Episodes

  • Getting past the “Cardinal Sins of Delegating” with Jonathan Swanson of Athena | E2218

    Getting past the “Cardinal Sins of Delegating” with Jonathan Swanson of Athena | E2218
    Dec 4 2025
    This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCrusoe - http://crusoe.ai/buildGusto - https://www.gusto.com/twistToday’s show: Delegating is its own unique skill, requiring training and a real investment of time and attention.On TWiST, Jason chats for a full hour with the founder of one of his favorite startups, Athena, which trains online assistants and pairs them with busy founders and executives. (Jason has 2!) But getting the MOST out of your executive assistants is less obvious than it looks. Jonathan unpacks some of the secrets to “Black Diamond Delegating,” and how he manages to keep 6 different high-level helpers operating at once.Plus, Jason and Jonathan look back at the Open Angel Forum days, where Jason invested in Jonathan’s previous company, Thumbtack, praise the “Checklist Manifesto,” discuss the telltale signs you’ve achieved market pull, and lots more insights.Timestamps:(01:53) We’re joined by Jonathan Swanson from one of JCal’s fav startups, Athena!(02:02) Jason and Jonathan first met during the Open Angel Forum, when Jonathan was working on Thumbtack(06:44) Finding the “little touches” that can help make an app more delightful(9:47) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(12:05) The shift from Thumbtack to Athena was all about time(12:52) How Jonathan delegates to 6 exec assistants at once(14:22) Pricing Athena’s EAs: Jason runs the numbers(15:09) Why Athena made Jason believe in hiring assistants again(18:15) Getting past the “Cardinal Sins of Delegation”(19:38) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(20:48) Will AI ever be able to replace Athena assistants?(23:41) Inside how Athena finds and trains assistants from around the world(27:01) How JCal became an Athena Ambassador… and almost crashed the system!(30:55) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist(32:11) The magic of having assistants work on “backstop projects” and creative tasks(37:14) How to know when you have achieved market pull(40:05) Why getting the most out of delegating takes real investment and training(44:36) More praise for the Checklist Manifesto(46:26) Jonathan gives us a peek at what “Black Diamond Delegation” looks like(52:14) Jason’s early experiences hiring overseas assistants, from the Mahalo days*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:47) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(19:38) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(30:55) Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist
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    57 mins
  • Monumental Makes Construction Bots Play Nice Together | E2217

    Monumental Makes Construction Bots Play Nice Together | E2217
    Dec 3 2025
    This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsVanta - https://www.vanta.com/twistPilot - https://pilot.com/twistToday’s show: Did you know there’s actually a shortage of US bricklayers? It’s TRUE! So feel free to marvel at Monumental’s brick-laying robots. They’re not putting anyone out of work, but filling a much-needed gap.Join Alex and Monumental founder/CEO Salar al Khafaji for a deep-dive on how the startup is making construction robots play nice together by maintaining separate “zones” of operation, why Salar thinks startups need to focus on truly complex, real-world problems to truly blossom, and the secrets of fundraising in Europe.PLUS Alex chats with Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan about designing the next generation of autonomous marine crafts. (That is to say, ocean drones.) From their home base in San Diego, the company is trying to get completely independent of all Chinese parts. Find out how it’s going, how they’re overcoming the “wildly negative” ROI on maritime tech, and why we have so few defenses against tiny, agile drones.All that AND Jason takes some of YOUR Founder Questions.Timestamps:(03:23) How Monumental determined what kinds of robots construction sites need the most(06:49) How maintaining “zones” ensure that the robots all play nice with one another(07:52) There’s a shortage of bricklayers, so Monumental’s NOT taking anyone’s job(9:16) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(13:21) Why startups need to tackle large-scale, complex, real-world problems to really grow(15:44) Why Monumental is building in The Netherlands, and running pilots in the UK(19:07) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(20:44) Why construction is unique among applications for automation and robots(26:01) Salar argues that fundraising in Europe is not as hard as you may have heard(27:55) We don’t just need housing, we need BEAUTIFUL housing(31:11) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year. (33:25) How the Scout autonomous boat challenge inspired Seasats(35:28) Trying to make drones into an “iPhone Style” project(37:39) Why Seasats is focused on endurance and staying power more than launches(39:15) The complexities of working with fuel cells(42:27) The importance of beautiful design even when working on government technology(45:51) Why they’re building Seasats in beautiful San Diego, CA(47:29) The challenge of getting entirely free from Chinese components(53:52) “The Power of Small Things Has Changed”(55:18) The “wildly negative” ROI on most humanoid robotics companies also applies to maritime tech(59:09) Why there are so few defense nets against people with tiny but agile drones(01:02:32) FOUNDER Q’s: Is a founder working 24/7 a red flag?(01:10:11) How bad is it to use VC money to pay off credit cards?(01:12:49) A look at Cursor’s unique recruitment strategy.(01:19:57) Should young VCs go to startup conferences?Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Thank you to our partners:(9:16) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(19:07) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(31:11) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Is $MSTR over? Jason takes his victory lap. | E2216

