Google is Nano Banana, Apple AI plans & The Great H1B Visa Debate | E2170
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 August 2025
⏱️ 90 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today’s show:
On a brand-new TWiST, Jason and Alex are asking why there are SO MANY note-taking AI apps?
Plus another death has been linked to ChatGPT… is it too easy to get past chatbot guardrails? Why Donald Trump Jr. is joining Polymarket…. How the US Navy could catch up with its international rivals… AND should Apple just buy a big AI company to help them catch up?
All that PLUS a visit from Colin Russ, whose viral H1B Visa thread might just inspire Jason to reach out to his good friend, Vice President JD Vance. Check out the full episode!
Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro, Jason’s checking out Notion’s new AI note taking app… is it time to cancel Granola?
(06:57) How Google Gemini’s new 2.5 Flash Image tool (formerly known as “nano-banana”) could change advertising
(10:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(11:40) Show Continues…
(17:50) Another death linked to ChatGPT… is it too easy to get around AI chatbot guardrails?
(19:26) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(20:34) Show Continues…
(28:10) Donald Trump Jr. invests in Polymarket and joins the board…
(29:45) 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!
(30:49) Show Continues…
(33:30) How Jason thinks the US Navy could catch up with China and other rivals, with help from startups
(40:01) Do Jason and Alex think Apple might REALLY buy a big, expensive AI company? Would that be admitting defeat?
(45:57) Colin Russ (@ThaaatColin) tells us about his viral X thread and why he’s worried about H1B visa fraud
(55:32) Jason’s solution for the H1B system, and a message for VP Vance.
(01:08:25) Jason responds to Kara Swisher, who accused him sucking up to power
(01:19:07) Jason responds to his old pal Sam Harris, who thinks he’s loyal to the wrong people
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(10:28) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist
(19:26) Vouched - Trust for agents that’s built for builders like you. Check it out at http://vouched.id/twist
(29:45) 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 McFarland
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This is an issue for all of America. |
| 0:02.1 | I'm going to send it to Vice President J.D. Vance. |
| 0:04.5 | I'm sending him your thread, and I'm going to send him this because he said he wanted to get educated on it. |
| 0:08.5 | I don't know. He's busy. He's the vice president. There's a lot going on. But I know that he cares about American people, American workers. It's part of the MAGA movement. so therefore they should be on top of this if there is shenanigans going on here. |
| 0:04.2 | And I believe we should import folks, but I don't think if what's happening here is a little bit of a shell game, I don't like it. |
| 0:28.7 | So I have a very simple solution, and I'm going to tell our president, Donald Trump, my proposal next time I see him. |
| 0:36.7 | This weekend startups is brought to you by Northwest Registered Agent. |
| 0:42.1 | Starting your business should be simple. |
| 0:44.3 | With Northwest Registered Agent, you can form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 |
| 0:50.3 | minutes. |
| 0:51.1 | From LLCs to trademarks, domains to custom websites, they've got you covered. |
| 0:56.0 | Get more privacy, more options, and more done. Visit northwest registered agent.com |
| 1:02.8 | slash twist today. Vouched. Turn your AI infrastructure into production grade software with |
| 1:10.2 | know your agent from Vouchd. with Know Your Agent from Vouchd. |
| 1:12.1 | Check it out yourself at Vouchd. ID slash Twist. Trust for agents that's built for builders like you. |
| 1:19.5 | And lemon.io. Hire pre-vetted remote developers and get 15% off your first four weeks of developer time at lemon.io slash twist. |
| 1:31.7 | All right, everybody. |
| 1:32.2 | Welcome back to this week in startups. |
| 1:35.7 | Just noticed something crazy, Alex, when I started the Zoom, I'm in the studio, but sometimes |
| 1:40.8 | I'll have the Zoom that you're on. |
| 1:42.6 | So if you pull up a chart or something, |
| 1:44.3 | I can see it here on the laptop a little closer than the teleprompter. |
... |
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