TWiST News: Nvidia's AI Edge, Google Might Have to Sell Chrome, and Founder Fridays Updates | E2049

Jason and Alex kick off the show (0s)

• The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed remedies, but some argue that the DOJ could have gone further, with Luther Lowe, head of Y Combinator, suggesting that some of Google's complaints are insincere. (13s)
• Brave, a browser, sends a significant number of queries to Google, approximately 1 billion queries per month, for which they do not receive payment, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue. (41s)
• The discussion highlights the importance of monetization, with two possible ways for Google to remedy the situation, including paying Brave for the queries they send to Google. (29s)
• The conversation is part of "This Week in Startups" (TWiST), a show hosted by Jason Calacanis, with Alex Wilhelm as a guest, discussing various topics in technology and startups. (1m44s)
• The show's hosts mention their social media presence, with Jason Calacanis inviting listeners to interact with him on various platforms. (1m45s)
• Alex Wilhelm comments on the high velocity of news in the technology sector, even during a typically slow period, and expresses excitement about the many topics to discuss. (2m26s)
• The conversation touches on politics and policy, including the news that Matt Gaetz will not be the Attorney General, and the hosts' intention to focus on policy-based discussions rather than getting caught up in sensationalism. (2m48s)

Google's antitrust case and DOJ's proposed remedies (3m20s)

• Google is facing an antitrust case, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed remedies, which may include a potential breakup of the company (3m21s).
• The discussion on Google's antitrust case and the proposed remedies is expected to be a major topic, with non-partisan experts providing their insights (3m37s).
• Nvidia's recent financial performance is also discussed, with the company beating revenue expectations by $1.9 billion, achieving $35.1 billion in revenue, and exceeding earnings per share expectations by 7 cents (3m59s).
• Nvidia's guidance for the last quarter of the year met investor expectations, indicating that the growth in AI training can continue for at least another quarter or two (4m19s).
• The company's shares have not moved significantly despite the impressive financial performance, suggesting that the positive news may already be priced in (4m24s).
• Nvidia's revenue for the next quarter is expected to be $37.5 billion, representing an 8% increase quarter-over-quarter (4m59s).

Nvidia's market performance and AI chip competition (5m22s)

• Nvidia's market performance is described as a "juggernaut" that is not going anywhere, with no competitor emerging to challenge its dominance in the AI chip market (5m23s).
• Amazon is working on a project to create its own chips, but it is unclear if this will be a direct competitor to Nvidia's products (5m36s).
• There are concerns about potential headwinds, such as economic factors, that could impact Nvidia's growth, but no direct competitors are on the horizon (5m41s).
• Two main questions are being debated: whether a competitor will emerge for Nvidia's category of servers in data centers for AI, and whether the demand for AI chips will plateau (5m53s).
• Nvidia has secured sufficient leadership in the next generation of chips, making it unlikely that a material competitor will emerge from a startup or big tech company in the near future (6m28s).
• Nvidia's earnings call focused on the Blackwell chip, the successor to the Hopper architecture, with the company stating that demand greatly exceeds supply and they are on track to exceed revenue estimates (6m42s).
• Customers are gearing up to adopt the Blackwell chip, with Nvidia's previous revenue estimates for the product being exceeded (6m59s).

Nvidia's Blackwell architecture and AI advancements (7m0s)

• Nvidia is expected to retain its crown in the AI market for the foreseeable future, despite various startups pursuing the same space due to the company's significant revenue and profit, with $35 billion in revenue and $20 billion in net income in one quarter (7m13s).
• Amazon is developing its in-house AI chip, Trinium 2, to reduce its reliance on external chips, but this may not necessarily impact Nvidia's sales as customers may still prefer to rent Nvidia's H100 chips (7m25s).
• Other companies, such as Cerebras, D-Matrix (backed by Microsoft), and startups, are also working on AI chips, which may lead to increased competition in the market (8m10s).
• Building chips is a more challenging and time-consuming process than building software, which may explain why there are not as many competitors in the market yet, but next year may be an exciting year for chip startups (8m30s).
• Nvidia's CEO, Jensen, addressed concerns about the "AI wall" and the slowdown in progress, stating that while the traditional model of training AI models is still intact, there are two new approaches, post-training scaling and test-time scaling, which will continue to improve AI models (9m5s).
• Jensen believes that these three approaches will keep improving AI models in the market for a long time, mitigating the impact of slowdowns in one approach (9m33s).

