This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis
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Mar 3, 2026 • 1h 15min

How the OpenClaw foundation bullet-proofed its future (w/Dave Morin) | E2257

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle — http://circle.so/twistHubspot Creators — http://clickhubspot.com/twist2Uber AI Solutions — http://uber.com/ai-solutionsToday’s show: *Dave Morin joined the show today to explain how the OpenClaw Foundation came into existence, and what its goals are. Fear not, Peter Steinberger retains directional control of the project. But if you want to sustain an open-source project over time, you need a corporate entity, well-heeled sponsors, maintainers and more. Morin is helping make sure that OpenClaw can stay true to itself well into the future.TWIST also put the day’s most critical AI stories to Morin for his insight: What’s his take on the Anthropic-DoW fracas? Does Morin think that OpenAI and Anthropic are catching up to OpenClaw in agentic terms? And will OpenAI cede the consumer crown to Anthropic? Next came two amazing demos: Runtools’ CTO Greg Kara showed off a 3D interface for OpenClaw that his team built, allowing ‘Claw users to watch their agents work in real time, and even read over their shoulder. Then PickelWatch founder George Yameen showed off an agnetic workflow using OpenClaw and Claude’s Chrome plugin side-by-side. The gist? Make sure that the agentic service you select is cost-effective. **GUESTS:**Dave Morin: https://x.com/davemorin?lang=enGreg Kara: https://x.com/GregKara6George Yameen: https://x.com/GeorgeYameen**Timestamps:** 00:00 Dave Morin Joins the Show02:31 How Dave Morin got Claw-Pilled05:01 Jason’s critical OpenClaw moments08:38 How Dave showcases his OpenClaw skills10:47 Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/ai-solutions14:40 How long has the OpenClaw Foundation existed?17:21 How much authority does Peter Steinberger retain?00:20:21 Hubspot - Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist219:20 How ‘air traffic control’ works for a project like OpenClaw23:15 The economics of open-source maintainers25:13 Dave’s physical OpenClaw setup27:45 How Jason uses OpenClaw to curate his reading, fashion, and travel30:23 Circle - Circle gives you everything you need to build and scale your community-led business. TWIST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan at http://circle.so/twist32:18 Why the second wave of ideas is where things get the most interesting34:06 Apple’s slow movement and hesitance to depricate products39:51 How Jason uses OpenClaw to coach the next generation of executives44:52 Are Anthropic and OpenAI catching up to OpenClaw?49:40 Introduction to Runtools.AI53:49 Runtools.AI demo of 3D OpenClaw environment57:06 Introduction to PickleWatch57:27 PickelWatch demo of Claude Chrome vs. OpenClaw01:03:38 How PickleWatch ups your pickleball swing32:56 Jason’s advice for founders on stumbling onto new ideas42:16 Jason on the DoW’s handling of the Anthropic mess01:11:08 Would Jason fund the tech that Anthropic won’t supply?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: [https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups](https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups/)TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: [https://twistartups.substack.com](https://twistartups.substack.com/)
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Feb 28, 2026 • 1h 20min

The Biggest Private Funding Round in History | E2256

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Deel - http://deel.com/twistWispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistLuma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twistToday’s show:*$110 billion buys you 15% of OpenAI. Amazon, Nvidia, and SoftBank placed their bets on ChatGPT, which now has 900 million weekly active users and 50 million paying subscribers. Find out why Jason is anticipating the wildest J-Curve swing of all time, and believes we’ve ALREADY hit AGI… it’s just not implemented yet.Plus a visit from our roving correspondent Nick O’Neill, checking in on the Crypto Chaos in Miami Beach, and hot demos from three young founders.GUESTS:Nick O’Neill: https://x.com/chooserichEverest Chris: https://openclaw.unloopa.com/Ben Broca: https://polsia.com/Adi Gabrani: https://makemyclaw.com/Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:33 We’re hiring a new producer!05:42 OpenAI raised $110 billion08:59 Understanding the LLM J-Curve00:11:25 Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit ⁠https://deel.com/twist⁠ to learn more.00:15:02 CRYPTO CHAOS IN MIAMI BEACH!00:21:10 Wispr Flow - Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit ⁠https://wisprflow.ai/twist⁠ to get started for free today.00:22:54 Mass layoffs at Block00:30:50 Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with the all-in-one Dream Machine text-to-video platform. Visit ⁠https://lumalabs.ai/twist⁠ to try The Dream Machine for free.00:32:04 AI Scott Adams: The Saga Continues00:38:13 Make URLs for local businesses with Unloopa00:45:36 Rent a Polsia agent to run your company00:58:55 Deploy swarms in 60 seconds with MakeMyClaw01:05:05 LAUNCH FEST is coming to SF01:55:49 Will Paramount actually buy WBD?01:06:58 Why Lon loves “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms”01:07:21 On “Neighbors” and First Amendment Warriors01:13:43 All about Jason’s favorite chargersSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com
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Feb 26, 2026 • 1h 22min

