This Week in Startups

First up, Molly breaks down some news stories, including Meta's ad troubles in Europe (1:24) and Semafor's saga with its climate editor departing. (9:51) Then, Jason answers questions from founders! (20:25) Finally, Producer Rachel joins Molly to discuss what happened with Hive Social. (32:10) (0:00) Molly tees up today's segments! (1:24) Molly covers Meta's targeted ad troubles in Europe - are we headed for a new standard for ad-based business models? (8:24) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (9:51) Breaking down Semafor parting ways with its climate editor and a major crypto lending business is stopping its US operations (19:12) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (20:25) Ask Jason! What percentage of equity should a startup give to an advisor? (27:22) Ask Jason! General advice for founders pitching investors? (29:31) Ask Jason! In this environment, should early-stage startups focus on profitability from day one? (32:10) Rachel Reporting: Molly and Producer Rachel break down what happened with Hive Social and discuss broadcast platforms vs consumption platforms FOLLOW Rachel: https://twitter.com/_rachelbraun 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

J+M start the show with some BREAKING NEWS: Slack CEO Stewart Butterfield is leaving Salesforce! (5:09) Then, they cover Circle canceling its SPAC (26:06), SBF's interactions with regulators and the media (40:29), and a Startup of the Day! (57:50) (0:00) Molly tees up today's news topics! (1:48) J+M catch up from the weekend (5:09) BREAKING: Slack Founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield is leaving Salesforce two years after the Slack acquisition was announced (12:49) Mixpanel - Apply for $50K in credits at https://mixpanel.com/startups  (14:14) Is this a Salesforce issue or a Slack issue? Is Salesforce's Co-CEO leaving last week just a coincidence? (24:43) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist (26:06) Circle cancels its SPAC over missed regulatory deadlines (39:11) Fitbod - Get 25% off at https://fitbod.me/twist  (40:29) SBF and Maxine Waters, Semafor's potential illicit funds from SBF (57:50) Startup of the Day! Loft Dynamics is building a VR helicopter flight simulator for ~95% cheaper than traditional simulators 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

J+M are back for another edition of VC Sunday School. This week, they discuss momentum investing in venture capital! (1:35) Then, Molly interviews Convective Capital’s Bill Clerico on investing in firetech startups. (27:58) (0:00) Molly tees up Sunday’s segments! (1:35) VC Sunday School: Momentum investing: fair strategy, or sign of a bubble? (12:56) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist (14:30) Contrarian investing in VC (26:28) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding required, sign up at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups (27:58) Molly is joined by Convective Capital’s Bill Clerico and talks about investing solely in firetech startups (35:30) Bill breaks down the different types of firetech startups that he’s investing in FOLLOW Bill: https://twitter.com/billclerico 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

J+M kick off the show by discussing and testing out OpenAI’s ChatGPT. (1:59) Then, they wrap up the news with a16z’s announcement that they are shutting down future.com (37:40). Producer Rachel ends the show with another edition of OK Boomer featuring Litquidity’s Jack Raines. (50:03) (0:00) J+M Kick off the show (1:59) Molly gets party theme suggestions from OpenAI’s new Chat GPT (9:58) LinkedIn Marketing -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (11:23) Compounding improvement of AI technology + David Friedberg’s ChatGPT poem and script (18:33) Odoo - Get access to all of Odoo’s apps, services, and maintenance for under $25 at https://odoo.com/twist (19:40) Molly and Jason discuss how ChatGPT works using RLHF (26:57) Advice for founders + Molly & Jason test out ChatGPT (36:13) MicroAcquire - Sell your business with no fees at https://try.microacquire.com/twist (37:40) a16z sunsets future.com + media layoffs (50:03) OK Boomer with Litquidity’s Jack Raines FOLLOW Jack: https://twitter.com/Jack_Raines 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

First up, J+M go through a tale of two interviews: SBF at DealBook (3:14) and on Good Morning America (31:58). Then, Lon Harris joins to discuss Disney's new in-house automatic de-aging tool and more! (47:00) (0:00) J+M tee up today's segments! (3:14) Covering Sam Bankman-Fried's two recent interviews, reacting to clips from SBF at the NYT DealBook conference (12:14) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist  (13:43) SBF chimes in on VC responsibility and drug usage at FTX (27:31) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist  (28:46) Finish up with clips from DealBook: FTX US and a final round of applause (31:58) SBF's Good Morning America interview with George Stephanopoulos  (37:54) Nutrisense - Use code TWIST and get $30 off at nutrisense.io/twist (39:24) Finishing on SBF's GMA interview and comparing the two interview styles (47:00) Lon Harris joins to discuss Disney's new in-house automated de-aging tool (1:07:48) $WBD in talks to license animated content to Amazon, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's new artist-led venture, Lon's recommendations, Jason's nineties stories, and more! FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood FOLLOW Lon: https://twitter.com/lons Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

