TWiST News: F1 on Apple Vision Pro, Self-Driving, Solar and Stablecoins
E2029 • Oct 22, 2024 • 72 minsThis episode kicks off with excitement around Foundry University's applications and demo day, spotlighting notable startups like Kamala GPT and Donnie GPT. JD Vance's unique "guy liner" application adds a touch of humor. Jason introduces co-host Alex Wilhelm, and they share weekend activities, including fall festivals and Halloween costumes. The episode explores GPU market insights and the discovery of a new prime number. Guest John Lepore from Black Box Infinite delves into bridging science fiction with real-world tech, focusing on VisionPRO and Hollywood VFX. The discussion shifts to autonomous driving, Tesla's safety improvements, and Stripe's acquisition of Bridge. The episode concludes with upcoming episodes and audience engagement.
TWiST News: Tesla Robotaxis, Electric RVs, and How Startups are Helping Secure Elections | E2025
E2025 • Oct 14, 2024 • 75 minsAlex Wilhelm joins Jason to dive into Tesla’s Robotaxi event, highlighting Tesla's bold plans for a self-driving, bus-style vehicle. Next, Lightship RV co-founders Toby Kraus and Ben Parker share their vision for the future of electric RVs and off-grid travel. Finally, Voatz CEO Nimit Sawhney wraps up the show, discussing how startups are working to secure elections, and how Voatz is leveraging blockchain technology to strengthen election security.
TWiST500 Spotlight: The must-know startups from AI to robotics! | E2024
E2024 • Oct 11, 2024 • 36 minsWe reviewed the first 100 companies on the TWiST500 list, covering sectors from fintech to AI, robotics, and space. Dozens of must-know startups emerged. Today, Alex breaks down the categories seeing the most entrants and highlight some of our favorite picks.
Navigating the AI Boom | Startup Finance Basics w/ Kruze's Scott Orn
Oct 10, 2024 • 24 minsKruze’s Scott Orn joins Jason on the latest edition of Startup Finance Basics! In this episode, they break down the unique aspects and dynamics of the current AI boom, contrasting AI startup revenue, costs, and growth rates with traditional SaaS models. They also dive into AI tools' impact on productivity and labor efficiency, the accounting challenges and operational issues AI startups face, and more!
TWiST News: M.G. Siegler Explains the Current Venture Crisis and Google’s Antitrust Woes | E2023
E2023 • Oct 9, 2024 • 75 minsM.G. Siegler joins Jason and Alex to discuss the current venture capital crisis, and challenges in the venture industry, particularly in early-stage returns and high valuations. They also address future exits and the impact of regulatory measures on M&A, Google's antitrust case, and much more!
The Next-Generation of Single-Stage-to-Orbit Spaceplanes with Radian's Richard Humphrey | E2022
E2022 • Oct 8, 2024 • 56 minsRadian’s Richard Humphrey joins Alex to discuss the future of space travel, focusing on spaceplanes like the Radian One. The two dive into technological advancements, funding challenges, the potential to reduce orbital launch costs, and more!
Hacking Meta's AR glasses, a shakeup at Initialized, and the best startups of the decade | E2021
E2021 • Oct 7, 2024 • 66 minsJason and Alex dive into the latest tech news, starting with Harvard's AR glasses demo and the future of responsible tech use. They explore the potential of AR in healthcare alongside AI advancements and deepfakes. The episode examines the evolving landscape for young founders and live podcast formats, touching on venture capital trends and recent changes at Initialize Capital and Founders Fund. Discussions include scale insurgents, startup unicorn success, and secondary market opportunities.
The Automation Endgame, VCs Returning Cash, and the OpenAI Wager | E2019
E2019 • Oct 2, 2024 • 85 minsAlex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss the ongoing ILA strike and impact, Startup opportunities in port automation, CRV's $275M return to investors, OpenAI closing its $6.6 billion mega-round, and more!
Monique Woodard, Fund of Funds Panel & The Pro-Rata Yacht! | E2018
E2018 • Oct 1, 2024 • 51 minsThe episode explores the intricacies of venture capital and fund management, featuring insights from industry experts like Ben Choi, Michael Downing, and Monique Woodard. The discussion kicks off with success stories in angel investing and transitions into a panel discussion from the Liquidity Summit. Topics include challenges faced by emerging managers, venture capital performance insights from Sehun Kang, and fundraising strategies during COVID-19. The episode also delves into the dynamics of individual versus institutional investors, building relationships for future funds, and strategies for subsequent fundraises.
