This Week in Startups

This Week In Startups is made possible by:

Lemon IO - https://Lemon.io/twist
Every.io - https://every.io
Sentry.io- https://sentry.io/twist

Today’s show:
We’re going behind the curtain today — it’s a packed show!
We found Tyler Yust, OpenClaw’s third EVER contributor to share his insights from within foundation! We’ve got Deedy Das, of Menlo Ventures, on the show to discuss whether SaaS is cooked! Next we met the creator of an OpenClaw instance that fits in your pocket! We’ve also got the founder of OpenBrowse showing us how he automatically detects and generates OpenClaw skills!

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro - Deedy Das Joins the Show!04:54 Anthropic’s revenue growth and valuation06:07 OpenClaw Contributor Tyler Yuts joins the show09:24 iMessage integration and Apple’s proprietary systems
00:10:07 Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist14:31 Anthropic vs. the Pentagon
00:20:02 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io.
00:30:08 Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST
00:35:46 The Infamous Citrini article00:32:47 Come to LAUNCH fest! https://fest.launch.co00:36:28 Why Deedy thinks the Cetrini article is a work of science fiction00:44:51 The illusion of privacy in corporate America00:41:18 Deedy thinks Enterprise SaaS apps aren’t going to be vibe coded00:49:20 Jason’s Reddit Bot00:52:01 Jason’s obsession with Singapore’s food00:55:22 How Unbrowse pulls any backend API!01:02:07 Sebastian shows off the smallest OpenClaw form factor!01:12:04 The Prolo ring — for people who doomscroll01:20:21 Deedy’s Podcast Player App!

Thank you to our partners:
(10:07) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://Lemon.io/twist

(20:02) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit every.io.

(30:08) Sentry - New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

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

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This Week In Startups is made possible by:Caldera Lab - [calderalab.com/twist](https://calderalab.com/twist)Iru - [iru.com](http://Iru.com/twist)LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/twist*OpenClaw is incredible at automating tasks. But what if it could also fix your startup’s internal communication problems? Give agents shared memory, and you may be able to break down information silos while ensuring that teammates have the same context.@oliverhenry and @jeffweisbein demo what they’ve actually built with OpenClaw, including marketing automations, agentic loops, and bug fixing tools. Then we dig into what agentic infrastructure means for how startups operate, and why traditional SaaS products need to quickly adapt for the agentic era.Oliver Henry: The creator of the ‘[Larry](https://clawhub.ai/OllieWazza/larry)’ OpenClaw skill, and founder of [Larrybrain](https://www.larrybrain.com/)Jeff Weisbein: The Claw-pilled founder of [WizardRFP](https://www.wizardrfp.com/) and [WhoCoversIt](https://www.whocoversit.com/), who shared his OpenClaw framework [publicly](https://weisbe.in/openclaw) and built a [getting-started guide for the tool](https://github.com/jeffweisbein/openclaw-starter-kit)**Timestamps:** 00:00 Intro
(00:01:43) Here’s why you never ski alone in a blizzard!
(00:04:22) Why everyone at LAUNCH is going to get their own Mac Mini and AI agent
(00:08:06) “OpenClaw has changed my entire solo-preneur lifestyle.” — Jeff Weinstein of Hype Lab
(00:09:06) Jason’s urgent API message to Steve Huffman of Reddit
(00:10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer).
(00:15:12) Oliver shows us his Larry Skill to make viral TikTok content with zero human intervention
(00:20:10) Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [www.iru.com/twist](www.iru.com/twist).
(00:21:22) Why are platforms like TikTok still so hostile toward bots?
(00:24:45) The shift from asking a chatbot how to do things, to just telling an agent to do things
(00:26:05) How Oliver is training Larry to get better at its job
(00:30:09) Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to [CalderaLab.com/TWIST](http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.
(00:32:47) Why making your agent more PROACTIVE is more important than automating everything
(00:37:14) Why pull requests… just aren’t really a thing any more.
(00:39:40) How Jason is using his new AI assistant, “Roy,” to keep track of everything going on at his company
(00:53:00) Is the SaaS crash actually rational after all?
(00:51:48) Using AI to create “pools of excellence”
(00:54:03) The more you integrate software into AI, the less valuable the software becomes
(00:56:56) Why “Agentify Your SaaS” may become the rallying cry
(00:58:31) How has the age verification scandal impacted Discord’s IPO plans?
(01:03:10) When you want to build your own skill vs. downloading someone else’s
(01:03:53) How Larrybrain finds helpful skills and helps creators monetize
(01:08:32) When we will get true experts making verifiably top skills?
(01:11:40) Jason’s SCARY but also AWESOME new OpenClaw CEO tools
(01:18:35) Why a lot of MBAs should probably have PhD’s
Thank you to our partners:(30:09) Caldera Lab - Whether you’re starting fresh or upgrading your routine, Caldera Lab makes skincare simple and effective. Head to [CalderaLab.com/TWIST](http://calderalab.com/TWIST) and use TWIST at checkout for 20% off your first order.(20:10) Iru - Iru unifies identity, endpoint security, and compliance into one platform. Book a demo at [iru.com](http://iru.com/).(10:20) LinkedIn Jobs - *Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at* [LinkedIn.com/twist](http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer)

