Jason and Kelly kick off the show 0s
- Jason Calacanis and Kelly Schreier discuss Founder University, a program designed to help founders launch startups. 1m48s
- Schreier outlines the key attributes of successful applicants, emphasizing a preference for teams with technical expertise (developers, designers, growth hackers) and a strong work ethic demonstrated through tangible product development. 3m25s
- The hosts introduce the episode's format: three startup pitches, each with a two-minute time limit, to secure potential investment. 4m27s
Eric Gilbert-Williams pitches The Public Bored 4m32s
- Eric, the CEO and co-founder of The Public Bored, presented his business idea: a platform that simplifies the process of displaying content on digital billboards. 4m54s
- The Public Bored's business model involves offering one free display spot to attract users and then generating revenue through upgrades and a variable take rate based on the revenue generated for billboard owners. 5m24s
- Eric envisions The Public Bored expanding beyond traditional billboards to encompass any digital signage, including those found in elevators, vehicles, and other locations. 9m12s
Fidelity Private Shares - Visit Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription. 10m24s
- Cap table management and due diligence can be overwhelming for founders. 10m26s
- Managing investors should be easy, and Fidelity Private Shares can help. 10m33s
- Equity management and fundraising should not be a founder's full-time job. 10m40s
- Fidelity Private Shares offers a trusted solution for managing cap tables and data rooms. 10m44s
- The platform provides faster and more accurate 409a valuations. 10m50s
- It allows for sophisticated scenario modeling, which many founders overlook. 10m56s
- Founders can use the platform to understand pro forma cap tables and potential outcomes of acquisitions. 11m1s
- The platform automates funding rounds to ensure they go smoothly and professionally. 11m8s
- Fidelity Private Shares offers a collaborative platform with excellent support. 11m14s
- The platform includes a star community for access to exclusive events for founders and VCs. 11m18s
- Mentioning the podcast when visiting Fidelity Private Shares' website provides a 20% discount on the first-year paid subscription. 11m31s
Matt Schwed pitches Speed AI 11m38s
- Speed AI is an app that generates personalized training schedules and coaching for runners, guiding them from marathon registration to the finish line. 11m51s
- The app considers the runner's fitness background, wearable data, and provides training adjustments based on factors like sleep quality. 12m7s
- Speed AI offers three product tiers: a $88.99/month training plan, a $29.99/month training and coaching option, and a $59.99/month package including training, coaching, and a monthly subscription box with nutrition products. 12m52s
Joe Tannorella pitches PodEngine 15m50s
- PodEngine is a podcast audio intelligence platform that uses AI to help businesses grow revenue through podcasting. 15m58s
- PodEngine analyzes thousands of podcast episodes daily to identify relevant podcast guests, sponsorship opportunities, and brand mentions for its users. 16m24s
- PodEngine is currently iterating on its platform, developing features such as a guest booking workflow, media monitoring solutions, and a podcast search engine. 16m58s
Google Cloud - Accelerate your startup journey with the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Apply 23m33s
- Google for Startups Cloud Program is offering $200,000 in Google Cloud credits to startups. 24m8s
- AI startups can receive up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits. 24m12s
- More information about the Google for Startups Cloud Program is available at startups.com/twist. 24m43s
Ranking the three companies 25m3s
- Speed AI is ranked as potentially facing the most challenges due to the large size of the running market and the competitive consumer landscape. 25m34s
- Pot Engine is ranked as having the highest likelihood of generating a substantial return on investment due to the escalating popularity of podcasting and the lucrative nature of data-driven businesses. 25m49s
- Public Board is ranked as having significant potential due to its disruption of a conventional industry, its capacity to expand its customer base, and its diverse range of applications. 26m13s
Founders' experiences and learning outcomes at Founder University 29m12s
- Matt, with an engineering background, found value in learning the business aspects of a startup, such as accounting, company structuring, cap table setup, and streamlining founder tasks. 29m20s
- Joe valued the community aspect of Founder University, highlighting the benefits of connecting with like-minded founders for support, collaboration, and potential customer acquisition. 29m57s
- Eric's key takeaway was a deeper understanding of his Total Addressable Market (TAM), particularly through a bottom-up approach, which helped him identify his ideal customer profile and refine his go-to-market strategy. 30m13s
Runway - Sign up at to get your first 2 months free. 31m47s
- Runway is a financial planning software that simplifies financial management for businesses. 31m51s
- Runway integrates with over 650 tools, including accounting, HR, and CRM software, to provide a comprehensive view of a business's finances. 32m10s
- The software offers features such as headcount planning, scenario analysis, real-time charting, and customizable investor reports. 32m23s
Q&A 33m18s
- A question was asked about the most important metric to track six months from now. The response emphasized understanding customers deeply and having a few highly satisfied customers rather than many indifferent ones. 33m19s
- The importance of having a notable "lighthouse" customer was highlighted, as it can significantly boost credibility and traction. 34m29s
- Another question focused on marketing and go-to-market strategy for a data-centric product. The response suggested sending targeted reports and screenshots to the right people to generate interest and engagement. 35m17s
- The strategy of identifying and contacting the right individuals through platforms like LinkedIn, Lead IQ, or Crunchbase was recommended. 36m21s
- The concept of "land and expand" was discussed, where initial users are encouraged to use the product extensively, and then upselling them to multi-seat licenses based on their usage patterns. 37m36s
- A question about successful growth strategies for consumer apps was addressed. Examples like Fitbod, Steezy, and Calm.com were given, emphasizing the importance of creating a product that users find essential and share with others. 37m57s
- Hiring people who are passionate about the product's domain was advised, as they are more likely to contribute significantly to product-market fit. 38m32s
- The significance of net promoter score and built-in virality in the product was discussed, where users naturally promote the product to others, enhancing growth. 39m59s
- The concept of multiplayer mode was mentioned as a way to increase virality, where users can invite friends to join and use the product together. 40m20s
- The financial benefits of virality were explained, showing how acquiring customers who invite others can turn a net loss into a net gain. 40m57s