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• Ramp is a corporate card and spend management software designed to help businesses save money by providing visibility into company software usage and trimming subscription costs (9m47s).
• The software allows companies to issue cards to employees with set limits and restrictions, eliminating the need for personal card use and expense reports (10m6s).
• Ramp customers save around 5% on their expenses annually by being able to control and adjust card spending limits (10m28s).
• The software automates expense reports, and Ramp will even handle tasks such as chasing down missing documentation and requesting repayment (10m36s).
• Ramp is user-friendly, allowing companies to start making payments in under 15 minutes, and new customers receive a $250 bonus when joining (10m47s).
• To sign up for Ramp and receive the $250 bonus, users can visit ramp.com/twist (10m52s).
• Cards issued by Ramp are provided by Sutton Bank, a member of the FDIC, and are subject to terms and conditions (11m8s).

Google's advertising market dominance and Chrome divestiture (11m13s)

• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has a case against Google, declaring the company a monopolist that acted to maintain its monopoly, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act (11m13s).
• The DOJ's proposed final judgment (PFJ) includes the possibility of Google divesting Chrome, as well as Android, and implementing business rules on what Google can and cannot do, including investing in other AI or search companies (12m23s).
• Google's Chrome browser is deeply integrated into the company's search engine and Google account services, making it a core part of the business (12m57s).
• The reason Google developed Chrome was to control user behavior and intercept searches before other browsers could, which is why the company pays billions of dollars to Apple to secure the default search position on Apple devices (13m27s).
• The data from searches on Apple devices is more monetizable and provides critical signal to Google for tuning its search engine, which is why the DOJ is seeking to have Google disclose data to level the playing field (14m33s).
• The DOJ's proposed remedies aim to address Google's monopolistic practices, including the potential divestiture of Chrome and Android, and restrictions on Google's business activities (12m10s).
• Google's integration of Chrome into its services, including Gmail and Google Docs, makes it difficult to separate the browser from the rest of the company's business (13m10s).
• The DOJ's case against Google has significant implications for the tech industry, and the proposed remedies could have far-reaching consequences for Google's business model (11m54s).
• Google has around 90% of search queries, but the majority of searches are shifting to other platforms like Open AI, ChatGPT, and Claude, which could potentially disrupt Google's search monopoly (15m28s).
• Google's revenue from advertising is significant, but it's a smaller percentage of online advertising than people realize, as they compete with Amazon, Uber, Instacart, DoorDash, and Meta (16m31s).
• Google's total share of the US advertising market is around 27%, and when combined with Meta, they hold 57% of the market (17m47s).
• The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reported that Google has unlawfully maintained its monopolies in general search services and search advertising (17m21s).
• If Google is forced to spin out Google Chrome, it would need to be bought by someone or become a standalone business, raising questions about who would buy it and how it would be valued (18m33s).
• The shift in search queries and advertising revenue could potentially impact Google's market share and dominance in the industry (16m13s).
• If the US Department of Justice (DOJ) were to force Google to sell Chrome, it would likely not allow one of the "MAG 7" (Apple, Amazon, or Meta) to purchase it, as this would simply transfer ownership to another large company, and instead might consider a buyer with a market cap below $500 billion (19m3s).
• A smaller company, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, might be allowed to buy Chrome, but they would likely be restricted from doing an ad deal with Google, making it difficult to monetize the browser (19m54s).
• Without a Google deal, Chrome's value would be significantly reduced, and it might have to sell advertising to competing search engines like Bing, Brave, or DuckDuckGo, or potentially be sold to a private equity-owned company like Yahoo (20m23s).
• Chrome's status as an open-source company adds complexity to the situation, making it challenging to determine how it could become a viable standalone business without a search deal (20m41s).

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• The team is available on the same time zone as the client, with no long-term commitment, allowing for seamless collaboration (22m7s).
• DevSquad can help startups build their dream team and find top-tier talent, managing timelines and maintaining quality, which can be a big lift for founders (21m17s).
• The service is ideal for startups that need help building their team before raising their series A or series B funding (21m13s).
• DevSquad is offering a 10% discount on the first engagement for clients who sign up through the referral link Devsquad.com/twist (22m18s).

