About this episode
OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist LinkedIn Ads - To redeem a $100 LinkedIn ad credit and launch your first campaign, go to linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups Brex - the financial stack founders can bank on. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/banking-solutions . Today’s show: Jason, Alex, and Lon dig into the controversy around 11x, the Andreessen-backed startup accused of misrepresenting revenue and using fake logos, and what that says about early-stage accountability. Then we break down China’s dual-front blitz in AI and EVs: DeepSeek’s open-source model rivals GPT-4, and Xiaomi’s $30K SU7 is a straight-up Porsche clone shaking the EV market. Finally, we unpack the “4-persona framework” that helped Wiz rocket to $100M+ ARR faster than anyone — a must-know concept for any founder looking to build, sell, and scale like a beast. Timestamps: (0:00) Episode Teaser (1:27) Introduction of co-hosts Lon Harris and Alex Wilhelm (3:23) New set design and color analysis(5:43) Announcement of "Twist OT" and potential Patreon model( 8:09) Gamestop's Bitcoin strategy and Michael Saylor's influence (10:15) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist (14:26) MSTR and their shift to Bitcoin (17:01) Michael Saylor’s conflict of interest (20:40) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (23:09) Investment strategies for company treasuries(25:10) Allegations against Eleven x startup (30:35) Brex - the financial stack founders can bank on. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/banking-solutions . (32:56) The importance of transparency and accountability in startups (42:31) Chinese advancements in AI technology and ChatGPT features (55:09) Insight from Israeli VC Gili Raanan on successful startups (1:04:26) Founder Friday March Pitch Madness bracket competition (1:10:26) How to start a Founder Friday chapter and community (1:11:21) Bracket competition and Launch Accelerator's 34th cohort * 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 Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/Lons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonharris Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Thank you to our partners: (10:15) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist (20:40) LinkedIn Ads - Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups (30:35) Brex - Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at https://www.brex.com/banking-solutions 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