This Week in Startups - Video

Episode 649 of This Week in Startups is a News Roundtable featuring Jessica Lessin, founder and editor-in-chief of The Information, and Nellie Bowles, staff writer for The Guardian. Jason riffs with the distinguished journalists on the polarizing and ongoing dispute between Peter Thiel and Gawker. Then, the discussion turns to include everything from the Trump campaign, to journalistic politics, and moral responsibility in the tech industry.

In episode 648 of This Week in Startups, Jason opens up his office hours to an audience of investors and entrepreneurs at the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco to answer questions and analyze pitches. One by one, founders take the stage to pitch their products or simply to pick Jason’s brain. J.P. Martin of GrowX, Katherine Webster of Vets in Tech, and Keenan Williams of REZI, are just a few of the hard working entrepreneurs who stand up to hear Jason’s candid feedback on their ideas.

In episode 647 of This Week in Startups, Jason interviews the top three finalists of the 2015 IBM SmartCamp. First, he sits down with Jessika Lora, CEO & founder of the SmartCamp overall winner, CarForce. Then Mike Holt of Gridcomm, one of the finalists, explains how his company will save huge energy costs by implementing a network of smart street lamps. Finally, founder Yoly Avalos demonstrates why Bquate is disrupting the music industry by placing distribution in the hands of the artists. ****Interested in applying for SmartCamp in 2016? Leave your e-mail at smartcamp2015.com and we'll notify you when applications come out.****

Filmed live at the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco, Jason takes the stage with seasoned entrepreneur and author of “The Lean Startup,” Eric Ries. Jason and Eric dive right into the meaty processes lined out in the bestselling book. They analyze real examples of the business experiments that Jason has personally tried out using tips and techniques pulled directly from Eric’s scientific method for achieving startup success. Get an inside look at where “The Lean Startup” revolution began.

There was literally no program available to teach computational learning to kids past the age of ten…that is, until Ready was brought to market in February 2016. Jason sits down with Alpha Venture advisor and Ready Founding Maker David Bennahum in Episode 645 of This Week in Startups. David discusses the challenges of teaching coding to kids and shows off his software creator Ready, which aims to revolutionize the face of computational learning and education.

Accelerator programs have become an invaluable force in the world of startups. In episode 644 of This Week in Startups, Jason interviews a panel of accelerator thought leaders on the LAUNCH Stage at the 2016 LAUNCH Festival. Dave McClure of 500 Startups, Emily Kirsch of Powerhouse, and Cameron Teitelman of StartX convene to discuss the benefits of enrolling in an incubator, and the differences between the major accelerators available today. Then, Joel Spolsky sits down with Jason to talk about his massively successful Q&A website, Stack Overflow.

True artificial intelligence is arguably the ultimate technology. To create machines that not only learn, but teach themselves, is sure to unlock new realms of technological possibilities that we haven’t even considered. This is exactly what Vicarious aims to accomplish, and exactly why distinguished investors such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerburg, and Peter Thiel are pouring funding into this revolutionary company. In episode 643 of This Week in Startups, Scott Phoenix, co-founder of Vicarious, sits down with Jason for an in-depth interview on the inner workings within his groundbreaking AI company.

Episode 642 of This Week in Startups is a News Roundtable featuring Dave Mathews, Founder and CEO of NewAer, and Veronica Belmont, writer and host of the extremely popular tech podcast The Sword & Laser. Jason leads the discussion on topics ranging from the reinvention of chat bots to the cutting edge of the 4D experience in AR/VR. With an off-the-cuff ‘Dueling Banjos’ segment on Alexa vs. Siri, this episode is a must see.

Can the On Demand space stay afloat? Tony Xu, CEO and Co-founder of DoorDash, sits down with Jason for an in depth interview on This Week in Startups to explain how his company has scaled in the On Demand economy. The discussion ranges from growth and sustainability to the difficulties of the restaurant business in general. With the minimum wage increasing and the market consistently fluctuating, On Demand is one of the most difficult areas for entrepreneurs to break into. So getting insights from a founder who is thriving in that space is a truly educational experience.

Steve Case’s new book The Third Wave is the centerpiece for this special episode of This Week in Startups, and who better to discuss the content of the book than the author, Steve Case himself! Jason sits down with the legendary internet pioneer and founder of AOL to discuss the early days of the company, the intermediate years of the internet, and the future of innovation. The book focuses around the first two ‘Waves’ of the internet, and then delves into what Steve forecasts as the coming “Third Wave.” Steve’s vision for technology in the coming years is captivating, and this in depth interview helps explain the reasons he is listed among the great tech innovators of our time.

What do syndicates, Kickstarter campaigns, and AngelList all have in common? An all-star panel of angel Investors convenes to connect all of those dots and more in episode 639 of This Week in Startups. Gil Penchina of Flight.vc, Paige Craig of Arena Ventures, and Jenny Fielding of Techstars converge on the LAUNCH Stage at the 2016 LAUNCH Festival to hash out the trials and successes in the young and exciting field of Angel syndicates. Then, Nigel Eccles, CEO of FanDuel, uses real data to explain why daily fantasy leagues are gaining so much popularity. He also clears up the differences between gambling and fantasy sports.

After the retirement of the Concorde in 2003, the supersonic passenger jet has become long overdue for re-entering the market. In episode 638 of This Week in Startups, Boom CEO Blake Scholl sits down with Jason to explain how his company is resurrecting the dream of supersonic passenger flight, and why their new jet will be superior to the failed Concorde design. “The Concorde was 1950’s technology. Today we’ve got better aerodynamics, we’ve got software optimized aerodynamics, we’ve got better engines, better materials…” The list goes on as Blake explains not only the feasibility, but the reality of this exciting new venture!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a truly scalable business from the ground up? Filmed on the LAUNCH Stage at the 2016 LAUNCH Festival, episode 637 of This Week in Startups features two very successful entrepreneurs who share some insights into how they have managed to scale their companies. First, Jeff Glueck, CEO of Foursquare, chats with Jason about the company’s decision to split into two separate apps, and how that decision has affected the growth of the business. Then, Adi Tatarko, CEO of Houzz, gives an in-depth look at the company, where they started, and how they reached a monthly user base of over 35 million worldwide.

Filmed on the LAUNCH Stage at the 2016 LAUNCH Festival, Joe DeSimone of Carbon3D and Will Marshall of Planet Labs demonstrate why their companies go beyond the cutting edge in their respective industries. First, Will Marshall brings in one of Planet Labs’ ultra compact satellites, which, having deployed over 150 into orbit, are creating a hyper-efficient Earth imaging system with virtually endless application possibilities. Then, Jason sits down with Joe DeSimone to find out what Carbon3D brings to the market, and how their innovative new approach to 3D printing is creating stronger, more sustainable products from higher quality materials.

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs everywhere are feeling the effects of the constricting tunnel of capital flow. Filmed on the LAUNCH Stage at the 2016 LAUNCH Festival, Episode 635 of This Week in Startups features an all-star VC panel with Jed Katz of Javelin Venture Partners, Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures, and Hunter Walk of Homebrew. Jason doesn’t shy away from asking the tough questions to get a glimpse into the minds of these seasoned VCs, find out what they’re looking for, and where they’re placing their bets. Then Kirt McMaster of Cyanogen, the largest distribution of Android on Earth, joins Jason for a fireside chat on the LAUNCH Stage. Kirt gives an in-depth look at his groundbreaking company and the future post-app ecosystem with CyanogenMod.