Weekly Recap Jan 2-Jan 8

Keith Rabois on 2023 macro outlook, CryptoZoo’s alleged scam breakdown with Coffeezilla, Bing integrating ChatGPT, and more!

Hey guys,

I hope you had a great week! I'm excited to announce we'll include all of the producing team's picks in this newsletter moving forward. If you are an avid TWiST listener, you probably already know who Producer Nick and I are, but you might not know the other two fantastic team members behind the scenes! Jon Solis is a Video Editor from San Diego who has been killing it at growing our Tiktok presence. Brian Munroe is a Senior Video Editor and Producer from Halifax who has become a Swiss Army knife for our team, taking every project thrown at him in stride. Working with Jon and Brian has helped me grow as a producer, and I can't wait for readers to get to know them more.

Have a great one,
Producer Rachel

Producer’s pick:

Rachel: My favorite episode was E1652. Jason and Molly spoke with Coffeezilla (1:11) about the latest (alleged) Logan Paul scam involving CryptoZoo. I am a big fan of commentary Youtube channels and have been watching Mr.Coffee’s videos for years. At the end of the episode (50:29), my BFF Em Herrera from Night Ventures joined me on Ok Boomer! I met Em through her previous appearance on the show, and she was my first IRL friend in New York City.

Nick: E1650 with Keith Rabois, (29:13). I loved this quote from Keith Rabois on Meta: “I think Facebook’s bet on Meta is insane. I think it’s the wrong company, with the wrong DNA, with the wrong founder, with the wrong vision. And the combination is really lethal. ”He went on to evaluate VR and AR separately and explained the limits of VR: it’s a platform where people could only spend a few hours in at most, and it probably reaches its maximum TAM as a video game platform. He also predicted VR would not be a solution for 90% of the travel market because most people’s motivation for traveling is actually being with other people in the place they traveled to, not just for educational purposes.

Brian: My favourite episode this week has to be E1649: SpaceX valued at $137B, Starlink's massive market, Shopify purges meetings. But more specifically, when Jason and Molly give an example of a bottom-up TAM for Starlink. (16:16) I find it extremely valuable when they give real-world examples! It is fascinating to see how they think about a particular market, and I can see a lot of founders and investors benefitting from this sort of insight!

Jon: My favorite episode this week is E1651. I particularly enjoyed the segment where Jason and Molly dived into the minds of Microsoft and Google. The debate of who will gain ground was engaging and entertaining! Also, watching AI technology advance and what we may see down the road with these advancements is especially thought-provoking. (1:21)

Episode and interview recaps:

Logan Paul & CryptoZoo’s alleged scam breakdown with Coffeezilla + Ok Boomer with Em Herrera | E1652 Coffeezilla joins M+J to discuss the latest on the alleged Logan Paul and CryptoZoo scam. (1:21) Then Em Herrera joins Rachel for this year’s first edition of Ok Boomer to discuss 2023 predictions. (50:29)

Bing to integrate ChatGPT, Microsoft’s first union + Flux Gourmet review with Lon Harris | E1651 M+J kick off the show by discussing the news that Bing will integrate ChatGPT into its search service. (1:21) Then they chop it up about ZeniMax forming Microsoft’s first union. (15:06) And then Lon Harris joins the show to review Flux Gourmet and chat about the economics of streaming (27:11)

Keith Rabois on 2023 macro outlook, startup valuations, founder advice, ChatGPT vs Google | E1650 Multiple time guest and friend of the pod Keith Rabois is back! Jason and Keith talk 2023 macro outlook (1:00), big tech's impact on startups (10:01), advice for founders (18:24), Meta's risky VR bet (27:22), ChatGPT vs Google (39:05), and more!

SpaceX valued at $137B, Starlink's massive market, Shopify purges meetings | E1649 Jason and Molly are BACK for the first news show of 2023! First up, they break down SpaceX's reported $137B valuation, the astounding market opportunity for Starlink, and more! (7:14) Then, they cover two Shopify stories (37:38) and Apple shutting down fan-favorite weather app Dark Sky. (55:01)

2023 Predictions! Startups, VC, tech, media, stocks, shutdowns, and more! | E1648 Jason and Molly rip through 20+ predictions for 2023, including over/under bets, shutdowns, stocks, main characters, startups, new tech, and SO much more!

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