EV Truck Startup Nikola Runs Out of Juice | E2087

Today’s show: Jason and Lon Harris cover Nikola’s Chapter 11 and how founders can avoid the same mistake, Superhuman AI’s new features, Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines and where Sam Altman went wrong holding onto top talent, plus much more!

Is $LIBRA the End of Memecoins? with Coffeezilla | E2086

In today's episode: Jason and Alex break down one of the craziest crypto stories yet—a $100M meme coin meltdown, insider trading, and Argentina’s president caught in the middle. Coffeezilla joins the show to explain how meme coins are rigged, why Dave Portnoy got a $5M refund while everyone else got wrecked, and what really went down with the Libra token. Plus, we debate if crypto can be fixed or if the grift is too far gone.

IPO Shakeups, NVIDIA’s Big Bets & Must-Know Founder Hacks | E2085

Today’s show: IPO shakeups, big AI moves, and essential founder hacks—this episode covers it all. Jason breaks down Robinhood’s 6X stock surge and his strategy for $HOOD, plus the latest on tech IPOs as Turo pulls out and SailPoint surges. We dive into AI’s open-source battle, with X.ai chasing a $10B raise and DeepSeek challenging Hugging Face. And for founders, Jason shares the startup golden rule you should break for success—plus, a brand-new startup idea he’s willing to fund right now.

Slow Ventures' Creators Fund and Helion Energy's Fusion Reactors | 2084

Today’s show: Jason and Alex interview Sam Lessin from Slow Ventures to discuss the creator economy and their $60M creator fun. They also have a great interview with David Kirtley, the CEO and Co-founder of Helion Energy, about their fusion reactors and the future of energy generation. And Lon Harris hops in to discuss copyright infringement and how it will affect LLMs.

Tech's Super Bowl, Huge Earnings Week, Lon Returns and more! | E2083

Today's episode: Lon Harris is back, and we’re diving into all things Super Bowl—especially the tech takeover in this year’s commercials. We break down the biggest ad moments, from Squarespace to Uber Eats, Instacart, and even Harrison Ford’s Jeep spot. Plus, we dig into Google Trends after the ChatGPT ad, the unexpected appeal of The Banshees of Inisherin, and Matthew McConaughey’s latest move with Salesforce. That’s not all—France is making bold AI moves, OpenAI is getting into chip development, and we’ve got a Founder Fridays competition coming up!

Gas Stations in Space and Carried Interest on the Chopping Block | 2082

Today’s show: Jason and Alex discuss the carried interest tax loophole being in Trump’s crosshairs, a great interview with Orbit Fab and their plans for the industrialization of space, Deel’s $300M secondary and much more!

Is Palantir's Surge Just Hype | E2081

Today’s show: Jason and Alex cover Palantir’s surge (is it all hype?), Temo and Shein and the de minimise loop hole, Uber’s earnings and the future of self-driving technology and much more!

Lovable's Anton Osika on Revolutionizing Software Development and OpenAI Drops Deep Research | E2080

OpenAI dropped *Deep Research*—hilariously, the exact same name as Google’s existing tool. Jason and Alex dive into the AI arms race, break down Lovable.dev’s *insane* growth to $10M ARR in weeks, and test whether AI can really replace software engineers. Plus, they analyze Trump’s latest *tariff chaos* and what it means for startups, global trade, and the economy.

Is OpenAI Really Worth $300B? ElevenLabs’ Series C & YC’s Funding Focus | E2079

Today’s show: The AI revolution is about to hit your household—Jason and Alex break down how general-purpose robots, AI-powered chicken coops, and voice clones are redefining daily life and work. They dig into OpenAI’s sky-high valuation, the surprising rise of DeepSeek’s R1 model, and why the AI cost curve is dropping at an insane pace. Plus, the latest on AI hardware, antitrust battles, and why the “No Buy 2025” trend could change how we think about consumer tech.

Boom Supersonic's Milestones, OpenAI Ethics, and Startup Tools | E2078

Today’s show: Jason and Alex cover Jason’s unique sauna experience which leads them to discuss the value of niche communities and supporting small startups, spotlighting Boom Supersonic's achievements and Starlink's aviation collaborations. Financial updates include the Federal Reserve's actions and Trump's public opinion. They analyze the impact of CapEx on tech giants and Meta's AR/VR success. The DeepSeek controversy and OpenAI's intellectual property issues are explored, along with AI race risks and opportunities. Jason and Alex conclude with insights on building startups and modern tools for entrepreneurs.

