Rippling Targets $16B, Market Chaos, TikTok Timeout, and Office Hours | E2107

Today’s show: Jason and Alex dive into the startup world’s latest chaos — from Nasdaq’s slide and Trump’s tariffs to Klarna’s IPO pause and Rippling’s $16B target. They break down what founders really need to know: tightening CIO budgets, longer sales cycles, but easier hiring. Plus, TikTok’s ban gets another delay (with Bezos possibly lurking?). In Office Hours, they chat with two sharp founders: Luke Belbina from PodEngine, who's building AI for podcasters and doubling revenue, and David Moscatelli from Abacus, who’s bringing secure, on-prem AI to banks and just hit $1M ARR. Don’t miss it! 👇 * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason kicks off the show! [3:37] Cloud stocks dip: What it means for startups [5:31] Trump's tariffs: A new startup recession? [7:01] Retail’s reaction to tariff pressure [10:16] LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups [12:35] Supply chains & startup struggles [14:53] What’s still getting funded in VC [17:21] Layoffs looming? What founders should prep for [19:10] AI, macro takes & market signals [21:32] Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist [23:21] European tech cooling off? [24:36] Hiring freezes vs. easier recruiting [27:39] Startup strategies in tough markets [29:34] Vapi - Go to https://vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life. [31:38] How to communicate tough changes [33:33] TikTok ban delayed… again [39:38] Trump’s China playbook: Startup impact [42:12] Office Hours: Luke from PodEngine [47:31] Automating with AI & driving sales [55:53] Pricing, lead gen & scaling tips [1:06:30] Office Hours: David from Abacus [1:08:32] On-prem AI for banks + hitting $1M ARR [1:14:42] Team building & founder strategy * 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 * Links from the show: Check out PodEngine: https://www.podengine.ai/ Check out Abacus: https://www.goabacus.co/ * Follow Luke: X: https://x.com/lukebelbina LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukebelbina/ * Follow David: X: https://x.com/DaveMoscatelli * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Thank you to our partners: [10:16] LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups [21:32] Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist [29:34] Vapi - Go to https://vapi.ai/twist and get 1000 minutes free per month - for life. Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe , Steve Huffman , Brian Chesky , Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie , Sophia Amoruso , Reid Hoffman , Frank Slootman , Billy McFarland Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis 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 * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916