Eric Newcomer joins to break down all the trending tech topics, including Stripe raising $6B (16:31), major generative ai fundraises (35:55), Silicon Valley Bank dropping 60% (50:35), and more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:55) Eric’s move to independent journalism (10:07) First Republic Bank - Discover what a long-term financial relationship can do for you. Visit https://firstrepublic.com today to learn more. (10:57) Take rates and more on Substack (16:31) Eric’s Scoop on Stripe (20:43) Em...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Zach Coelius is BACK with Jason to take questions from founders and investors! They cover investing on Zoom post-COVID (6:07), diligence red flags (13:13), investor red flags (27:32), building relationships prior to fundraising (48:59), and more! (0:00) Jason Kicks off the show (1:21) Managing time as an angel (6:07) Moving to zoom instead of the room (9:50) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (10:54) Servicing new deals vs. existing ones (13:13) Red flags to look for in ...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Emily Melton joins Molly to discuss her early days in venture and what she learned while working at DFJ (1:30). Then, they talk about the barriers that healthcare imposes on entrepreneurship (17:22), building a diverse culture within venture capital (29:53), market distortions, and how to optimize for a down market (38:42). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:30) Getting started in Venture Capital (8:12) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free (9:38) Lear...
Mar 08, 2023•58 min
Molly kicks off Climate Tuesday breaking down the news that the Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act has resurfaced (1:37). Then, she discusses BlocPower’s $155M raise and their collaboration with a town in New York to achieve net zero emissions (6:12). Finally, Kiran Bhatraju of Arcadia joins Molly for 2023’s first official Climate interview (11:38). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:37) The Crypto-Asset Environmental Transparency Act resurfaces (6:12) BlocPower Raises $155M (10:12) Lin...
Mar 07, 2023•50 min
Jason is BACK with Molly to break down the news! They cover Sequoia leaving Citizen's board after passing on a "pay to play" round (5:46), two major companies reportedly going public in 2023: Instacart and ARM (27:11), and the recent turmoil at Dapper Labs (50:44). (0:00) J+M tee up today's news show! (2:25) Jason's back! (5:46) Sequoia leaves the board of Citizen (14:21) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% at https://Squarespace.com/TWIST (15:51) How investors make the decision to pa...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Molly starts the show with Producer Rachel, covering Apple blocking an email app with an AI update (7:17), TikTok's latest restriction for users under 18 (14:05), and Salesforce Q4 earnings results. Then, they break down the startup immi, an instant ramen company (26:55). To end the show, Molly talks to Foodini founder and CEO Dylan McDonnell (35:10), and Rachel talks to Michael Tan, author of The Death of Uncertainty (59:49). 0:00 Molly Kicks off the show 1:55 Apple blocks app update for having...
Mar 04, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Frank Slootman joins Jason for another incredible conversation that ranges from the management shift in Silicon Valley (1:08) to how to know if you’re moving the dial in your organization (9:59). Then, they discuss Frank’s hiring philosophy and how to create a winning relationship between an executive and their direct reports (27:05). Finally, they discuss managing burnout and creating security for yourself (46:33). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:08) Layoffs + the management shift in Silicon...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Vinny and Sunny joined Molly on another segment of Crypto Roundtable! Highlights included how Twitter could have integrated crypto (2:02), the benefits and controversy of a national ID system (23:00), and Spotify's NFT experiment. (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (2:02) The future of Twitter payments (12:16) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (14:21) What does an ideal Twitter identity system look like? (21:16) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first...
Mar 02, 2023•55 min
Maha Ibrahim of Canaan joins Molly to discuss her early days in VC (1:38), managing distributions and exiting at the right time (20:36), the clean tech bubble, being a generalist/specialist, diversity, and more (37:42). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:38) Maha’s first years in venture (11:18) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (12:43) Investing in the early 2000s and Canaan’s strategy (19:12) Cast.ai - Get a free cloud cost audit with a personal...
Feb 28, 2023•58 min
Neeva CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy joins Molly to talk all things search and AI chatbots, including Neeva’s technology and the difficulty of building a search engine (1:41), Neeva’s consumer focus and business model (20:00), and the search-to-answer revolution (41:31). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:41) Neeva’s Purpose (5:06) The technological underpinning of Neeva (8:00) The hurdles building Neeva (10:26) Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub - Apply in 5 minutes for six figures in discounts at http...