DOJ's negotiation strategy with Google (22m50s)

• The Department of Justice (DOJ) is negotiating with Google, and it's unclear if breaking up the company would unlock value, as the pieces might not be worth more than the whole, with Chrome being a potential example of this. (22m51s)
• The DOJ's negotiation strategy might be the "door slamming" technique, where they make a lot of noise and threaten to take drastic action, only to later appear to make concessions, allowing Google to keep Chrome. (23m16s)
• Breaking up Google by taking out YouTube could potentially unlock extraordinary value, as YouTube generates around $50 billion in revenue per year, plus subscription revenue, making it a significant competitor to Netflix. (23m47s)
• YouTube's ad revenue has been growing, with $8.92 billion in Q3 of this year, up from $7.9 billion in the preceding year, showing ample scale to be a public company and maintain advertiser share. (24m19s)
• Divesting YouTube might not directly address the DOJ's core issues with Google's search ads business, but it could still be a significant move, potentially reducing Google's market value by $500 billion. (24m42s)
• YouTube is a key piece of Google's business, with a significant portion of searches coming from the platform, and losing it could impact Google's ability to monetize search deals with Apple and others. (25m1s)
• While divesting YouTube might not be a perfect match to the DOJ's concerns, it could still be a significant move, potentially more significant than divesting Chrome in terms of impacting Google's business. (25m31s)

Brave browser's business model, competition, and privacy focus (25m50s)

• Jean Paul Schmetz, also known as JP, is the head of Brave search and ads at Brave, a private browser company that prioritizes user privacy and does not track user data, and has previously worked at AB books. (25m57s)
• Brave browser has its own search engine, which is the default search engine for the host, who appreciates the browser's speed, privacy features, and lack of tracking. (26m38s)
• Brave does not make money through a deal with Google, as Google only pays browser companies if they agree not to compete with Google's search engine. (27m3s)
• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is making the case that Google's payments to browser companies are conditional on non-competition, which is the crux of the matter. (27m11s)
• Google has used strong-arm tactics to prevent competition, such as telling Apple and Firefox that they did not like their deals with other companies, and has made payments to browser companies conditional on non-competition. (27m33s)
• Brave and DuckDuckGo are two of the largest independent search engines outside of Google in the United States, and they cannot use Google's ad network if they want to compete with Google. (28m24s)
• Google's ad network has scale, and the company uses its market power to prevent competition, making it difficult for other search engines to monetize their services. (28m31s)
• The remedy proposed by the DOJ is to prevent Google from using its market power to stifle competition, and to allow other search engines to compete fairly. (28m2s)
• The browser business has traditionally been a loss leader, with companies such as Netscape and Firefox not monetizing their browser offerings, instead focusing on other revenue streams or operating as non-profits (29m20s).
• Google's Chrome browser was initially offered as a way to reduce the company's payments to third parties, further highlighting the challenges of generating revenue from browser sales (29m41s).
• Building a search index is a complex and costly task, with only a few companies, including Google, Bing, and Brave, maintaining their own independent indexes (30m8s).
• Most search engines rely on third-party search APIs, such as those offered by Google, Bing, or Brave, rather than building and maintaining their own indexes (30m33s).
• The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly asking Google to create a high-quality, low-cost version of its search API, which could potentially increase competition in the search engine market (30m53s).

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• DigitalOcean offers a range of GPU configuration setups, from single GPU to 8 GPUs, and keeps infrastructure simple with an intuitive UI, robust documentation, and on-demand support (31m33s).
• The platform allows users to spend their time building their projects rather than managing infrastructure, making it a simple, scalable, and cost-effective choice (31m51s).
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Brave's search engine development and DOJ's impact (32m13s)

