Unicorns: now and then with Aileen Lee | E1887
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.2 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2024
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
Ketone-IQ is a clean energy boost without sugar or caffeine. Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST
The Paintbrush Loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, no business plan, no minimum time in business, and no warm intros. Plus, you get to keep your equity. Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes.
Coda is the all-in-one doc for teams. And they introduced an AI-powered assistant to take the BUSY out of the WORK! Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist
*
Today’s show: Aileen Lee join Jason to talk about her origins and overcoming challenges as a woman in a male-dominated tech space (2:12), the Unicorn Club and the effects of the ZIRP era (11:51), predictions on which startups will maintain their unicorn status (33:09), and more!
*
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
*
LINKS:
Check out Cowboy Ventures: https://www.cowboy.vc/
Read Aileen’s 2024 article here: https://www.cowboy.vc/news/welcome-back-to-the-unicorn-club-10-years-later
Read Aileen’s original Unicorn article here: https://techcrunch.com/2013/11/02/welcome-to-the-unicorn-club/
Check out All Raise: https://www.allraise.org/
*
Thanks to our partners:
(10:26) Ketone-IQ - Get 30% off your first subscription order of Ketone-IQ at http://www.hvmn.com/TWIST
(20:39) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes
(31:38) Coda - Get started for free at https://www.coda.io/twist
*
Follow Eileen
X: https://twitter.com/aileenlee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenwlee
*
Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/jason
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
*
Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
*
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
*
Follow TWiST:
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | entrepreneurial background having done something. It doesn't almost matter whether it was |
| 0:04.3 | jet.com or if it was like a lawn mowing business. It's like basically you have to have tried and have that fire |
| 0:10.0 | to actually take risk and failure I think it's really important. |
| 0:13.6 | I always tell my founders getting your ass kicked is a precursor to kicking ass. |
| 0:16.6 | Yeah but I do think for the next generation of founders like for my kids I |
| 0:19.8 | encourage them and their friends like start businesses talk about business ideas with each other. |
| 0:24.0 | Why? I said parent why are you encouraging them that now? |
| 0:27.7 | The understanding the risk and all the things you just said about hiring, planning |
| 0:31.1 | out the business, facing failure and disappointment, selling, satisfying |
| 0:35.6 | customers, all those things. You kind of need reps. And then you get better at it over time. |
| 0:39.7 | This week in startups is brought to you by, |
| 0:43.2 | Ketone IQ is a clean energy boost |
| 0:46.3 | without sugar or caffeine. |
| 0:48.3 | Get 30% off your first subscription order |
| 0:51.0 | of Ketone IQ at HVMN.com slash Twist. The |
| 0:56.8 | paintbrush loan is the earliest startup financing on the internet. No pitch deck, |
| 1:01.2 | no business plan, and no warm intros. |
| 1:03.8 | Plus you get to keep your equity. |
| 1:05.6 | Visit get paintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50,000 startup loan |
| 1:11.6 | in less than two minutes. and Coda is the all-in-one dock for teams |
| 1:16.1 | Get started for free and get a $1,000 startup credit at Coda. I.O slash Twist. |
| 1:23.5 | All right, everybody, welcome back to the program. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jason Calacanis, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jason Calacanis and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.