Feb 27, 2023•57 min
The Friday variety show is back! Jason kicks it off by interviewing WallStreetBets founder Jaime Rogozinski, who's currently suing Reddit (2:08). Then, Molly is joined by Hyper CEO Andrew Hart to discuss the augmented reality market and Hyper's store-mapping technology (30:16). Producer Rachel wraps the show with content creator Humphrey Yang breaking down his creative process, what he considers valuable metrics, and so much more (53:40). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (2:08) WSB milestones and...
Feb 24, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Sophia Amoruso, Founder and GP at Trust Fund, joins Jason to discuss her angel investments (1:23), raising a fund publicly (5:54), and the creative process (12:14). Then, they discuss portfolio construction and putting past identities to bed (27:04). (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:23) Previous angel investing experience (5:54) Why Sophia is raising a public fund (10:45) Linode - Apply to Linode's Rise program for up to six figures in discounts at https://linode.com/twist (12:14) Branding and...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Jason is joined by Mark Suster of Upfront Ventures to cover raising capital in the early 2000s (1:22), aligning board members (21:19), the three variables VCs need to bet on (40:51), and so much more! (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:22) A recap of the previous 3 market cycles (5:23) The hurdles founders will face starting a company in 2023 (6:55) Raising capital in the early 2000s (9:15) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (10:37) Upfront’s strat...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Precision Neuroscience’s Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer joins Molly to discuss how the brain communicates with the body (7:08) and the breakthroughs that allowed companies like Precision to exist. (12:52) Then, they discuss Precision’s founding principles, the process of getting FDA approval for its neural interface, and much more. (28:55) (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:27) Dr. Rapoport’s origin story (7:08) How the brain communicates with the body (11:22) Squarespace - Use offer code ...
Feb 21, 2023•54 min
First up, J+M break down Meta taking a note from Twitter with a $12 paid tier and how it can have a material impact on revenue. (12:05) Then, they cover the problems with Bing's new chatbot (32:13) before wrapping on Stripe potentially missing its window (46:14) and Meta copying a Telegram feature! (1:00:30) (0:00) J+M tee up today's topics! (2:22) Proper PTO operating standards, what's in store for the next few weeks on TWiST! (10:31) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://ma...
Feb 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Vinny and Sunny join Jason and Molly for another crypto roundtable discussing the federal government’s crackdown on crypto. (1:39) They define what staking is (10:13), and Jason addresses his Twitter Exchange with Coinbase founder and CEO Brian Armstrong. (32:20) Then Producer Rachel is joined by Prince Ghosh of Factored Quality for another edition of Ok Boomer. (1:06:45) (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (1:39) Crypto crackdown + the roles of the SEC and CFTC (8:46) Microsoft for Startups Founder...
Feb 17, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Deven Parekh of Insight Partners joins Jason to discuss navigating markets during the dot com era and the pandemic. (1:50) Then they discuss "venture tourists" and cleaning up cap tables before wrapping up with a look back at some of Deven's winning investments. (20:04) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:50) Experiencing the dot com burst (10:14) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (11:36) Comparing Web 3.0 and the dot com era + navigating the marke...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Molly is joined by Rachel as they discuss the news that some companies are selling data about their mental health patients. (1:33) Then they discuss how Bing’s AI chatbot was presenting false information during its reveal last week. (11:57) To wrap, Tom Loverro joins Jason to talk about his viral tweet thread about a “mass extinction event coming for early & mid-stage companies”. (24:36) (0:00) Molly and Rachel kick off the show (1:33) America’s mental health data is being sold (10:28) Squar...
Feb 14, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Molly and Jason kick off the show catching up after the weekend, discussing the Super Bowl and the spy balloons that the US airforce has shot down. (1:30) Then they have a very interesting conversation about bypassing ChatGPT’s guardrails and content moderation. (23:29) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (1:30) Super Bowl 57 (8:33) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (9:58) UFOs in American airspace (22:26) Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insura...
Feb 13, 2023•55 min
Four-cycle investor and Redpoint Ventures Co-Founder Geoff Yang joins to discuss his early years in VC (1:45), what it takes for a founder to survive in a down market (11:47), what makes CEOs like Frank Slootman and David Zaslav stand out, and more! (43:35) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:45) Geoff Yang’s experience cracking into VC (10:26) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://linkedIn.com/angel and post your first job for free. (11:47) Surviving and thriving in a down market (22:35) First Republic ...
Feb 11, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Joe Gebbia joins Jason to discuss the early days of Airbnb, gaining traction, persevering through the “no’s,” and functional design. (2:09) They also discuss gaining customer trust and Airbnb’s incredible COVID turnaround. (21:17) Joe wraps the show by breaking down his new venture, Samara. (45:05) (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (2:09) Airbnb’s first sign of traction (9:05) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (10:04) Persevering through the “no’s,” and functional design ...