• Brave has a large business in the search API and would not like Google to have to sell it for zero dollars, as it would negatively impact their business (32m14s).
• There are only three independent search engines, and it is hard to achieve independence in search indexing, with Brave taking 13 years to reach 100% independence (32m26s).
• The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed remedies, but some, like Luther Lowe from Y Combinator, believe the DOJ could have gone further, and Brave was hoping for a more punitive set of remedies (33m2s).
• The main reason people don't compete in search is not about data, but rather about monetization, as venture capitalists (VCs) are hesitant to invest in search engines due to concerns about remonetization (33m41s).
• Brave sends a couple billion queries to Google every month, but does not receive any payment for this traffic, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars given to Google for free (34m36s).
• Google has a product called AdSense for search, which is designed to finance search engines, but it cannot be used by browsers, making it difficult for Brave to monetize its search engine (34m55s).
• The DOJ document mentions that Google is not supposed to pay or give special value to people who have exclusivity agreements, which could potentially mean that Google cannot pay Apple for traffic (35m17s).
• Google's market cap would increase by $500 billion if they were to spin out Chrome, while Apple's market cap would decrease, which doesn't make sense, so Google will likely continue to pay Apple the same amount of money but also pay Brave the same amount, without requesting exclusivity, resulting in Apple having to display a choice screen for search engines (35m34s).
• Brave will be able to monetize search queries from users who use Brave but not Brave search, as exclusivity won't be allowed, and companies will be able to monetize search queries sent to Google (36m6s).
• Spinning out Chrome may not immediately help Brave, as it could create another monopoly if Google has a gigantic deal with the spun-out company, and it may not make a huge difference in the market (36m27s).
• The Department of Justice's (DOJ) remedy proposal includes preventing Google from conditioning the availability of the app store on the use of Google search, which would allow other browsers to be pre-installed on Android phones without having Google search as the default (38m35s).
• Google's current deal structure prevents competing search engines and browsers from using their ad network, which is a form of antitrust behavior, and the DOJ's proposal aims to prevent this kind of strong-arming (37m10s).
• Google has previously used its power to bully other companies, such as Samsung and Firefox, into using Google search as the default on their browsers, and the DOJ's proposal aims to prevent this kind of behavior in the future (38m6s).
• Google may be required to sell Chrome due to antitrust regulations, specifically a remedy stating that Google cannot condition the availability of another product based on the supply of search as a default (38m54s).
• Google's animosity towards Brave may be connected to the fact that Brave is a competitor, and its founder, Brandon, has a history of building successful search engines and browsers (39m31s).
• Brave's business model, which prioritizes user privacy and removes ads, may also be a factor in Google's behavior towards the company (39m11s).
• The founder of Brave would often respond to questions about the need for another browser and search engine by pointing out that there have only been five major browsers in the 30-year history of the web, leaving room for a sixth (39m50s).
• Building a search engine is a difficult task, with fewer countries developing search engines than those that develop atomic bombs, but having another search engine is still a desirable outcome (40m14s).

AI's role in search technology and the future of browsers (40m26s)

• Sam Altman's team at Open AI is working on a search experiment that connects a large language model (LLM) to the web, making it more effective, as an LLM not connected to the web has limitations (40m27s).
• The team realizes that to access the web, the LLM will likely use a search engine, and they are working on connecting it to a search engine through an API, possibly with a company like Google (40m35s).
• The future of AI is closely tied to its integration with search technology, and the navigation bar of a browser is where people ask every question they can think of, making it a crucial place for AI to live (41m19s).
• Brave search has a summarizer feature that reads and summarizes web results, a feature that was launched before Google and others, and it's a useful feature for certain types of queries (41m31s).
• People will use AI in various ways, including through B2B API business, on web pages, and in browsers, which will have access to the web and provide features like recommending restaurants (41m50s).
• Open AI has a team member who was one of the first creators of Firefox and Chrome, and they are likely working on a browser that will be launched in the future (42m21s).
• The importance of having a browser lies in its ability to handle all types of queries, including navigational, informational, and commercial, to make money from the monetizable ones (43m25s).
• Google discovered that having 100% of queries is necessary to make money from the 18% that are monetizable, and this is a challenge that Open AI and other companies will face in the future (43m27s).
• The magic of search lies in having a single box where people can ask everything, and AI will have to live in that box to be effective (44m1s).

