This Week in Startups
Veteran angel investor Jason Calacanis interviews founders and spars with VCs on the week's tech news, from product teardowns to market strategy.
A direct, insider's look at the mechanics of startups and venture capital, hosted by an active and opinionated investor. The show combines tactical founder interviews and product demos with high-level VC roundtables on market trends and M&A. It's less a news report and more a real-time analysis of company-building, fundraising, and the strategic gamesmanship of Silicon Valley.
“The host's status as a prolific, long-time investor (Jason Calacanis) provides a raw, 'in the arena' perspective that's distinct from more journalistic tech shows. The style is direct, sometimes provocative, and focuses on the mechanics of capital and strategy rather than just product news.”
Who hosts this show
This Week in Startups is a long-running podcast hosted by angel investor Jason Calacanis, who covers startups, technology, markets, and media. He interviews founders, operators, and investors, focusing on the strategy and execution of building a company. The show often features co-hosts like Alex Wilhelm for market analysis and includes recurring segments like the 'Venture Capital Roundtable'.
Credentials & credits
- Angel investor in over 400 companies, including Uber, Robinhood, and Calm.
- Author of "Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups".
- Co-founder of Weblogs, Inc. (sold to AOL).
- Founder of Silicon Alley Reporter.
- Fordham University (B.A. in Psychology).
- Former scout for Sequoia Capital.
Other ventures
- LAUNCH (accelerator, fund, and events).
- The Syndicate (angel investing club).
- All-In Podcast (co-host).
- Founder University (12-week pre-accelerator).
- This Week in AI (host).
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Today the Bay Area. Tomorrow Mars?Jun 26, 2026 · 56s
- 02Board games meet video games. Just one screen for all players.Jun 26, 2026 · 1 min
- 03"Free" tokens are not free. They're a trap.Jun 25, 2026 · 58s
- 04Why the Future of Video Games is Moving Back to the Dinner TableJun 24, 2026 · 1h 08m
- 05The hottest running app has nothing to do with speed | E2303Jun 22, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 06Why SpaceX Buying Cursor Changes EverythingJun 18, 2026 · 1h 40m
Notable episodes
- 01Why SpaceX Buying Cursor Changes Everything
A unique episode framed as a discussion from the near-future (June 2026) to analyze the present-day strategic dangers of AI platform risk for startups.
- 02The hottest running app has nothing to do with speed | E2303
Demonstrates the host's quirky interview style, featuring an extended tangent where he attempts to guess the founder's Australian hometown by analyzing his accent.
- 03Why the Future of Video Games is Moving Back to the Dinner Table
A double-header interview with founders of two distinct hardware companies (a gaming console and a hypersonic jet), showcasing the show's breadth.
What you'll be asked on this show
The format varies between one-on-one founder interviews, multi-guest 'Venture Capital Roundtable' discussions, and news analysis. Host Jason Calacanis is known for direct questioning, strategic teardowns, and occasional tangents, often joined by co-hosts like Alex Wilhelm or Lon Harris. Episodes frequently feature live product demos from the founders being interviewed.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “What is [your product/company]?”
- “What did it cost to stand up the app and get to revenue?”
- “What is the cost of acquiring a free user versus a paid user?”
- “What type of ads work for you?”
- “How do you think about pricing in [current year]?”
- “Did you do a Kickstarter for this?”
- “A flop, a win, or a good direction?”
- “What's changed in [your industry] since you built [your previous company]?”
Signature segments
- · Venture Capital Roundtable
- · Guessing a guest's city of origin from their accent
- · Recommending a TV show or movie
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show typically books early-to-mid-stage startup founders with a demonstrable product or service, as well as established venture capitalists for roundtable discussions. Guests often come from trending sectors like AI, deep tech, and hardware.
- Brynn Putnamon Why the Future of Video Games is Moving Back to the Dinner Table
- AJ Piplicaon Why the Future of Video Games is Moving Back to the Dinner Table
- Louis Phillipson The hottest running app has nothing to do with speed | E2303
- Turner Novakon Why SpaceX Buying Cursor Changes Everything
- Ben Lingon Why SpaceX Buying Cursor Changes Everything
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors are primarily B2B companies whose services are essential for startups, such as hiring platforms (LinkedIn, Deel), legal services (Northwest Registered Agent), and productivity tools (Superhuman). The estimated sponsor angle is to reach a large, targeted audience of founders and tech decision-makers.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of This Week in Startups?
- The primary host is Jason Calacanis, a veteran angel investor, author, and entrepreneur. He is often joined by co-hosts like journalist Alex Wilhelm.
- Is This Week in Startups still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases multiple new episodes each week.
- What is the show's format?
- The format varies, including one-on-one interviews with startup founders, product demos, and 'Venture Capital Roundtable' discussions with multiple investors.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The show is available on its official website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
- What other projects is Jason Calacanis known for?
- He is a co-host of the All-In Podcast, runs the LAUNCH accelerator and The Syndicate investment club, and wrote the book "Angel" on startup investing.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]This Week in Startups - Official Websitethisweekinstartups.com
- [02]Jason Calacanis - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [03]LAUNCH - Official Websitelaunch.co
- [04]The Syndicate - Angel Investing Clubthesyndicate.com
- [05]Jason Calacanis Biography | Booking Infoallamericanspeakers.com
- [06]This Week in Startups - Podnewspodnews.net
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