Today’s show:
Meta just took a 49% stake in Scale AI, and the shockwaves are hitting the entire AI ecosystem. In this episode, @Jason and @alex unpack the deal’s implications: Google ($150M customer!) and others are fleeing Scale, worried Meta will hoard its RLHF infrastructure and cut off competitors. Startups like Labelbox, Turing, and Handshake are already seeing a demand surge. Is this smart vertical integration or anti-competitive overreach? Jason shares tactical advice for founders on how to capitalize when incumbents stumble—hire ex-Scale talent, build “Scale AI alternative” SEO pages, and hit the podcast circuit. Don’t miss this deep dive into AI’s shifting power dynamics.
Timestamps:
() Is Jason becoming an AI doomer?!
() OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
() PostHog, and when is it okay for founders to break the rules?
() Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
() Why the Navy is recruiting startups
() Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
() Did Zuck buy Scale in order to keep it from competitors?
() When does incentivizing customers turn into burning capital?
() How raising too much money could KILL your startup!
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Thank you to our partners:
() OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
() Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
() Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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