jenny: https://twitter.com/jennylefcourt FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1 FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

Today on the podcast, we have a new format for you! Jason will hear four pitches from Founder University participants and choose ONE startup to invest $25K in! (1:45) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show and explains the pitch format! (1:45) Jason brings on Presh and Kelly to explain the fundamentals of Founder University and introduces today's pitches! (13:44) ⁠Squarespace - Use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (16:18) George Lam pitches Fantastic Funding (21:18) Naman Dwivedi pitches Promptify (25:59) Pilot - Go to https://pilot.com/twist for 20% off your first 6 months (27:30) Phil Boucher pitches OpenSpot (34:00) Matt Edminster pitches Renegade Labs (39:22) ⁠Fennel - Join the waitlist and get your first month free at http://fennel.com/twist (40:35) Kelly and Presh's pick for best return for LPs (45:33) The live audience votes! (50:22) What Founder University meant to these Founders (53:39) Jason makes his decision on who will receive $25K Check out the startups!: https://fantasticfunding.com https://www.promptify.ai https://www.findopenspot.com https://www.renegadelabs.io FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Presh: https://twitter.com/preshdkumar FOLLOW Kelly: https://twitter.com/KSchricks

Rachel Reporting joins Jason to read the news! First, they give an update on the banking crisis and how it’s impacting startups (1:34). Then, they cover Balaji’s huge Bitcoin bet and his predictions for the future (14:17) before breaking down OpenAI’s launch of GPT-4 (35:07). Finally, Jason wraps up with some Jay Trading updates (57:28)! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:34) Banking crisis update & how it affects startups (10:11) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (11:14) Best practices for banking (14:17) Balaji’s huge Bitcoin bet (22:18) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist  (23:42) Balaji’s predictions for the future (32:41) Ray Dalio’s The Changing World Order (33:46) CacheFly - Get 10 Terabyte free forever if you signup at http://twist.cachefly.com (35:07) A breakdown of OpenAI’s launch of GPT-4 (57:28) Jay Trade update FOLLOW Rachel: https://twitter.com/_rachelbraun FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1 FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

Molly is joined by Laurie Yoler as they dive into her early experiences in VC before discussing how she became the first investor in Tesla (1:45). Next, Laurie talks about her time at Qualcomm and Playground then they wrap with a discussion about AI and how Laurie’s investments were impacted by the pandemic (30:31). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:45) Arriving in Venture (7:36) Laurie’s first investments (13:39) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (14:49) Investing in Tesla (21:21) Prenuvo - Get $300 off at http://prenuvo.com/twist (22:51) Raising money for a car company (26:22) Finding strategic partners (30:31) Laurie’s time at Qualcomm and autonomous vehicles (37:11) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups (38:42) Joining Playground (41:29) Leaf Logistics (45:44) Benefitting from the pandemic (48:54) Investing in AI FOLLOW Laurie: https://twitter.com/laurieyoler FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

Vinny and Sunny are BACK with Jason for another roundtable! First, they cover the aftermath of the bank shutdowns (2:54) before breaking down the impact on startups and the overall economy. (14:14) They also cover Zuckerberg announcing more cuts at Meta (1:05:49) and OpenAI launching GPT-4! (1:10:55) (0:00) Jason tees up today's topics! (2:54) Reflecting on the aftermath of the SVB collapse (12:50) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud cost audit with a personal consultation at https://cast.ai/twist  (14:14) Understanding the origins of the banking issues and the Fed's response (27:10) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist  (28:09) Signature and Silvergate troubles, overall lessons from the past week (39:33) Orgspace - Get $2000 in credits at http://orgspace.io/twist  (41:04) Understanding CBDC (56:11) Things to consider going forward, payroll crisis (1:05:49) Zuckerberg's "Year of Efficiency" and OpenAI launches GPT-4 Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1 FOUNDERS! Subscribe to the Founder University podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/founder-university/id1648407190

