podcast image for This Week in Startups
This Week in Startups
Description

Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.

Episodes
  • 2025 / 4 / 18
    LMArena Goes Startup, AI App Wars Begin, Scott Bair’s Design Playbook | E2114

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon discuss the rise of LMArena as it spins out into a full-fledged startup, what that means for AI benchmarking, and how it could monetize its growing community. They also dive...

  • 2025 / 4 / 17
    AI Progress and Impact on Ecosystem Players with CapitalG’s Jill Chase | AI Basics with Google Cloud

    In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with CapitalG partner Jill Chase to break down how AI is reshaping the startup ecosystem — from founders to investors to incumbents. They cover how CapitalG...

  • 2025 / 4 / 17
    Cuts CEO Talks Tariffs, Figma's IPO Buzz, and a Nerd Crawler Update | E2113

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon discuss Figma’s surprise IPO filing following its $1B breakup from Adobe, OpenAI’s quiet push into social networking through a Sora image-sharing feed, and how sweeping new...

  • 2025 / 4 / 15
    Vertical AI Innovations: Abacus LLM in Finance & Synthesia's Video Avatars | E2112

    Today’s show: Alex interviews founders from Abacus and Synthesia—two companies leading the charge in vertical AI. Abacus is deploying on-prem LLMs to banks and insurers with a focus on data control, accuracy,...

  • 2025 / 4 / 15
    HuggingFace Buys Pollen Robotics, DHH & Bezos Founder Advice & a JCal Origin Story | E2111

    Today’s show: In this episode, Jason, Alex, and Lon dive into Blue Origin’s all-female celeb spaceflight (yes, Katy Perry sang on reentry), Hugging Face’s unexpected move into robotics, and Jack Dorsey’s wild...

  • 2025 / 4 / 12
    Palantir's Fellowship, Coco Robots & Startup Office Hours | E2110

    Today’s show: We dive into the latest tech and startup news — including Palantir’s bold new fellowship program that challenges the traditional college path, and DoorDash’s rollout of burrito-delivering Coco...

  • 2025 / 4 / 10
    70mph Drone Deliveries, 125% Tariffs & What $10M Exits Really Mean | E2109

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon talk about stories reshaping the startup world: 70mph drone deliveries are officially live in Dallas, with Zipline and Walmart promising groceries “as the crow flies” in...

  • 2025 / 4 / 8
    Economic Chaos, More Pitch Madness & the Shopify AI Manifesto | E2108

    Today’s show: Jason and Alex unpack a wild week in tech and the markets — including a fake tweet that moved $4 trillion and Trump’s latest tariff talk. Lon jumps in for another round of Founder Fridays Pitch...

  • 2025 / 4 / 5
    Rippling Targets $16B, Market Chaos, TikTok Timeout, and Office Hours | E2107

    Today’s show: Jason and Alex dive into the startup world’s latest chaos — from Nasdaq’s slide and Trump’s tariffs to Klarna’s IPO pause and Rippling’s $16B target. They break down what founders really need to...

  • 2025 / 4 / 3
    Spycraft in SaaS, Rabbit’s Comeback, and Startup Pitch Madness | E2106

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by…Kyte - TWIST Listeners: Go to https://kyte.com/ and download the Kyte app today. Use code JASON to save 10% on your first rental.Atlassian - Head to...

  • 2025 / 4 / 1
    M&A Mania, Palantir Meme Crash + Office Hours with Hookhub | E2105

    Today’s show: Circle gears up for its IPO and the stablecoin wars heat up, Palantir’s meme stock status gets a reality check, and they riff on a possible Uber + DoorDash merger and whether AI should train on...

  • 2025 / 3 / 29
    AI Revolution Gains, Non-Consensus Startups & Prosperous AI | E2104

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon cover everything from wild political headlines to big moves in AI and venture. They kick things off with the surprising Trump pardon of Trevor Milton, the disgraced Nikola...

  • 2025 / 3 / 27
    11x in Trouble and China's AI Acceleration | E2103

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  • 2025 / 3 / 25
    23andMe BANKRUPT, Saylor Still Buying Bitcoin, + Founder Interviews | E2102

    Today’s show: In this episode, Alex and Lon kick things off with the latest tech news — including 23andMe’s dramatic collapse, MicroStrategy’s half-million Bitcoin haul, and whether we’re finally seeing a...