DOJ's remedies and their effect on smaller search engines (44m8s)

• The potential remedies proposed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Google settlement case could create monetization opportunities for smaller search engines like Brave and Brave Search (44m9s).
• The Digital Markets Act (DMA) in Europe has already forced Apple and Google Chrome to give users a browser and search choice, respectively, resulting in significant growth for Brave Search (44m32s).
• Brave Search has seen twice as much growth in Europe compared to the US, likely due to the DMA's impact, which has driven new regular users to the platform (44m59s).
• The growth rate of Brave Search in terms of word-of-mouth is likely the same across all countries, but the DMA has accelerated growth in Europe (45m9s).
• The DOJ's remedies could potentially level the playing field for smaller search engines by allowing them to compete more fairly with Google, which could lead to increased growth and adoption (44m23s).
• The deal-making aspect of the DOJ's remedies is crucial, as it could create incentives for organizations to grow and innovate, which could ultimately benefit customers (46m5s).

Google's growth strategies and M&A outlook (46m22s)

• Google's growth strategies include acquiring new businesses, creating new verticals, and letting the business development team find deals to grow the business, all of which are driven by the incentive to grow market share due to the company's ad network and stock options for employees (46m23s).
• The company's business development team will do more extreme and cutthroat things as Google becomes a monopoly, similar to what happened at Microsoft, where they required computer manufacturers to include Internet Explorer on their machines, which ultimately led to the decline of Netscape (47m47s).
• Google's business development team may focus on finding deals to grow the business, but the company's leadership, including CEO Sundar Pichai, may also prioritize other areas, such as squeezing more money out of the search business, and may not focus as much on mergers and acquisitions (49m51s).
• The company's size and resources allow it to pursue multiple strategies at once, and it's possible that Google could have bought into other verticals, such as Snapchat, Whole Foods, Uber, or Airbnb, if its M&A team had been more active (49m11s).
• The profit motive is a great driver of activity, but leadership at the company can also set direction and prioritize certain areas, such as not focusing on M&A, as seen in the case of Adobe's acquisition of Figma (49m46s).
• Google's leadership may have to navigate the company's growth strategies and M&A outlook in the face of increased regulatory scrutiny and a changing business environment (48m25s).
• Despite potential challenges, Google is expected to remain a vibrant company and figure out its growth strategies, with potential areas of growth including its Waymo and YouTube businesses (48m30s).
• The company's M&A team may have been less active in recent years, but this could change in the future, especially if Google is able to buy into new verticals and expand its business (49m16s).

Founder culture, motivation, and Founder Fridays initiative (51m3s)

• There are two types of people: those who love their jobs and careers, and those who want work-life balance, and it's essential to determine which type of people you want in your company (51m4s).
• Some positions may not require people who are highly motivated and work long hours, such as customer support, while others may need people who are enthusiastic and willing to put in extra time (51m58s).
• Founders often make the mistake of thinking they can motivate others to be as driven as they are, which is a narcissistic pursuit and a delusion of grandeur (52m22s).
• It's crucial to define the culture you want in your organization and ensure that everyone understands it, including the level of motivation and responsiveness expected (52m15s).
• Having a 9-to-5 culture or a 24/7 culture is okay, as long as people know what to expect when they join the company, and it's essential to communicate this clearly and repeatedly (53m31s).
• Responsiveness is a critical trait in highly performant individuals, and they tend to be highly responsive on their preferred channel of communication, which may not be the same for everyone (54m2s).
• The concept of Founder Fridays was introduced, which aims to bring together startup founders in various cities for monthly meetups to discuss their struggles and successes, with the goal of creating a supportive community for entrepreneurs (54m30s).
• The idea for Founder Fridays was inspired by the slogan "for fans by fans" from Nix fan TV, a radio call-in show, and was adapted to "four Founders by Founders" (55m23s).
• The meetups are organized on the River platform, which allows founders to host local events in their cities, and are limited to 6-8 people per group to facilitate meaningful discussions (55m52s).
• The meetups are open to startup founders who are running a company with two or three co-founders, and are not open to service providers such as lawyers, accountants, or real estate brokers (56m37s).
• The goal of Founder Fridays is to create a tight-knit community of founders who can support and learn from each other, and to provide a platform for them to share their experiences and challenges (57m4s).
• The meetups have been successful in creating a transformative effect on the participants, and have helped to alleviate the loneliness that many founders experience (57m18s).
• Founder Fridays is now available in dozens of cities, including Amsterdam, Calgary, and Vancouver, and is looking for hosts to organize meetups in new locations (56m9s).
• Sponsorship opportunities are available for law firms and other service providers who want to support the Founder Fridays community, with sponsorship packages starting at $1,000 (57m33s).
• To attend Founder Fridays, one must buy dinner or lunch for everyone, which can be expensive, around $3,000, and one must be supportive and helpful, without promoting themselves. (57m39s)
• Founder Fridays has a WhatsApp group for all the hosts, where they have persistent discussions, and each city also has its own group for local discussions. (58m10s)
• The hosts of Founder Fridays were asked to share good stories that occurred in their local chapters, and two hosts will be talking about their stories. (58m27s)
• George Colar, the CEO and co-founder of Albatross, is a Founder Friday host in Austin, Texas, and will be sharing a story about his local chapter. (58m41s)