Wealthfront Chairman and Co-Founder Andy Rachleff joins Jason for an incredible interview! They start the show by discussing the SVB situation before breaking down different tech mini-crashes throughout Silicon Valley history (2:28). Then, they break down Wealthfront’s business and how to know if a business has market pull (40:49). They finish up the show by covering a range of topics, from AI to stock-based comp (1:13:45). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:28) SVB situation (9:26) The FDIC’s $250K limit (13:27) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups (14:49) The bank run (16:17) The SVB ecosystem (22:20) Merge - Integrate up to 5 customers for free today at https://merge.dev/twist (23:45) Cycle changes (36:15) How to judge a VC (39:27) Issuu - Get 50% off when you go to https://issuu.com/podcast and use promo code twist (40:49) Wealthfront’s operation (48:58) Reactions to the market (55:00) Modern analysis and stock buybacks (1:01:24 ) Caring about profitability (1:02:06) Attaining market pull (1:13:45) Andy’s thoughts on AI (1:16:31) The makeup of a great entrepreneur (1:18:50) Stock-based compensation (1:25:06) How we avoided inflation FOLLOW Andy: https://twitter.com/arachleff FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis

Alora CEO and Co-Founder Luke Young joins Molly to discuss ocean agriculture and the ability to grow crops offshore (1:17). They discuss the progression of engineering that has propelled Alora’s innovations (11:55) and the challenges of growing at sea (21:53). (0:00) Intro! (1:17) Alora’s mission and technological advancements (5:46) Mitigation and adaptation (7:58) The first taste test (10:25) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (11:55) Alora’s progression and timeline (16:26) Designing infrastructure and engineering fertilizer (20:25) LMNT - Get a free sample pack with any purchase at http://drinklmnt.com/TWIST (21:53) Challenges of growing on the ocean (26:14) Alora’s Business Model (28:56) Fennel - Join the fennel waitlist now and get your first month free at http://fennel.com/twist (30:10) Salt tolerance (35:17) Alora’s Customer and cost of development FOLLOW Luke: https://twitter.com/lukeheatonyoung FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Jason kicks off Monday by recapping this weekend’s chaos caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (1:45). Then, he advises founders on preventing a scare like this from happening again before interviewing Andrew R McHugh of Wist Labs, who is building a platform to capture and relive memories in AR and VR (13:40). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:45) The past weekend’s chaos and triaging startups (12:18) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (13:40) The government’s response and advice for founders (24:12) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (25:39) Andrew R McHugh of Wist Labs (37:28) Brilliant.org - Get 20% off an annual subscription at http://brilliant.org/twist (38:56) Reliving past experiences and Generative AI applications (57:00) Raising capital in the weeks to come FOLLOW Andrew: https://twitter.com/armthethinker FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis Check out Founder University the podcast at https://www.founder.university/podcast