Behind the Scenes with an early OpenClaw contributor! | E2252

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Lemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twistEvery.io - https://every.io Sentry.io- https://sentry.io/twistToday’s show:We’re going behind the curtain today — it’s a packed show!We found Tyler Yust, OpenClaw’s third EVER contributor to share his insights from within foundation! We’ve got Deedy Das, of Menlo Ventures, on the show to discuss whether SaaS is cooked! Next we met the creator of an OpenClaw instance that fits in your pocket! We’ve also got the founder of OpenBrowse showing us how he automatically detects and generates OpenClaw skills!Timestamps:00:00 Intro - Deedy Das Joins the Show!04:54 Anthropic’s revenue growth and valuation06:07 OpenClaw Contributor Tyler Yuts joins the show09:24 iMessage integration and Apple’s proprietary systems00:10:07 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist14:31 Anthropic vs. the Pentagon00:20:02 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.00:30:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST00:35:46 The Infamous Citrini article00:32:47 Come to LAUNCH fest! https://fest.launch.co00:36:28 Why Deedy thinks the Cetrini article is a work of science fiction00:44:51 The illusion of privacy in corporate America00:41:18 Deedy thinks Enterprise SaaS apps aren’t going to be vibe coded00:49:20 Jason’s Reddit Bot00:52:01 Jason’s obsession with Singapore’s food00:55:22 How Unbrowse pulls any backend API!01:02:07 Sebastian shows off the smallest OpenClaw form factor!01:12:04 The Prolo ring — for people who doomscroll01:20:21 Deedy’s Podcast Player App!Thank you to our partners:(10:07) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist(20:02) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.(30:08) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWISTSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com
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4 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 1h 19min

Kill Your Startup’s Knowledge Chaos with OpenClaw (with Oliver Henry and Jeff Weisbein) | E2254

