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This Week in Startups

How agents will change banking forever | E2260

This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis

Technology

4.21.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This Week In Startups is made possible by:

Northwest Registered Agent - ⁠⁠northwestregisteredagent.com/twist⁠⁠

Quo - ⁠⁠quo.com/TWiST⁠⁠

Gusto - ⁠⁠Gusto.com/twist⁠⁠

Plaud - http://Plaud.ai/twist

Athena - https://www.athena.com/jcal


Today’s show:

How long until AI models can improve AI models? Once possible, recursive self-improvement by AI technology could accelerate — forever. Thus far, humans (and their coding agents) are still driving AI progress. But a recent project by AI developer extraordinare Andrej Karpathy, called ‘autoresearcher’, is turning heads as it shows that it is possible — in certain contexts — to allow AI agents to run successive coding experiments to improve specific elements of LLM performance. Call it an early demonstration of the future.

OpenClaw is exploding in China, while here in the United States, AI is polling somewhere underneath the basement. AI in the United States is about as popular as ICE, which could create a political issue for the technology in the coming elections.

Next? Three demos. First, NetXD’s Suresh Ramamurthi showed off how he has built OpenClaw functionality to move money, Rohan Arun showed off PhoneClaw automation on Android devices from an AR headset, and Eugene Stuckless gave us a taste of what Eir is building. Our takeaway? OpenClaw is still boring its way into our digital lives, one new skill or tool at a time!

GUESTS:

Suresh Ramamurthi: ⁠⁠https://x.com/sureshr7⁠⁠

Rohan Arun: ⁠⁠https://x.com/Viewforge/⁠⁠

Eugene Stuckless: ⁠⁠https://x.com/eugene_eir_inc⁠⁠


Timestamps:

0:00 — ‘Autoresearcher’ and the future of AI improvements

6:52 — Why people around the world are flocking to OpenClaw

7:57 — Plaud - If your work depends on conversations — interviews, meetings, calls — you need a Plaud NotePin. You can check it out at Plaud.ai/twist and use code TWIST for 10% off!

9:46 — 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 Gusto.com/twist.

12:57 — The changing American social contract

20:15 — Quo - 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 quo.com/TWIST

23:50 — Why China is all-in on AI (and Europe isn’t)

26:26 — How to keep your job in the AI era

28:05 — 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

29:38 — Athena - Get $2,000 off your first EA at https://www.athena.com/jcal

34:42 — Demo: Suresh Ramamurthi of NetXD

42:47 — Demo: Rohan Arun of PhoneClaw

47:35 — Why bringing OpenClaw to your smartphone is what’s next

49:49 — Demo: Eugene Stuckless of Eir

56:45 — How can we make smarter, more efficient agents?


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

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Follow Lon:

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


Follow Jason:

X: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Jason⁠⁠

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


Great TWIST interviews: ⁠⁠Will Guidara,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Eoghan McCabe⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Steve Huffman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Brian Chesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Bob Moesta,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Aaron Levie⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Sophia Amoruso⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Reid Hoffman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Frank Slootman⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Billy McFarland⁠⁠


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


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Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TWiStartups⁠⁠

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

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Substack: ⁠⁠https://twistartups.substack.com

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

All right, everybody. Welcome back to Twist Monday, March 9th, 2026. Lots going on. Alex, how you doing?

0:06.8

I'm fantastic. The snow's melting. I'm finally coming out of winter. I've got tank top season is around the corner. So, Jason, I'm happy.

0:15.6

This week in startups is brought to you by Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest.

0:22.6

In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity.

0:27.6

Learn more at Northwest Registeredagent.com slash twist.

0:32.6

Quo. Founders move fast. Their phone systems should too.

0:35.6

Quo, formerly open phone, gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place.

0:43.8

Try it free at Quo.com slash twist and gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small businesses and startups.

0:53.9

Try Gusto today and get three months free at gusto.com slash twist. experts with software built specifically for small businesses and startups.

0:58.3

Try Gusto today and get three months free at gusto.com slash twist.

1:05.1

What's the top story in our world, startups, venture capital technology?

1:09.2

You know, I think it has to be the Andre Carpathy auto research story.

1:14.2

We've talked so much as an industry about the future of AI models, eventually being able to improve themselves, getting that loop going.

1:17.6

And then at that point, we have real takeoff towards superintelligence.

1:20.7

But in this case, what Andre has done, and if you don't know him, he's a former AI head

1:25.1

over at Tesla.

1:25.9

Jason, he's just one of the best and most followed developers, I would say, in the world.

1:30.1

Fair?

1:30.4

Yeah, for AI specifically, obviously worked for Elon for a long time.

1:33.9

So, yeah, that would be, you know, top 20 recognizable names in the space.

1:41.0

Yeah.

1:41.2

So when I see his stuff, I immediately take a look at it.

...

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