TWiST News: Tesla Robotaxis, Electric RVs, and How Startups are Helping Secure Elections | E2025
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 15 October 2024
⏱️ 75 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Beehiiv. Power your newsletters with AI tools, referral programs, and ad network features—all in one platform. Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
Cloud Devs. Building the best remote team is tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. Visit https://www.clouddevs.com/twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring elite Latam talent today.
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Todays show:
Alex Wilhelm joins Jason to dive into Tesla’s Robotaxi event, highlighting Tesla's bold plans for a self-driving, bus-style vehicle (4:33). Next, Lightship RV co-founders Toby Kraus and Ben Parker share their vision for the future of electric RVs and off-grid travel (25:04). Finally, Voatz CEO Nimit Sawhney wraps up the show, discussing how startups are working to secure elections, and how Voatz is leveraging blockchain technology to strengthen election security (51:35).
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show
(4:33) The Tesla Robotaxi event
(6:46) The potential impact of Tesla's bus platform
(11:59) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(13:29) ChatGPT 4 with Canvas demonstration
(18:23) Predictions on the future of self-driving cars
(23:36) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
(25:04) Lightship RV co-founders Toby Kraus and Ben Parker join the show
(27:55) Description and features of Lightship RV
(33:58) Cloud Devs - Visit https://www.clouddevs.com/twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring elite Latam talent today.
(35:05) Financing strategy and market potential for Lightship RV
(39:00) Impact of market trends on Lightship RV
(41:19) Lightship RV's unique selling points and efficiency
(46:26) Lightship RV's competition and market strategy
(51:35) Voatz CEO Nimit Sawhney joins the show
(54:48) Voatz's progress, voting process, and blockchain integration
(1:02:25) Election fraud concerns and attack vectors
(1:06:02) Voatz's business model, sales cycle, and state-level urgency
(1:08:11) Discussion on Dominion Voting Systems and election security
(1:10:15) The debate over voter ID requirements and voting transparency
(1:13:38) Upcoming topics: Solar energy advancements
(1:14:28) Twist 500 nominations and submission guidelines
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Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
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Check out:
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Follow Toby:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobykraus
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Follow Ben:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminparker1203/
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Follow Nimit:
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Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
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Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(11:59) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(23:36) Beehiiv - Get 30 days free and 20% off your first 3 months at https://www.beehiiv.com/twist
(33:58) Cloud Devs - Visit https://www.clouddevs.com/twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring elite Latam talent today.
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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 | All right, everybody, welcome back to this weekend startups. |
| 0:03.4 | I'm Jason Calicadas. |
| 0:04.5 | He's Alex Wilhelm, and we have a huge, huge docket today. |
| 0:08.4 | We're going to start off with the Tesla robot taxi reactions. |
| 0:11.6 | Then I'm going to show you how to build a model with chat |
| 0:15.6 | gpity and this incredible new feature called Hanvis that I've been playing |
| 0:21.5 | with it came out last week Alex and it's going to blow your mind and then I understand we have two live guests today at two for |
| 0:27.4 | Yes, we have the founders of Lightship RV they're building the L1 and all electric trailer that is pretty much the |
| 0:36.1 | coolest thing I've seen in some time jason you saw us on Twitter we're obsessed |
| 0:38.8 | we're gonna talk about it and then we have the co-founder and CEO of a |
| 0:42.0 | company called Votes V-O-A-T-Z, that's Nimitz-Sani, |
| 0:46.0 | and we're going to talk about election security and the startups that are working to make democracy a little bit easier flowing. |
| 0:51.0 | This week in startups is brought to you by |
| 0:53.7 | Squarespace turn your idea into a new website. Go to Squarespace |
| 0:58.8 | dot com slash twist for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code Twist |
| 1:04.6 | to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. |
| 1:09.2 | Beehive, power your newsletters with AI tools, referral programs, and add network features, all in one platform. |
| 1:17.5 | Get 30 days free and 20% off your first three months at Beehive.com slash twist and cloud |
| 1:25.8 | devs building the best remote team is tough but you don't have to do it alone |
| 1:30.3 | visit cloud devs dot com slash Twist for an unbeatable offer on hiring Elite Latam |
| 1:36.5 | Talent today. |
| 1:38.4 | Last week, finally, after a delay, Tesla sat down and said, hey everybody, we're going to talk about |
... |
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