DeepSeek Rattles Markets + SailPoint's Going Public… again? | E2077

Today’s show: A $6M open-source AI model from China, DeepSeek, sends shockwaves through Wall Street, wiping billions off NVIDIA’s market cap and forcing a rethink on AI infrastructure spending. We explore the 25% surge in startup shutdowns, the lessons from leaner teams, and why some companies just couldn’t make the runway. Plus, SailPoint returns to the public markets saddled with $1.6B in debt—what does this say about private equity’s “buy, fix, and flip” strategy? Don’t miss this deep dive into the latest tech and startup news!

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

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.

Created By Humans | Sila’s Battery Evolution | E2075

Today’s show: Alex covers The Stargate Project, other hot news items, and two great interviews. Created By Humans’ Co-founder Trip Adler talks about the future of copyrights and AI. Gene Berdichevsky, Co-founder and CEO of Sila, discusses the future of batteries and our clean energy future.

Trump, Memecoins, and What to Expect from the New Administration | E2074

In this episode, Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm dive into America's admiration for billionaires, tech's political role, and recent events in DC. They discuss the growing influence of Gen X in politics, particularly tech CEOs' presence at the inauguration, while critiquing Democrats' stance on technology. Economic factors like inflation and abortion rights surface as pivotal election issues. The episode also covers COVID origins, executive orders impacting tech, and immigration policy debates. AI regulation, Trump's economic strategies, and crypto regulations are dissected, highlighting their impact on personal freedoms and investment risks. Entrepreneur wellness, M&A influence, and upcoming tech IPOs round out the discussion.

TikTok Ban, Data Centers in Space… and What's a Vector? | E2073

Today’s show: Alex sits down with two CEOs from companies freshly added to the TWIST500. We get a masterclass from Bob van Luijt of Weaviate, on vector databases helping AI and LLMs do what they do. An then Philip Johnston from Lumen Orbit explains his vision of building data centers in space!

What’s Going On With Google Gemini Deep Research? | E2072

In this episode, Jason Calacanis, Alex Wilhelm, and Arush Selvan delve into the role of deep research as a personal AI research agent. Jason shares insights from his skiing trip in Japan, while Arush discusses his background with Google's Gemini team. The trio explores how deep research aids their work, demonstrating server resource use and examining Google's business model for AI-generated research reports. They address challenges like content differentiation and hallucinations in AI tools, and discuss business models for AI search engines. The conversation extends to privacy in biometric payments, investments in AI, potential TikTok bans, and the influence of Chinese government in tech.

Profound, Resistant AI & OpenAI’s Economic Pitch | E2071

Today’s show: Alex covers Mark Zuckerberg’s Joe Rogan interview, OpenAI’s economic pitch, and the pending IPO of India’s Groww. Special guests include two companies freshly added to the TWIST500: James Cadwallader from Profound and Martin Rehak from Resistant AI.

The LA Fire's Cost and the U.S. Jobs Report | E2070

This episode explores Los Angeles' fire budget and its political implications, featuring insights from Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm. The conversation touches on the ski industry's disputes, LA's fires, federal aid, and insurance challenges. It highlights Startup Stand Insurance's wildfire risk simulation and critiques California's governmental competence. Economic impacts like job reports, inflation, and Trump-era policies are analyzed, alongside inflation's psychological effects and tech industry responses. The episode also discusses labor market trends, the role of automation and AI in startups, and TikTok's Supreme Court case.

Meta's Moderation and Nvidia's Domination | E2069

Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm dive into recent tech developments and startup opportunities. They explore the implications of the recent fires in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, discussing potential insurance and startup solutions. The episode covers Meta's revised content moderation strategy, analyzing Mark Zuckerberg's motivations. They also highlight NVIDIA's AI supercomputer chip and its impact on the tech industry, alongside innovations like Lenovo's rollable laptop and Slack's iOS integration. Additionally, they touch on BYD's supercar and Anthropic's valuation. Jason shares his experience with luxury Japanese minivans, and they wrap up with plans for the podcast and a call for listener feedback.

TWIST News: Fusion, Rural Investment, and Applied AI | E2068

In this episode, Jason Calacanis discusses his experience with doxxing and the importance of security for public figures. He and Alex Wilhelm explore the Vail Resorts Epic Pass controversy, analyzing the company's management and stock performance. They introduce Sam Altman's insights on fusion energy and the role of risk-taking in innovation. The duo debates government subsidies, focusing on Ro Khanna's views on rural business support, and examines government debt and austerity. The conversation covers cybersecurity, particularly Chinese hacking into US infrastructure, and China's economic challenges. The episode wraps up with a review of a SF Smashburger, online criticism, and applying Christian principles in business.