Please take our audience survey!: https://launchevents.typeform.com/to/K5RhKaEH Jason sits down with Bryan Roberts of Venrock for another episode of Angel Season 7! They discuss Bryan’s first bets (2:22) and his perception of the dot com bubble. (14:38) The two also dive into topics like creating optionality as a startup (21:24), bad habits in VC (28:49) and Theranos. (36:18) To wrap the show, Bryan and Jason discuss disagreeing with founders (39:07) and the psychology of placing bets! (44:33) (...
Jan 25, 2023•53 min
Please take our audience survey!: https://launchevents.typeform.com/to/K5RhKaEH Molly goes solo today to cover the DOJ joining eight states to file an anti-trust lawsuit against Google (2:04) before covering Ticketmaster taking the stand in a Senate hearing today. (15:37) Producer Rachel then joins to discuss the latest on user-friendly ticket competitors. (23:07) Then, Molly is joined by two different LA26 founders: Rhian Beutler of Govalo (32:47) and Daniel Sakhai of HeyHire! (44:44) (0:00) Mo...
Jan 24, 2023•56 min
Join Molly and Jason as they react to TikToks posted by former Google employees who have recently been let go. They discuss why Google is letting people go despite their massive profits (8:54). They also explore Open AI and Microsoft's codified partnership (38:39) and the report from the WSJ that activist investor Elliot Management has invested billions into Salesforce (45:06). To end the show, we have another great edition of WLITF featuring NVIDIA's new AI-generated eye contact feature (49:16)...
Jan 23, 2023•54 min
Molly and Jason tackle Netflix's stellar fourth-quarter earnings and the news that Reed Hastings is stepping down as CEO. (1:55) Plus, they delve into Google's announcement to lay off 6% of its workforce (17:00), and the former MySpace founders raised a $32M Seed round for their new gaming startup PLAI. (28:55) Lastly, Producer Rachel is back with another segment of Ok Boomer with Mike O'Brien! (36:47) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (1:55) Netflix earnings + Reed Hastings steps down as CEO (9:29) ...
Jan 20, 2023•58 min
Molly and Jason kick off the show by discussing the concept of 'quiet hiring' (1:53) and the SEC's proposed rules making it easier for LPs to sue VCs (9:37). They also cover Semafor's buyback of Sam Bankman-Fried's $10M investment (20:50). And Lon Harris is back to discuss the new box office hit M3GAN (31:00) and the premiere of The Last of Us (45:45). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:53) Jargon Watch: What is “quiet hiring”? (8:29) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 1 min
(0:00) Jason Kicks off the show (2:49) Brad Feld, Co-founder of Foundry, talks about starting out in investing (13:30) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/angel (14:56) Brad’s thesis for whom he’ll get in the “trenches” with (20:48) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups (22:22) Fighting to the end + Investing through the dot-com bubble (38:13) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes, no funding require...
Jan 18, 2023•1 hr 29 min
First up, Molly and Jason cover a bunch of news happening in the world of AI, Getty Images is preparing to sue Stable Diffusion creator Stability AI (8:47), Meta is partnering with Shutterstock to train its AI models, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the company will integrate OpenAI’s software into Azure - it’s cloud computing platform - and ALL it’s other products. (36:07) Then, we cover two new sustainability startups! Mill is a company started by former Nest co-founders making an au...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 20 min
Molly and Jason dive deep into the recent news of Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, taking a $50 million pay cut. They discuss this move's implications and whether CEOs are worth their large compensation packages. (1:24) Andrew Gazdecki, CEO of Acquire.com, joins Jason for a fun interview discussing Acquire.com's rebrand and the acquisition marketplace. (24:47) (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:24) CEO of Apple, Tim Cook takes a $50M pay cut (11:51) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit ...
Jan 16, 2023•58 min
Molly and Jason kick off the show about social taboo topics and getting to the bottom of Covid-19.(2:22) Following the two discuss Molly attending Strictly VC, DeepMind’s new chatbot Sparrow and OpenAI’s end game. (15:43) Then Molly interviews LAUNCH Accelerator founder United by Zero CEO and Founder Lex Kiefhaber (52:34). Then we cap off the episode with another great edition of Ok Boomer featuring Juliet Meskers, co-founder and CEO of MOTH (1:08:45) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (2:22) Covid-19...