Jason reacts to Silicon Valley Bank being shut down by the FDIC and breaks down what this means for founders and VCs. (0:00) Breaking down the SVB situation (4:28) FDIC press release (7:41) What Jason hopes will happen (10:16) Defcon 1 (12:39) Thoughts on emergency funding (15:46) How does the SVB situation affect early-stage fundraising (26:59) SVB sells their securities (29:10) USV email to founders (31:06) SVB CEO addresses the situation (33:07) Bill Ackman’s response (34:31)Mark Suster’s response (35:52) Audience questions FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Eric Newcomer joins to break down all the trending tech topics, including Stripe raising $6B (16:31), major generative ai fundraises (35:55), Silicon Valley Bank dropping 60% (50:35), and more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:55) Eric’s move to independent journalism (10:07) First Republic Bank - Discover what a long-term financial relationship can do for you. Visit https://firstrepublic.com today to learn more. (10:57) Take rates and more on Substack (16:31) Eric’s Scoop on Stripe (20:43) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (21:46) The narrative around the tech layoffs + Generative AI (34:24) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist (35:55) The deluge of Funding into AI (43:39) The state of VC investing (50:35) Silicon Valley Bank drops 60% FOLLOW Eric: https://twitter.com/EricNewcomer FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Zach Coelius is BACK with Jason to take questions from founders and investors! They cover investing on Zoom post-COVID (6:07), diligence red flags (13:13), investor red flags (27:32), building relationships prior to fundraising (48:59), and more! (0:00) Jason Kicks off the show (1:21) Managing time as an angel (6:07) Moving to zoom instead of the room (9:50) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (10:54) Servicing new deals vs. existing ones (13:13) Red flags to look for in a syndicate startup deal (20:18) Coda - The All-in-one doc for teams, sign up for free at https://coda.io/twist (21:47) Your options when there is no path to profitability (27:32) Red flags when courting angel investors (41:10) Contra - Get $500 off your first hire at https://contra.com/twist (42:35) Assumptions that have evolved (45:23) Recent learnings in the past few years (48:59) Building genuine relationships with investors (53:40) Difficulties in startups (57:37) Negotiating terms on deals FOLLOW Zach: https://twitter.com/zachcoelius FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Emily Melton joins Molly to discuss her early days in venture and what she learned while working at DFJ (1:30). Then, they talk about the barriers that healthcare imposes on entrepreneurship (17:22), building a diverse culture within venture capital (29:53), market distortions, and how to optimize for a down market (38:42). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:30) Getting started in Venture Capital (8:12) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free (9:38) Learnings from working at DFJ (17:22) Healthcare being a barrier to entrepreneurship (20:11) Prenuvo - Get $300 off at http://prenuvo.com/twist (21:41) Threshold Ventures’ fund mechanics (26:15) Investing in Tia: Healthcare solutions for woman (29:53) Building culture (37:45) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (38:42) Optimizing for a down market (52:13) What’s next? FOLLOW Emily: https://twitter.com/emelton FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Molly kicks off Climate Tuesday breaking down the news that the Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act has resurfaced (1:37). Then, she discusses BlocPower’s $155M raise and their collaboration with a town in New York to achieve net zero emissions (6:12). Finally, Kiran Bhatraju of Arcadia joins Molly for 2023’s first official Climate interview (11:38). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:37) The Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act resurfaces (6:12) BlocPower Raises $155M (10:12) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (11:38) Unlocking utility data with Kiran Bhatraju of Arcadia (21:48) Linode - Apply to Linode's Rise program for up to six figures in discounts at https://linode.com/twist (23:14) Breaking down Arcadia and Arc (26:13) Democratizing solar energy with community solar (33:57) Fennel - Join the fennel waitlist now and get your first month free at http://fennel.com/twist! (35:27) Arc users + carbon accounting (43:15) Kiran's journey into climate tech (45:59) Opportunity in the climate tech space FOLLOW Kiran: https://twitter.com/kiranraju FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Jason is BACK with Molly to break down the news! They cover Sequoia leaving Citizen's board after passing on a "pay to play" round (5:46), two major companies reportedly going public in 2023: Instacart and ARM (27:11), and the recent turmoil at Dapper Labs (50:44). (0:00) J+M tee up today's news show! (2:25) Jason's back! (5:46) Sequoia leaves the board of Citizen (14:21) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (15:51) How investors make the decision to pass on a "pay to play" round (25:41) Contra - Get $500 off your first hire at https://contra.com/twist (27:11) IPO window starts to open, Instacart prepares for IPO after big Q4 (35:42) Revelo - Get 20% off the first 3 months by mentioning TWIST at https://revelo.io/twist (37:09) ARM prepares for IPO, reasons for CHIPS Act speed (50:44) Chaos at Dapper Labs: reckless spending, securities lawsuit FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

Molly starts the show with Producer Rachel, covering Apple blocking an email app with an AI update (7:17), TikTok's latest restriction for users under 18 (14:05), and Salesforce Q4 earnings results. Then, they break down the startup immi, an instant ramen company (26:55). To end the show, Molly talks to Foodini founder and CEO Dylan McDonnell (35:10), and Rachel talks to Michael Tan, author of The Death of Uncertainty (59:49).  0:00 Molly Kicks off the show 1:55 Apple blocks app update for having generative AI capabilities 7:17 Could Apple's guard on the App Store create a headwind for the industry?  9:40 Should Apple be in charge of standard content filtering around AI on their platform 11:43 Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist 12:48 How did TikTok approach being on the Apple App Store?  14:05 TikTok is setting 1-hour time limits for users under 18  16:11 If Apple doesn't impose safety limits, who will?  17:55 Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist 19:01 Salesforce stock drop and Q4 earnings results 24:34 Molly's predictions for Salesforce  26:55 Startup of the day: immi, an instant ramen company, is taking over grocery stores by storm  32:15 Orgspace - Get $2000 in credits at http://orgspace.io/twist 35:10 Foodini founder and CEO Dylan McDonnell on how he plans on making eating out safer for those with diet restrictions 59:49 Okboomer with Michael Tan, author of The Death of Uncertainty FOLLOW  Dylan McDonnell: https://twitter.com/dylnmcdonnell FOLLOW  Michael Tan: https://twitter.com/TheManMikeTan FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood FOLLOW Rachel: https://twitter.com/_rachelbraun