Founder Fridays host Georges Colbert joins the show (58m50s)

• Founder Fridays is a monthly event where founders meet to share their experiences and learn from each other, with the idea that founders learn best from other founders, especially in the early stages of their business (58m50s).
• The event is hosted by Jason and takes place on the first Friday of every month from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Central Machine Works in Austin (59m37s).
• One of the helpful discussions that occurred was with Joe from Talent.io, a non-technical founder who suspected that his engineering approach was not correct, and the group reassured him that he should be confident enough to push back and minimize requirements to solve the problem at 70% of the way (1h0m4s).
• The discussion with Joe helped him build confidence as a first-time founder and make a better decision, as he was hearing it from multiple co-founders that there is a better way (1h1m12s).
• Another benefit of the event is learning about strategic partnerships, which is one of the best ways to grow, and Jason had a discussion with Michael from Pussy.a, who builds AI-generated videos for social media, and learned about the importance of distribution (1h1m24s).
• Jason's company, Alber Chaz, builds AI sales agents for the real estate space, specifically over the phone and email (1h1m52s).
• A property can use AI to generate videos to post on their Twitter or Instagram profile for lead generation, and an AI sales agent can be used as a lead sales conversion tool, as seen in a potential collaboration between Twisty and Albert's AI (1h2m13s).
• This collaboration allows for a full-stack AI marketing solution where Twisty generates AI videos for lead generation and Albert's AI engages with the leads for sales conversion (1h2m41s).
• Founder Fridays is a weekly event where founders meet to discuss their projects and problems, with around 20-30 people attending each week in Austin (1h3m9s).
• The event is structured, with attendees split into tables, each with a leader, and a set time for each person to explain their project and receive feedback (1h3m42s).
• The structure of the event includes a round table and pizza from 3 to 4:30, with a leader moderating the discussion and keeping time constraints (1h3m51s).
• Each attendee has 2 minutes to explain their project, followed by 4 minutes of feedback, and the event is timed to ensure everyone gets a chance to participate (1h4m11s).
• The use of a stopwatch and a timer helps keep the discussion on track, and the event is designed to help founders connect and get feedback on their projects (1h4m25s).
• There is a question about whether people would pay a membership to attend Founder Fridays, but the current opinion is that it might not be necessary, especially for early-stage founders (1h4m40s).
• The idea of charging a membership fee is seen as a potential barrier, but it could also make attendees more committed to participating (1h5m5s).
• A startup had a product and idea but was unsure whether it should be business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) and sought opinions from others (1h5m20s).
• There was a concern about vetting to prevent non-founders, such as service providers or individuals with no affiliation, from joining the platform (1h5m27s).
• To address this issue, the River team launched a questionnaire to filter applicants, with one of the key questions being whether the individual is a founder and has a website (1h5m50s).
• Having a website is considered a key indicator of a serious founder trying to build a business, which can help filter out non-founders (1h6m2s).