Jan 14, 2023•1 hr 25 min
Molly and Jason chop it up about Jason's latest Jay Trades: Apple, Amazon and Disney. (2:21) Then they briefly discuss SBF's new Substack. (14:42) To wrap up the show, Lon joins us for this week's edition of This Week in Streaming to talk about award season and Netflix's content strategy. (21:14) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (2:21) Jason explains why he placed a bet on Apple (8:12) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroker.com/twist (9:20) Molly and Jason di...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr
First up, J+M cover the problems at Slack and Salesforce (3:00), before breaking down the anti-competitive issues with bundling software to harm competitors. (13:34) Then, they talk about the comeuppance from "A-players" regarding the lack of efficiency in big tech (26:35), a 10-month jail sentence for crypto inside trading (39:52), and DoNotPay's AI-based robo-lawyer taking a case! (51:14) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics! (3:00) Breaking down the recent rift between Slack and Salesforce (12:00...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Molly and Jason discuss the news that Coinbase is doing another 20% RIF. (6:50) Then they discuss the announcement that Microsoft is investing $10B into OpenAI with some pretty favourable terms. (27:19) After, Molly and Jason chat about Make Sunsets’ plan to cool the planet and Enpal, a German solar panel company raising money at a $2.4B valuation. (46:56) Then we wrap with this year’s first edition of TWiCS featuring Mike O’Kronley, CEO of Ascend Elements. (1:00:56) (0:00) M+J kick off the show...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 35 min
Back from the weekend! First up, J+M catch up and cover a very strange economic situation. (2:07) Then, the duo covers NoMa, the world's most famous restaurant, shutting its doors due to an unsustainable business model (24:46), before going deep on generative AI news and demoing OpenAI's ChatGPT iOS app! (49:54) (0:00) J+M intro today's show! (2:07) Weekend catchup! Jason's chainsaw adventure (12:29) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (14:04) Twitter view ...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Coffeezilla joins M+J to discuss the latest on the alleged Logan Paul and CryptoZoo scam. (1:21) Then Em Herrera joins Rachel for this year’s first edition of Ok Boomer to discuss 2023 predictions. (50:29) (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:11) Coffeezilla joins Molly and Jason to discuss the alleged CryptoZoo Scandal and his background (11:06) Supergut - Get 30% off with code TWIST at https://supergut.com (12:37) Coffeezilla’s main issue with the alleged grift + What is CryptoZoo? (19:58) Maste...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min
M+J kick off the show by discussing the news that Bing will integrate ChatGPT into its search service. (1:21) Then they chop it up about ZeniMax forming Microsoft’s first union. (15:06) And then Lon Harris joins the show to review Flux Gourmet and chat about the economics of streaming (27:11) (0:00) J+M Kick off the show (1:21) Bing to integrate ChatGPT into search (13:30) Crowdbotics - Get a free scoping session for your next big app idea at crowdbotics.com/twist (15:06) ZeniMax forms Microsoft...
Jan 05, 2023•54 min
Multiple time guest and friend of the pod Keith Rabois is back! Jason and Keith talk 2023 macro outlook (1:00), big tech's impact on startups (10:01), advice for founders (18:24), Meta's risky VR bet (27:22), ChatGPT vs Google (39:05), and more! (0:00) Jason intros today's guest: Keith Rabois! (1:00) Keith's 2023 macro outlook and thoughts on startup valuations (8:54) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (10:01) What are big tech hiring freezes and RIFs doing to the startu...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Jason and Molly are BACK for the first news show of 2023! First up, they break down SpaceX's reported $137B valuation, the astounding market opportunity for Starlink, and more! (7:14) Then, they cover two Shopify stories (37:38) and Apple shutting down fan-favorite weather app Dark Sky. (55:01) (0:00) J+M intro today's topics! (2:25) Thoughts on the potential year ahead (7:14) SpaceX is raising $750M at a $137B valuation, led by a16z (12:54) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at ...
Jan 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Jason and Molly rip through 20+ predictions for 2023, including over/under bets, shutdowns, stocks, main characters, startups, new tech, and SO much more! (0:00) J+M tee up today's show: 2023 Predictions! (1:53) Main character of 2023 (4:35) Most anticipated trend (7:13) Surprising shutdown (9:40) Biggest bag securer (13:36) Notion - Sign up for FREE at https://notion.com/jason (15:06) App/tech breakout (17:30) Most notable CEO resignation or return (21:25) Most anticipated technology (25:37) Em...
Jan 02, 2023•59 min
Molly and Jason present... the 2022 TWiSTY Awards! Join them in commemorating all the best, worst, and craziest moments from this year in startups, markets, and tech! (0:00) J+M intro today's show (1:37) Introducing the 2022 TWiSTY Awards! (3:18) Best prop (7:51) Best behind the scenes emoji (12:38) Mixpanel - Apply for $50K in credits at https://mixpanel.com/startups (14:04) Best meme (19:12) Best gadget (22:44) Nutrisense - Use code TWIST and get $30 off at nutrisense.io/twist (24:14) Best med...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 43 min
J+M kick off the show by discussing some approved changes to direct listings, which will make it easier for companies going public via direct listings to raise money! (1:18) Then, LAUNCH team member Charlie Cuddy joins Molly to demo Notion's new AI tool (14:07). Finally, Producer Rachel joins Molly to break down which popular consumer apps and tools to use to plan a last-minute NYE party. (33:12) (0:00) Molly intros today's segments! (1:18) J+M discuss the approved changes to direct listings, an...
