This Week in Startups

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Netsuite - https://www.netsuite.com/twistLumaAi - https://lumalabs.ai/twistSquarespace - https://squarespace.com/twistToday’s show: Government fraud and waste has become a prominent issue in the last month.That’s what we are looking at.On Today’s episode of TWiST, Jason interviews Alex Shieh of the The Antifraud Company.Under the False Claims Act, enterprising Americans, like Alex, can receive up to 30% of fraud dollars they uncover! Jason digs into the business of fraud with Alex Shieh and how a generational company could be built around it!PLUS Alex Wilhelm and Marcus Brotman take a look at the history of BOOM, $1.5 Billion dollar startup bringing back supersonic commercial travel!Jason first interviewed Blake Scholl almost 10 years ago in 2016. Back then, BOOM was a dream to bringing back supersonic travel. The Concorde’s failure, and why BOOM is different, is central to Blake’s thinking. What is fascinating is Blake’s mindset and vision for the early stages of this future unicorn startup.THEN, Jason answers live Q/A at Founder University Tokyo! In partnership with JETRO, Jason and the LAUNCH team are bringing Founder University to 35 Japanese startups over the next 9 weeks!Timestamps:(00:00) Why the Concorde failed and how BOOM Supersonic is bringing back faster than light travel(08:34) The 30% efficiency rule for Mach 2 flights(11:46) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(17:12) Building million dollar planes on a startup budget(20:22) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(24:11) The Checklist Manifesto: Lessons for pilots and founders!(26:02) How to build a team that can go supersonic(32:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twist(33:55) Private Sector Doge: The Anti Fraud Company(38:48) The $500B in Fraud uncovered(48:34) How Alex Shieh’s team uses AI to hunt down fraud(52:48) How you can win 30% of exposed fraud with the false claims Act(56:27) Founder University Tokyo Q&ASubscribe 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/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:(11:46) Netsuite - Get the free business guide Demystifying AI at https://www.netsuite.com/twist(20:22) Luma AI - Stop guessing and start directing with Ray3 Modify from Luma AI, the AI-powered post production tool. Explore it at: https://lumalabs.ai/twist(32:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://squarespace.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent - www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistCaldera Lab - http://calderalab.com/TWISTPipedrive - http://pipedrive.com/twistToday’s show: TWiST is coming to you all from TOKYO as we launch Japan’s first-ever Founder University! That’s right, a full week of key insights from Japan’s top founders, investors, and tech visionaries… when we can pull ourselves away from our favorite izakaya spots, that is.First up, Jason welcomes HyreSearch.com co-founder Sho Takei, a veteran of Uber and CloudKitchens who now helps startups recruit top talent from around the world.Together they discuss the massive changes AI is bringing to every facet of the hiring process, Sho’s experiences working for infamously “super-pumped” Travis Kalanick, his tips for for establishing a corporate culture when hiring your first few employees, why being a co-founder is just a bit like getting married, and LOTS MORE.Timestamps:(00:00) We’re in TOKYO JAPAN for Founder University with Hyre co-founder (and Uber vet) Sho Takei.(03:13) The challenges of early Uber recruiting in Asia(05:22) Are Japanese workers motivated by stock-based compensation? Or is cash still king?(08:24) Why tax rates give Singapore and Dubai a competitive advantage.(09:17) Do in-person startups have an edge against entirely remote companies?(11:50) How Jason thinks Hyre could grab their ultimate domain name…(13:26) Northwest Registered Agent: Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(15:32) Just because a startup tactic works in the US… doesn’t mean it will work in Japan(17:39) Travis Kalanick and Uber’s unique “super pumped” approach to recruiting(20:01) It’s hard to fire someone in Japan! The high stakes for hiring mistakes.(23:35) Sho’s tips for establishing a culture and hiring your first few employees (“hiring is guessing, and firing is knowing”)(25:33) Why being a co-founder is kind of like getting married(27:46) Caldera Lab: Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to  http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(28:59) How AI is revolutionizing the hiring process, and why you still need a human in the loop(34:02) How do you win over amazing talent that’s already happy at another company(39:47) Pipedrive: Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at http://pipedrive.com/twist(43:19) How Hyre operates as an agency and also an in-house recruiter(44:57) The surprising importance of “candidate experience” when hiring in Japan*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:(13:26) Northwest Registered Agent: Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(27:46) Caldera Lab: Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to http://calderalab.com/TWIST and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(39:47) Pipedrive: Bring your entire sales process into one elegant space. Get started with a 30 day free trial at http://pipedrive.com/twist

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Hubspot - http://clickhubspot.com/twist1Circle.so - http://circle.so/twistSentry - http://sentry.io/twistToday’s show: On the last TWiST episode before Jason goes to Japan and Alex begins on paternity leave, the hosts break down the blockbuster tech news that is kicking off 2026.Discord AND Strava both eyeing billion dollar IPOs, two massive social media apps with millions of daily active users. Jason unpacks Discord’s the growth story, from a gaming-first product launch in 2015, to a community/work platform and social media for all. Jason explains why Strava proves that data is the MOAT for consumer apps.PLUS Jason and Alex are joined by Producer Oliver to rank the top CES products. Jason gave his thoughts on the different robots, self driving cars, and multi-fold phones on display.Would you buy a triple-fold phone?Timestamps:(00:00) Discord looks to go public at $7 Billion!(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(13:37) Strava going public and why data IS the moat for consumer software(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(22:25) Anthropic’s $350B valuation and why it makes sense(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWIST(33:05) Why is China upset about META’s Manus acquisition — and why Jason is hopeful for the US-China relationship(37:24) Jason’s favorite part of CES: The rise of open source AI!(40:59) Why Jason LOVES his self driving Tesla — why public companies need to be safe and not push too quickly(44:24) Producer Oliver’s Top CES Tech products(54:46) Jason’s Major Takeway from CES(59:43) How many times can you fold a phone?(1:04:04) New interfaces for smartphones*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:(10:05) Hubspot: Check out the guide “How to Get Your First 100 Customers.” Download it for free at http://clickhubspot.com/twist1(19:28) Circle.so: the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand.(31:59) Sentry: New users get 3 months free of the Business plan (covers 150k errors). Go to http://sentry.io/twist and use code TWISTGreat 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=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94QAaron Leviehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545Sophia Amorusohttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978Reid Hoffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reid-hoffman-on-ais-crescendo-moment-regulation-and/id315114957?i=1000612548498Frank Slootmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/snowflake-ceo-frank-slootman-on-moving-the-needle-win/id315114957?i=1000602560622

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://www.gusto.com/twistLemon IO -  https://lemon.io/twistQuo - http://quo.com/TWiSTToday’s show: We keep hearing about how AI is killing our ability to think, filling our media with slop, and ruining our kids’ ability to learn. It seems the internet is filled with negative sentiment about the future AI is bringing.Jason is joined by Grant Lee, CEO and co-founder of Gamma, as well as Steven Johnson, editorial director of NotebookLM to tackle these questions on today’s AI roundtable!Grant and Steven break down how they are using AI to push forward their own productivity as well as their teams. Both say that AI makes you more creative! Steven points out that it helped him write his books by having AI do the “chore work” while he got to focus on the valuable insights and higher level thinking.One valuable tip was that AI can be used to uncover customer insights in a new medium. Steven and Grant both put customer feedback into an LLM, allowed them to have high level conversations with their whole user base about what features and products they each enjoy. If that isn’t creative, then what is?Learn about all this and more in today’s roundtable!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing Steven Johnson and Grant Lee!(10:12) 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(11:28) How Jason and the TWiST team uses NotebookLM(12:37) Will AI replace lawyers in startups and VC? Should they?(16:08) How the Gamma team uses AI understand their consumers(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:38) How the Google team uses AI to “talk” to their whole user base.(24:45) Is AI replicating our brains and consciousness?(28:18) The ways that AI is changing how companies process information.(30:39) 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(31:43) Jason thinks groupchats are the modern coffee shop for interesting ideas!(32:48) Why Steven thinks AI makes creatives MORE ORIGINAL(40:02) HALF of US adults think AI makes you less creative(43:20) Grant defends using AI for doing research + making business decisions(45:28) Superforecasting — How to think about your thinking(53:00) Is education going back to blue books and oral exams?(56:30) Jevons Paradox and How AI will increase jobs for all!(59:50) Edison put whale hunters out of business but brought in electricians and movie industry(1:02:36) Jason coaches his employees to 10x themselves with AI tools to push value(1:05:54) Jason’s call to join the AI revolution*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:(10:12) 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(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(30:39) 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

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/buildUber - http://uber.com/twistEvery.io - http://every.io/Today’s show: Jason and Alex are BACK on TWiST for 2026! This holiday season was anything but calm, with deca-corn acquisitions, massive Polymarket bets, and major new startups breaking from stealth!Jason talks the recent Nvidia-Groq $20B acquisition, a major exit for Chamath as the lead investor back in 2017! Jason delves into how the VC fund math shapes out for pre-seed VC funds vs. Series A VC funds.Jason and Alex delve into drama swirling META’s AI team. Yann LeCun, META’s former Chief AI Scientist, announced that he would be leaving META to become Executive Chairman at AMI Labs. LeCun left the META team in the new year, calling the new Chief AI Scientist, Alexandr Wang, inexperienced. LeCun now looks to move AI beyond the era of LLM at AMI Labs.PLUS Jason and Alex talk about the new social media app Tangle, from Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, and Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest. Their Startup, West Co, launched tangle, which seeks to become an “intentional living” app. The two look to improve how humans interact with modern tech. Jason points out that very few news products have worked, but is eager to see how two industry veterans build in the space. Timestamps:(00:00) Why Restaurants are OVER — Peptides and other self medications(06:41) Nvidia Acqui-Hires Groq for $20 BILLION(9:48) 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.(11:00) The VC fund math between seed vs. Series A funds(15:00) META buys TWiST 500 Company, Manus! Why it matters.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(21:24) Why Yann LeCun left META, and what could be behind it(25:27) Producer Claude on the Gondola Crash in Zurich(29:13) Jason’s Request for Augmented human intelligence(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(32:04) How one Trader made $436.8k on one bet on polymarket!(36:05) Jason’s Predictions for 2026 IPOs(40:01) Is news broken? How Tangle is tackling it.(45:53) How much should startup incur in legal expenses? Should founders try to use AI to avoid costs?(50:59) Why Google should let NotebookLM cook, make it a standalone brand! *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:(9:48) 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.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/