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This Week in Startups

GPU clusters, venture trends, and the robotics startups we’re most excited about | E1977

This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis

Technology

4.21.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 July 2024

⏱️ 88 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

Tech Domains. Don’t miss our “Jam Session with JCal” contest! To apply and get more details go to https://jamwithjcal.tech brought to you by .tech domains.

Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at https://vanta.com/twist

OpenPhone. Create business phone numbers for you and your team that work through an app on your smartphone or desktop. TWiST listeners can get an extra 20% off any plan for your first 6 months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠

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Todays show:

Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to discuss news that a16z has built out a GPU cluster that it rents to its portfolio companies (4:22), Q2 venture trends (31:02), robotics startups (57:39), new TWIST500 companies (1:11:51), and more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show

(4:22) Venture capital firms building AI GPU clusters and a16z's “oxygen”

(10:09) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech

(11:13) Where this leads the industry

(20:21) Michael Ovitz's influence and venture capitalists' work ethic

(30:10) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist⁠

(31:02) Q2 venture capital funding trends and strategies for struggling companies

(37:00) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠

(38:23) Global AI funding trends and current state of venture capital

(57:39) Teleoperation robots, remote work arbitrage, and ethical considerations

(1:11:51) Robotics companies' funding, the future of AI and robotics, and the TWIST500

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Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/

Check out the TWIST500: twist500.com

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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

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Mentioned on the show:

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/andreessen-horowitz-is-building-a-stash-of-more-than-20-000-gpus-to-win-ai-deals?rc=g3wfdp

https://infogram.com/global-quarterly-ai-funding-through-q2-2024-1h0n25okznz5l4p

https://infogram.com/global-venture-dollar-volume-q2-2024-1hnp27eewj9on4g

https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/14/business/robots-japan-supermarkets-spc-intl/index.html

https://www.reddit.com/r/overemployed

https://www.athena.com/#Elite-Assistants

https://nypost.com/2024/04/09/us-news/nyc-restaurants-use-zoom-cashiers-from-philippines

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Follow Alex:

X: https://x.com/alex

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/

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Follow Jason:

X: https://twitter.com/Jason

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(10:09) .Tech Domains - Apply for the Jam Session with JCal contest today at https://jamwithjcal.tech

(30:10) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist⁠

(37:00) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://www.openphone.com/twist⁠

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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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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

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Follow TWiST:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

What are VC's known for doing in the summer and the winter?

0:03.2

It is not hard work and graft it is mostly skiing and hot air ballooning.

0:08.6

Correct. They're known for doing nothing.

0:11.9

Yes. Yes.

0:14.0

Now, I gave a big speech to, you know, one of our young guns here.

0:18.0

I call them the young guns, the ones who come from out of school.

0:21.0

Doesn't mean we don't hire older people we do all the time but

0:22.9

look at hired you Alex I mean you're ancient. I never miss you my

0:28.3

I'm just getting roasted. Just getting roasted. Getting roasted.

0:33.0

I'm scared of turning.

0:34.0

You're supposed to be supportive.

0:36.0

Well, that's just my mother's

0:38.0

turned around.

0:39.0

In a heartbeat, I would give up, I would literally give up every dollar I have.

0:42.0

Yeah. To be 35 again.

0:44.4

I literally would go back down to zero for 30 to be 35 again.

0:48.2

Every single dollar.

0:50.3

This weekend startups is brought to you by dot-tech domains.

0:55.0

Don't miss our jam session with J-Cal contest.

0:58.0

To apply and get more details go to jam with jacal dot-tech brought to you by dot-tech domains.

1:05.0

Vanta.

1:07.0

Compliance and security shouldn't be a dealbreaker for startups to win new business.

...

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