    Is $MSTR over? Jason takes his victory lap. | E2216
    Dec 2 2025
    This Week In Startups is made possible by:Quo - http://quo.com/TWiSTSquarespace - https://www.Squarespace.com/TWISTMiro - http://miro.com/Today’s show: Michael Saylor’s Strategy play is struggling with the price of Bitcoin on a steep decline… Is his new “dollar reserve” the answer?On TWiST, we’re looking into the state of $MSTR and why Jason remains SO skeptical about this increasingly convoluted financial scheme.Is CNBC giving Michael Saylor a pass? Is that why he won’t go on “All-In”? And do investors realize that loans go BEFORE equity? We’re asking the TOUGH questions…PLUS Jason’s Four Red Flags for companies with convoluted tactics… Why S&P Global downgraded Tether, and why Jason thinks the US government waited TOO LONG to pass stablecoin regulations… Jason reacts to the NYT “hit piece” on Bestie David Sacks… we’re checking out the new Matic robot vacuum and Sunday Robotics’ Memo bot… PLUS much more of the day’s biggest tech news and stories.Timestamps:(03:04) Why Jason broke his “No Demo Day” rule for the LAUNCH 35 Accelerator(07:08) What we can learn from BitcoinTreasuries.net about the marketplace(07:42) Why Jason remains SO skeptical on $MSTR… and any sufficiently convoluted financial scheme…(7:56) Jason’s Four Red Flags for rogue companies and financial schemes(9:49) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(14:31) When loans go before equity, and how this can dilute your investment!(18:05) Is CNBC giving Michael Saylor a pass? Why Jason thinks he won’t go on “All-In.”(19:30) Checking in with Polymarket’s thoughts on potential MicroStrategy Bitcoin sales(20:21) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(22:58) Speaking of complex schemes… why S&P Global downgraded Tether(29:26) Is Tether too good to be true, as an investment?(25:17) Why Jason thinks the US waited too long to pass stablecoin regulations.(30:24) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out http://miro.com to find out how!(36:15) Jason’s reaction to the NYT piece about Bestie David Sacks(43:14) Is there a growing divide within the GOP about how to engage with tech companies?(44:04) What are “Glue Employees” and why are they important?(45:03) How to tell your “Glue Employees” apart from the “union reps” and other rabble rousers…(51:50) Sunday Robotics: another human-ish robot but with WHEELS (and a baseball cap)(56:05) We’re checking out the Matic robot vacuum as well… Should these products be combined?*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:49) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(20:21) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(30:24) Miro - Help your teams get great done with Miro. Check out http://miro.com to find out how!Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112
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    58 mins
  • SO MANY THINGS need to go right just so you can watch a TikTok! | E2215

    SO MANY THINGS need to go right just so you can watch a TikTok! | E2215
    Nov 26 2025

    Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff! 👉🏻 https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show: On TWiST, Alex is chatting with Neubird CEO Gou Rao about the intricate complexity of IT Ops, and the vast amount of layers and components that have to be delivered very quickly to your phone in order to stream a simple video clip.Neubird has developed Hawkeye, an AI “engineer” that uses “context engineering” to isolate and troubleshoot problems, while still keeping costs down. Loading up a video to show your friends may SOUND straightforward, but it’s actually, as Alex notes, a miracle anything on the internet works at all.PLUS we’ve got Subject AI CEO Michael Vilardo stopping by to tell us how the app uses gamification to keep kids learning and engaged. NOTE TO FOUNDERS: Mike got invited on the show because he sends email updates to his “dream investors,” including Jason. It’s a solid best practice!Finally, we’re flashing back to a remarkably prescient 2019 interview with then-Scale AI chief Alexandr Wang, who tells us why he thinks the AI Doomsday scenarios — AND the elaborate AGI promises — are both way overblown.Timestamps:(3:19) Neubird asks: What if we took AI tools and applied them to IT ops?(5:17) Why does IT ops seem to get so much more complicated over time?(6:14) Gou walks us through all the various components that need to be delivered when you post a simple TikTok video(8:41) Why agentic systems (like Hawkeye) are the ideal tool for monitoring metrics, logs, traces and alerts(10:05) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech(11:17) How is IT Ops different from Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)?(12:36) Is Hawkeye an AI Agent or an “Engineer”? How we decide what to call our “co-pilot.”(16:07) How “context engineering” helps Hawkeye isolate problems, and keeps inference costs down(17:27) Is Hawkeye plug and play? Or does it need to be trained on a specific system?(18:59) How Neubird measures Hawkeye’s overall effectiveness(19:59) Perspective AI: Real insights, straight from your customers, and your first two months are on us. Just go to http://getperspective.ai/twist(21:47) Hawkeye can diagnose and make recommendations, or go in and fix the problem itself, if you like!(24:27) What Gou thinks about the pace of AI innovation: Has it slowed? Are we in a lull?(25:41) LLMs already have a lot of knowledge, but how do we enhance their EQ?(28:58) TIP FOR FOUNDERS: Send updates to your “dream” investors! That’s how Mike got on the show!(30:20) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at https://Uber.com/twist⁠(31:21) The importance of branding… Why Mike pivoted to Subject.ai(33:43) How Subject helps bring teachers and students together for more 1-on-1 interaction(35:48) Mike walks us through how Subject works, and how gamification keeps kids engaged(39:56) Is anything lost when an AI grades a student’s test, rather than a human?(42:09) Subject can serve as a “teacher of record” in classrooms(46:28) Why Mike and Subject AI are back in the office(47:40) TWIST FLASHBACK with Alexandr Wang of Scale AI from November 2019(53:10) Alexandr explains AI to Jason (back when it was still called “Machine Learning”)(1:01:08) How AI will help people focus on “higher-value work”(1:04:48) Why Alexandr thinks apocalyptic AI scenarios are unrealistic(1:13:28) Are the big promises around AGI overblown?*Thank you to our partners:(10:05) CLA - Get started with CLA's CPAs, consultants, and wealth advisors now at https://claconnect.com/tech(19:59) Perspective AI: Real insights, straight from your customers, and your first two months are on us. Just go to http://getperspective.ai/twist(30:20) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at https://Uber.com/twist
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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • Even great startups sometimes need to pivot (feat. Francisco Cornejo of Theo) | E2214

    Even great startups sometimes need to pivot (feat. Francisco Cornejo of Theo) | E2214
    Nov 24 2025
    Register here for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff 👉🏻 https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:The team from Familify had released a well-reviewed storytelling app for kids and parents… but it just wasn’t growing!Then they noticed that Bible stories and faith-based content was particularly popular. So they decided released a brand new app, Theo, just for these sorts of lessons and stories. And the new product overtook Storybook in just a few weeks!It’s a vital lesson for founders… Even if you succeed, you may be able to succeed EVEN MORE. Remain flexible and open to strong new ideas (especially if, like Francisco, your wife suggests them!)PLUS we’re chatting with Collin from En Vérité about how AI can make do diligence much less painful for investors AND checking out our latest Gamma Pitch Deck competitor. Find out why Jason says Jake Triton from Pitch Prfct might just be closing in on Product Market Fit.Timestamps:(5:20) How Storybook, then Theo was motivated by a children’s mental health crisis(5:46) Despite great reviews, Storybook wasn’t growing! Here’s what they did.(7:13) The Power of Experiments: Theo overtook Storybook in popularity in JUST WEEKS(10:04) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:04) Digging in to the decision to flip from all stories to Bible stories(12:34) The difference in how users perceive prayer vs. meditation(14:06) Will they make different Theos for different denominations of Christianity? Other faiths?(14:55) Jason makes the case for the Theo app and its team(19:59) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(21:50) Key lessons for founders from Francisco’s pitch today(26:51) Collin Sebastian from En Vérité joins the show to tell us how En Vérité helps prepare founders for the due diligence process(30:00) Enterpret: Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and build next. Head to Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.(31:03) Jason recalls some diligence horror stories from his past(32:14) Where En Vérité gets their data and how they use it(36:39) What Collin learned from his time at SoftBank(39:44) The Gamma Pitch Deck Competition returns with Jake Triton from PitchPrfct [https://x.com/JakeTriton] @pitchprfctsms(42:29) Why Jason thinks Jake is closing in on Product Market Fit(45:51)How PitchPrfct plans to have AI help build your campaign and workflowSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:04) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(19:59) Sentry - New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(30:00) Enterpret: Enterpret turns feedback noise into Customer Intelligence, so your team knows exactly what to fix and build next. Head to Enterpret.com/twist to book a demo and see it in action.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
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    52 mins
  • Jason predicts a “major M&A moment” in the next six months! | E2213

