The Browser Wars heat up! PLUS, Khan on The Bulwark, rules for great domain names, and Polymarket returns | E2174
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this wide-ranging episode, Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm dive deep into the shifting landscape of tech regulation and emerging opportunities. They explore Sony Pictures' shocking $20 million misstep in giving away the breakout hit "Squid Game: The Musical" to Netflix (03:15), examining how studios can better negotiate platform deals in the streaming era. The conversation pivots to Google's antitrust settlement, where the hosts debate whether Lina Khan's regulatory approach actually stifled innovation (11:48), with Jason arguing that market forces like AI search were already disrupting Google's monopoly. They also analyze Atlassian's strategic $610 million acquisition of The Browser Company (19:07), positioning it as a smart bet on the future of AI-powered work environments. The episode wraps with actionable advice for founders, including a brilliant Reddit-based strategy for discovering pain points (72:04) that can be turned into viable startups by monitoring complaint threads with 500+ upvotes.
Speakers
Jason Calacanis (Host)
Serial entrepreneur and angel investor who founded Weblogs Inc. (sold to AOL) and Launch. Has made investments in Uber, Robinhood, and other major startups. Creator and host of This Week in Startups podcast.
Alex Wilhelm
Senior editor covering venture capital and startups. Former TechCrunch reporter known for data-driven analysis of funding rounds and market trends. Regular co-host providing tech industry insights.
Lon Harris
Editorial director with extensive entertainment industry background. Covers intersection of technology and media, bringing Hollywood perspective to startup discussions.
Key Takeaways
Never Limit Your Upside
Sony gave away potential hundreds of millions by selling K-Pop demon hunters for just $20M plus production costs - no upside protection whatsoever. (09:00) Control your destiny like Kurosawa's Toho Studios: own the actors, sets, distribution, and IP. Barry Diller understood this when he refused studio deals for TV movies, insisting ABC retain all rights. When you find lightning in a bottle, structure deals that capture unlimited growth potential.
Build Privacy-First AI Arsenal
LLMs record everything you do - when police or civil cases come, they dump your information completely. (00:24) Brave browser hits 98M monthly users by removing ads, cookies, and making searches private. The winning play: combine privacy-focused browsing with completely anonymous AI, add 100% VPN coverage, and own the full stack. Apple should acquire this ecosystem immediately.
Use Negative Events as Growth Accelerators
American Eagle got "crushed" for their Sydney Sweeney campaign controversy, then beat earnings and jumped 38% in one day. (45:45) Polymarket faced post-election volume crash but recovered to higher plateau than pre-election baseline. When controversy hits your company, lean into it - bad press still drives awareness, new user acquisition, and often creates passionate evangelists who defend your brand.
Crown Your Users as Ambassadors
GameStop and AMC CEOs realized: if retail investors want to buy shares, sell them more shares and turn them into marketing evangelists. (50:30) Tesla's market cap includes massive "promise premium" because believers pay ahead of growth. Transform your customer base into your sales force - give them ownership stakes, exclusive access, and platforms to champion your vision publicly.
Mine Reddit for Billion-Dollar Pain Points
Jacob found startup ideas by reading rants in r/accounting, r/realtors, r/smallbusiness - look for 500+ upvotes and "this is my life" comments. (72:52) Post "Building solution for [problem] - who wants early access?" If you get 50+ DMs, you've found product-market fit before building. Reddit is where people vent real frustrations - turn their pain into your painkiller product.
Statistics & Facts
No specific statistics were provided in this episode.
