Results Junkies

TikTok has been appearing in front of Congress to ask tough questions.  The two that we're asking this week. Would the US agree to allow Twitter or Facebook to divest their code to China, like the US is asking TikTok to do?  And, what's the impact on creators if TikTok is banned in the US? A recent contract with the Air Force illustrates how public markets and for-profit companies may not always b...

Paul and Ed continue to discuss the ramifications of the Silicon Valley Bank failure.  How will this change term sheets for founders going forward?  What steps should founders be taking right now to protect themselves? We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If you've got a comment or question for the show, you can e-mail u...

Silicon Valley Bank, a bank that founders rely heavily on, was closed on Friday by the FDIC.  We recorded this episode before things got really ugly.  We were going to scrap it, but figured it would be part 1 of a 2-part look into SVB and how this will affect the startup community. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If...

Twitter has laid off over a third of their workforce but still seem to be functioning and even adding features.  Does that tell us something about the relative staffing levels of tech firms, or is Twitter unique?   And, Sequoia is chasing returns outside of North America .  Is that an indication of the quality of US-based startups or does it speak to the growth potential "everywhere else"? We'd lo...

Paul and Ed are talking about the labels people put on their fundraising rounds.  They're both a bit stumped about what constitutes a seed round today. Paul asked Ed what he's seeing from portfolio companies in terms of their quarterly planning.  Should companies be hunkering down or pressing hard?   We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  J...

Was it smart for ChatGPT to sell half the company?  Would Google have done something similar at the same spot?  Paul and Ed argue about this one. And, Ed finally gets the chance to ask Paul the trivia question he's been dying to ask for weeks.  Don't Google the answer ahead of time, see if you can guess. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out...

Is it a poem about burgers that ChatGPT wrote for us?  No way.  It's so much more tactical than that!   We're also talking about the interesting intersection we think ChatGPT is at right now. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If you've got a comment or question for the show, you can e-mail us at show@resultsjunkies.co...

Paul and Ed are looking at data about VC participation falling and where valuations seem to be heading .  There's some difference in opinion on what that actually means.   However, on the subject of the quality of cold pitches, Paul and Ed are 100% aligned.  Meanwhile, one of our listeners has a different take on how effective those cold e-mails might be. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating ....

When you consider how many startups ultimately fail, many founders never get to an organized period of cost-cutting.  They may have an "all hands on deck" moment when funds are running short, but the startup community is still keyed into growth, sometimes at all costs.  So, what does it say when one of the biggest startups of the previous generation starts focusing more on cost-cutting ? We'd love...

Paul and Ed are discussing the value of angel groups in today's investing ecosystem.  Are they valuable for founders looking to raise money? Do they still hold value for angel investors? We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If you've got a comment or question for the show, you can e-mail us at show@resultsjunkies.com.  Y...

JP Morgan acquired a company named Frank back in 2021, the peak of the craziness in the VC world.  Now, they're suing the founder claiming massive fraud .  Who's responsible? Microsoft has a proposed deal with ChatGPT that made our jaws drop.  We may never see another deal with a structure this unique.  Will it get funded? We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and...

ChatGPT has been dominating the news.  One of the newest developments is a fundraising round at a massive $29 billion valuation.  This is on the heels of Paul and Ed talking recently about whether Google should try to buy ChatGPT.  We were actually pretty close on valuation. Meanwhile, we delve into the world of Microsoft machines and how much they control the privacy experience versus Apple.  And...

ChatGPT has been one of the hottest topics the past few weeks.  The rise has been so striking that Google has taken notice in a major way .  Paul and Ed are breaking this down and asking whether Google should buy ChatGPT right now. They also spend time trying to figure out how much YouTubeTV costs and whether it will be the biggest area of Google's growth in years to come.   We'd love it if you'd...

Paul and Ed discuss the current state of fundraising.  Ed thinks that the requirements to raise a round really haven't changed all that much, and that investors aren't "walking the talk" of a tougher fundraising environment.  Paul thinks it may be a reflection on their individual deal flow.   And, Twitter continues to release features quicker than any time in recent history.  That's a great exampl...

Microsoft has made plenty of significant investments over the years.  Some of them have propelled the company to unparalleled success. One of their most recent investments may turn out to be one of the smartest they've ever made. Meanwhile, Apple is in the news for some European developments that could completely change a big part of their business model. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating ....

Paul and Ed dig into an LLC operating agreement that creates all kinds of headaches for the partners.  Paul references some incredible statistics about the growth of AI with ChatGPT as an example. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If you've got a comment or question for the show, you can e-mail us at show@resultsjunki...

Paul needles Ed about his "emergency Disney trip" but also makes a great point about people trying to make simple things sound too complicated.  Founders should have their ears perked up. Ed put together a spreadsheet to dig into the quarterly metrics for three popular platforms, Door Dash, Lyft and Uber. Paul is still pushing updates on Beacons and the guys promise to talk about LLCs and divorce...

On a brief break from Thanksgiving, Paul and Ed get together to share some quick takes.   A tweet from Elon Musk illustrates not only why it's so valuable to build in public but how Twitter's previous leadership may have been grossly negligent. Paul and Ed go deep into a discussion about entrepreneurs being subject matter experts on what they're building. We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating ....

We start out asking if Ed really did buy the Frontier Airlines GoWild Pass.  Paul still isn't quite sure he believes Ed.  Paul also figures out everything he needs to know about the blue plate special.  He also updates on some new Beacons code and the promise of exciting bits to come. Paul and Ed discuss this phenomenon of cold pitch e-mails.  They both get an unbelievable number of e-mails from p...

There's so much to discuss about Twitter.  Paul and Ed are just scratching the surface but the debate is focused on one question.  Are the aspects of Twitter that Paul loves a good indication of why it's broken? After that discussion Paul and Ed are talking about two decks they received recently.  We almost named this episode "Founders:Entry Point Matters" because of how important this detail is....

Paul and Ed are discussing the first year of the podcast and discussing where to go with the show in year 2.  Do you think we should be more unscripted?  Drop us a note at show@resultsjunkies.com or on social media and let us know. Meanwhile, Paul has been obsessed with something Ed said last week and essentially built him a business since the last time they recorded. We'd love it if you'd leave u...

Apple is growing their ad share at the same time they've created a walled garden for other companies who operate iOS apps.  Meanwhile, Elon has taken over Twitter.  Are some of his early comments a road map for an upcoming conflict between Apple and Twitter ? We'd love it if you'd leave us a rating .  It takes less than a minute and really helps us out.  Just click here ! If you've got a comment o...

Elon Musk is talking about cutting up to 75% of Twitter's staff .  That probably has a lot of folks worried. Amazon is going a step further in their quest for airplanes, taking a stake in a major US airline . Instacart has dropped their valuation significantly twice even in the face of rising revenue and profit. What to make of TechCrunch Disrupt winners not being SaaS companies? We'd love it if y...

Paul checks in from home amidst a case of RSV and kids rioting against parents.    Beacons continues to chug along. Netflix and Disney are changing their pricing model .  Paul and Ed debate which one will come out ahead. The headline is about some startups producing apps that help Uber, Lyft and Door Dash drivers to make more money.  But, the buried lede is that these companies may want customers...

Paul is still struggling with sleep as he and Dana adjust to life with another kid in the family.  Blissful and delirious! We check in on Beacons and Paul talks about upcoming weekly newsletters and a potential paywall. Funding is way down in markets outside of the US .  We shouldn't be surprised, but what are the effects of such a big drop in available funds. Lastly, Delta Air Lines joins the par...