What This Week In does

This Week In operates a podcast network anchored by "This Week in Startups" (TWiST), a long-running interview-format show launched in 2009 that delivers practical and tactical startup education to founders, investors, and tech operators. The network distributes content globally through YouTube, Spotify, and its own website, maintaining an archive of over 5,000 episodes featuring high-profile guests including Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel, Brian Chesky, Travis Kalanick, and Tobias Lütke. Supporting products include a subscriber-accessible episode library, a beehiiv-hosted newsletter ("Ticker"), a "Past Guests" archive, and a "TWiST Bounties" developer challenge program in which host Jason Calacanis awards prize money for community-built product ideas. A spinoff podcast, "This Week in AI" (TWiAI), covers artificial intelligence topics through interviews and news analysis.

The company's technology footprint is primarily a content production and distribution platform rather than a proprietary software product; no patents, APIs, AI/ML systems, or developer integrations were disclosed. Revenue is generated entirely through advertising and sponsorship. The network lists 27+ active sponsor partners including Google Cloud, Stripe, Notion, LinkedIn, AWS, PayPal, Squarespace, Mercury, Deel, Zendesk, Uber, DigitalOcean, NetSuite, and Gusto, with stated reach of 600,000+ founders and tech leaders. The company is privately held and operates under the parent entity LAUNCH (launch.co).

The company is led by Jason Calacanis (CEO and Host), with Alex Wilhelm as Co-Host and Lon Harris as Editorial Director. Headcount is 11-50 employees, and the team operates from Austin, TX with remote flexibility, despite a Santa Monica firmographic listing. The only disclosed funding event is a $300,000 round dated May 15, 2010, and no subsequent institutional financing has been reported.

Name

This Week In

Legal name

This Week in Startups

Website

https://thisweekinstartups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

This Week In operates "This Week in Startups" (TWiST), a long-running podcast network founded in 2009 by Jason Calacanis that publishes 5,000+ episodes of founder and investor interviews distributed via YouTube, Spotify, and newsletter, monetized through 27+ enterprise tech sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Podcast Sponsorships: The show features sponsors including AssemblyAI, AWS, Circle, Coda, CrowdHealth, Deel, DigitalOcean, Every, Google Cloud, Gusto, Lemon.io, LinkedIn, Mercury, NetSuite, Notion, Northwest Registered Agent, PayPal, Quadratic, Quo, Render, Sentry, Squarespace, Stripe, Superhuman, Uber, Vanta, and Zendesk who pay for advertising placements to reach the startup audience.
2. Partner/Sponsorship Packages: Companies can sponsor This Week in Startups to reach 600K+ founders and tech leaders through dedicated partnership packages.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

This Week In operates a podcast network anchored by the flagship 'This Week in Startups' (TWiST) show, featuring long-form interviews with startup founders, investors, and tech leaders, supported by a 5,000+ episode searchable archive. The network also includes the 'This Week in AI' spinoff podcast, a subscriber newsletter (Ticker), a personalized user library, and a developer bounties program that crowdsources product ideas from the community.

Product overview

This Week In operates a dual-podcast network anchored by the flagship 'This Week in Startups' (TWiST) podcast, which has been documenting the startup ecosystem since 2009 with over 5,000 episodes. The network also includes the 'This Week in AI' spinoff podcast covering artificial intelligence topics. Supporting the podcasts are a subscriber-accessible Library feature, the Ticker newsletter distributed via beehiiv, a Past Guests archive, and the TWiST Bounties program which crowdsources product development from the community. The main platform serves founders and the broader startup ecosystem through long-form interview content, earnings analysis, and venture capital coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• This Week in AI: Breakout spinoff podcast focused on artificial intelligence, co-hosted alongside TWiST network.

Products and services

• This Week in Startups (TWiST) Podcast Long-running startup podcast featuring interviews with founders, investors, and tech leaders, providing practical and tactical lessons for entrepreneurs from Day 0 to Unicorn status. Targets startup founders, tech leaders, and aspiring entrepreneurs globally.
• This Week in AI (TWiAI) Podcast Spinoff podcast focused on artificial intelligence topics, covering AI news, developments, and interviews with AI founders and researchers. Serves the startup and tech leader audience with AI-specific coverage.
• TWiST Sponsorship Packages B2B sponsorship packages offering companies direct access to 600K+ founders and tech leaders across podcast episodes, YouTube, and newsletter channels. Targeted at enterprise technology companies seeking to reach the startup ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches 600K+ founders and tech leaders

