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This Week in Startups

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu on launching the R1, future of AI hardware, and going viral at CES | E1885

This Week in Startups

Jason Calacanis

Technology

4.21.4K Ratings

🗓️ 24 January 2024

⏱️ 90 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This Week in Startups is brought to you by…

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 openphone.com/twist

Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone. Visit http://scalablepath.com/twist to get 20% off your first month.

Uizard.io will help bring your vision to life in minutes, not days with the power of AI. Visit http://uizard.io/twist to get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year.

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Today’s show:

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu joins Jason to discuss the viral launch of Rabbit's R1 AI companion device at CES, covering the ambitious product vision (1:37), unique design (23:30), custom-built OS and LLM (11:30), manufacturing logistics (49:45), and much more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Rabbit’s Jesse Lyu joins Jason

(1:37) Introduction and Pricing of Rabbit R1, a Pocket AI Device

(7:07) Differences between large language models and large action models

(10:03) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(11:30) Data collection process for training the Large Action Model (LAM), Neuro-symbolic algorithm vs. traditional Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

(16:08) Authentication and access to Rabbit's Web Portal, privacy considerations, and speed and latency of voice interactions

(23:30) The role of Teenage Engineering in design inspiration

(30:47) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://scalablepath.com/twist

(32:07) Potential frustrations and limitations with the Rabbit R1 compared to smartphones

(41:30) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

(42:38) Evaluating the Accuracy of Voice-to-Text Translations

(49:45) Product timeline, experimental features, and getting devices to early adopters

(1:12:37) Rabbit’s early development, Jesse's journey, and future prospects of AI

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

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LINKS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22wlLy7hKP4

https://teenage.engineering

https://www.whathifi.com/news/headphone-30-could-a-computer-in-your-ear-change-headphones-forever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iU6K7NccXk

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Thanks to our partners:

(10:03) OpenPhone - Get 20% off your first six months at https://openphone.com/twist

(30:47) Scalable Path - Get 20% off your first month at http://scalablepath.com/twist

(41:30) Uizard - Get 25% off Uizard Pro for an entire year at http://uizard.io/twist

*

Follow Jesse

X:  https://twitter.com/jessechenglyu

Check out: https://www.rabbit.tech

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Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

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

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

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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, 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:

Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups

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

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hardware is never a choice by preference.

0:04.0

You don't build a hardware because you want to build a cool hardware.

0:07.0

Most of the time if you do things like that, it will be miserablely.

0:11.0

A lot of good cases I learned and I experienced is that you have a

0:15.7

software that's so good that you want the dedicated hardware to make it better.

0:19.6

It's always around the software, it's always around the you know what's inside and then if you have a software that's very very very edgy very new

0:28.9

You want a de-risk on a hardware at least for the first generation.

0:33.0

So to me, R1 is a result of choose hardware by necessity, not by preference.

0:40.0

This week in startups is brought to you by Open Phone brings your team's business calls,

0:46.4

texts, and contacts into one delightful app that works anywhere.

0:51.5

Get 20% off your first six months at open phone.com slash

0:56.4

Twist. Scalable Path. Want to speed up your product development without

1:00.9

breaking the bank? Since 2010, Scalable Path has helped over 300 companies hire deeply vetted engineers in their time zone.

1:10.0

Visit Scalable Path.com slash Twist to get 20% off your first month and

1:17.0

Wizard.io will help bring your vision to life in minutes, not days, with the power of AI.

1:25.0

Visit wizard.io slash twist to get 25% off wizard pro for an entire year. That's U I Z A R D. I.O slash Twist.

1:38.0

All right, everybody, last week we discussed the Rabbit R1, which was, I think, the most notable new product to come out of

1:46.0

CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.

1:49.4

You may have seen the demo in viral on X slash Twitter.

1:54.2

Really cool looking product, a handheld, a pocket AI companion.

1:58.4

It has a wheel on it for navigation.

2:00.4

It's got a camera that flips over and it's got an LED screen I guess and is in this bright beautiful orange my favorite color

...

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