This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twist
Circle - https://circle.so/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Today’s show:
*Getting OpenClaw set up and running without destroying your bank account is one thing.
But now that you have your agent or swarm operational, how can you use them to get real work done?
We have three builders who are going to show you how to maximize your OpenClaw output!
GUESTS:
Jordy Coltman: Viral X author and creator of the WeeklyClaw newsletter
Jesse Leimgruber: Creator of the OpenHome.com smart speaker and kit
Tremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of Pulse
PLUS, on Off Duty, Lon and Jason talk “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms” and “The Pitt,” react to the “Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer, and check out some of Jason’s favorite headphones and earbuds.
Timestamps:
00:40 We’re gonna show you how to maximize your IRL OpenClaw productivity
00:50 Even AI skeptic Lon is blown away by OpenClaw’s power
01:46 Jordy Coltman’s top time-wasting mistakes made by OpenClaw beginners
03:00 Why Jordy thinks new hardware is the best home for your agents
05:38 Why Jason thinks “OpenClaw is a box” is coming soon
08:29 Tremaine Grant of Pulse demos his “virtual office” interface and the “Heartbeat Protocol”
00:10:15 Gusto - Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.
00:15:16 What’s really happening when agents “chat” together?
00:18:53 Jesse Leimgruber’s demos his OpenHome AI smart speakers
00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.
00:22:55 Freeing agents from screens and making them proactive
00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent - Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
00:30:58 Why Jason wants his agent to read Slack and emails to him
00:50:05 Who polices autonomous agents? Other agents?
00:53:32 Jason and Lon’s thoughts on “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”
00:56:20 Lon’s favorite picks from Quentin Tarantino’s Top 10 movies
01:01:13 “The Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer reaction
01:05:22 Jason’s favorite earbuds and headphones
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 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:
00:10:15 Gusto - Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.
00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.
00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent. Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity — Learn more at www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/
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

This Week In Startups is made possible by:

Gusto - Try Gusto today and get 3 months free at gust.com/twist

Crusoe Cloud - Reserve your capacity for the latest GPU’s at crusoe.ai/savings

Uber AI Solutions - Book a demo today at http://uber.com/ai-solutions
Today’s show: It’s a packed show! We’ve got YouTuber and Openclaw enthusiast Matthew Berman, Ryan Yaneli, founder of Nextvisit, and Jason Grad, founder of Massive! We’re all in on Openclaw, but we have no doubts there’s still room in the market for a GIANT Openclaw consumer app to shift the paradigm. What will that look like? Will it be an app? Will it be baked into the iPhone? Let’s explore!

