The Startup Podcast

Can you really build and launch a startup without writing code, or even knowing how to?

As AI tools promise lightning-fast product development, many founders still fall into old traps: over-validating, under-executing, or waiting too long for a technical cofounder.

In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are joined by Eric Simons, founder of StackBlitz and creator of the viral AI app builder Bolt.new. Eric shares how modern tools like Bolt and Cursor are redefining what it means to be a founder, turning product managers, designers, and even marketers into full-stack startup builders.

They explore how AI coding agents are changing team composition, cycle times, and what the real founder skillset looks like in 2025.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover why reality-based iteration—not ideas—is the true startup superpower
• Learn how AI tools like Bolt give non-technical founders real shots on goal
• Understand the evolving role of the technical cofounder in the AI era
• Compare top-down and bottom-up AI workflows (e.g. Bolt vs Cursor)
• Avoid common pitfalls when prompting AI tools to build production-grade apps
• Explore how startup team roles are converging—and where creative tension still matters
• Hear the origin story of Bolt’s breakout growth and what made it an overnight success (after 7 years)

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Is Silicon Valley building the future or just trying to rule it?

From Elon Musk’s new political party to retail investors buying fake OpenAI stock, the startup world is getting weirder, faster.

In this episode, Chris Saad and Shira Lazar break down a massive week in tech, politics, and startup culture. They unpack Elon Musk’s launch of the “America Party,” the legality of Robinhood and SoFi offering access to OpenAI and SpaceX shares, YouTube’s crackdown on mass AI content, Sequoia Capital’s culture war PR disaster, and the impressive metrics behind Figma’s upcoming IPO.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn why Elon Musk is launching a political party—and how it could shake up US politics
• Understand how Robinhood and SoFi are fractionalizing access to top private companies like SpaceX
• Discover the legal and ethical questions behind tokenized startup shares
• Explore YouTube’s new policy to demonetize “AI slop” and what it means for creators
• Hear why a Sequoia partner’s tweet has triggered backlash in tech VC circles
• Reflect on the growing disconnect between Silicon Valley values and social responsibility

Whether you're a startup founder, tech enthusiast, or just trying to make sense of where innovation is heading, this episode is your insider’s guide to the stories shaping the future of business.

The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Are you sure your startup should be raising venture capital?

Most founders assume VC is the goal—but for many, it's the wrong fuel entirely. In this episode, we bust that myth wide open.

Join Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad as they sit down with Amir Shevat, General Partner at Darkmode Ventures (ex-Google, Slack, Twitter), to unpack the seven most damaging mistakes founders make when raising early-stage capital. With over 65 investments under his belt and a front-row seat to the inner workings of Silicon Valley, Amir offers a brutally honest, insider view into what separates fundable startups from fundraising disasters.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover why some startups should never raise VC in the first place

• Learn how to avoid “dumb money” and pick the right investors

• Avoid cap table disasters that scare away future capital

• Understand the dangers of under- or over-raising and how to size your round

• Spot red flags in investor side letters that could poison your future

• Master the art of time-boxing your raise and managing investor timelines

• Build stronger investor relationships—even when they say “no”

This is a must-listen for any founder preparing to raise capital—or wondering if they should at all.

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg

• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

#VC #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #Funding #TheStartupPodcast #SiliconValley #TechStartup

What happens when the internet starts charging AI to crawl its content?

And can legacy tools like Figma or Grammarly survive the AI age, or will they be replaced by smarter, faster upstarts?

In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad break down some of the most important shifts in tech and business right now. From Cloudflare’s launch of AI pay-per-crawl to Grammarly’s bold acquisitions and Figma’s high-stakes IPO, this is an unfiltered look at how the AI boom is reshaping product strategy, startup success, and even the global order. Plus, they react to legendary VC Vinod Khosla’s explosive predictions about automation, abundance, and the role of China in AI soft power.

In this episode, you will:

• Discover why Cloudflare’s 402 status code could transform AI data scraping and web monetization
• Understand Grammarly’s plan to stay relevant with the acquisitions of Superhuman and Coda
• Explore how Figma’s IPO could signal the return of the public tech market—and why it’s risky
• Evaluate the threat of vibe coding tools to traditional design workflows
• Hear Vinod Khosla’s take on why 80% of jobs could be automated within 5 years
• Unpack how China might use free AI tools to gain soft power and global influence
• Learn why a high-risk, high-reward mindset defines the best founders and VCs in Silicon Valley

Whether you’re building your first startup or thinking about your AI strategy, this episode offers critical insights from people who’ve seen these cycles before and know where the puck is heading.

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Struggling to get good results from ChatGPT or other AI tools? You’re probably prompting it wrong, and you’re not alone.

Many founders assume AI just knows what you mean. Without the right prompt structure, though, even the most powerful LLMs will fail to deliver.

In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Jonathan Mast—seasoned entrepreneur, AI educator, and creator of the Perfect Prompt Framework—to break down how anyone, from startup founders to side hustlers, can start using AI more effectively today.

They explore the psychology behind prompting, how to build confidence using AI tools, and why embedding structured prompting into your startup can multiply productivity.

