👉 Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: Nox’s new app RPLY reminds you to text your friends back, getting you to iMessage inbox zero. On today’s TWiST, we’ve got Molly Cantillon of Nox, telling us how she plans to make lackadaisical texters (like our co-host Alex) more effective, even if it means breaking into Apple’s walled garden. Hear about how RPLY maps your relationships so that it can understand your messages contextually, and he...
Nov 14, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 2208
👉 Register here to join the kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: Just getting our stuff into orbit isn’t enough… Orbital Operations wants to help companies take things HIGHER. In today’s TWiST 500 interview, Alex chats with Ben Schleuniger, whose startup Orbital Operations is solving the complexity of space logistics. The advent of reusable rockets has made it easier and cheaper than ever for us to place objects in Low Earth Orbit (or LEO). But what if we want to reach higher orbits...
Nov 13, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 2208
Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: Find out why AI is perfectly suited to legal tasks… despite being too fast for “billable hours” On today’s TWiST, Alex takes a deep dive into LLM Law with Harvey AI co-founder/president Gabe Pereyra. It turns out, much like software development, doing legal work relies on learning specialized language and sifting through a dense and expansive corpus of information… making it an IDEAL use case for LLMs. Buuuu...
Nov 11, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 2207
👉 Register here for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: *Three of our favorite TWiST 500 startups — Ledger, 1Password, AND Mercury — are circling IPOs. Find out why the cybersecurity space remains so hot… AND why Jason says you really need to have multiple banks. PLUS Marc Andreessen called The Pope an AI Doomer on X, then thought better of it. We’re tracking the entire viral controversy… SPEAKING OF viral feuds, allegations are FLYING around about recent...
Nov 10, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: *The key to avoiding long airport delays? Low-altitude sea planes! Why didn’t you think of that? We’ve got an awesome line-up of TWiST 500 founders giving us an inside glimpse inside their startups on this Friday special edition. FIRST: Billy Thalheimer of REGENT introduces us to their aircraft/boat hybrid The Seaglider, and walk us through how it all works, AND why they’re operating in BOTH the commercial a...
Nov 08, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 2205
Register for Founder University Japan’s kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: *On TWiST, Jason welcomes an all-star VC panel — Deedy Das of Menlo Partners and Jay Eum of GFT Ventures — for a deep dive into the shocking scale of early-stage AI raises, a transitional moment for investors, the growing importance of the “prosumer” market, ChatGPT’s insane smile curves, and much much more. IN THIS EPISODE What the panelists make of Roelof Botha’s exit from Sequoia… and is he really going a...
Nov 06, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 2204
👉 Register here to join the Founder University Japan kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mk Today’s show: *Starcloud has started sending AI chips into orbit. So is this where the datacenters the power AI will one day live? And does wifi work in the vacuum of space? We’re asking the TOUGH questions. PLUS Jason and Alex are doing a deep dive on all this week’s OpenAI news. Will they ever be able to pay back all these GPU purchases? What happens to the wider economy on the off chance they don’t thrive...
Nov 03, 2025•1 hr 18 min
What will be OpenAI’s IPO price? Place ya bets! | EXXX *Polymarket’s sharps are already placing bets on when ChatGPT maker OpenAI will go public… and Jason and Alex want in on this action. They’re placing side wagers on how the House that Sam Altman built will be valued once it finally goes public. PLUS find out why Amazon is Jason’s stock pick for the next five years… Why startups are starting to release their own foundation models, and what this means for major players like OpenAI and Anthropi...
Nov 01, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 2202
Today’s show: *Why rebrand an app with 40 million daily active users? On TWiST, Grammarly CEO Shishir Mehrotra swings by to explain why he’s renaming his company after the mail app he just purchased, Superhuman. Plus he’s giving us a first look at the startup’s new AI assistant, Superhuman Go, digging into their new agent-centered strategy, looking ahead at the potential for AI job displacement, and more. Jason and Alex also talk about our new nuclear deal with Westinghouse and Japan, OpenAI’s c...
Oct 30, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 2201
Today’s show: Jason’s been skeptical on Apple lately, but he’s BLOWN AWAY by his new iPhone Air.Hear why JCal thinks Cupertino’s latest release is “completely inspiring,” and why he’s sure it’s the next step on the road to Apple Glasses. We’re chatting with LAUNCH founder Zach Handshoe of spacial video startup SpatialGen about designing products for Cupertino AND the intense pressure of performing a Steve Jobs-level keynote. PLUS Raiza Martin of Huxe stops by to tell us why they’re using audio t...
