Palantir's Fellowship, Coco Robots & Startup Office Hours | E2110
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 12 April 2025
⏱️ 69 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today’s show: We dive into the latest tech and startup news — including Palantir’s bold new fellowship program that challenges the traditional college path, and DoorDash’s rollout of burrito-delivering Coco robots in LA and Chicago. We debut our new segment “Tips from the Trenches,” focused on how to land your first customers, and wrap up with two great Office Hours: BRX.ai (self-healing AI agents) and InviteJet (calendar-based marketing). Plus, one founder’s wild story about a fake investor using an AI deepfake on Zoom. Don’t miss Jason’s tactical GTM advice and a reminder that if no one complains about your pricing, you’re probably too cheap.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!
(2:01) Palantir's new fellowship program and alternative education paths
(9:12) Digg's Groundbreakers program and paid community model
(10:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(13:21) DoorDash's partnership with Coco robotics for deliveries and the future of robotic deliveries
(20:26) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(21:56) Tips from the Trenches “Your First Customers”
(22:31) Strategies for acquiring first customers from Y Combinator founders
(30:35) AdQuick - For TWiST listeners - AdQuick is waiving their fee on your first campaign. Visit https://www.adquick.com/twist
(32:00) Office Hours with Jake and Daniel from BRX about their product and growth strategy
(41:05) Feedback on BRX's website clarity and branding strategies
(46:45) Office Hours with Brian Watson from InviteJet
(49:00) Challenges faced by InviteJet and dealing with fraudulent investors
(56:43) InviteJet's churn rates, ideal customer profiles, and future plans
(1:01:43) Discussing Invitejet's pricing strategies, customer loyalty, and marketing tactics
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Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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Links from the show:
BRX AI: https://brx.ai/
InviteJet: https://www.invitejet.com/
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Follow BRX:
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Follow InviteJet:X: https://x.com/InviteJet
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Follow Lon:
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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:
(10:33) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(20:26) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist
(30:35) AdQuick - For TWiST listeners - AdQuick is waiving their fee on your first campaign. Visit https://www.adquick.com/twist
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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 | small tangent for just a sec. |
| 0:01.9 | Tangents. |
| 0:02.4 | This one's hilarious. |
| 0:04.1 | There's a long story to it, but the long and the short is basically there was one |
| 0:07.9 | investor who offered to invest in us. |
| 0:11.5 | I met him through Telegram. |
| 0:12.7 | I used to work in crypto, so I know a lot of people in crypto. |
| 0:17.6 | And so he offered to invest in us, asked us to come to Amsterdam to meet him because |
| 0:23.2 | he doesn't do business without a handshake deal first and seeing you face to face. So I went back |
| 0:29.5 | door and started looking this guy up. Looked like he was a great guy. Looked like he was investing |
| 0:34.5 | through family offices and things like that. However, it turned out the man |
| 0:38.8 | I was talking to on a Zoom meeting was actually not who he said he was. He was using some |
| 0:44.9 | sort of AI filter to filter his face and pretend to be this person and try to get me to |
| 0:50.5 | come to Amsterdam. So, always do your research. |
| 0:54.3 | Glad you've still |
| 0:54.8 | both kidneys. |
| 0:56.4 | This weekend startups is brought to you by Squarespace. |
| 0:59.7 | Turn your idea into a new website. |
| 1:01.6 | Go to Squarespace.com slash twist for a free trial. |
| 1:04.5 | And you're ready to launch. |
| 1:05.3 | He's offered code twist to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. |
| 1:09.3 | LinkedIn jobs. |
... |
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