**Timestamps:*
00:00 Intro
02:04 Why Matthew thinks Openclaw is not ready yet to be brought to the consumer
04:45 Jason doesn’t want hundreds of different apps, and thousands of tabs
05:45 Why Ryan sees open claw giving consumers access to opportunities they couldn’t have gotten to otherwise.
07:02 Only 10% of people are technical enough to install openclaw
08:16 Would Openclaw be better off as an app?
08:27 Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at gusto.com/twist
10:52 The killer use case that could bring Openclaw to the consumer
00:12:13 Why Meta acquired Manus.
00:15:13 How Ryan uses Openclaw in his personal life
00:18:44 Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today
00:23:24 What Jason’s “Clawpod” does
00:24:38 Jason demos his Openclaw workflow
00:28:23 Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist
00:30:04 How Matt used Openclaw to figure out he’s been having stomach issues
00:32:27 What will be the ultimate UX for AI?
00:38:53 Anthropic has patched the ability to use Openclaw through its pro plan!
00:42:20 Matt and Jason hope for a multi-model future — but we haven’t made progress!
00:52:21 Jason has skepticisms about the Openclaw foundation
00:52:59 Ryan predicts a new Openclaw fork coming from the shadows!
00:54:21 Peter Steinberger is going to OpenAI, NOT to work with Openclaw… Will he “orphan” openclaw
00:58:19 does raspberry AI stand a chance against Apple?
*
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*

Thank you to our partners:

Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at gust.com/twist

Crusoe Cloud*: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit [crusoe.ai/savings to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.

Uber AI Solutions -*Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at Uber.com/twist

Will OpenAI Tank OpenClaw? | E2251
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Northwest Registered Agent - https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
Lemon IO - https://lemon.io/twist
LinkedIn Jobs - http://linkedin.com/HiringProOffer

Today’s show:
*OpenAI hired OpenClaw creater Peter Steinberger. What does this mean for the future of the AI virtual assistant platform, and what can the OpenClaw community do TODAY to help protect their favorite free, open-source resource?
Jason and Alex consider the future of OpenClaw alongside guest experts and founders Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet. Plus we’re taking a look at all of their OpenClaw creations. Check out demos of Hiten’s “personal CRM” for busy investors and Jesse’s family media aggregator.
PLUS we’ve got “AI Scott Adams” creator John Arrow to talk about why he was inspired to create an AI clone of the iconic podcaster and “Dilbert” creator, and why he thinks it has so many internet commenters up in arms.
Hiten Shahhttps://x.com/hnshahhttps://crazyegg.com
Jesse Genethttps://x.com/jessegenethttps://Lumi.com
John Arrowhttps://x.com/johnarrowhttps://www.aiscottadams.com/

Timestamps:
(0:00) Introducing our guests Hiten Shah and Jesse Genet!
(2:27) The panel’s biggest concerns about OpenAI hiring OpenClaw creator Peter Steinberger
(6:03) Jason gives us his most optimistic and pessimistic OpenAI takes
(7:58) Why Jason thinks OpenAI will give everyone their own closed-source assistant
(10:45) Jesse’s Mac Minis now outnumber her children!
(15:28) What the OpenClaw community can do right now
(17:08)  Can companies “hijack” OpenClaw via hosting and skills?
(20:12)  Hiten live-trains an OpenClaw skill based on Jason’s book “Angel”
(22:37)  How much is everyone spending on tokens anyway?
(25:56)  How Jesse vibe-coded an app to aggregate non-Slop videos for her family
(34:19)  Why Jason thinks Jesse’s app is a great potential business
(37:27)  Hiten built the “personal CRM” busy people have always dreamed of having
(44:12)  “We’re in an appless world.”
(45:19) Why markdown files (.md) are perfect for humans and their AI agents
(52:36)  So why are founders so obsessed with OpenClaw?
(58:47)  John Arrow, the creator of AI Scott Adams, joins the show
(1:02:44) How does AI Scott Adams get more like Scott Adams over time?
(1:04:37)  The legal and ethical considerations around posthumous AI Clones