  • 2025 / 3 / 21
    Fact-Checking Mark Rober, and the Fall of TechCrunch | E2101

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon break down a subreddit question: A founder builds 100% of the product, is promised equity—and now he’s being pushed out. We break down exactly what he should do next. Plus,...

  • 2025 / 3 / 19
    Tesla vs. Mark Rober, Google’s $32B M&A Bet, & XRP’s SEC Victory | E2100

    Today’s show: Tesla FSD drama, Google’s massive $32B cybersecurity bet, and XRP’s SEC victory. Jason, Lon, and Alex break down the internet firestorm over Mark Rober’s viral Tesla test, why Google’s Wiz...

  • 2025 / 3 / 18
    AI-Powered Coding & Space Tugboats? Inside the Future of Software & Satellites! | E2099

    Today’s show: Alex interviews two incredible founders from the TWIST 500! First, Replit CEO Amjad Masad breaks down how AI-powered coding is changing software development and what the future of agents looks...

  • 2025 / 3 / 17
    Self-Driving Car Myths, Klarna’s Big IPO & Netflix’s $300M Gamble | E2098

    Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon break down a wild viral test on self-driving cars— will FSD see through fog, or does LiDAR win? Plus, Klarna is finally going public… but is "buy now, pay later" still the...

  • 2025 / 3 / 14
    Europe’s Startup Future with Harry Stebbings | E2097

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by…Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twistSquarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a...

  • 2025 / 3 / 13
    Is Project Europe a YC Riff? Nick Denton is Back! And more! | E2096

    Today’s show: Europe wants to keep its founders from fleeing, AI is growing at breakneck speed, and Nick Denton is back with a spicy Twitter storm—so we had to talk about it. Jason, Alex, and Lon break down...

  • 2025 / 3 / 11
    The Future of AI Customer Support with LiveX AI’s Jia Li | AI Basics with Google Cloud

    In this episode of AI Basics, Jason sits down with Jia Li from LiveX AI to explore how human-like AI agents are changing the game for businesses. Instead of clunky bots, these AI agents engage customers in...

  • 2025 / 3 / 11
    Student Roy Lee Hacks Amazon, SBF's Jailhouse Chat + more! | E2095

    Timestamps:(0:00) Roy Lee's hack and Amazon's reaction(3:03) MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy(4:29) Market reactions to Trump's policies(6:33) Creating value in current market conditions(8:00) South by...

  • 2025 / 3 / 7
    AI’s Next Leap: Hyper-Realistic Agents & Unlimited Power | E2094

    Today’s show: AI is evolving at lightning speed—smarter assistants, faster models, and now, the massive energy demands that come with it. In this episode, Alex dives into two cutting-edge companies from the...

  • 2025 / 3 / 5
    Coreweave IPO, AVRide & Digg is Back! | E2093

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  • 2025 / 3 / 4
    AI Agents & the Future of Work with LangChain’s Harrison Chase | AI Basics with Google Cloud

    In this episode: Jason sits down with Harrison Chase, CEO of LangChain, to explore how AI-powered agents are transforming the way startups operate. They discuss the shift from traditional entry-level roles to...

  • 2025 / 3 / 4
    US Crypto Reserve Bombshell, Ramp’s $13B Climb, & more | E2092

    Today’s show: Trump just floated the idea of a U.S. Crypto Reserve, suggesting a 10 bips transaction tax and naming unexpected altcoins like XRP, Solana, and Cardano. Jason and Alex break down what this means...

  • 2025 / 3 / 1
    Board Talk Empire with GRIN's Brandon Brown, Founder Hacks & SEC Memecoin Clarity? | E2091

    Today’s show: Jason and Alex break down the latest head-scratching SEC ruling on meme coins—did they just legalize pump-and-dumps to protect Trump’s token? Plus, they dive into why venture debt can destroy...

  • 2025 / 2 / 27
    The Incredible Double Interview: Superhuman and Robinhood | E2090

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  • 2025 / 2 / 27
    The Incredible Double Interview: Superhuman and Robinhood

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by…Lemon.io. Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twistNorthwest Registered Agent. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit...

  • 2025 / 2 / 25
    Apple Drops $500B on AI while Google Gemini Eyes Your iOS Devices! | E2089

    Today’s show: Jason and Lon break down the latest trends shaping AI training, the evolving job market, and the shifting landscape of social media. A tribute to Steve Jobs on what would have been his 70th...