Oct 29, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 2200
Today’s show: Australia has accused Microsoft of employing a dark pattern… Hear why Jason says these kinds of sneaky tactics aren’t usually worth it. It’s a brand-new Monday TWiST and it’s PACKED with news. In addition to Australia’s allegations against MSFT, we’re looking at Chinese drone fails and wondering how live experiences will change in the age of AI. PLUS has Tesla finally “solved” FSD after years of promises? Does it matter that so much of Mercor’s revenue goes back out to contractors?...
Oct 28, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 2199
Today’s show: *Working from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week, might seem like TOO INTENSE a commitment for some, but Jason argues that elite performance — and the mega-compensation that goes along with it — sometimes requires personal sacrifice. While 72-hour weeks might lead to burnout for some, it really comes down to individual choice. PLUS Jason and Alex deep dive the NBA gambling scandal and the sketchy reality behind high-stakes home games of poker. PLUS Presh Kumar takes us behind the scenes, ...
Oct 25, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 2198
Today’s show: *Amazon’s dropping a LOT of employees for AI and robots… are Jason’s darkest predictions coming true? Legendary investor Elad Gil joins Jason and Alex for the full show today! Together, they’re digging into the Amazon news, looking back at Jason’s predictions from just last month, and theorizing about just how many people will lose their jobs to computers, and what we’re going to do about it. (Is it possible the US hasn’t been massively hit by job displacement so far because those ...
Oct 22, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 2197
Are AI tools in the classroom just time-savers, or can they have genuine educational value?In a must-watch TWiST 500 interview, Alex chats with Magic School founder (and former principal) Adeel Khan about how AI tools can make teachers more effective, and keep students inspired, without just doing all the work for them. He talks about turning an AI chatbot into a true assistant teacher, that keeps the lessons balanced yet challenging, and particularly empowers classroom novices and non-professio...
Oct 22, 2025•58 min
Today’s show: *Is the AI bubble going to POP? And if so, how much of our economy is it going to take down with it?On a new TWiST, Jason, Alex, and Lon debate the size and scale of the AI bubble, whether poppage is imminent, and just who we can blame for the last few economic crises. (HINT: Not the tech industry!)PLUS why Jason STILL thinks the current AI cycle will be the biggest in tech history, how this morning’s AWS mega-failure might impact the company’s earnings, the spread of AI fakes in t...
Oct 21, 2025•59 min
Deel’s growth overshadows SpyGate, Claude learned new skills, and the great “momentum is moat” debate | EXXX Today’s show: *Deel’s growing fast enough that investors are overlooking the espionage allegations and jumping on board anyway. (LAUNCH now owns a lil taste of Deel, so Jason is on board!) PLUS is the Mag 7 about to become the Mag 70… Why legendary investor Roelof Botha thinks VC is not an asset class… How startups can use capital as a weapon… AND Anthropic gave Claude more skills, which ...
Oct 18, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Today’s show: *On a very special TWiST, Jason’s joined by “one of the greatest investors in in the history of VC,” Steve Jurvetson of Future Ventures. Together, they look back at some of Steve’s earliest investments and learnings, the promise and ultimate failure of nanotech, breaking down the AI hype cycle, the primacy of neural networks, the return of nuclear power, why “AI safety” might be illusory, and much more. It’s a packed show full of deep insights from one of the greatest minds in tech...
Oct 16, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Today’s show: *Eric Glyman of Ramp joins us to share the fintech unicorn’s growth secrets AND their Lab full of research data. On TWiST, Jason and Alex chat with Eric about Ramp’s counter-intuitive mission — helping startups spend LESS money — PLUS they take a deep dive into the company’s treasure trove of startup trend data. Why is there a huge spike in unemployed recent college trends? Is “static team size” as a big a story as Jason and Alex think? What does it actually take to get companies t...
Oct 13, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Figure’s 03 Chore-bot, Jake Paul Sora takeover, ChatGPT app integrations, and more | E2191 Today’s show: Figure’s butler-bot could be cleaning up after you soon than you think! On a Friday TWiST, Jason and Lon are checking out the Figure 03 demo reel, checking out the humanoid robot that could soon be hanging out in your house, doing your chores. Lon’s a bit skeptical that full-sized Westworld drones will soon be on everyone’s home but the technology is obviously moving forward at a rapid clip a...
Oct 10, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Today’s show: *Zach Dell of Base Power joins us at the top of today’s show to talk about building batteries in Austin, that $1 billion investment, and why an “all of the above” energy strategy is the only way forward. PLUS Jason and Alex’s thoughts on that Tesla non-upside down car announcement, growing resentments toward AI datacenters, Chinese robots actually going on sale, Tim Cook’s potential Apple exit, xAI’s Nvidia agreement and MUCH MORE. Timestamps: (00:02:10) A MAJOR GUEST! Zach Dell of...