    Jason predicts a “major M&A moment” in the next six months! | E2213
    Nov 22 2025
    Register here to join Founder University Japan’s kickoff: https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:Google and Meta had their cases dismissed (or received a slap on the wrist)… Despite all the backlash and cynicism, AI companies continue making bank and releasing hot new products… What does it all mean?For Jason Calacanis, the signs are pointing to a “major M&A moment,” with huge opportunities for increased efficiency and consolidation among America’s favorite brands and largest companies?Who will it be? Join Jason and Alex for a round of hot speculation.PLUS why Jason thinks Michael Burry is both right and wrong about GPU depreciation, why NOTHING is certain about these OpenAI mega-deals, Google’s Nano Banana Pro can make infographics and they’re VERY impressive… and much more.Timestamps:(1:54) Jason’s calling in from Vegas… He’s doing a hot lap at F1!(3:18) How restaurants are becoming the new Hot IP(6:50) Founder University is heading to TOKYO!(9:27) Why Jason thinks the future of startups is truly global(10:06) Pipedrive - Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist(11:39) Nvidia killed it on the numbers… but what are the vibes around AI? Jason sounds off.(13:05) Why nothing is certain when it comes to the Nvidia/OpenAI deal(19:40) Is Google now WINNING consumer adoption of AI? How did it get this close?(19:57) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(26:07) Meanwhile, AI apps are still dominating the iOS Store(27:09) Why Jason and Alex think Michael Burry’s both right and wrong about GPU depreciation(30:13) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(37:46) We’re testing out Nano Banana Pro on a BBQ infographic challenge(43:42) What a week for AI models! It doesn’t seem like things are slowing down…(46:12) Kalshi is growing fast, but can it catch Polymarket?(47:50) Is a rate cut coming? Jason and Alex read the tea leaves.(50:13) Why Jason predicts a “major M&A moment” in the next six months(52:09) VIEWER QUESTION: What should a software engineer be working on RIGHT NOW.(54:02) Founder Friday is now… STARTUP SUPPER CLUBSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(10:06) Pipedrive - Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at pipedrive.com/twist(19:57) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(30:13) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com
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    56 mins
  • Why data is the biggest AI bottleneck (feat. Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI) | E2212

    Why data is the biggest AI bottleneck (feat. Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI) | E2212
    Nov 20 2025

    Today’s show:

    The race for more compute gets all the headlines, but Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch tells us the REAL danger is running out of data!

    On TWiST, Jason and Alex are chatting with the head of France’s largest foundation AI company, Mistral AI, about how enterprises can get more out of their AI pilots, whether the West is lacking leadership on open-source, why Mistral AI isn’t pursuing every possible kind of AI application, and optimizing your models for performance rather than benchmarks (aka benchmaxxing). Find out what it’s like to run a huge AI company in today’s intense environment!

    PLUS… why everyone made the wrong call on OpenAI vs. Google… Kraken’s fresh $20 billion valuation… Jason’s urgent message to every company thinking about M&A… and much more!

    Timestamps:

    (3:35) Why did everyone get it wrong on Google vs. OpenAI?

    (10:51) Why Jason thinks drone delivery will make everyone safer

    (9:52) SQUARESPACE: Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST

    (11:26) Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch joins us! What’s it like to run a foundation model AI company in this intense environment?

    (14:50) Why enterprises aren’t getting enough value out of AI and how Mistral AI aims to correct this

    (18:45) Why Mistral AI’s goal is, ultimately, to disappear…

    (20:19) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.

    (22:49) Are Europe and the US lacking leadership on open source AI?

    (24:53) Mistral AI doesn’t need to compete in every category... how big of an advantage is focus?

    (27:05) The “two bottlenecks” in Machine Learning: Compute and Data

    (29:01) How Mistral AI works with human experts to annotate their models, and where they source them from

    (30:06) Nexos.ai: Stop Shadow AI in its tracks with the unified platform for secure AI adoption and productivity. Try it with a free 14-day trial at https://nexos.ai/twist.

    (34:24) Is optimizing your model for benchmark tests (aka benchmaxxing) like cheating?

    (40:08) Will we ever be able to run smaller AI models on our phones?

    (44:21) When does Arthur think we’ll have truly helpful humanoid robots in our lives?

    (49:42) Suno lawsuits and why Jason says you should NEVER break the rules, ESPECIALLY with the music industry

    (54:28) Release the Kraken! They’re now worth $20 billion.

    (56:48) Jason is going to F1… should he take up the offer and do a dry run?

    (58:30) How Meta beat the FTC and why Jason is so excited about it

    (1:01:37) Who should buy Crunchbase?
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • AI Model Showdown: Grok 4.1 vs. Gemini 3 | E2211

    AI Model Showdown: Grok 4.1 vs. Gemini 3 | E2211
    Nov 19 2025
    AI Model Showdown: Grok 4.1 vs. Gemini 3 | E2211Register for Founder University Japan’s Kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday’s show:*Will the arrival of two hotly-anticipated, intensely powerful AI models snap the Doomer cycle?On a new TWiST, Jason and Alex consider the current AI landscape, one where cynicism about insider mega-deals, fear of job displacement, and concerns about bubble bursts seem to rule the day. Will the arrival of two powerful new models — xAI’s Grok 4.1 and Google’s Gemini 3 — help the industry to course-correct? And how do we decide how much these models have improved anyway?PLUS we’re investigating Cloudflare’s recent downtime and their acquisition of Replicate. Are we heading toward a future in which everyone runs their own models, locally? And how worried should founders get if their products or sites go down for a few hours?Finally, if you’re an investor, and want to come to Jason’s Dim Sum Demo Day in San Francisco, here’s the link: http://launch.co/dimsumTimestamps:(2:01) Why the internet got broadly degraded when Cloudflare went down(5:00) How worried should founders become when their sites go offline?(6:44) Downtime aside, what did Cloudflare want with Replicate?(8:12) Why Jason predicts one day we’ll run our own local language models(9:39) Goldbelly - Goldbelly ****ships America’s most delicious, iconic foods nationwide! Get 20% off your first order by going to Goldbelly.com and using the promo code TWiST at checkout.(15:25) How to turn off “Learn From This App” on your iPhone(17:29) Will the arrival of hotly-anticipated new models stop the spread of Doomerism and AI cynicism(20:00) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.(23:53) Checking back in with the “Best AI Model” Polymarket… why has ChatGPT dropped so low?(29:43) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Build apps, forms, websites and portals that connect to the tools you already use. Go to zite.com/twist to get started.(31:14) ANOTHER AI mega-deal? Nvidia and Microsoft are investing in… ANTHROPIC(33:06) Why so many AI deals now include “up to…” language around investments(35:04) What Jason thinks of Dario Amodei’s warning about white collar job displacement(39:39) If we all agree AI job displacement is coming… what can be done?(45:16) All about Jason’s Dim Sum Investor Demo Day in San Francisco!Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(9:39) Goldbelly - Goldbelly ****ships America’s most delicious, iconic foods nationwide! Get 20% off your first order by going to Goldbelly.com and using the promo code TWiST at checkout.(20:00) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.(29:43) Zite - Zite is the fastest way to build business software with AI. Build apps, forms, websites and portals that connect to the tools you already use. Go to zite.com/twist to get started.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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    47 mins