Episode Summary
Executive Summary: This episode of This Week in Startups covers major tech news including Google's forced AI chatbot launch (Bard), Microsoft's Bing integration with OpenAI, Adam Neumann's new venture Flow, and the ethical implications of AI content generation. The hosts also discuss Neva (a citation-paywalled AI search engine), Jobber's $100M Series D for home services software, and the rising value of blue-collar trades.
Main Topics: Google's Bard AI Launch (Priority: 5/5): Google announces Bard chatbot after slow-walking AI capabilities, prompted by ChatGPT's success. The UI integrates AI-generated answers with search links, drawing criticism for potentially plagiarizing publisher content. AI Content Ethics & Revenue Sharing (Priority: 5/5): Hosts argue AI companies must share revenue and provide citations when using publisher content for training and answers. Neva cited as positive example, paying publishers 20% of revenue. Adam Neumann's Flow Venture (Priority: 4/5): Flow raises $350M from A16Z for a tech-enabled rental housing model. Neumann envisions tenants gaining 'ownership-like' equity/benefits through a four-pillar system (tech, asset management, financial services, value-sharing). Microsoft Bing + OpenAI Integration (Priority: 4/5): Microsoft officially announces GPT integration into Bing for natural language search answers, aiming to challenge Google's search dominance. Blue-Collar Tech & Jobber (Priority: 4/5): Jobber raises $100M Series D for home services ops management (CRM, scheduling, invoicing). Discussion on booming demand for trades like electricians amid AI disruption of white-collar jobs. Rising Importance of Data Sets (Priority: 3/5): Major tech companies race to acquire proprietary data sets (e.g., Quora) for training AI. FTC oversight questioned regarding potential walled-garden data monopolies.
Key Arguments: AI companies (Google, Microsoft) must pay licensing fees and provide citations when using publisher content to generate answers; current practice amounts to plagiarism. Adam Neumann's Flow venture is credible despite skepticism because of his proven ability to execute at scale and secure major funding (A16Z). The housing model addresses real problems: renters don't build equity. The FTC should scrutinize data-set acquisitions (e.g., Quora by Microsoft/Google) to prevent anti-competitive walled gardens, not just fight past battles like DoubleClick. Blue-collar trades (electricians, plumbers) are undervalued but highly lucrative and recession-resistant; home services software like Jobber professionalizes these businesses. AI will reduce demand for coders, accountants, and lawyers but increase demand for creative thinkers (philosophers, artists) who can infer and innovate beyond algorithmic capabilities.
Data Points: Neva Revenue Share: 20% - Neva shares at least 20% of sales with content publishers like Quora and Medium Flow Funding: $350 million - Adam Neumann's Flow raised $350 million from A16Z Jobber Series D: $100 million - Jobber raised $100 million Series D for home services platform Jobber Customers: 200,000 businesses - Jobber serves 200,000 businesses across 60 countries Jobber Pricing: $49-$249/month - Pricing tiers from solo contractor ($49) up to 15 workers ($249) Neva Employee Count: 78 - Neva has 78 employees according to LinkedIn Google's AI Investment in Anthropic: $300 million - Google invested $300 million in Anthropic (creator of Claude)
Pivotal Quotes: "If you can build a chat technology this impressive, you can come up with a way to share revenue. And to launch this without citations and to launch it without sharing revenue in a commercial environment, it is unethical, immoral, and these people need to be sued immediately." — Host (Jason Calacanis): Arguing against AI companies using publisher content without compensation or attribution "Capital allocators want to back people with a global vision who are bold enough to swing for the fences. That's the key takeaway here for entrepreneurs." — Host (Molly Wood): Defending Adam Neumann's ability to secure funding despite public criticism "The lesson here is to not be cynical, to not project into this... And look at the big picture. Capital allocators want to back people with a global vision who are bold enough to swing for the fences." — Host (Jason Calacanis): Reflecting on why Adam Neumann continues to attract major investment despite WeWork's failures
Implications: AI search will disrupt content publishing economics, forcing licensing models. Housing-as-a-service with equity components may reshape rental markets. Blue-collar tech and trades will see significant investment as AI disrupts white-collar professions. Data set ownership becomes a critical competitive moat, likely triggering antitrust scrutiny.
About This Week in Startups
Jason Calacanis covers startups, tech, markets, media, and all the hottest topics in business and technology. He also interviews the world’s greatest founders, operators, investors, and innovators.