4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 January 2025
⏱️ 60 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Today’s show: A $6M open-source AI model from China, DeepSeek, sends shockwaves through Wall Street, wiping billions off NVIDIA’s market cap and forcing a rethink on AI infrastructure spending. We explore the 25% surge in startup shutdowns, the lessons from leaner teams, and why some companies just couldn’t make the runway. Plus, SailPoint returns to the public markets saddled with $1.6B in debt—what does this say about private equity’s “buy, fix, and flip” strategy? Don’t miss this deep dive into the latest tech and startup news!
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show. (1:58) DeepSeek's market impact and Project Stargate (4:18) Innovation, H100 GPUs, and open-source AI models (8:41) Jevons paradox, Pat Gelsinger's analogy, and AI efficiency
(10:03) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today. (13:25) AI's benefits for startups and privacy concerns (19:32) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (19:51) AI optimization vs. hardware consumption
(22:20) OpenAI's revenue, valuation, and NVIDIA's market value (30:13) LinkedIn Jobs. Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist (33:21) Unified AI digital assistants and DeepSeq's new model (35:01) AI's role in venture capital and team size reduction (41:04) China's influence and DeepSeek's market impact (43:22) Startup shutdowns and potential for increased M&A activity (53:02) Nvidia's historical analysis, risks of leverage, and SailPoint's IPO
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Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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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:
(10:03) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today. (19:32) Squarespace. TWiST listeners: use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain: https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (30:13) LinkedIn Jobs. Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist *
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
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
0:00.0 | Jason, you're talking about the amount of money in play here. Look how much things have changed just today. |
0:05.5 | Nvidia has been dethroned overnight by Deep Seek and is now the third most valuable company compared to the first. |
0:11.5 | Crazy. |
0:12.1 | That is such a change. |
0:13.9 | Yeah. |
0:14.3 | Wow. |
0:14.9 | That's mind-blowing to me. |
0:16.1 | The AI trade give with the AI trade. |
0:18.1 | Take us away. |
0:19.9 | This week in startups is brought to you by Northwest |
0:22.6 | Registered Agent. Starting your business should be simple. With Northwest Registered Agent, you can form |
0:27.3 | your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. From LLCs to trademarks, domains to |
0:32.4 | custom websites, they've got you covered. Get more privacy, more options, and more done. Visit |
0:37.0 | Northwest Registeredagent.com slash twist today. Squarespace, turn your idea into a new they've got you covered. Get more privacy, more options, and more done. Visit northwestredistered |
0:37.8 | agent.com slash twist today. Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website. Go to Squarespace.com |
0:43.4 | slash twist for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code twist to save 10% off your first |
0:48.1 | purchase of a website or domain. And LinkedIn jobs. A business is only as strong as its people, |
0:53.6 | and every hire matters. |
0:55.0 | Go to LinkedIn.com slash twist to post your first job for free. |
0:58.2 | Terms and conditions apply. |
1:00.0 | Hey, everybody. |
1:00.6 | Welcome back to this week in startups. |
... |
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