This Week in Startups - Video

As an angel investor, as a founder, and as host of 700+ episodes of TWiST, Jason constantly receives questions from founders and superfans about startups. Today, he offers timeless advice — from what an angel investor looks for in a venture outside their market, to raising money against competitors, from calculating and negotiating equity with advisors, to advice for non-accredited angels with low investment budgets. Plus, find out the key lessons Jason has learned about building online communities.

Filmed live at Spotify NYC, Jason interviews Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of “The Power of Habit” and “Smarter Faster Better”. Charles was one of a team of New York Times reporters who won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for a series of 10 articles about the business practices of Apple and other technology companies. In this special episode, he shares insights into what led him to becoming a self-help guru, the roots of Donald Trump's anti-intellectualism and how to overcome them, the immigration debate, and more. Plus, find out why SNL should have been the biggest failure on earth.

In episode 2 of Jason's new podcast, "Angel," Super Angel & Syndicate Leader Gil Penchina shares secrets from his 20 years investing in 200+ startups, including LinkedIn, PayPal, & Cruise. Gil reveals why he became an angel, which founders & verticals to back (& which to run away from), deal flow strategies, tips for learning the game & making your own rules, how to support founders, & lessons he's learned from his greatest hits ... and failures. Thank you to Audible for sponsoring this podcast.

Filmed live on stage at the 2017 LAUNCH Angel Summit in Napa Valley, Jason interviews industry veteran Alfred Lin. In this intimate fireside chat, Alfred shares insights into the stepping stones of his journey from Venture Frogs, to Zappos, to Sequoia Capital, where he is currently writing checks to some of the most influential startups in Silicon Valley. Alfred spends a large portion of the talk explaining why he focuses on founders who are on a “mission”. He backs his argument with examples of the types of founders and CEOs who make millions, if not billions, of dollars and still choose to continue working because they are on a mission, and that mission goes beyond just making lots and lots of money. Investment strategies from Seed to Series D, the future of venture capital, and the importance of unanimity among partners are all topics covered in detail in this special episode of TWiST.

Filmed live at Squarespace NYC headquarters, James Altucher interviews Jason on his new book “Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups-Timeless Advice from an Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000.” The book can be thought of as a guidebook on how to get into the entrepreneurial space, how to build and grow into it, how to succeed, and, if you are a founder - how to be a founder that VC’s want to invest in. Jason shares lessons learned investing in over 150 companies, how wealth creation changing, and the ways that people can change their financial status. Join us for a candid conversation about being an entrepreneur and learn how Jason has become one of the most successful angel investors in the tech sector.

In under a decade, Founders Fund has become what many people would consider to be in the Top 5 in the venture capital space. Filmed live on stage at the 2017 LAUNCH Angel Summit in Napa Valley, Jason interviews Founders Fund’s top VC Brian Singerman. In this special episode of TWiST, Brian shares highlights from portfolio investments, the criteria for a Founders Fund investment, AI predictions, and more. Plus, find out the 3 parts to Brian’s approach to early stage investments and working with angel investors.

E747: The Syndicate 2: Top startups pitch to world-class investors: w/RecoverX, Stowaway, Zembula, Vow To Be Chic, Elemeno Health, MailHaven

Welcome to the first episode of the "Angel" podcast. In this series, Jason interviews angels about their investment strategies and pulls back the curtain on how early-stage startups get funded. In E1, Cyan Banister, former angel investor (Uber, Thumbtack) now Founders Fund Partner, shares with Jason her portfolio successes & brutal losses, her formula for choosing successful startups & founders, and her journey from angel investor to VC. Thanks to Audible for sponsoring this podcast.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and bots are starting to get a lot of buzz, and people are saying that advances in AI is moving faster than anticipated. Our guest today, Rob May, is formerly the CEO and co-founder of Backupify, and is now the CEO and co-founder of Talla, which builds intelligent assistants to help knowledge workers better do their jobs. Talla has developed a text-based messaging assistant that uses machine learning and natural language processing to automate human resources & IT tasks. Join us as Rob explains why bots are a better interface, what sets Talla apart from the AI space, and shares his predictions on AI’s impact on jobs.

Food is one of the hardest spaces that any founder can operate in. Food should be innovated upon, and we should be having many more services and products that make our life more delightful. But, we’ve seen more failures than successes here in Silicon Valley. Our guest today, Tovala founder and CEO, believes he will crack the space with his cloud-connected “smart oven” that cooks ready-made meals in under 30 minutes with the scan of a code and the touch of a button. In fact, Tovala is launching today, July 11. Join us as David shares his approach to funding and scaling, his thoughts on the Amazon and Whole Foods acquisition, how he defines success, and more.

Housing has become a hot button issue in the Bay Area, and in fact, the world, with homes being unaffordable and the ability to produce more housing being throttled by a number of interests. Housing in the Bay Area has become more expensive than anywhere else in the country, and the ability to rent an apartment has reached a level that has exceeded NYC. Our guest today, Kim-Mai Cutler, is a Bay Area native, Initialized Capital Operating Partner, TechCrunch contributor, and has become an authority on housing in the Bay Area. Join us as she explains the affordable housing crisis, the structural issue of power, the causes and consequences of transit fragmentation, gentrification and income inequality, and more.

News Roundtable! Robert Scoble of Transformation Group.io & Iain Thomson of The Register UK are in the studio to talk with Jason about the latest tech news. On tap: the latest in Apple AR, iPhone’s 10th anniversary and what drove the smartphone revolution, how data collection is destroying privacy, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods and what this means for Blue Apron and other meal delivery services, Google’s decision to stop scanning Gmail for ad purposes/data tracking, Binary Capital and the Justin Caldbeck scandal, Trump’s incoherent tweets, and a candid discussion about Uber’s future.

Something has happened in the past decade, which is very unique. The world has gotten smaller, and entrepreneurship has spread across globe. When we look at the breakout successes in the tech space, it was rare to see huge breakout success anywhere outside of Silicon Valley, Seattle, and New York. A couple of years ago, we started to see in Europe, specifically in Stockholm, a number of companies starting to become worth wildly over a billion dollars, such as Spotify, King, and Soundcloud. Today, Tyler Crowley introduces 4 innovative Swedish startups. The first co-founder is Carl Waldekranz and his startup Tictail, which is an online marketplace that brings together the world’s best designers in fashion, home decor, and arts. Next is co-founder Johan Attby of FishBrain, which is an online platform that collects data to create a tailored experience in sport fishing. Then founder Fredrika Gullfot pitches Simris, which takes a sustainable approach to agribusiness through harvesting algae. The final founder is Mikael Lenart and his startup Venue, which is taking an innovative approach to live music by connecting artists with existing fans to create shows. Join us and learn about how and why Stockholm is the leading startup hub in Sweden.

Kevin Rose is an angel investor, venture capitalist, podcaster, and serial entrepreneur best known for building companies like Digg, Revision3, and Milk. In this Part 2 episode, Jason and Kevin continue their discussion of what they look for in a startup founder and lessons learned in early stage investing. Then, they explore their favorite apps, issues around the cryptocurrency and housing markets, and theories around the political side of Zuckerberg.

This Week in Startups is a show about entrepreneurship, investing, technology, and media. Our guest today is able to speak to all of those areas. Kevin Rose is an angel investor, venture capitalist, podcaster, and serial entrepreneur best known for building companies like Digg, Revision3, and Milk. He recently moved from NY to join True Ventures as a venture partner. Join us as Kevin and Jason discuss what makes a good startup and a good product, how to source deals, his Oak app and the benefit of mediation for entrepreneurs, and more.