Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring two startups from our Founder University program! Apply for Founder University: https://course.founder.university (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (3:35) Jason and Presh describe who Founder University is for (8:35) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (9:52) Alexandra Bellensweig pitches HumHum (22:15) Presh's thoughts on HumHum (26:47) CacheFly - Get 10 terabytes free by signing up at https://twist.cachefly.com (28:13) Rus...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela joins Jason to discuss their suite of generative AI video editing tools (3:03), Runway's AI Film Festival and the rapid evolution of filmmaking (22:21), Runway's ability to lower the barrier to entry for aspiring filmmakers (36:05), and more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (3:03) What is Runway? (6:39) Runway's text-to-video demo (11:08) Clumio - Start a free backup, or sign up for a demo at https://clumio.com/twist (12:08) Latent Diffusion paper (16:30) The Late...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Rachel is back to help Jason break down the news! First, they cover Google reportedly “panicking” over Samsung potentially switching to Bing as its device-default search engine, how Google can beat OpenAI/Microsoft,” and Project Magi” (1:43). Then, they discuss some recent AI-generated viral hits and what it means for the future of the music industry (21:48) before wrapping up on the possibility that Brian Armstrong may relocate Coinbase outside of the US (49:25). (0:00) Jason and Rachel tee up ...
Apr 18, 2023•58 min
Uizard CEO Tony Beltramelli joins Jason to demo Uizard’s AI-powered UI designer (6:01) and discusses how he iterated on Uizard’s product-market fit and the competition it faces (21:20). Then, Kelly Schricker from Founder University breaks down how to choose a CRM and how to build one yourself in Notion (42:54)! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:21) CEO of Uizard, Tony Beltramelli, joins Jason (6:01) Tony demos Uizard’s text-to-UI platform (13:52) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of dev...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Hyfe CEO Joe Brew joins Jason to discuss quantifying cough to prevent the spread of disease. They break down how Hyfe’s technology works (2:48), how his company diagnoses diseases via audio and qualifying health data (14:47), before Presh joins to demonstrate how to easily create business content for your startup with ChatGPT (40:16). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:48) How does Hyfe work? (9:03) Notion - Sign up for FREE at https://notion.com/jason (10:32) Acoustic AI and its potential (14:5...
Apr 14, 2023•57 min
Vinny and Sunny join Jason to discuss AI’s blistering pace and compare its development to other product launches (2:47). They also break down the anxiety artists and developers feel from AI automation (14:47), the rise of AutoGPTs, Twitter’s reported LLM project, and more (37:01). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:47) The blistering pace of AI (9:44) Developer builds Flappy Bird in 1-hour (11:24) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at ht...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Copy.ai Founder Paul Yacoubian joins Jason to break down the evolution and progress that OpenAI has made with its GPT LLMs (2:38) before discussing the radical shifts that AI will cause across most industries (20:46). They end the show with a demo of Copy.ai and the legal issues surrounding training datasets (48:54). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:38) The evolution of GPT-2 to GPT-3 (8:16) Mercury - Apply in minutes and get up to $5M in FDIC insurance at https://mercury.com (9:45) How GPT su...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Jason breaks down an AI experiment conducted by Google and Stanford researchers, where they created a simulated Sims-like video game with characters driven by AI (2:27). Then, he discusses Bloomberg announcing its own financially-focused LLM and what it means for analysts (21:58). He wraps with two quick hits about San Francisco’s dire commercial real estate situation and the collapse of an instant delivery startup (37:51). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:27) Stanford and Google paper "Genera...
Apr 11, 2023•52 min
The man behind the anonymous accounts “prayingforexits” on Instagram and “@mrexits” on Twitter joins Jason for a jam-packed episode. Topics covered: what founders can learn from Logan Roy (2:29), what recent ZIRP fraudsters have in common (21:39), where GPT-4 ranks in terms of revolutionary product launches (31:28), AI’s impact moving forward, the state of VC (1:02:29), and so much more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:29) Succession, Logan Roy’s mentality & winning (9:22) Purpose-driven ...
Apr 11, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Jason breaks down the valuation tension surrounding YC demo days (2:36), how to get better prices on YC-equivalent startups (8:59), Garry Tan's response to complaints (15:18), and more! Then, Jason reacts to a law firm's leaked expectations list that went viral (29:29) before wrapping with some thoughts about Substack (41:59). (0:00) Jason tees up Friday's topics! (2:36) Understanding the valuation tension of YC's demo day; why some investors resent YC (8:59) Jason's three ways to avoid overpayi...