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Caldera Lab - [calderalab.com/twist](https://calderalab.com/twist)Iru - [iru.com](http://Iru.com/twist)LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twist*OpenClaw is incredible at automating tasks. But what if it could also fix your startup’s internal communication problems? Give agents shared memory, and you may be able to break down information silos while ensuring that teammates have the same context.@oliverhenry and @jeffweisbein demo what they’ve actually built with OpenClaw, including marketing automations, agentic loops, and bug fixing tools. Then we dig into what agentic infrastructure means for how startups operate, and why traditional SaaS products need to quickly adapt for the agentic era.Oliver Henry: The creator of the ‘[Larry](https://clawhub.ai/OllieWazza/larry)’ OpenClaw skill, and founder of [Larrybrain](https://www.larrybrain.com/)Jeff Weisbein: The Claw-pilled founder of [WizardRFP](https://www.wizardrfp.com/) and [WhoCoversIt](https://www.whocoversit.com/), who shared his OpenClaw framework [publicly](https://weisbe.in/openclaw) and built a [getting-started guide for the tool](https://github.com/jeffweisbein/openclaw-starter-kit)**Timestamps:** 00:00 Intro(00:01:43) Here’s why you never ski alone in a blizzard!(00:04:22) Why everyone at LAUNCH is going to get their own Mac Mini and AI agent(00:08:06) “OpenClaw has changed my entire solo-preneur lifestyle.” — Jeff Weinstein of Hype Lab(00:09:06) Jason’s urgent API message to Steve Huffman of Reddit(00:10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer).(00:15:12) Oliver shows us his Larry Skill to make viral TikTok content with zero human intervention(00:20:10) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [www.iru.com/twist](www.iru.com/twist).(00:21:22) Why are platforms like TikTok still so hostile toward bots?(00:24:45) The shift from asking a chatbot how to do things, to just telling an agent to do things(00:26:05) How Oliver is training Larry to get better at its job(00:30:09) Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to [CalderaLab.com/TWIST](http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(00:32:47) Why making your agent more PROACTIVE is more important than automating everything(00:37:14) Why pull requests… just aren’t really a thing any more.(00:39:40) How Jason is using his new AI assistant, “Roy,” to keep track of everything going on at his company(00:53:00) Is the SaaS crash actually rational after all?(00:51:48) Using AI to create “pools of excellence”(00:54:03) The more you integrate software into AI, the less valuable the software becomes(00:56:56) Why “Agentify Your SaaS” may become the rallying cry(00:58:31) How has the age verification scandal impacted Discord’s IPO plans?(01:03:10) When you want to build your own skill vs. downloading someone else’s(01:03:53) How Larrybrain finds helpful skills and helps creators monetize(01:08:32) When we will get true experts making verifiably top skills?(01:11:40) Jason’s SCARY but also AWESOME new OpenClaw CEO tools(01:18:35) Why a lot of MBAs should probably have PhD’sThank you to our partners:(30:09) Caldera Lab - Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to [CalderaLab.com/TWIST](http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(20:10) Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [iru.com](http://iru.com/).(10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - *Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at* [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer)
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Feb 21, 2026 • 1h 9min

We Asked 3 Experts How to Get More Value out of OpenClaw | E2253

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twistCircle - https://circle.so/twistNorthwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twistToday’s show:*Getting OpenClaw set up and running without destroying your bank account is one thing.But now that you have your agent or swarm operational, how can you use them to get real work done?We have three builders who are going to show you how to maximize your OpenClaw output!GUESTS:Jordy Coltman: Viral X author and creator of the WeeklyClaw newsletterJesse Leimgruber: Creator of the OpenHome.com smart speaker and kitTremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of PulsePLUS, on Off Duty, Lon and Jason talk “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms” and “The Pitt,” react to the “Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer, and check out some of Jason’s favorite headphones and earbuds.Timestamps:00:40 We’re gonna show you how to maximize your IRL OpenClaw productivity00:50 Even AI skeptic Lon is blown away by OpenClaw’s power01:46 Jordy Coltman’s top time-wasting mistakes made by OpenClaw beginners03:00 Why Jordy thinks new hardware is the best home for your agents05:38 Why Jason thinks “OpenClaw is a box” is coming soon08:29 Tremaine Grant of Pulse demos his “virtual office” interface and the “Heartbeat Protocol”00:10:15 Gusto - Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.00:15:16 What’s really happening when agents “chat” together?00:18:53 Jesse Leimgruber’s demos his OpenHome AI smart speakers00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.00:22:55 Freeing agents from screens and making them proactive00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent - Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist00:30:58 Why Jason wants his agent to read Slack and emails to him00:50:05 Who polices autonomous agents? Other agents?00:53:32 Jason and Lon’s thoughts on “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”00:56:20 Lon’s favorite picks from Quentin Tarantino’s Top 10 movies01:01:13 “The Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer reaction01:05:22 Jason’s favorite earbuds and headphonesSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:00:10:15 Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
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6 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 1h 2min

