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DeepSummary
Josh Mohrer, the former GM of Uber in New York City and an early employee, shares his experiences working with Travis Kalanick and navigating regulatory challenges in the city. He discusses Uber's innovative approach to ride-sharing and the company's distributed leadership model that empowered city teams.
Mohrer then delves into his journey as a solo founder, leveraging advancements in AI and coding to create Wave, an AI-powered note-taking app. He emphasizes the potential for solopreneurs and artisanal internet businesses enabled by user-friendly tools and AI assistance.
The conversation explores the impact of AI on various aspects of life, from education to customer support, and how it is shaping the future of work. Mohrer and Calacanis discuss the implications for the next generation, dubbed 'Gen AI,' who will grow up immersed in AI-driven experiences.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- AI advancements are enabling the rise of 'solopreneurs' who can create sophisticated products without relying on developers.
- Travis Kalanick's leadership at Uber empowered city teams with autonomy and a 'mini-CEO' mindset.
- Navigating regulatory challenges was a key focus for early Uber teams, like in New York City.
- AI can potentially outperform humans in areas like customer support by providing more efficient, highly-rated service.
- While AI can assist with various tasks, creating complete products still requires breaking problems into smaller parts.
- The next generation, dubbed 'Gen AI,' will grow up immersed in AI-driven experiences, shaping their education and perception of technology.
- Solo founders may embrace AI assistance for certain tasks, like customer support, to maintain their independent approach.
- Creating 'artisanal internet businesses' catering to niche interests could become a viable path enabled by user-friendly tools and AI.
Top Episodes Quotes
“No, this, this is going to be the revolution.“ by Jason Calacanis
― This quote from Calacanis emphasizes his belief that the ability for business professionals to create their own products without relying on developers is a revolutionary shift enabled by AI.“I think according to the statistics it was getting, the AI based customer support was getting higher ratings than the humans. And the calls went from like eleven minutes to three. So not only was it replacing the humans, it was doing a better job.“ by Jason Calacanis
― This quote highlights the potential for AI to outperform humans in certain tasks, such as customer support, by providing more efficient and highly-rated service, which could disrupt traditional employment models.
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Episode Information
This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis
3/8/24
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
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Todays show:
Josh Mohrer, the solo founder building Wave App joins Jason. The two dive into Josh’s time during the early Uber NY days (1:17), solo entrepreneurship in tech (19:59), and more! Josh then showcases the Wave App in action (27:10) and delves into its intricate development journey (32:26).
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Josh Mohrer joins Jason
(1:17) Early Uber NY days, Travis Kalanick's leadership, and Uber NY's regulatory challenges
(12:42) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist
(19:59) Solo entrepreneurship in tech, enabled by AI advancements
(26:15) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist
(27:10) Josh demos Wave App and delves into its development journey
(40:45) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
(41:39) Future of work, AI in daily life, and generational tech shifts
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Check out: https://waveapp.ai
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Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
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Follow Josh:
X: https://twitter.com/joshmohrer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmohrer
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Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Thank you to our partners:
(12:42) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://linkedin.com/twist
(26:15) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://Squarespace.com/twist
(40:45) Northwest Registered Agent - Get a 60% discount on your next LLC at http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
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Follow TWiST:
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast
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