Apr 07, 2023•47 min
Satya Patel joins Jason to discuss the economics of being a self-funded GP and the structure of their fund (6:51). Then, they have an all-encompassing discussion about the challenges of running Google today, the state of VC, and much more (15:44). Before wrapping, they discuss their investing frameworks and when and when they will not break them (43:29). (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:21) Satya's early days a Google (6:51) The economics of being a solo GP (9:29) Mercury - Apply in minutes and...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring three startups from our Founder University program! Apply for Founder University: https://course.founder.university (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:07) Introducing Founder University (7:14) Pitch 01: Xinyue Ma of Sticker (11:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (13:00) Jason’s feedback for Sticker (15:07) Pitch 02: Joseph Homsy of Outmost (17:11) Jason’s feedback for Outmost (23:14) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job f...
Apr 05, 2023•59 min
First up, Jason touches on Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund disclosing which VC firms it has made LP investments in (2:48), which leads to him pondering the human rights issues and if founders care where their money comes from (18:52). Jason caps off the show by breaking down the SEC’s charges against Frank founder Charlie Javice for allegedly closing a $175M acquisition based on over 4M fake user accounts (30:18). (0:00) Jason kicks off today’s show (2:48) Saudi Arabia discloses LP positio...
Apr 04, 2023•47 min
Jason kicks off the show by breaking down clips from a recent conversation between Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Adam Neumann about Saudi Arabia’s promising startup scene (2:44). This leads to Jason diving into new city concepts and Trump’s presidential campaign (13:01). Then, BioFluff CEO Martin Stübler joins the show to discuss his sustainable fashion alternative (30:44). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:44) Saudi Arabia’s promising startup scene (11:31) Coda - The All-in-one doc for te...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Stephen Wolfram of Wolfram Research joins Jason for an all-encompassing conversation about AI, from the history of neural nets (7:53) to how modern ai emulates the human brain (19:33). This leads to an in-depth discussion about the pace at which AI is evolving (43:46), The “Post-Knowledge Work” era (58:45), the unintended consequences of AI (1:03:52), and so much more. (0:00) Nick kicks off the show (1:24) Under the hood of ChatGPT (7:53) What is a neural net? (10:05) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud ...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Vinny Lingham joins Jason to break down the state of crypto’s de-platforming by the US government. They discuss recent happenings with Coinbase (2:13), Balaji’s Bitcoin bet (20:00), Binance (38:23), SBF (44:07), and more! Then, they wrap with a discussion about the coming balkanization of AI (52:54). (0:00) Jason tees up today’s topics (2:13) Coinbase’s Wells notice & the state of crypto (8:08) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (9:36) Clarity within the crypto...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring three startups from our Founder University program! Apply for Founder University: https://course.founder.university (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:58) Kelly and Presh discuss reactions from the Founder University community (6:47) Presentation 1: Kevin O'Connell, Founder and CEO of Kapsule (12:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (13:38) Presentation ...
Mar 29, 2023•49 min
Producer Rachel joins Jason to break down the latest tech news. They cover AOC's arguments against banning TikTok (2:29), Alibaba's six-way split (18:43), Disney's metaverse cuts (28:17), Substack's equity crowdfunding (39:16), Lyft's precarious position, and more! (55:09) Then, Jason breaks down the case for shorting Coinbase. (1:12:14) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:29) Reacting to AOC's arguments to not ban TikTok (13:39) LMNT - Get a free sample pack with any purchase at http://drinklmnt...
Mar 29, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Jason starts the show by discussing First Citizens acquiring SVB’s assets (2:03) before diving into a Reddit post detailing how generative AI changed a 3D artist’s job overnight (9:09). Jason wraps by interviewing Sarika Bajaj, the CEO, and Co-founder of Refiberd, as she dives into the reality of the recycling process, how they are using spectroscopy to recycle textiles, and more (20:28)! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:03) A breakdown of First Citizens’ purchase of SVB (8:05) Vanta - Get $10...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Acquired co-hosts Ben and David are BACK to discuss the state of the VC market and YC shutting down its Continuity Fund (6:20) before diving into industries that benefitted from ZIRP (26:35). They also break down which social apps they want to own and why (45:29). Then, Ben and Jason wrap up the show by discussing the future of Amazon and Starfish Space, a new space startup (1:11:48) (0:00) Nick tees up today’s topics (1:36) David’s time at Stanford (6:20) Ben’s private market snapshot (8:49) Mi...