  • 2025 / 2 / 22
    Castelion Hypersonic Missiles and Crunchbase’s AI Powered Predictions | E2088

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  • 2025 / 2 / 20
    EV Truck Startup Nikola Runs Out of Juice | E2087

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by…Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twistLemon.io. Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at...

  • 2025 / 2 / 19
    Is $LIBRA the End of Memecoins? with Coffeezilla | E2086

    In today's episode: Jason and Alex break down one of the craziest crypto stories yet—a $100M meme coin meltdown, insider trading, and Argentina’s president caught in the middle. Coffeezilla joins the show to...

  • 2025 / 2 / 15
    IPO Shakeups, NVIDIA’s Big Bets & Must-Know Founder Hacks | E2085

    Today’s show: IPO shakeups, big AI moves, and essential founder hacks—this episode covers it all. Jason breaks down Robinhood’s 6X stock surge and his strategy for $HOOD, plus the latest on tech IPOs as Turo...

  • 2025 / 2 / 12
    Slow Ventures' Creators Fund and Helion Energy's Fusion Reactors | 2084

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  • 2025 / 2 / 11
    Tech's Super Bowl, Huge Earnings Week, Lon Returns and more! | E2083

    Today on This Week in Startups: Lon Harris is back, and we’re diving into all things Super Bowl—especially the tech takeover in this year’s commercials. We break down the biggest ad moments, from Squarespace...

  • 2025 / 2 / 8
    Gas Stations in Space and Carried Interest on the Chopping Block | E2082

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  • 2025 / 2 / 6
    Is Palantir's Surge Just Hype | E2081

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist Oracle. TWiST listeners can try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at...

  • 2025 / 2 / 4
    Lovable's Anton Osika on Revolutionizing Software Development and OpenAI Drops Deep Research | E2080

    OpenAI dropped Deep Research—hilariously, the exact same name as Google’s existing tool. Jason and Alex dive into the AI arms race, break down Lovable.dev’s insane growth to $10M ARR in weeks, and test...

  • 2025 / 2 / 1
    Is OpenAI Really Worth $300B? ElevenLabs’ Series C & YC’s Funding Focus | E2079

    Today’s show: The AI revolution is about to hit your household—Jason and Alex break down how general-purpose robots, AI-powered chicken coops, and voice clones are redefining daily life and work. They dig...

  • 2025 / 1 / 29
    Boom Supersonic's Milestones, OpenAI Ethics, and Startup Tools | E2078

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  • 2025 / 1 / 27
    DeepSeek Rattles Markets + SailPoint's Going Public… again? | E2077

    Today’s show: A $6M open-source AI model from China, DeepSeek, sends shockwaves through Wall Street, wiping billions off NVIDIA’s market cap and forcing a rethink on AI infrastructure spending. We explore the...

  • 2025 / 1 / 24
    Twilio Bets Small, DeepSeek Scares & the GameOn Fraud | E2076

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  • 2025 / 1 / 23
    Created By Humans | Sila’s Battery Evolution | E2075

    This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://gusto.com/twist Netsuite. Download the CFO's Guide to AI and Machine Learning for free at...

  • 2025 / 1 / 21
    Trump, Memecoins, and What to Expect from the New Administration | E2074

    Today’s show: Jason and Alex explore America's fascination with billionaires and self-made figures, touching on recent events in Washington, DC, and the tech industry's political influence. They discuss Gen...

  • 2025 / 1 / 17
    TikTok Ban, Data Centers in Space… and What's a Vector? | E2073

    Today’s show: Alex sits down with two CEOs from companies freshly added to the TWIST500. We get a masterclass from Bob van Luijt of Weaviate, on vector databases helping AI and LLMs do what they do. An then...

  • 2025 / 1 / 16
    What’s Going On With Google Gemini Deep Research? | E2072

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  • 2025 / 1 / 14
    Profound, Resistant AI & OpenAI’s Economic Pitch | E2071

    Today’s show: Alex covers Mark Zuckerberg’s Joe Rogan interview, OpenAI’s economic pitch and the pending IPO of India’s Groww. Our guests include two companies freshly added to the TWIST500: James Cadwallader...

  • 2025 / 1 / 10
    The LA Fire's Cost and the U.S. Jobs Report | E2070

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  • 2025 / 1 / 8
    Meta's Moderation and Nvidia's Domination | E2069

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