This Week in Startups
Hosted by Jason McCabe Calacanis & Lon Harris · 45 decoded episodes · newest Oct 8, 2026
Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world's greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.
Episodes 45
- Jul 6, 2026 · 58 minAI startups target the manual processes holding back asset managementThis episode bridges the future of AI-driven fintech with essential historical lessons on SaaS pricing, security compliance, and platform dependency.
- Jul 1, 2026 · 1h 14mVenture capitalists warn massive AI seed rounds threaten startup survivalAs venture liquidity dries up, the traditional playbook for scaling and exiting startups is being rewritten by massive AI valuations and private equity.
- Jun 29, 2026 · 1h 12mChamath Palihapitiya launches AI startup to automate global software maintenanceThis episode outlines how AI is fundamentally changing both the cost of software engineering and the organizational structures required to build modern tech companies.
- Jun 27, 2026 · 1h 30mSmart tape challenges wind tunnels as Apple and OpenAI battle for hardware talentThe episode highlights a massive shift in aerodynamic testing alongside growing tensions between rapid AI scaling, government oversight, and local infrastructure constraints.
- Jun 24, 2026 · 1h 9mHardware founders drive innovation from tabletop gaming to hypersonic flightThis episode explores how modern hardware startups are overcoming manufacturing and capital challenges to build highly ambitious physical products.
- Jun 22, 2026 · 1h 3mStartups leverage live-map gamification and AI brain modeling to disrupt health techThis episode highlights how non-traditional mechanics like gaming and advanced AI infrastructure are solving massive engagement and financial hurdles in health and biotechnology.
- Jun 18, 2026 · 1h 41mSpaceX acquires Cursor as venture capitalists warn of AI startup squeezeAs major tech players acquire critical developer tools and frontier model costs soar, early-stage startups face a rapidly tightening funding environment and pressure to build defensible AI workflows.
- Jun 15, 2026 · 1h 41mGRU Space plans lunar hotel using robotic brick manufacturing from topsoilAs SpaceX lowers the cost of space travel, startups are designing actual lunar infrastructure, even as geopolitical tensions and government interventions threaten to slow down the AI revolution on Earth.
- Jun 13, 2026 · 1h 20mSpaceX IPO redefines Wall Street valuation as retail investors secure sharesThe historic SpaceX public offering is reshaping retail investing, while new AI-driven fundraising and marketing frameworks are redefining how early-stage startups compete.