Feb 08, 2023•59 min
Molly and Jason discuss Google’s announcing plans to roll out its ChatGPT competitor, called Bard, in the coming weeks. (1:10) Then, they discuss Adam Neumann’s explanation of Flow’s business before wrapping up with a SOTD, Jobber. (18:59) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (1:10) Breaking down Google’s announcement of Bard (9:29) Coda - Startups can get $1000 credit by visiting https://coda.io/twist (11:00) Neeva’s approach to search (17:33) Linode - Apply to Linode's Rise program for up to six figur...
Feb 07, 2023•53 min
Molly breaks down Google’s $300M investment in Anthropic and how this deal compares to Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI. (2:00) Then, she dives deep into a former Google executive’s paid search engine and ShiftMed raising $200M to solve the nursing shortage. She wraps the show with an interview featuring the CEO of dating app So Syncd, Jessica Alderson. (13:44) (0:00) Molly kicks off the show (2:00) Google invests $300M in Anthropic (12:15) LinkedIn Marketing - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at h...
Feb 06, 2023•58 min
Molly is off for the day, so Producer Rachel joins Jason to break down Google, Amazon, and Apple’s latest earnings report. (1:29) Then LA26 graduate Perrin Davidson, CEO of EATERCLUB, joins Molly. (46:05) Lastly, we end the week with another edition of Ok Boomer, where Rachel interviews Eerika Savolainen, the CEO of Slush. (1:02:16) (0:00) Jason and Rachel kick off the show! (1:29) Google earnings (11:19) MasterClass - Get 15% off an annual membership at https://masterclass.com/startups (12:44) ...
Feb 03, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Jason and Molly kick off the show by discussing Meta’s Q4 earnings and the news that the Fed is raising rates by only 25 basis points (3:06), which leads to a discussion on unemployment, automation, and generative AI updates. (11:24) Then, Lon Harris joins to discuss Oscar nominations, Spotify earnings, “peak podcasting,” and more. (37:51) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (3:06) Meta Earnings (7:56) The Fed raises rates by 25bps (9:57) House of Macadamias - Get 20% off at https://houseofmacadamias.c...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Jason is joined by FirstMark Capital’s Rick Heitzmann, who started his investment career in 1999. They discuss “sobering up” after the 14-year bull run (1:55), Airbnb’s response to the downturn (7:38), how senior leaders must act as shock absorbers for their founders (26:30), and more! (0:00) Jason kicks off the show (1:55) Rick’s experience of the “Speculative Asset Bubble” (7:38) Airbnb’s reaction to the downturn (11:33) LinkedIn Jobs - Go to https://l inkedIn.com/angel and post your first job...
Feb 02, 2023•55 min
Jason and Molly kick off the show with a quick third-rail story about Area 51. (1:56) They then cover Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom’s new startup, Artifact. (10:44) Finally, Gabi Lewis of Magic Spoon joins Molly for an awesome interview about their latest raise, launching in big box stores and more. (41:56) (0:00) Molly Kicks off the show (1:56) Conspiracy Theories with Molly and Jason (9:37) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist (10:44) Mike Krieger ...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 26 min
Jason and Molly kick off the week with a generative ai update! (5:00) Then, they cover Mr. Beast’s latest video and “stunt culture” (35:21), some more third-rail topics (49:40), and Billy McFarland being back in the news! (59:50) (0:00) M+J kick off the show (2:10) Apply to Founder University 2-Day Workshop at https://intensive.founder.university/ (5:00) Anthropic raises at a $5B valuation (9:31) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist (11:01) More on Anthropic...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Please take our 90-second audience survey for a chance to win a $50 amazon gift card at www.thisweekinstartups.com/survey Molly and Jason chop it up about New York Attorney General Letitia James probing into MSG's alleged use of facial recognition to identify and target specific patrons (1:46). This segues into a great discussion about Meta's $10M deal with BuzzFeed and The Creator Economy as a whole (21:41). We cap off the week with two great interviews, one with LA26 graduate Nevsah Karamehmet...
Jan 27, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Please take our 90-second audience survey for a chance to win a $50 amazon gift card at www.thisweekinstartups.com/survey Vinny and Sunny are back for our first crypto-roundtable of 2023. Vinny breaks down the macroeconomic variables affecting Bitcoin’s price (1:39), plus they all predict whether Bitcoin will hit $30K or $16 first (11:43) (This is not financial advice). They delve into the ongoing controversy involving DCG, Gemini and Genesis (26:54), as well as the news that the SEC has charged...
Jan 27, 2023•58 min