When Will Openclaw go Mainstream? | E2252

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - Try Gusto today and get 3 months free at gust.com/twistCrusoe Cloud - Reserve your capacity for the latest GPU’s at crusoe.ai/savingsUber AI Solutions - Book a demo today at http://uber.com/ai-solutionsToday’s show: It’s a packed show! We’ve got YouTuber and Openclaw enthusiast Matthew Berman, Ryan Yaneli, founder of Nextvisit, and Jason Grad, founder of Massive! We’re all in on Openclaw, but we have no doubts there’s still room in the market for a GIANT Openclaw consumer app to shift the paradigm. What will that look like? Will it be an app? Will it be baked into the iPhone? Let’s explore!**Timestamps:* 00:00 Intro02:04 Why Matthew thinks Openclaw is not ready yet to be brought to the consumer04:45 Jason doesn’t want hundreds of different apps, and thousands of tabs05:45 Why Ryan sees open claw giving consumers access to opportunities they couldn’t have gotten to otherwise.07:02 Only 10% of people are technical enough to install openclaw08:16 Would Openclaw be better off as an app?08:27 Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at gusto.com/twist 10:52 The killer use case that could bring Openclaw to the consumer00:12:13 Why Meta acquired Manus.00:15:13 How Ryan uses Openclaw in his personal life00:18:44 Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today00:23:24 What Jason’s “Clawpod” does00:24:38 Jason demos his Openclaw workflow00:28:23 Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist00:30:04 How Matt used Openclaw to figure out he’s been having stomach issues00:32:27 What will be the ultimate UX for AI?00:38:53 Anthropic has patched the ability to use Openclaw through its pro plan!00:42:20 Matt and Jason hope for a multi-model future — but we haven’t made progress!00:52:21 Jason has skepticisms about the Openclaw foundation00:52:59 Ryan predicts a new Openclaw fork coming from the shadows!00:54:21 Peter Steinberger is going to OpenAI, NOT to work with Openclaw… Will he “orphan” openclaw00:58:19 does raspberry AI stand a chance against Apple?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*Thank you to our partners:Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at gust.com/twist Crusoe Cloud*: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit [crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.Uber AI Solutions -*Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at Uber.com/twist
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13 snips
Feb 17, 2026 • 1h 27min

Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251

John Arrow, creator of AI Scott Adams, discusses building and refining AI clones. Jesse Genet, founder-turned-homeschooling parent, demos a family-focused OpenClaw media aggregator. Hiten Shah, entrepreneur and product leader, shows a personal CRM and other OpenClaw applications. They debate OpenClaw’s future after a key hire, demo live skills, explore hosting and openness, and tackle ethical and practical use-cases.
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10 snips
Feb 14, 2026 • 1h 6min

OpenClaw is Our Friend Now | E2250

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Sentry - http://sentry.io/twistCircle - http://Circle.so/twistWispr Flow - https://wisprflow.ai/twistToday’s show: What makes OpenClaw feel so much more ALIVE than other AI agents?On TWiST, we’re welcoming three amazing builders who are truly connecting with their OpenClaw bots, not just using them for productivity but getting to know them and their personalities on a deeper level.Serial entrepreneur Ryan Carson shows us Antfarm, which creates a team of agents with specialized roles, who work together to complete complex tasks.THEN David Im shows us Clawra, his AI virtual girlfriend that learns about you and your tastes, and even buys you presents!FINALLY, Alex Liteplo presents RentAHuman, a marketplace where bots can pay real people in stablecoins to complete IRL tasks.The future may not just be humans and AIs working side by side, but hanging out, being social, and learning from one another as well!Timestamps: (0:00) It’s a Friday show with Lon and we’ve got THREE awesome OpenClaw builders(6:41) First up, Ryan Carson shows off his open source too, AntFarm(7:57) What is a “Ralph Wiggum Loop”?(10:54) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to http://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(17:14) NOTI Q: What about security?!(18:13) David Im shows us his AI virtual girlfriend, Clawra(19:21) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(20:33) Introducing your IRL girlfriend to your AI girlfriend(23:23) How to program an AI companion(28:26) Should Clawra be a best pal instead of a GF?(32:38) Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.(33:54) Jason’s Productivity Hack of the Month(36:17) Alex Liteplo shows us RentAHuman, where AI agents can hire real people(38:22) What are the bots hiring people to do, exactly?(50:02) Why robots might be better bosses than people…(50:51) Hiring 100 goth girls to hold signs in Times Square(55:25) OFF DUTY! Norwegian skier breaks down on live TV(58:01) Lon’s fav Best Picture nominees(59:08) Why Apple acquired “Severance.” Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500https://twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:54) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to http://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST(19:21) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(32:38) Wispr Flow: Stop typing. Dictate with Wispr Flow and send clean, final-draft writing in seconds. Visit https://wisprflow.ai/twist to get started for free today.Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/
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Feb 12, 2026 • 40min