Oct 09, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Everything’s going great here at This Week in Startups — and we’re expanding! As we launch a brand new podcast next year, we’re looking to bring on two new creative roles: Video Editor — Full-time or part-time, remote or in-person (Austin). If you love startups and tech and you’re skilled at editing, this is your shot. Send your portfolio to editor@launch.co . Short-Form Video Editor (CapCut) — Help us create top-tier TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts from our podcast content. If you’re great w...
Oct 08, 2025•2 min
Today’s show: *How many weirdly circular mega-deals is OpenAI going to sign this year? On a new TWiST, Jason and Alex consider OpenAI’s latest agreement with AMD, how the biggest American companies keep trading cash and chips back and forth, and whether or not the entire AI economy might be a house of cards. PLUS what kind of fan/leafblower tech is Tesla working on… what can Jevons Paradox tell us about the AI landscape… how easy is it to master games in the YC Arena… and WHY has NASA never buil...
Oct 07, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Today’s show: Is Sora not just a copyright-killer but a TikTok-killer? Hear our review! The “This Week in Startups” team has been playing around inside OpenAI’s viral app, which just hit #1 in the iOS Store. See all of Lon’s creations, explore the land beyond the Uncanny Valley, and find out why the hottest new social app could stand to be a bit more social. PLUS Brave surpasses 100M MAUs… why Jason would sell ALL his OpenAI shares right away, Apple pulls the ICEBlock app from the App Store, AND...
Oct 04, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Today’s show: Sora 2 will generate a video of whatever you like and respects no IP (unless they opt out) On a brand new TWiST, Jason and Alex check out Sora 2, the latest text-to-video app from TWiST 500 mainstays OpenAI, and look at some of the video videos that have already emerged from the TikTok-style scrolling video app. (TikSlop?) THEN we’re considering the case of “AI actress” Tilly Norwood, and whether her big debut is a legit shift in the world of entertainment or just a marketing gimmi...
Oct 02, 2025•55 min
Today’s show: How do you get investors excited about jets when they’re hyper-focused on new AI tools? In a fresh TWiST 500 interview, Alex sits down with Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic to talk about the Overture, the world’s fastest plane that recently broke the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert. (That’s a first for a private company, rather than a military or government.) Hear about the secrets to avoiding a noisy and disruptive sonic boom, using satellites to set the most efficient routes,...
Sep 30, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Today’s show: Friend’s new AI pendant just wants to be your new pal. So why do New Yorkers hate them? On a brand-new TWiST, Jason and Alex consider the Friend AI pendant, which listens to everything you say all day and then sends you snarky texts about it. WIRED says it’s unhelpful and will make your friends hate you. New Yorkers are so sick of their aggressive subway ads, they’re tagging them with graffiti. But what do Jason and Alex think of the wearable companion? PLUS the value of bringing y...
Sep 29, 2025•1 hr
Today’s show: Factory, a Sequoia-backed producer of AI agents for programming, raised $50 million at a $300 million valuation. So Jason and Alex are wondering… how much capital is TOO MUCH? We’re going deep on a question that often perplexes founders: How would weigh a HUGE potential market against STIFF pre-existing competition. PLUS that Neon app that records your calls deleted itself, why AI ISN’T taking away all the radiology jobs yet, how inherent biases impact everyone’s view of the econom...
Sep 27, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Today’s show: What is “workslop”? And is it already slowing you down at the office? On a new This Week in Startups, we’ve got full co-host quorum with JCal, Alex, AND Lon tackling a meaty docket of news at the cross-section of tech, startups, and pop culture. For starters: A new Harvard/Stanford study suggests that AI isn’t massively improving workplace efficiency because SOME workers aren’t using it properly. Are low-quality, lazily-assembled AI outputs costing US enterprises millions in lost p...
Sep 25, 2025•1 hr 22 min
Today’s show: New proposal on H-1B visas… and it’s pretty similar to Jason’s pitch from last month! On a new TWiST, Jason and Lon wonder if the White House is watching the pod and borrowing some of our best ideas! Specifically, the new $100K H-1B visa proposal sounds a lot like Jason’s suggestion from August… with a few significant tweaks. PLUS we’re looking at the latest news about the US TikTok entity, why Jason’s not concerned about the new algorithm, the explosion of major data centers in Sc...
Sep 23, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Today’s show: On an action-packed TWiST, Alex and Jason check out Meta’s latest wearables, which promise to fix the “constantly staring down at your phone” problem and prevent you from blocking that little light letting others know you’re filming them. Think the upgrade is worth $799 of your hard-earned money? PLUS, Lovable CEO Anton Osika stops by to answer YOUR questions, talk about how people are using the iconic vibecoding app, balancing accessibility and user engagement with the need to act...
Sep 19, 2025•1 hr 15 min
