This Week in Startups

This Week in Startups
Preshdineshkumar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Title	This Week in Startups
Host	Jason Calacanis
Genre	Technology, Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital
Language	English
Updates	Weekly
Began	2009

This Week in Startups This Week in Startups is a technology and entrepreneurship podcast and video series hosted by Jason Calacanis that features interviews with founders, investors, and executives across Silicon Valley and global startup ecosystems. The show combines long-form conversations, news commentary, and live events to chronicle developments in venture capital, product launches, and platform strategies. It has positioned itself amid contemporary media like Recode Decode, The Tim Ferriss Show, a16z Podcast and intersected with figures from Uber, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Overview

The series presents interviews, panel discussions, and pitch critiques involving personalities such as Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, and Marc Andreessen, while featuring companies including Dropbox, Stripe, Pinterest, Snap Inc., and Spotify. Episodes often address funding rounds from firms like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Benchmark Capital, Accel Partners, and Kleiner Perkins and discuss regulatory and market developments tied to entities such as Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Trade Commission, European Commission, House Financial Services Committee, and Senate Judiciary Committee. The production circulates on platforms including YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify (service), Stitcher, and iHeartRadio and is distributed by networks comparable to PodcastOne and VOX Media affiliates.

History and Format

Launched in 2009, the program evolved from web video formats popularized by TechCrunch, Mashable, GigaOM, Wired (magazine), and The Verge. The host, previously active in angel investing alongside institutions like Y Combinator, 500 Startups, CrunchFund, and Lowercase Capital, adapted live event formats used at conferences such as TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit, SXSW, and South by Southwest (festival). Episodes vary from solo monologues referencing companies like Microsoft, Apple Inc., Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA to moderated interviews featuring venture partners from SoftBank, Tiger Global Management, Founders Fund, and Union Square Ventures. Special series and live tapings have been held at venues including The New York Times Building, SFJAZZ Center, and The Fillmore (San Francisco), often coinciding with startup accelerators and demo days tied to Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and University of California, Berkeley entrepreneurship programs.

Notable Episodes and Guests

High-profile guests include Jack Dorsey, Travis Kalanick, Brian Chesky, Ben Horowitz, Naval Ravikant, and Chamath Palihapitiya, and episodes have covered dramatic events involving Theranos, WeWork, Zynga, MySpace, and Netscape Communications Corporation. The podcast has staged debates and interviews touching on controversies related to Cambridge Analytica, NSA, PRISM (surveillance program), and policy disputes involving European Union digital legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation and Digital Markets Act. Panels have included journalists from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Financial Times, and Forbes. Episodes analyzing funding strategies reference terms and processes associated with Initial public offering, Direct listing, SPACs, and investors such as SoftBank Vision Fund and Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Impact and Reception

The program influenced public perception of fundraising and startup culture alongside coverage by CNBC, BBC News, NPR, Axios, and The Atlantic. It spurred discourse among startup communities linked to Silicon Valley, Silicon Alley, Shenzhen, Bangalore, and Tel Aviv (city), and contributed to debates about founder responsibility highlighted by cases involving Elizabeth Holmes, Adam Neumann, and Travis Kalanick. Academia and business schools such as Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Wharton School have cited episodes in entrepreneurship curricula and case studies. Critics from outlets like Slate (magazine), The Guardian, and Slate Star Codex-adjacent commentary questioned the show's stance on platform power and regulatory issues, while supporters praised its access to venture leaders and practical advice for founders.

Related Media and Spin-offs

The brand expanded into live events, investor summits, and ancillary series featuring product demos, pitch competitions, and mentorship sessions with partners from AngelList, Seedcamp, Techstars, and 500 Global. Spin-offs and related content have intersected with creators from The Joe Rogan Experience, Lex Fridman Podcast, Freakonomics Radio, and Planet Money, and collaborated with media platforms like YouTube Originals and LinkedIn Learning. Merchandise, premium subscription tiers, and exclusive investor-roundtable recordings echo monetization strategies used by The Ringer, Barstool Sports, and Bill Simmons Media Group.

Category:Podcasts