May 1, 2025
Bittensor’s Rise, Meta’s Llama Goes Cloud, & AI Now Writes Your Code | E2119
This Week in StartupsAbout this episode
Today’s show: Jason, Alex, Lon and Special Guest Mark Jeffrey of Hash Rate, cover the explosive rise of Bittensor, a decentralized AI compute network some are calling the “third great coin” after Bitcoin and Ethereum, explore Meta’s bold move to host its open-source LLaMA models via partnerships with Groq and Cerebras—potentially setting the stage for a future AWS competitor—and unpack shocking revelations from the Wall Street Journal about Meta AI chatbots engaging in inappropriate conversations with underage users. Plus, we explore how AI is now writing up to 30% of code at major tech firms like Google and Microsoft, signaling a radical shift in how software gets built. Timestamps: (0:00) Episode Teaser(1:28) Introduction to the episode and guests(2:31) Mark Jeffrey's involvement in crypto and Bittensor project(5:06) Bitcoin vs. Bittensor: Stability and efficiency(10:20) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities.(15:16) Governance, staking, and starting a subnet in Bittensor(17:52) Exploring Ready.AI and its impact on the future of AI(20:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (27:17) Trump's influence on crypto regulations and the stablecoin act(30:03) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://www.oracle.com/twist (38:42) AI-driven VC outreach and Alexis Ohanian's advice on cold emailing(45:03) Introducing LayerNext with CEO Buddhika Madduma and customer onboarding challenges(49:04) Ikigai for startups and balancing bespoke work with scalable product development(55:38) Strategies for securing lighthouse customers and the 'bear hug' approach(56:43) Reddit rapid response: Debating the return to office for young professionals(1:04:05) Closing remarks and guest plugs 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 episode: Hash Rate Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@markjeffrey LayerNext: https://www.layernext.ai/ r/antiwork: https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/ Follow Mark: X: https://x.com/markjeffrey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjeffrey/ Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons 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: (10:20) Hubspot for Startups - Visit hubspot.com/startups and join the founders who are turning growth challenges into opportunities. (20:08) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST (30:03) Oracle - Try OCI and save up to 50% on your cloud bill at https://www.oracle.com/twist 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