First up, Jason answers two great questions from the most recent cohort of Founder University! (1:34) Then, Molly and Producer Rachel discuss Spotify Wrapped's marketing genius and a potential new contemporary. (22:33) Finally, AMP Robotics Founder Matanya Horowitz joins Molly for another edition of The Next Unicorns! (40:02) (0:00) Molly tees up today's segments! (1:34) Ask Jason! Is the Generative AI boom for real? (11:42) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist  (13:12) Ask Jason! How to survive text-to-image tools as a designer (15:00) Ask Jason! How to build relationships with investors before you start fundraising (21:07) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://LinkedIn.com/unicorn (22:33) Molly and Producer Rachel break down this year's Spotify Wrapped (and a new contemporary!) (38:38) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist (40:02) Molly is joined by AMP Robotics founder Matanya Horowitz to talk about building recycling-focused robots! (52:04) AMP's customers, target market, company mission, and how they train AI FOLLOW Matanya: https://twitter.com/mhorowit 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

First up, J+M cover Twitter vs. Apple and the app store duopoly (2:10) before breaking down Google's employees per department. (32:48) They wrap up talking about Snap announcing a return to the office for all employees (37:09) and more crypto chaos. (58:18) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics! (2:10) Twitter vs Apple (9:23) Mayfair - Get 4% APY on your idle cash automatically at https://getmayfair.com/twist  (10:53) Apple/Google app store duopoly, Steve Jobs's original App Store pitch (21:43) Blueground - Get up to $1000 off your booking at https://promos.theblueground.com/twist  (23:15) App Store as a blocker for startups, Apple's interesting priorities (32:48) Google's employees per department breakdown, YouTube's insane efficiency (35:40) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding required, sign up at http://aka.ms/thisweekinstartups (37:09) Google's dramatic headcount increase since 2019, Snap asks employees to return to the office 80% of the time starting in February, end of entitlement in tech (58:18) BlockFi goes bankrupt and sues SBF, Miami nightclubs see ~99% decline in crypto payments 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

Jason welcomes back Kruze COO Scott Orn for another edition of Startup Finance Basics! Jason and Scott break down the state of the market (0:00), 2023 budget planning (9:21), and how to nail investor comms! (14:58) (0:00) Jason welcomes Kruze COO Scott Orn and they discuss the state of startups and VC (9:21) What a 2023 budget plan should look like at a Seed stage startup (14:58) Bias for action, investor comms

TechCrunch's Alex Wilhelm joins to break down the news! First up, the trio covers Pipe's Co-Founders abruptly stepping down (7:06) and the lessons learned. (26:29) Then, they discuss Apple's China-based iOS update impacting AirDrop (40:31) before Alex leaves. J+M finish the show with more thoughts on China and react to Black Friday's ATH sales volume and the BNPL boom. (1:11:01) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics and special news guest! (2:21) J+M catch up on their Thanksgiving breaks with TechCrunch's Alex Wilhelm! (7:06) Intense velocity of notable tech stories, teeing up the Pipe situation (12:05) LinkedIn Marketing -  Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at https://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (13:34) Breaking down the Pipe Co-Founders abruptly stepping down (25:02) Supergut - Get 30% off with code TWIST at https://supergut.com  (26:29) Pipe's expansion into media and crypto, lessons learned from the "speculative asset bubble" (37:21) Fitbod - Get 25% off at https://fitbod.me/twist  (38:39) Alex on running a subscription-based media business within an ad-based media business (40:31) Protests in China, Apple's recent China-specific iOS update, which impacting AirDrop (59:59) J+M wrap with thoughts on China after Alex departs (1:11:01) Black Friday spending hits an all-time high, BNPL sees huge bump y/y FOLLOW Alex: https://twitter.com/alex 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

On VC Sunday School, Jason and Molly discuss how VCs size their investments (1:40). Then, Molly is joined by Ben Birnbaum of Keyframe and TeraWatt! (13:17) (0:00) Molly tees up today's topics! (1:40) Jason breaks down how VCs think about bet sizing! (11:43) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist  (13:17) Molly welcomes Ben Birnbaum of TeraWatt and Keyframe to discuss his background and why he started TeraWatt! (27:07) Odoo - Get access to all of Odoo's apps, services, and maintenance for under $25 at https://odoo.com/twist  (28:15) Ben explains the current state of commercial EVs and TeraWatt's progress (34:05) How TeraWatt spawned Keyframe, where Ben is an investment partner (38:20) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.com/twist by using code TWIST20 (39:47) Ben explains how and why he started an investment firm to fund his own startup (and startups like it!) Check out TeraWatt: https://terawattinfrastructure.com Check out Keyframe: https://www.keyframecapital.com 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