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AssemblyAIcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAI speech recognition company sponsoring the podcast to reach startup founders and tech leaders audience.
• CirclecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity platform partner for startup ecosystem engagement.
• CodacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDocument platform sponsoring to reach startup audience.
• CrowdHealthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare platform sponsoring to reach startup ecosystem.
• DeelcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHR/Payroll platform for remote teams, sponsoring podcast.
• DigitalOceancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCloud infrastructure provider sponsoring to reach developer/startup audience.
• EveryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness writing platform partnering with podcast.
• Google CloudcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor cloud platform sponsoring to reach startup founders considering cloud infrastructure.
• GustocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPayroll and HR platform sponsoring to reach startup founders.
• Lemon.iominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeveloper matching platform for startups.
• LinkedIncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional network and hiring platform sponsoring podcast.
• MercurycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking platform for startups and tech companies.
• NetSuitecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOracle NetSuite ERP solution for business management.
• NotioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProductivity and workspace platform used by many startups.
• Northwest Registered AgentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness registration and compliance services.
• PayPalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPayment platform for startups and e-commerce businesses.
• QuadraticminorGTM or Marketing PartnerData platform for developers and data teams.
• QuominorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal services platform for startups.
• RenderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCloud platform for hosting and deployment.
• SentryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerError monitoring and debugging platform for developers.
• SquarespacecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWebsite building and e-commerce platform for startups.
• StripecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPayment infrastructure for internet businesses.
• SuperhumancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEmail client for high-performance professionals.
• UbercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRide-hailing and delivery platform.
• VantaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSecurity compliance automation platform.
• ZendeskcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCustomer service and engagement platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All-In Podcast: The All-In Podcast features Jason Calacanis alongside David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and David Friedberg covering tech, startups, and economics. It is the most directly comparable business/startup podcast network with overlapping audience, host overlap, and cross-promotion relationship.
• Masters of Scale: Hosted by Reid Hoffman, Masters of Scale is a flagship startup podcast featuring interviews with iconic founders and investors (Facebook, Airbnb, Netflix). It targets the same founder/operator audience and monetizes via sponsorships, making it the closest direct competitor in format and audience.
• a16z Podcast: Andreessen Horowitz's podcast network covers technology, startups, and venture capital with marquee guests from the a16z portfolio. It competes for the same enterprise SaaS sponsors and founder listeners, but is backed by a large venture firm rather than operating as an independent media business.
• This Week in Tech (TWiT): Founded by Leo Laporte, TWiT is a long-running weekly tech podcast network that pioneered the "This Week in…" format. TWiST explicitly riffs on this naming and shares the weekly news-roundup cadence plus sponsor-driven monetization model.
• Acquired (Podcast): Acquired is a long-form, founder-investor interview podcast covering iconic companies and tech stories, monetized via sponsorships and a premium tier. It targets the same sophisticated startup/investor audience and competes for the same guest tier and sponsor dollars.
• The Tim Ferriss Show: Tim Ferriss's long-running interview podcast features world-class founders, investors, and operators with deep, tactical episodes. It shares TWiST's long-form founder-interview format and enterprise sponsor base (e.g., LinkedIn, Notion, Squarespace-style partners).

Emerging players

• Stratechery: Ben Thompson's Stratechery is a subscription-based tech analysis media property covering the same tech/startup ecosystem and reader demographic (founders, operators, VCs). Comparable audience and topic coverage, though distribution is primarily written newsletter rather than podcast.
• Lenny's Podcast: Lenny Rachitsky's podcast focuses on product management, growth, and startup building with high-profile PM and founder guests. It targets an overlapping founder/operator persona, monetizes via sponsorships, and represents the new wave of niche, premium business podcasts.

Broad incumbents

• Morning Brew: Morning Brew operates a portfolio of business newsletters and podcasts targeting young professionals, founders, and operators. It competes for overlapping B2B sponsors and audience attention, with a much larger scale and institutional backing.
• The Verge / Vox Media Podcasts: Vox Media's tech properties (The Verge, Recode) produce podcasts covering startups, technology, and business. They overlap on topic and audience, are well-capitalized, and represent broader-incumbent competition for tech/startup ad dollars.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A
• Xx.com/twinetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/twistartups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/this-week-in-startups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about This Week In