Go offline with the Player FM app!
Meta, Scale, and the Future of AI Labeling: Did Zuck Just Kill a Category? | E2139
Manage episode 489182370 series 3371599
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:
(04:01) Is Jason becoming an AI doomer?!
(9:52) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
(13:47) PostHog, and when is it okay for founders to break the rules?
(20:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(25:50) Why the Navy is recruiting startups
(30:12) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
(39:09) Did Zuck buy Scale in order to keep it from competitors?
(56:08) When does incentivizing customers turn into burning capital?
(1:04) How raising too much money could KILL your startup!
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(9:52) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
(20:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:52) 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
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
1258 episodes
Manage episode 489182370 series 3371599
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:
(04:01) Is Jason becoming an AI doomer?!
(9:52) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
(13:47) PostHog, and when is it okay for founders to break the rules?
(20:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(25:50) Why the Navy is recruiting startups
(30:12) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.
(39:09) Did Zuck buy Scale in order to keep it from competitors?
(56:08) When does incentivizing customers turn into burning capital?
(1:04) How raising too much money could KILL your startup!
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
Follow Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Thank you to our partners:
(9:52) OpenPhone - Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/twist
(20:56) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(30:52) 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
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
1258 episodes
All episodes
×Welcome to Player FM!
Player FM is scanning the web for high-quality podcasts for you to enjoy right now. It's the best podcast app and works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Signup to sync subscriptions across devices.