Frank Slootman joins Jason for another incredible conversation that ranges from the management shift in Silicon Valley (1:08) to how to know if you’re moving the dial in your organization (9:59). Then, they discuss Frank’s hiring philosophy and how to create a winning relationship between an executive and their direct reports (27:05). Finally, they discuss managing burnout and creating security for yourself (46:33). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:08) Layoffs + the management shift in Silicon Valley (8:29) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups (9:59) How to know if you are moving the dial and moving at a fast pace (18:36) Contra - Get $500 off your first hire at https://contra.com/twist (20:09) Dealing with recessions and countering the media frenzy (27:05) Frank’s definition of culture and hiring for enthusiasm (32:32) The relationship between an executive and their employees (35:49) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20 (37:19) Assessing performance, hiring the right people, and being thoughtful (41:56) Starting with a great product (46:33) Managing burnout and creating security (56:49) Consumption-based pricing + acquisitions (1:00:30) Frank’s thoughts on AI FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Vinny and Sunny joined Molly on another segment of Crypto Roundtable! Highlights included how Twitter could have integrated crypto  (2:02), the benefits and controversy of a national ID system (23:00), and Spotify's NFT experiment. (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (2:02) The future of Twitter payments  (12:16) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (14:21) What does an ideal Twitter identity system look like?  (21:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (23:00) The benefits and controversy of a national ID system  (32:20) Predictions about the latest Yuga drop  (35:41) Contra - Get $500 off your first hire at https://contra.com/twist (41:54) Vinny breaks down the future of Coinbase and its active users  (48:07) Molly sees the connection between K-Pop and crypto    Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp FOLLOW Vinny: https://twitter.com/vinnylingham FOLLOW Sunny: https://twitter.com/sundeep FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Maha Ibrahim of Canaan joins Molly to discuss her early days in VC (1:38), managing distributions and exiting at the right time (20:36), the clean tech bubble, being a generalist/specialist, diversity, and more (37:42). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:38) Maha’s first years in venture (11:18) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (12:43) Investing in the early 2000s and Canaan’s strategy (19:12) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud cost audit with a personal consultation at https://cast.ai/twist (20:36) Exiting at the right time and distributing earnings (30:00) Learning from a downturn (34:58) The mismatch between VCs to outlier startups (36:11) Prenuvo - Get $300 off at http://prenuvo.com/twist (37:42) The climate tech bubble (40:14) Generalists vs. specialists (42:16) Responding to cycles and signs of good timing (48:53) Structuring a generational off-ramp (51:39) All Raise (55:30) What does the future hold? FOLLOW Maha: https://twitter.com/mahaibrahim FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

Neeva CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy joins Molly to talk all things search and AI chatbots, including Neeva’s technology and the difficulty of building a search engine (1:41), Neeva’s consumer focus and business model (20:00), and the search-to-answer revolution (41:31). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:41) Neeva’s Purpose (5:06) The technological underpinning of Neeva (8:00) The hurdles building Neeva (10:26) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups (11:53) The problems search aims to solve (18:31) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (20:00) Why choose Neeva (24:01) Neeva’s business model (29:18) Moving from search to answers + citing sources (35:53) The ad supported publishing ecosystem (37:58) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (39:13) Leaving Google (41:31) The search to answers revolution (44:34) Compensating publishers and dealing with content moderation (48:51) Open loop vs. Closed loop (54:29) Neeva copycats FOLLOW Sridhar: https://twitter.com/ramaswmysridhar FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood

The Friday variety show is back! Jason kicks it off by interviewing WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski, who's currently suing Reddit (2:08). Then, Molly is joined by Hyper CEO Andrew Hart to discuss the augmented reality market and Hyper's store-mapping technology (30:16). Producer Rachel wraps the show with content creator Humphrey Yang breaking down his creative process, what he considers valuable metrics, and so much more (53:40). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (2:08) WSB milestones and arbitrage (12:07) Contra - Get $500 off your first hire at https://contra.com/twist (13:36) How Reddit works + the WSB controversy (23:42) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (24:45) Jaime’s ideal solution (30:16) Andrew Hart of Hyper (33:57) Creating the ultimate user experience (39:19) Retreat - head to http://planretreat.com/twistto help you plan the offsite your team deserves! (40:43) Mapping store and onboarding customers (45:55) Hyper’s development and future opportunities (53:40) Ok Boomer with Humphrey Yang FOLLOW Jaime: https://twitter.com/wallstreetbets FOLLOW Andrew: https://twitter.com/AndrewHartAR FOLLOW Humphrey: https://twitter.com/Humphreytalks FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood