This Week in Startups
933 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 762 ratingsEvery day, Jason Calacanis and Molly Wood cover startups, technology, markets, media, crypto, and the all the hottest topics in business and tech. They also interview the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors and innovators.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How to simplify diligence & avoid fraud | Finance Basics with Kruze Consulting’s Scott Orn | E1321
November 08, 2021 17:09 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBIn this hot funding environment, both investors and founders benefit from startups having all the finance basics covered. In this episode, Kruze Consulting COO Scott Orn joins to explain how to prepare for diligence and avoid fraud. They discuss common blockers in diligence (10:19), the benefits of tight financials (23:31) and more!
Tech Earnings: $UBER, $ABNB, $PTON + OK Boomer: Gen Z joins the workforce | E1320
November 05, 2021 13:39 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBFirst, Jason breaks down three recent earnings reports, Uber (1:57), Airbnb (21:10) and Peloton (26:00). Then, he introduces a new segment "Ok Boomer" where our producer Rachel reports on Gen Z tech & business culture. Today, she talks to Ziad Ahmed of JUV consulting about managing and working with Gen Z employees as they enter the workforce. (39:55)
Building a Great Team: Startup Checklist E5 | E1319
November 04, 2021 15:21 - 57 minutes - 53.5 MBWe continue with episode five of the Startup Checklist, where Jason gives 10 points to build a great team. He covers hiring, compensating the early team (11:31), outsourcing, structuring the company, setting the cadence (39:48), finding advisors and more!
Zillow falls after iBuying collapse, Biden Admin’s stablecoin report + LeadIQ’s Mei Siauw | E1318
November 03, 2021 13:32 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBJason reacts to Zillow's huge drop after the implosion of their iBuying business (4:33), and breaks down the Biden Administration's stablecoin report (23:35). Then, LeadIQ CEO Mei Siauw joins the show to talk growing a SaaS business with a distributed team, going from $500 to $10M+ in revenue, and more! (43:27)
Bytedance bans 996 + Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani: The 100x fund | E1317
November 02, 2021 13:56 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBFirst Jason briefly covers TikTok owner Bytedance's restriction on overtime working hours (2:14). Then Multicoin Capital partner Kyle Samani joins (11:07) to discuss how they evaluate products, why they prefer to invest in tokens over equity, the Solana blockchain (19:17), Helium (57:05), Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and much more.
Apple privacy updates cost social media giants $10B + BetterBrand’s Aimee Yang | E1316
November 01, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 66.2 MBFirst, Jason covers the reported revenue impacts for FB, SNAP, TWTR & GOOG caused by Apple's App Tracking Transparency policies (1:57). Then, Aimee Yang CEO & Founder of BetterBrand™ joins (16:18) to discuss her first product the "Better Bagel." The conversation includes bringing the product to market, the opportunity to reshape food, raising from 776 and more!
Facebook’s new name + DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg: the privacy search engine | E1315
October 29, 2021 13:37 - 1 hour - 72.1 MBFacebook changed its name to Meta. In the news segment, Jason shares 10 highlights from the keynote and reacts to the name change (1:57). Then DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg joins (36:22) to discuss his search engine's continued growth, surviving Google's monopoly (41:57), how they differentiate with privacy (48:30), and all the updates they've made since he was last on the show 10 years ago!
Media employees battling “back to work” orders + Startup Checklist E4: Building a Great Product | E1314
October 28, 2021 16:57 - 50 minutes - 46.9 MBFirst, Jason reacts Conde Nast's union refusing to return to the office on November 1 and takes stock of the big tech WFH policy landscape (1:34). We continue the show with episode four of the Startup Checklist, where Jason covers "Building a Great Product" in points 31-40 (13:54).
Sequoia’s new structure, $HOOD and $TWTR earnings + Bolt’s Ryan Breslow: 4-day work week | E1313
October 27, 2021 12:49 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBFirst, Jason covers Sequoia's VC-redefining transition to an evergreen fund (1:54). He continues Q3 earnings coverage with Robinhood (13:38) and Twitter (21:10). Then, Ryan Breslow from Bolt joins to discuss transitioning to a 4-day work week, open-sourcing their company handbook and running a startup effectively (28:07).
Sequoia’s new structure, $HOOD and $TWTR earnings + Bolt’s Ryan Breslow: 4-day work week | E1313
October 27, 2021 12:49 - 58.2 MBFirst, Jason covers Sequoia's VC-redefining transition to an evergreen fund (1:54). He continues Q3 earnings coverage with Robinhood (13:38) and Twitter (21:10). Then, Ryan Breslow from Bolt joins to discuss transitioning to a 4-day work week, open-sourcing their company handbook and running a startup effectively (28:07).
Facebook’s Q3 earnings breakdown: revenue, user growth, rumored rebrand + Italic’s Jeremy Cai | E1312
October 26, 2021 13:23 - 1 hour - 71 MBFirst, Jason breaks down Facebook's Q3 earnings, including: growing revenue and profits, slowing user growth, AR investment and its new reporting structure (2:00). He also covers Facebook's potential rebrand as a metaverse-focused company and its declining usage amongst US teens and young adults. (11:35) Then, Italic's Jeremy Cai joins the show to discuss his innovative new e-commerce concept, ruffling feathers with incumbents, supply chain insights, and more! (25:58)
Growth & Retention: Why Subscription is the Holy Grail | Customer Basics with Salesforce’s Tiffani Bova | E1311
October 25, 2021 20:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBThis Startup Basics is all about growth & retention. Tiffani Bova from Salesforce joins to talk about how startups should measure customer health, the pitfalls of high churn, the best kind of growth, how to earn trust by saying "no" & more.
Trump SPAC, WeWork SPAC, GitLab IPO w/ Eric Newcomer + Quick Commerce w/Matt Newberg
October 22, 2021 15:24 - 98.6 MBTech journalist Eric Newcomer joins to talk the Trump SPAC (8:26), WeWork SPAC (15:58), and the behind the scenes funding story of GitLab's IPO (25:41). Then, HNGRY's Matt Newberg joins to talk innovations in the quick commerce space, the growing impact of ghost kitchens, and more! (1:01:10)
Trump SPAC, WeWork SPAC, GitLab IPO w/ Eric Newcomer + Quick Commerce w/Matt Newberg | E1310
October 22, 2021 15:24 - 1 hour - 98.6 MBTech journalist Eric Newcomer joins to talk the Trump SPAC (8:26), WeWork SPAC (15:58), and the behind the scenes funding story of GitLab's IPO (25:41). Then, HNGRY's Matt Newberg joins to talk innovations in the quick commerce space, the growing impact of ghost kitchens, and more! (1:01:10)
Inflation warnings and hedge strategy, Bitcoin ETF, Hindenburg’s Tether bounty + Startup Checklist E3 | E1309
October 21, 2021 14:29 - 1 hour - 71.8 MBFirst, Jason reacts to CNBC's Paul Tudor Jones interview, where PTJ warned about inflation and called Bitcoin (and crypto) a better hedge than gold (2:10). Then, Jason covers the new Bitcoin ETF and Hindenburg putting a bounty out for information on Tether (21:34). We wrap with episode three of the Startup Checklist, where Jason covers "Finding and Delighting Customers" in points 21-30 (34:41).
Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson: the next $60B, Engage, Segment acquisition & more + Who actually uses Oculus? | E1308
October 20, 2021 17:00 - 1 hour - 90.9 MBIt was great to have Jeff back on the pod! But first, Producer Rachel gives some updates on TWIST Founder Meetups (01:54) and Jason talks a bit about Oculus (14:12). Then, Jeff Lawson from Twilio joins (24:42) to discuss their new mission to build the leading customer engagement platform, the launch of their new product Twilio Engage, lessons from scaling & their big acquisitions, San Francisco and more!
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire on USDC, Tether & more + Jason reacts to Apple’s new M1 chips & MacBooks | E1307
October 19, 2021 21:11 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBFirst, Jason reacts to the most recent Apple event announcing new M1 chips & Macbooks (1:26). Then, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire (23:85) joins to discuss how USDC, what makes Circle different from Tether, regulation, and more.
Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire on USDC, Tether & more + Jason reacts to Apple’s new M1 chips & Macbooks | E1307
October 19, 2021 21:11 - 89.5 MBFirst, Jason reacts to the most recent Apple event announcing new M1 chips & Macbooks (1:26). Then, Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire (23:85) joins to discuss how USDC, what makes Circle different from Tether, regulation, and more.
How to manage customer relationships | Customer Basics with Salesforce’s Tiffani Bova | E1306
October 18, 2021 17:57 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MBThis Startup Basics is all about managing customer relationships. Tiffani Bova from Salesforce joins to talk about the ways startups can improve customer interactions, transforming one-time transactions to reoccurring relationships. Jason and Tiffani give practical tips better serve customers and keep them coming back.
Coinbase chases NFT billions + Peter Thiel “The Contrarian” with author Max Chafkin | E1305
October 15, 2021 16:46 - 1 hour - 92.8 MBFirst, Jason covers Coinbase's announcement of their new NFT platform (2:06). Then, Bloomberg's Max Chafkin joins to discuss his book, "The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power" (19:57). It's a wide-ranging discussion about Peter's life, business, and politics as well as a debate over the way Max framed him in the book.
Is Netflix over cancel culture? + Startup Checklist: Choosing a Business Model | E1304
October 14, 2021 22:01 - 1 hour - 66.1 MBFirst, Jason covers the blowback Netflix is facing from Dave Chappelle's new special "The Closer" and the masterful response from Co-CEO Ted Sarandos (2:09). Then, continuing our startup checklist series, Jason explains 10 items founders need to go through before choosing a business model (25:08).
US inherits China’s Bitcoin Mining Dynasty + Jacob Helberg on the “New Cold War” with China | E1303
October 13, 2021 20:09 - 1 hour - 78.5 MBJason does a short news segment on China’s Bitcoin Mining hash rate falling to 0 and how the U.S. is now the largest mining hub (1:59). Then, Jacob Helberg author of "The Wires of War: Technology and the Global Struggle for Power," joins to discuss China's long-term goals (9:03), the United States' lack of preparedness, the struggle for control of front-end and backend technologies (32:22), plus much more.
Solana Founder Anatoly Yakovenko on scaling the blockchain to warp speed | E1302
October 12, 2021 18:15 - 58 minutes - 54.4 MBAnatoly from Solana joins Jason to discuss how they've managed to build the fastest blockchain (0:54). Solana's "proof of history" innovation allows for over 50,000 transactions a second, we get into Solana's value prop (25:51), use cases (40:14), developer ecosystem and more!
How to understand customer engagement | Customer Basics with Salesforce’s Tiffani Bova | E1301
October 11, 2021 20:57 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBStartup Basics is BACK! This series focuses on one of the most important aspects of any successful startup: the customer. On episode two, Salesforce's Tiffani Bova joins to break down all things customer engagement: defining it, authenticity, blending automation with a human touch, social media strategies and more!
Tether’s hidden billions with Bloomberg’s Zeke Faux + Startup Checklist E1 | E1300
October 08, 2021 21:33 - 1 hour - 78.3 MBFirst, Jason chats with Bloomberg reporter Zeke Faux about his latest investigative piece "Tether's $69 Billion Mystery"(1:04). Then, Jason launches our news series "Startup Checklist" (31:49) which explores the things you should do to be prepared to launch a company.
Fantasy startup investing NFTs + former Tesla CTO JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials | E1299
October 07, 2021 21:24 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBIn a short news segment, Jason talks about a company that tried to sell "fantasy startup investing" NFTs and why they had to pivot (1:44). Jason gives a brief tribute to Steve Jobs (15:48). Then, he's joined by JB Straubel, Tesla's longtime CTO who stepped down in 2019 to found a new lithium-ion battery recycling company, Redwood Materials(22:08). JB and Jason discuss the early launches and setbacks at Tesla, overcoming challenges, and the possibilities created by battery recycling. To close ...
FB Whistleblower’s Senate testimony + Scorpion Capital shorts Ginkgo Bioworks, claims fraud | E1298
October 06, 2021 23:40 - 1 hour - 76.1 MBIn this all news show, Jason covers Facebook Whistleblower Frances Haugen’s Senate testimony and Mark Zuckerberg's response (2:22). We also get into the fraud claims made by Scorpion Capital against Ginkgo Bioworks $DNA (1:01:35), we had Ginkgo CEO Jason Kelly on E1239 https://bit.ly/twiste1239.
How to create great customer experience | Customer Basics with Salesforce’s Tiffani Bova | E1297
October 05, 2021 17:31 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBStartup Basics is BACK! This series will focus on one of the most important aspects of any successful startup: the customer. On episode one, Salesforce's Tiffani Bova joins to break down all things customer experience: defining it, what an amazing experience looks like, how startups can beat the incumbents, and more!
Facebook’s whistleblower reveal & major outage + reacting to OZY media CEO on Today Show | E1296
October 04, 2021 23:53 - 1 hour - 59.3 MBIn this news episode, Jason covers the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen's "60 minutes" interview and breaks down some clips. Then he shares the highlights and rationalizations from the OZY Media CEO's Today Show appearance.
Coinbase CEO reflects on “mission” manifesto + Kettle’s Nat Manning on fire insurance | E1295
October 01, 2021 21:57 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBFirst Jason covers Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong's reflections on last year's blog "Coinbase is a mission focused company.” Then, Nat Manning joins from Kettle, to chat about better assessing fire risk with data, how California can prevent home damage from increasing wildfires, outperforming actuaries & more.
Amazon’s AI driver supervisors, OZY media fallout, rising FEMA flood insurance, OpenScouting | E1294
September 30, 2021 23:21 - 55 minutes - 51.6 MBJason does a full news show breaking down: how Amazon monitors drivers with AI cameras (01:54), Tesla's new driver score (22:05), OZY Media's continued fallout (32:45), and new proposed changes for homeowners in coastal zones (42:08). Plus, Jason explains his new program OpenScouting.com
Google’s game-changing ad policy + Michael Dell on “Play Nice But Win,” stories from building a computing giant | E1293
September 29, 2021 20:10 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBFirst, Jason brings on investor, former ad tech exec, and frequent guest Zach Coelius to discuss the strategic implications of Google's new ad attribution policy (01:43). Then Michael Dell joins for for a full interview (21:54) sharing stories from the early days of building Dell, scrappy supply-chain arbitrage, global expansion, negotiations with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, the $67B EMC VMware acquisition (57:40) and more!
OZY Media’s deception, VC retirement, Clubhouse’s monetization problem with The Verge’s Ashley Carman & more | E1292
September 28, 2021 22:30 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBFirst, Jason covers OZY media's attempted deception of Goldman Sachs & investors (1:50), then covers Clubhouse's monetization problem with special guest Ashley Carman from the Verge (24:26). To wrap up, he discusses VC retirements (46:30) and Disney's Star Wars Visions (56:29).
Facebook puts Instagram Kids on pause, Bevy’s high-profile firing + Squarespace’s Anthony Casalena | E1291
September 27, 2021 21:34 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBJason covers Instagram's Adam Mosseri announcing the pause of Instagram Kids (2:09), the recent firing of Bevy employee following a hostile interaction in Brooklyn (21:51). Then, Squarespace Founder and CEO Anthony Casalena joins (35:43) to discuss what marketing channels have been best for growing the company, new products offerings and shares stories from scaling and more!
News! China bans crypto transactions (again), Zillow & iBuyers impacting Real Estate + Ask Jason | E1290
September 24, 2021 22:49 - 53 minutes - 49.9 MBJason covers China's latest crypto mandate (0:59), a TikToker's conspiracy about iBuyers and the Redfin CEO's response (17:17), then takes a bunch of Ask Jason Questions (31:42) & more!
News! EU Mandates USB-C, Facebook Files, China RE, Apple leaks, Stonkfluencers, SaaS Pod | E1289
September 24, 2021 02:01 - 57 minutes - 53 MBIn this all news show, Jason teases a new podcast dedicated to SaaS (1:46) and covers: the EU's planned USB-C mandate (7:44), China's property glut (13:12), TikTok Investors following congressional trades (20:24), Tim Cook's battle against leakers (25:47), the "Facebook Files" source (28:36), Bolt's 4-day workweek and more! Then he takes some listener questions (47:24).
Apple Maps 3-D update, SEC Chair tips off coming crypto regulation + Pacaso’s Austin Allison | E1288
September 22, 2021 18:56 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MBFirst, Jason covers the new Apple Maps and what he speculates it means for their next major product (2:11), then discusses SEC Chair Gary Gensler calling crypto the "wild west"(10:38). Then, Jason interviews Pacaso Founder & CEO Austin Allison about fractional home ownership, battling NIMBY's and more (24:46)!
Apple launches iCloud Private Relay + Framework’s Nirav Patel on customizable laptops | E1287
September 21, 2021 21:50 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBIn a short news segment, Jason describes Apple's new iCloud+ privacy suite (2:18). Then, Framework founder Nirav Patel joins to talk about making laptop customization great again (13:04)! They discuss the difficulty of raising VC for a consumer hardware startup, creating products for the "modding" audience, the environmental benefit of fixing products and more(24:16)!
ByteDance limits daily app time for kids in China + Next Unicorns: Orbital Insight’s Kevin O’Brien | E1286
September 20, 2021 20:57 - 55 minutes - 51.7 MBIn news, Jason covers Bytedance's decision to institute a 40 minute limit for kids on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok (1:56) and hits on the real estate situation in SF and implications for the startup community (15:02). Then, Orbital Insight's CEO Kevin O'Brien joins for the next installment of our Next Unicorns series (21:38) discussing how to make sense of billions of satellite images and pieces of sensor data to form a comprehensive view of the world.
Head of Instagram comments on teen impact, Jay-Z’s NFT lawsuit + Sourcegraph’s Quinn Slack | E1285
September 18, 2021 00:54 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBFirst, Jason reacts to comments from Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri on the impact of Instagram on teen girls and comparing the risks of social media to the automobile industry (1:50). Then, Jason breaks down OpenSea's update on their front-running employee (11:55), and Jay-Z's NFT lawsuit (15:40). Finally, Sourcegraph CEO Quinn Slack joins to discuss growing his universal code search engine, selling a high-ticket SaaS product and more (21:48)!
Rapid Fire News: App Annie fraud, Instagram’s negative impact, Discord valued at $15B & more | E1284
September 17, 2021 00:19 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBFull news show! First up, Jason covers the App Annie fraud (1:59), then he shares thoughts on Facebook's leaked documents showing they knew Instagram was detrimental to teen girls' mental health despite claiming the contrary (13:55). He also touches on Discord's $15B valuation (25:56), Mailchimp selling for $12B (33:40), and answers some livestream questions (40:35)!
OpenSea admits employee was front-running featured NFTs + Goldbelly CEO Joe Ariel on food e-commerce | E1283
September 15, 2021 22:27 - 1 hour - 71 MBFirst, Jason breaks down NFT platform OpenSea admitting one of their employees was front-running featured items (2:02). Could this tip off the SEC that NFTs might be securities rather than collectibles (12:01)? Then, Jason talks to Producer Rachel about TWiST Meetups (18:24). Finally, Goldbelly CEO Joe Ariel joins to talk about his high-end food marketplace, being the first mover in a blossoming category, the food e-commerce market & more. (30:15)
“Amazon Unbound” author Brad Stone on the mind of Bezos, the future of Amazon & more | E1282
September 14, 2021 23:25 - 1 hour - 60.8 MBBrad Stone, the author of "Amazon Unbound", joined to talk about Elon Musk (09:44), Amazon's workplace environment (23:25), the importance of Prime (27:17), which tech companies are most dangerous for society (51:13), & more!
Growth stocks, Inflation impacts, SPACs & more with Beth Kindig & Knox Ridley from I/O Fund | E1281
September 10, 2021 21:31 - 1 hour - 67.2 MBBeth Kindig and Knox Ridley from the I/O Fund came on to discuss with Jason their top growth stocks, market indicators, how to manage risk in an all tech portfolio, potential big tech spin outs, Roku's incredible expansion and more!
News! Fireproof homes, Amazon’s college plan, Facebook copies Snap, Notion Acquires Automate.io & more | E1280
September 10, 2021 00:05 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBRapid fire news episode. First, Jason covers how a fire proofed home survived the Caldor fire, Amazon's plan to provide college for all its employees, Facebook copying Snap's glasses, Notion acquiring Automate.io & more. At the end, Jason takes a few questions from listeners and shares a story from when he ran Silicon Alley Reporter.
Coinbase battles SEC over Lend + How DeFi interest rates work with Genisis’ Matt Ballensweig | E1279
September 09, 2021 01:45 - 55.2 MBCoinbase CEO Brain Armstrong took to Twitter to call out the SEC for what Coinbase considers unclear guidance & hostility around their Lend product, Jason breaks down the situation (1:43). Then, to better understand how DeFi lending works Jason interviews Matt Ballensweig the Head of Institutional Lending at Genesis, a crypto prime brokerage (9:51). We close with three "Ask Jason" questions (50:23).
Coinbase battles SEC over Lend + How DeFi interest rates work with Genesis’ Matt Ballensweig | E1279
September 09, 2021 01:45 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBCoinbase CEO Brain Armstrong took to Twitter to call out the SEC for what Coinbase considers unclear guidance & hostility around their Lend product, Jason breaks down the situation (1:43). Then, to better understand how DeFi lending works Jason interviews Matt Ballensweig the Head of Institutional Lending at Genesis, a crypto prime brokerage (9:51). We close with three "Ask Jason" questions (50:23).
BAYC at Sotheby’s, Loot, Tether Canada ban + 8VC’s Joe Lonsdale: Palantir, China, Cicero | E1278
September 07, 2021 23:57 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBFirst Jason covers the $19M Bored Ape Yacht Club bid on Sotheby's & the Loot NFT collection launched by a Vine co-founder (1:42), and briefly covers Tether being banned from Canadian exchanges (11:07). Then serial founder and investor Joe Lonsdale joins (19:53) to discuss his companies (Palantir, Addepar, OpenGov), his new podcast "American Optimist," what regulations need to be fixed in the US, China's bold moves & more.
Adrian Grenier: launching a new fund + FounderU: balancing product vision & customer feedback | E1277
September 03, 2021 22:09 - 57 minutes - 52.4 MBFirst, Jason discusses how to balance product vision with customer feedback in a FounderU segment (0:57). Then, actor and investor Adrian Grenier joins to discuss the launch of his new fund DuContra Ventures (20:52), the importance of saying "No" (33:24), acting (41:23) and more!
Next Unicorns: Miso Robotics’ Mike Bell, $3 an hour fry cooks + MorningBrew’s Dan Toomey on TikTok | E1276
September 02, 2021 21:25 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBJason chats with Miso Robotics CEO Mike Bell (1:07), about automating food preparation, filling the labor gap, the consequences of robots, growing with crowdfunding and more. Then, TWIST Producer Rachel Braun interviews Dan Toomey about the strategies he uses to run the Morning Brew TikTok account.