In this episode, you will:

• Learn the 4-step Perfect Prompt Framework to get better responses from AI
• Understand why AI often fails, and how it's usually your prompt (not the model)
• Discover how to overcome "AI FOMO" and start using it without feeling overwhelmed
• Hear why giving AI permission to ask you questions dramatically improves accuracy
• Explore different LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and when to use each
• Apply AI best practices to real startup workflows, from automation to documentation
• Avoid common mistakes when building AI-based systems that lack guardrails or versioning

Whether you’re just starting with AI or want to unlock its full power for your business, this is the valuable conversation every modern founder needs.

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Is training AI on copyrighted content stealing, or just learning? A major U.S. court just weighed in, and the verdict could rewrite the rules for startups using generative AI.

Too many founders assume "training data" is fair game but that blind spot could cost them billions. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad, experienced startup operators and product strategists, dive into a landmark copyright ruling and what it means for anyone building with AI.

They also explore why AI voice transcription tools are finally taking off after decades of mediocrity, and react to a deeply unsettling video from tech billionaire Peter Thiel, revealing Silicon Valley’s growing influence on politics and democracy.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand why a U.S. court ruled Anthropic’s AI training methods as partially legal—and partially not
• Learn the difference between fair use and piracy when it comes to LLM training
• Discover why AI voice dictation is suddenly scaling and attracting huge VC funding
• Explore the product strategy lesson behind voice tech’s decades-long false start
• Unpack how timing, quality, and market readiness affect product-market fit
• Hear the dark side of Silicon Valley power through a rare Peter Thiel clip

ChatGPT’s takeover plan: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16S97eepGe/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Peter Thiel's philosophy: https://youtu.be/45o8tQMGtvU?si=QrJ48xsAdQS-MxAC&t=264

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app

• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Is AI about to transform the world… gently? Sam Altman says yes, but are we being lulled into complacency while the real risks go unchallenged?

Startups everywhere are rushing to embed AI into their workflows, but few understand just how flawed that human-AI interaction can be. From broken prompting to billion-dollar power plays, the future of AI in business is murkier than it looks.

In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein break down the most urgent developments in AI and what they mean for founders and operators. They unpack Sam Altman’s “Gentle Singularity” vision, dive into Meta’s stealthy acquisition of Scale AI, and discuss a shocking study revealing that human-AI collaboration may be doing more harm than good, especially in healthcare and the workplace.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand why Sam Altman thinks AI’s future will be “gentle”—and what he might be downplaying
• Learn how Meta quietly bought 49% of Scale AI to outflank OpenAI and Google
• Explore the real-world risks of bad prompting and how it derails AI’s accuracy
• Uncover why AI literacy is now a critical skill for startups and employees alike
• Examine why Slack is locking down chat data—and what that means for workplace AI tools
• Hear how OpenAI talent is resisting $100M offers from Meta, and what that says about culture vs. cash
• Discover the hidden trade-offs in AI alignment and whether “good enough” is actually enough

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app

• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

What if your next startup competitor doesn’t have a single employee?

AI agents aren’t just another software trend — they’re redefining the interface between humans, data, and execution, yet many founders still confuse basic chatbots with the true potential of these agents.

In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Jeremiah Owyang, General Partner at Blitzscaling Ventures and host of Silicon Valley’s top AI startup event, Llama Lounge. Together, they unpack Jeremiah’s insider thesis on the AI Agent era — and what it means for the future of software, user experience, and startups.

They explore why AI agents are replacing SaaS apps, what defines a “true agent,” and how startups should position themselves in the face of big tech platform risk.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand the difference between LLM tools and autonomous AI agents
• Discover how Crew AI scaled to 60% of the Fortune 500 using 150 agents and minimal staff
• Learn why traditional apps and websites may become obsolete in the agentic future
• Explore new go-to-market strategies and startup models for agent-driven businesses
• Evaluate how agents will access private and public data — and what that means for APIs
• Hear how to pitch agent startups to VCs looking for viral and network-effect plays

Whether you’re building in the agent ecosystem or preparing for it, this conversation will reshape how you think about the future of digital interfaces and startup opportunities.

The Pact

• Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:
• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

This episode is brought to you by Warp Development.  Are you ready to build something that matters? Visit https://warpdevelopment.com and mention The Startup Podcast for a free consultation.

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

Apple’s WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a lot – just not what you’d expect.

Siri’s long-awaited AI upgrade was quietly delayed, and instead Apple rolled out a grab bag of long-overdue features, flashy design updates, and deep ChatGPT integrations. Is this a bold product reset, or proof that Apple is falling behind?

Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Donald Trump butt heads, Ukraine rewrites warfare with AI-powered drones, and a16z explains how consumer AI startups can finally scale, if they get a few key things right.

In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein sift through this huge week of tech news, breaking down the topics that really matter for founders and early-stage operators.

In this episode, you will:

• Understand the real implications of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s public fallout
• Explore how the Musk/Trump feud could fracture the MAGA-tech alliance and reshape Silicon Valley politics
• Learn why Apple is releasing papers criticizing AI reasoning—and what that means for AGI hype
• Assess whether Apple’s WWDC 2025 was a quiet revolution or just a catch-up act
• Discover how Ukraine’s AI-powered drone strike changes the future of war and global defense tech
• Unpack why AI consumer startups now have better monetization paths than ever before

🔗 Full a16z post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/justine-moore_a16z-ai-consumer-apps

From Silicon Valley’s shifting loyalties to the limits of Apple’s AI ambitions, this episode is a masterclass in how tech power is evolving and how to position yourself for it.

The Pact

Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/
• Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg
• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following

Key links

Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/

Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/

Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/

Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur

Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/