The AI Supercycle, California's AI Safety Bill Vetoed, and the Future of AR/VR | E2017
E2017 • Oct 1, 2024 • 71 minsAlex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss AI regulation bill SB 1047, the biggest supercycle today, OpenAI’s growth trajectory, the AR and VR technology evolution, and more!
The Future of Sound: Udio’s Vision for AI-Generated Music | E2016
E2016 • Sep 27, 2024 • 55 minsUdio’s David Ding joins Alex to discuss the inception of Udio, advancements in AI music creation, and the evolution of Udio’s AI model. Plus, David demos Udio’s capabilities live!
Data Centers and Energy with Phil Deutch | E2015
E2015 • Sep 26, 2024 • 37 minsPhil Deutch joins Jason Calacanis to delve into the complexities of electricity generation, the rising power demands from data centers, and the challenges of energy distribution in the US. They explore the market opportunities in faster electricity delivery, sustainability hurdles, and the ongoing debate over nuclear power. The discussion highlights the role of AI and batteries in energy management, as well as consumer awareness following recent outages. Audience questions touch on the transition to AI and challenges in adopting electric vehicles. The episode closes with a look at future innovations in solar energy, storage, and the potential for free electricity.
OpenAI CTO Departure, DOJ AI Compliance, M&A Trends, and more! | E2014
E2014 • Sep 26, 2024 • 87 minsAlex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss OpenAI CTO’s departure, DOJ AI compliance guidelines, current trends in tech M&A, and much more!
Amazon's RTO Impact, Lina Khan’s 60 Minutes, and Microsoft's Big Nuclear Deals | E2013
E2013 • Sep 24, 2024 • 80 minsAlex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss Amazon's return to office (RTO) policy, Lina Khan’s 60 minutes, Apple's new iOS features, Microsoft's big nuclear deals, and more!
How Pie's 'Block Ads, Get Paid' Model Is Giving Users Control of Ads & Privacy | E2012
E2012 • Sep 20, 2024 • 53 minsPie.org’s Ryan Hudson joins Jason to discuss consumer behavior, Honey’s business strategy, Pie’s consumer ad control, legal considerations of ad blocking, and more!
Navigating Challenges in Distressed Companies w/ Becki DeGraw | Wilson Sonsini Startup Legal Basics
Sep 19, 2024 • 21 minsWilson Sonsini Partner Becki DeGraw joins Jason on the latest edition of Startup Legal Basics! In this episode, they break down challenges in distressed companies, pay-to-play scenarios, the importance of a market check in financing, and high-profile legal and ethical issues.
No hype, Just works: How Comma reached 100M miles in autonomous driving | E2011
E2011 • Sep 18, 2024 • 46 minsComma’s Harald Schäfer joins Jason to discuss the future of autonomous driving, Comma’s open-source approach, how camera-based systems stack up against lidar, self-driving technology developments globally, and more!
OpenAI's new models, the MrBeast leak, Waymo ♥’s Uber and more! | E2009
E2009 • Sep 16, 2024 • 73 minsJason and Alex kick off the episode with highlights from the All-In Summit, delving into media criticism and the current state of journalism. They explore OpenAI's latest model, its corporate structure, and financing, providing an in-depth analysis of its business model and valuation. The conversation shifts to AI startup investments, developer productivity, and AI's potential in consumer markets. They also discuss Uber's partnership with Waymo, the deployment of autonomous vehicle technology, and the government's role in these advancements. The episode concludes with economic insights on Fed rate predictions, interest rates, cost of living adjustments, and trends in food delivery and autonomous food preparation.
Boom: Supersonic speeds for everyday travel with Blake Scholl | E2006
E2006 • Sep 10, 2024 • 88 minsBoom Supersonic’s Blake Scholl joins Jason to discuss the future of supersonic flight, Boom's vision and test flights, the evolution of hardware startups, the future of autonomous aviation, and much more!
Scaling Childcare with Tech: Winnie.com’s Blueprint for Growing with Purpose & Profit | E2005
E2005 • Sep 9, 2024 • 64 minsSara Mauskopf, CEO of Winnie, joins Alex Wilhelm to discuss Winnie's evolution and its focus on childcare services. They explore the company's growth, transparency, and market positioning (9:45), the challenges of balancing investor expectations with business models (22:30), and the impact of remote work on childcare demands (35:15). The conversation also covers profitability, operational efficiency, and marketing strategies (46:20), as well as the broader implications of tech M&A, FTC regulations, and innovation policies (58:10).