This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.
YC Valuations, VC Slowdown, and Office Hours with CustomerIQ | E2136
Today’s show: Jason and Alex dive into why Y Combinator startups are raising at sky-high valuations with relatively low ARR—what does that mean for investors and founders? VC funds are slowing down and returning to pre-ZIRP pacing, signaling a reset in the market. Plus, in this week’s Office Hours, Sean Steigerwald, founder of CustomerIQ, demos his AI sales agent that lives in your inbox, drafting follow-ups using CRM context. It’s a deep look at early-stage investing, startup efficiency, and where AI is headed in enterprise.
Key Points
- Securing product market fit early significantly reduces the need for fundraising, allowing founders to retain more ownership and focus on growth.
- There's a noticeable trend of startups choosing to base their operations outside the US, in regions like Singapore, Dubai, and Europe, while still targeting the US market.
- Venture funds are now taking longer to deploy capital, indicating a shift back to more methodical and cautious investment strategies post-pandemic.
Partners
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Transcript
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