HUGE show coming up in just a few moments! @alex is chatting with another triumvirate of great founders! First, from Tennr, @TreyHolterman tells us about the rapid adoption of AI in the medical space... Then, @Extropic_AI's @gillverd tells us about building next-gen AI chips...

Grok 4 Beats OpenAI + The $300 AI Agent Era .@Jason and @alex dig into the debut of Grok 4, the new #1 AI model—based on performance and price—and what its leapfrogging of OpenAI means for the AI race. Grok 4 stuns with AGI-like performance—Tim Sweeney says it “feels like AGI” Price collapse: top-tier LLMs dropped from $2 to $0.06 per million tokens since Sept. 2024 But: why are X, OpenAI, Perplexity & others increasing prices at the high end? How self-driving cars + AI agents will unlock new delivery use cases—and how one founder is betting on a future of “autonomous commerce” Plus: The Missouri AG is targeting AI companies for “anti-Trump” output—what does it mean for speech, safety & First Amendment rights in the age of LLMs? If you’re building with AI, investing in infra, or thinking about the next frontier of self-driving + software, this is a must-watch. #AI #AGI #Grok #OpenAI #SelfDriving #VentureCapital #ThisWeekInStartups #Crypto #Fintech #FirstAmendment #Startups

Would you buy OpenAI at a $300B valuation? .@alex and @AstasiaMyers of @Felicis, @mattturck from @FirstMarkCap, and Time BioVentures' @dawallach debate what they’d pay for a piece of OpenAI — with takes ranging from “I’d buy even at $500B” to “it’s terrifying to bet billions on a nonprofit with so many unknowns.” Some see generational upside: OpenAI’s growth, tech, and platform potential could justify trillions. • Others worry about governance, execution risks, and the sheer magnitude of the bet. • Even bullish investors call it nerve-wracking given the company’s speed and volatility. What’s your pain threshold? Watch the full episode here:

Why Did Rahul Vohra Sell Superhuman Now? .@alex asks @rahulvohra why he sold Superhuman after 11 years of building. Rahul reveals: Superhuman wasn’t struggling — revenue doubled in 2024 vs. 2023, and it had 4+ years of runway. • The real reason? A once-in-a-generation shift: with AI agents exploding, big players realized they had an “email-shaped hole” in their portfolios. • Seizing the zeitgeist was key — the timing was perfect to make Superhuman the cornerstone of a next-gen productivity suite. #Startups #Productivity #AI #Email #Superhuman #ThisWeekInStartups

We've got another amazing VC panel today @ 12 pm CT! @Alex is sitting down with @AstasiaMyers of @Felicis, @mattturck from @FirstMarkCap, and Time BioVentures' own @dawallach for a deep dive on the early-stage market, the return of liquidity, investing in AI, and more!

Humanoids, AI Regulation & the Grammarly–Superhuman Megadeal .@alex & @lons open a packed TWIST by declaring: hard-coded robots are dead—learning-based robotics is the future. But the real headline? Grammarly’s blockbuster acquisition of Superhuman. Why did a grammar assistant buy the most beloved email client in tech? Because they’re building an AI-native productivity suite that combines agents with best-in-class apps, starting with email—the #1 place Grammarly users already rely on its tools. Grammarly CEO Shishir Mehrotra & Superhuman founder Rahul Vohra join to explain how their shared vision of apps + agents will reshape how a billion professionals handle work. They promise Superhuman will stay fast, focused, and independent—while tapping Grammarly’s platform to supercharge AI-powered communication. Plus: AI regulation news, Cloudflare’s Pay-Per-Crawl upending scraping economics, and fresh M&A speculation with Apple eyeing Perplexity. This episode dives deep on how productivity, AI, and email are colliding—and why the Grammarly–Superhuman union might define the next decade of work. #AI #Productivity #MergersAndAcquisitions #Startups #VentureCapital #Superhuman #Grammarly #Email #YC

TWiST Live: Grammarly + Superhuman: Why they’re joining forces!

Big big show coming up in just ONE HOUR including... a chat with @shishirmehrotra and @rahulvohra about the big @Grammarly/@Superhuman deal. That's right! We've got the exclusive! HA HA HA, podcasts...

Are We in the Final Act of the American Empire? .@balajis breaks down how empires rise and fall—arguing America’s empire began with WWII and is now unraveling. He compares it to the British and Soviet collapses and warns a global dollar run may already be underway. America took the imperial torch from Britain after France’s fall in 1940. • U.S. global hegemony rests on trade, capital flows, and the dollar’s reserve status—now all under threat. • Bitcoin’s 100 million-fold rise vs. the dollar signals a silent, accelerating shift. #Empire #Bitcoin #Macroeconomics #Dollar #DeDollarization #ThisWeekInStartups

Are We Returning to a World of City-States? .@balajis explains how history shows nation-states were “rollups” of once-independent city-states—often consolidated for conscription and taxation. But networked communities today could revive city-state dynamics globally. San Marino: a microstate that survived Italy’s unification—like a historical glitch. • Network States: decentralized communities connected worldwide, healing themselves like Bitcoin when a node goes offline. • Moving between U.S. states has become culturally fraught, exposing ideological divides—especially between California and places like Texas or Miami. #NetworkStates #CityStates #Crypto #Decentralization #TechNews #ThisWeekInStartups