Dec 27, 2022•57 min
Christmas surprise! Check out Jason and Molly's FULL review of Tár, spoilers and all, with Lon Harris! (0:00) Tár review from Thursday (21:53) Bonus Tár review! Reviewing the critics, SPOILER REVIEW, and more! FOLLOW Lon: https://twitter.com/lons 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...
Dec 25, 2022•49 min
Molly and Jason discuss Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang pleading guilty to securities fraud. (2:04) Then Lon Harris joins J+M for this week’s edition of This Week in Streaming, where they discuss YouTube’s new 7-year multibillion-dollar deal with the NFL. (36:57) We wrap with Part 1 of their review of Todd Field’s latest film Tár. (1:06:12) (0:00) J+M Kick off the show (2:04) Molly and Jason react to Caroline Ellison and Gary Wang pleading guilty to securities fraud (8:36) Odoo - Get your first a...
Dec 23, 2022•1 hr 28 min
Kruze COO Scott Orn is back with Jason to educate founders on how to get the most out of their cash reserves. (0:00) (0:00) Your fiduciary duty to protect and invest your cash responsibly + developing an investment policy (8:00) Evaluating your chart of accounts + Jason's credit card hack (12:30) Final thoughts for founders going into 2023 Check out Kruze: https://www.kruzeconsulting.com FOLLOW Scott: https://twitter.com/scottorn FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://tw...
Dec 21, 2022•17 min
First up, J+M break down Disney's "Battle of the Bobs" (2:59), before covering two record-breaking fines against Epic Games, and explaining "dark patterns." (20:35) Molly wraps the show by interviewing ClimateCamp CEO Stijn Gysemans on Scope 3 emissions tracking! (44:26) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics! (2:59) WSJ report on the rift between Iger and Chapek at Disney (13:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/T...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 10 min
J+M start the show by breaking down the recent disruption at Salesforce and Marc Benioff's comments on remote work. (2:44) Then, they cover OpenAI projecting $1B in revenue by 2024 (57:25) and wrap with a new segment: Little Big Things! (1:14:33) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics (2:44) Weekend catchup and disruption at Salesforce (15:44) Supergut - Get 30% off with code TWIST at https://supergut.com (17:14) David Sacks tweets about the vicious cycle that Salesforce (and SaaS companies at large) ...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 23 min
Molly and Jason celebrate the last VCSS of 2022 by reflecting on what Molly has learned over this past year. (1:24) Then Valerie Shen of G2 Venture Partners joins Molly for the final TWiCS of the year . (36:38) (0:00) J+M Kick off the show (1:23) Molly reflects on her first year as a VC (10:58) MicroAcquire - Sell your business with no fees at https://try.microacquire.com/twist (12:29) The founder/VC relationship (18:30) Learning how to be a VC in a downturn (20:13) Crowdbotics - Get a free scop...
Dec 18, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Kruze COO Scott Orn is back with Jason to explain the MOST important financial information that founders should include in their pitch deck ( (0:00) Kruze's Scott Orn joins Jason to discuss the role of financial information in your pitch deck (11:02) Conveying your vision with numbers Check out Kruze: https://www.kruzeconsulting.com FOLLOW Scott: https://twitter.com/scottorn FOLLOW Jason: https://linktr.ee/calacanis FOLLOW Molly: https://twitter.com/mollywood Subscribe to our YouTube to watch al...
Dec 17, 2022•23 min
Brad Gerstner of Altimeter Capital joins Molly and Jason for an epic Friday show. They chop it up about the state of the economy, what it actually means to be founder friendly and discuss which big tech companies are“fit”. (1:24) (0:00) J+M Kick off the show (1:24) Brad Gerstner joins Molly and Jason (10:28) Odoo - Get your first app free and a $1000 credit at https://odoo.com/twist (11:38) Brad presents on interest rates, inflation and business multiples (26:32) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 ...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 9 min
First up, Jason interviews Neetha Avalakki, the founder and CEO of EatKind. EatKind is an AI-powered search engine that converts ANY food or recipe into a vegan alternative. (3:20) Then Lon Harris joins Molly and Jason for another segment of This Week in Streaming. They play a TWiST version of celebrity mean tweets and discuss Neptune Frost. (36:41) (0:00) M+J Kick off the show (3:20) CEO of EatKind joins Jason (8:31) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance at https://Embroke...
Dec 16, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Molly and Jason react to a letter they received from Affirm after yesterday’s episode. (1:59) Then, Molly and Jason discuss Marco Rubio’s bipartisan legislation to ban TikTok (35:46), And finally, we cap off season 4 of The Next Unicorns with Co-Founder and CEO of Pearpop Cole Mason (59:28) (0:00) M+J Kick off the show (1:59) Molly and Jason respond to a letter from Affirm (9:33) OpenPhone - Get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://openphone.com/twist (15:55) Comparing th...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 30 min