Founder Fridays experiences in Longview, Texas with Kitty and Coco (1h6m12s)

• The Austin Founder Friday event had a sponsor, and the organizer is asking partners to go through the website to do sponsorships through River to keep track of the money and deliverables (1h6m13s).
• The organizer wants to have some controls but also trust founders to do what's right, and they won't take any money from the sponsorships (1h6m47s).
• The organizer has one person working on this, and if the sponsorship becomes a thing, they might have her go full-time as the coordinator and pay her salary with it (1h6m53s).
• Alex mentioned that he loves community and was raised in the Chicago technology scene, and he's a big fan of people who bring the community together (1h7m12s).
• The Culver City Meetup has 58 people attending the December 6 meetup, and it's probably time to start breaking into small groups (1h7m23s).
• H.B. Sherman and Coco Harman are the Founder Friday hosts from Longview, Texas, and they've been hosting meetups for a few months (1h7m32s).
• Longview, Texas is about four and a half hours from Dallas and Houston, and it's located on I-20 (1h7m42s).
• Dallas and Fort Worth are booming, with many people moving their headquarters there, and even Austin is booming with the tech scene (1h7m58s).
• H.B. Sherman and Coco Harman have been doing Founder Fridays for a few months, and they've hosted four or five meetups, which have been really great (1h8m20s).
• They've been experimenting with the format and have found that it's given them an opportunity to find and bring together founders in their community (1h9m5s).
• They had the Longview Economic Development council's CEO come to their November meetup, which was exciting because part of their strategic vision includes a real emphasis on innovation (1h9m20s).
• A Founder Fridays event had a guest from the aerospace industry, which was a unique and interesting addition, and there are plans to have more guests like this in the future (1h9m34s).
• The event has had between four and eight attendees, with good discussions taking place, and one of the Founders has made significant progress since attending the first event (1h9m52s).
• This Founder wants to build a community around his passion for getting neighbors to know each other again, using art, and has received help with understanding the business side of things (1h10m1s).
• The Founder has made progress since attending the event, including getting help with building a website, and has been able to connect with others who have experience in areas he lacks (1h10m30s).
• The event's format allows Founders to connect with others who can help them with specific problems, and there is no need to worry about the motivation of the people helping (1h11m21s).
• The Founder Jam sessions have been successful in bringing people together to solve problems, with attendees often being able to provide solutions to others' problems (1h11m34s).
• One of the benefits of the event is that it allows Founders to connect with others who share their motivation and passion, and who can provide support and guidance (1h12m26s).
• The event's co-founders, Kitty and Coko, have found the experience to be valuable, with many suggestions from the Founders being implemented and deployed (1h12m47s).
• Endora is a mobile game that allows users to personalize games with their stored photos, making it easy and fun, and has the potential to be shared among family and friends, sparking conversations and nostalgia (1h12m58s).
• The concept of nostalgic reflection is backed by science, with one of the lead researchers in this category being an advisor, and has been proven to be restorative and expansive in nature, reducing anxiety, loneliness, and depression while increasing creativity and motivation (1h13m37s).
• Nostalgia has a positive impact on mental health, making people feel better, more optimistic about the future, and even physically warmer, with its effects being particularly noticeable after the age of 40 (1h14m27s).
• The conversation is with Alex, who has a personal connection with the host, having previously appeared on the show and attended TechCrunch 50 as a teenager (1h14m21s).
• Alex's project recently won a competition, receiving the investors award and the judges award, along with a $35,000 prize (1h14m59s).

Endora's success and advice for Founder Fridays hosts (1h15m9s)

• Endora is an investment and accelerator based in Texas, originally from Frisco, with specific terms for the startups they work with, and they are growing with a presence in Canada, the US, and South America (1h15m13s).
• The company has a vested interest in startups, as they build websites and apps for people, and they have a launch accelerator program (1h15m47s).
• Founder Fridays is a community for founders to connect and support each other, with the goal of keeping it pure and free from other agendas (1h16m19s).
• To start a Founder Fridays chapter, it is recommended to have two or three founders to ensure the chapter's continuity (1h16m24s).
• The community meets on the first Friday of every month, unless it's a holiday, in which case they meet on the second Friday (1h16m44s).
• The host of the video is excited to host all the Founder Fridays hosts for a special barbecue in Austin, where they can meet and connect with each other (1h17m2s).
• Endora has won $35,000 in funding, which will go a long way in supporting their growth (1h17m38s).
• Endora's app, Indora, has been well-received by kids, who love the nostalgia and photos it provides, and the company is encouraged to keep grinding and growing (1h17m50s).