Mar 24, 2023•1 hr 31 min
Jason kicks off today's episode by reacting to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony in front of Congress (1:41) before delving into the news that Coinbase was served a Wells notice by the SEC (22:57). Then, he discusses the reports that Do Kwon has been arrested in Montenegro (32:35) before wrapping up with more information on China and TikTok (35:44). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:41) Jason reacts to Shou Zi Chew's testimony in front of Congress (6:14) China's use of private companies to ma...
Mar 23, 2023•42 min
Jenny Lefcourt of Freestyle VC joins Jason for an insightful conversation. They delve into the mission of All Raise and the importance of diversity in venture capital (2:04). Jenny shares her thoughts on embracing non-consensus bets and her experiences investing in Narvar and Discord (20:04). Additionally, they discuss the value of strategy meetings in comparison to traditional board meetings (59:10). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:04) Co-Founding All Raise: Promoting Diversity in Venture Ca...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Today on the podcast, we have a new format for you! Jason will hear four pitches from Founder University participants and choose ONE startup to invest $25K in! (1:45) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show and explains the pitch format! (1:45) Jason brings on Presh and Kelly to explain the fundamentals of Founder University and introduces today's pitches! (13:44) Squarespace - Use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (16:18) George Lam ...
Mar 21, 2023•57 min
Rachel Reporting joins Jason to read the news! First, they give an update on the banking crisis and how it’s impacting startups (1:34). Then, they cover Balaji’s huge Bitcoin bet and his predictions for the future (14:17) before breaking down OpenAI’s launch of GPT-4 (35:07). Finally, Jason wraps up with some Jay Trading updates (57:28)! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:34) Banking crisis update & how it affects startups (10:11) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance a...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Molly is joined by Laurie Yoler as they dive into her early experiences in VC before discussing how she became the first investor in Tesla (1:45). Next, Laurie talks about her time at Qualcomm and Playground then they wrap with a discussion about AI and how Laurie’s investments were impacted by the pandemic (30:31). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:45) Arriving in Venture (7:36) Laurie’s first investments (13:39) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://l inkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for fre...
Mar 17, 2023•59 min
Vinny and Sunny are BACK with Jason for another roundtable! First, they cover the aftermath of the bank shutdowns (2:54) before breaking down the impact on startups and the overall economy. (14:14) They also cover Zuckerberg announcing more cuts at Meta (1:05:49) and OpenAI launching GPT-4! (1:10:55) (0:00) Jason tees up today's topics! (2:54) Reflecting on the aftermath of the SVB collapse (12:50) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud cost audit with a personal consultation at https://cast.ai/twist (14:14...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 23 min
Wealthfront Chairman and Co-Founder Andy Rachleff joins Jason for an incredible interview! They start the show by discussing the SVB situation before breaking down different tech mini-crashes throughout Silicon Valley history (2:28). Then, they break down Wealthfront’s business and how to know if a business has market pull (40:49). They finish up the show by covering a range of topics, from AI to stock-based comp (1:13:45). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:28) SVB situation (9:26) The FDIC’s $...
Mar 15, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Alora CEO and Co-Founder Luke Young joins Molly to discuss ocean agriculture and the ability to grow crops offshore (1:17). They discuss the progression of engineering that has propelled Alora’s innovations (11:55) and the challenges of growing at sea (21:53). (0:00) Intro! (1:17) Alora’s mission and technological advancements (5:46) Mitigation and adaptation (7:58) The first taste test (10:25) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https...
Mar 14, 2023•40 min
Jason kicks off Monday by recapping this weekend’s chaos caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (1:45). Then, he advises founders on preventing a scare like this from happening again before interviewing Andrew R McHugh of Wist Labs, who is building a platform to capture and relive memories in AR and VR (13:40). (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:45) The past weekend’s chaos and triaging startups (12:18) Pilot - Get 20% off the first 6 months at https://pilot.com/twist (13:40) The governme...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Jason reacts to Silicon Valley Bank being shut down by the FDIC and breaks down what this means for founders and VCs. (0:00) Breaking down the SVB situation (4:28) FDIC press release (7:41) What Jason hopes will happen (10:16) Defcon 1 (12:39) Thoughts on emergency funding (15:46) How does the SVB situation affect early-stage fundraising (26:59) SVB sells their securities (29:10) USV email to founders (31:06) SVB CEO addresses the situation (33:07) Bill Ackman’s response (34:31)Mark Suster’s res...
Mar 11, 2023•48 min
