News roundtable: OpenAI's equity policy, AI Revenue, and a $1B cybersecurity deal

OpenAI Equity Clawbacks and Company Culture

• Jason Calacanis and Alex Wilhelm discuss the controversy surrounding OpenAI's equity clawbacks and the practice of companies asking employees to agree not to disparage the company in exchange for severance or vested equity.
• The hosts question the fairness of equity clawbacks and their prevalence in practice.
• The larger story is about tension within OpenAI on how to approach safety, given its unique structure as a nonprofit-for-profit hybrid organization valued at $80-90 billion, with employees owning a significant portion of the equity.

AI Revenue and Market Potential

• The hosts discuss OpenAI's revenue potential, particularly with the improvements in the user interface and the potential for consumers to pay for the service if it provides valuable assistance.
• OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile revenue has increased significantly, indicating strong consumer demand for the technology.
• The technology has a strong product-market fit and is experiencing market pull, with consumers actively seeking it out and paying for it.
• The Enterprise side of AI adoption is mixed, with some companies embracing it while others are slower to adopt.

AI Ethics and Legal Concerns

• Concerns are raised about potential legal issues surrounding voice impersonation in AI, as seen in the case of Scarlett Johansson's voice being used without her consent in ChatGPT.
• Deepfakes and unauthorized use of public figures' likenesses are becoming increasingly common, raising concerns about privacy and consent.
• OpenAI's actions have damaged their public image and may have legal consequences, highlighting the need for ethical considerations and respect for individuals' rights in AI development and use.

Cybersecurity Consolidation and Market Trends

• CyberArc's acquisition of Venafi for $1.5 billion is a notable deal in the cybersecurity industry, indicating the market's value for recurring revenue and profitability.
• The broader trend in cybersecurity is towards consolidation, with major players acquiring smaller companies to build comprehensive platforms and avoid displacement by point solutions.
• The decline in SAS multiples during the market downturn of 2022-2023 was driven by factors such as layoffs and cost-cutting measures by enterprises.
• SAS companies are responding by adding adjacencies and expanding their offerings to become more indispensable to their customers.

Founder Compensation and Startup Strategies

• Founders should focus on optimizing the value of their enterprise rather than maximizing their salaries.
• The median founder salary for startups that raised $100K to $1M is $90K, while it's $125K for those that raised $1M to $2.9M.
• Founders' salaries tend to stay flat for a long time, with a slight increase for startups that raised over $10M.
• Boards should tie founders' compensation to the performance of the company to ensure alignment of interests.
• Founders should keep their burn rate low to reduce financial stress and maintain focus on the business.
• A lower burn rate also provides more freedom and leverage in decision-making.

Education and the Voucher System

• The Catholic School System is expensive, especially for families with multiple children.
• The voucher system, which provides public funds to parents to choose the school of their choice, could create competition and improve the quality of public education.

Crypto Venture Capital and Regulatory Landscape

• Crypto venture capital is making a comeback, with $2.4 billion invested in the first quarter of 2023, up from $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.
• The 21st Century Cures Act, also known as FIT 21, is a bipartisan bill endorsed by the Blockchain Association that aims to provide clarity on which digital asset transactions fall under the SEC's jurisdiction.
• There are indications that the Democrats are becoming more receptive to the concerns of the crypto industry, potentially leading to favorable outcomes for long-term crypto believers.
• The US is likely to remain the global epicenter for crypto talent and innovation, despite competition from tax havens and other countries trying to attract crypto businesses.

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

• Decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) have not lived up to their initial promise due to the lack of technology to support their aspirations.

Market Pull and Free Speech Absolutism

• Market pull, where a product or service gains traction due to strong demand, is a crucial factor for startups to consider.
• Free speech absolutism, the belief that individuals should be allowed to express themselves freely without government interference, is discussed in the context of recent controversies involving Kanye West and Twitter.
• The hosts emphasize the importance of caution when granting the government control over speech, as it can be used against different groups in the future.