Why J-Cal Invested to 200K in a former Employee | E2249

This Week In Startups is made possible by:NetSuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twistLuma AI - https://lumalabs.ai/twistSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistToday’s show: On today’s epsiode of TWiST, Jason gets pitched by two top founders, Presh Dineshkumar and Peter Cetale! Presh used to work for Jason at Launch! When he left, Jason invested $200K into Presh’s new startup The Wellness Company. Presh pitches Jason on what he has been building, and Jason gives Presh advice for improving the product!Peter went through Andreesen Horowitz’s Speedrun accelerator program as CEO and co-founder of Sourcerer. Sourcerer uses AI agents to help US firms and distributors find the best prices for mass produced goods. Check out how Jason digs in with these founders!Timestamps:(0:00) Presh was originally a TWiST fan who emailed Jason!(1:59) Why Jason invested in Presh’s startup(3:19) Checking out the Wellness Company’s hot new app, Tempo(4:03) How Tempo monitors your health and offers proactive advice with consistency(9:10) Why Jason recommends adding a group or family feature to make it stickier(9:51) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(11:28) The end goal: bringing app advice and guidance into the real world(13:34) Presh shares where his apps are finding the most engagement(14:13) The key importance of Product Velocity and World-Class Design(17:27) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post-production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(18:38) Introducing Peter Cetale and Sourcerer!(19:32) How Sourcerer uses AI to help distributors and manufacturers automate their sourcing(22:48) How Sourcerer manages to actually bring costs down(25:02) Lining up REAL customers, not Letters of Intent (aka Letters of Nothing)(26:04) Peter’s experiences in a16z’s Speedrun accelerator(28:08) Working with agents on BOTH the supply and demand side(29:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(30:32) How has Tariff Mania impacted Peter’s business?(35:35) Why Peter thinks startups will keep getting leaner and compute will keep getting cheaper*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:51) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(17:27) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post-production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(29:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/
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4 snips
Feb 12, 2026 • 45min

How These 3 Founders are building on Open Claw | E2248

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist2Deel - http://deel.com/twistIru - http://www.iru.com/Today’s show: Today on TWiST we’re joined by 3 founders building on Open Claw,  Presh Dineshkumar, Vishnu, and Sean Liu!First, long time friend of the pod, Presh Dineshkumar, shows us how he’s using Open Claw to automate his work at The Wellness Company. His Open Claw agent, Eywa, lives in his email and in his product, able to compile user lists at his discretion.Then, we’re joined by Vishnu, who brings Open Claw to the masses. Non-technical folks, it’s your lucky day! Time to get Clawd-shotted! Last, Sean Liu joins the show to tell us about how he’s connecting Meta glasses to his Open Claw instance to interact with context that users can physically see!Timestamps:(0:00) We’re joined by Presh Dineshkumar of the Wellness Company, another OpenClaw fanatic(1:50) We meet Presh’s Replicant — Eywa — who spies on all of his emails(2:53) How Eywa is helping Presh keep track of his app’s most active users(4:35) LLMs have become very smart but they are trapped in the corner(6:10) How Presh gave Eywa its own email address and avoids prompt injections(8:56) Using Presh’s Replicant to do daily research dives(10:40) Hubspot: Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2(13:21) Presh also has Eywa hunting down and fix bugs in his apps, all from email(16:16) Way more startups can be profitable now that they don’t need 10+ person teams(19:15) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(20:36) We’re joined by two more OpenClaw builders: Vishnu and Xiaoan (Sean) Liu(21:16) Sean hooked his Meta Ray Bans up to his OpenClaw!(29:53) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at http://iru.com/(31:05) Some dystopian thoughts on how to use VisionClaw technology(32:47) What kinds of startups will get the most value out of OpenClaw?(34:43) Why Vishnu made a product to simplify OpenClaw set-up and security(37:34) What inspires people to stop considering OpenClaw and go “all in” on the tech(40:17) Will Vishnu and Sean quit their jobs and take Jason’s investment $125K investment deal… YESSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:40) Hubspot: Check out the guide “Advanced ChatGPT Prompt Engineering: From Basic to Expert in 7 Days.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist2(19:15) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:53) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at http://iru.com/Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

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