The Startup Podcast

Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad
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Advice for founders and entrepreneurs who want to build disruptive startups like they do in Silicon Valley. Not another interview podcast: concrete tips and masterclasses on what founders need to know: raising Venture Capital, strategy, product, marketing, growth, and more. A guide to the unique mindset and approach that drives Silicon Valley style disruption. Hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein share practical advice based on decades of experience at Google, Uber, and their own startups.

  1. How founders can survive 2026 w/ Jess Mah

    1D AGO

    How founders can survive 2026 w/ Jess Mah

    Is AI making founders more anxious than ever, even in the heart of Silicon Valley? Behind the optimistic LinkedIn posts and fundraising announcements, some of the most successful people in tech are struggling with burnout and an overwhelming pace of change. So what does it actually take to build a resilient, successful startup in 2026? In this episode, Yaniv is joined by Jess Mah, serial founder, Y Combinator alum, and venture creation powerhouse behind Mahway. Jess has founded more than 10 companies — collectively valued at over $1 billion — and was the youngest woman ever accepted into Y Combinator. Fresh from dinners with Fortune 500 CEOs and unicorn founders in San Francisco, she shares what's really happening behind closed doors in the startup world, and why the founders who refuse to get hands-on with AI tools are now at a serious disadvantage. In this episode, you will: Discover why experienced, repeat founders are at the highest risk of falling behind in the AI eraLearn Jess's go-to interview question that instantly reveals whether a hire will stay relevantUnderstand "role collapse", and what should replace traditional siloed positions when the boundaries between product managers, designers, and engineers break downHear why the best founders in 2026 are building clickable prototypes themselves instead of delegating to product teamsFind out why AI has made distribution and competitive moats harder, not easier, and what to do about itExplore why domain expertise has become the most valuable startup superpower when building is cheapGet an honest look at the anxiety, burnout, and 996 culture affecting even the top AI founders in the Bay AreaLearn the AI educators and resources Jess and Yaniv personally rely on to stay ahead Connect with Jess: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessmah/Resources mentioned in this episode: Stratechery by Ben Thompson: https://stratechery.com/Matthew Berman (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@matthew_bermanHow I AI with Claire Vo: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/s/how-i-aiSteve Yegge / Gastown: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveyegge/Maven (cohort-based learning): https://maven.com/Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/ The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/ Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links This episode of the Startup Podcast is sponsored by .tech domains. Forget weird prefixes and creative misspellings; the availability for .tech domains is simply way better than .com. For a clean and memorable name, go to https://⁠get.tech/tsp Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    56 min
  2. Recursive Self-Determination: Why your startup needs autonomy at every layer

    FEB 9

    Recursive Self-Determination: Why your startup needs autonomy at every layer

    Self-determination throughout your team: it sounds simple, but implementing it effectively could give your startup a razor-sharp competitive edge. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv unpack the 'Recursive Principle of Self-Determination', a framework for designing autonomous startups that maximize agency at every layer of the business. They explore how high-agency decisions shape product strategy, engineering, go-to-market, fundraising, teams, and culture, and why AI is accelerating the shift toward founder empowerment. In this episode, you will: * Understand the concept of recursive self-determination and why it applies across the entire startup stack * Identify low-agency decisions that slow innovation (agencies, misaligned partners, restrictive funding) * Design products that increase customer empowerment by reducing friction, cost, and dependency * Evaluate tech stack and vendor choices based on incentive alignment and long-term control * Apply high-agency go-to-market strategies by selling directly to customers * Structure teams as cross-functional, autonomous squads that move fast and learn faster * Leverage AI as a force multiplier for founder and team agency The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/ Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links This episode of the Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited time offer of US$1,000 off, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://⁠www.vanta.com/tsp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. This episode of the Startup Podcast is sponsored by .tech domains. Forget weird prefixes and creative misspellings; the availability for .tech domains is simply way better than .com. For a clean and memorable name, go to https://⁠get.tech/tsp. Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    44 min
  3. Reviewing Our 2025 Tech Predictions

    11/13/2025

    Reviewing Our 2025 Tech Predictions

    Were we wildly wrong, or surprisingly on the money? As 2025 wraps, Chris and Yaniv revisit the bold predictions they made at the start of the year. They reflect on their calls about AI, robotics, VC markets, crypto, and geopolitics. While some were accurate, some were also hilariously off. Together, they unpack what 2025 really looked like for startups, venture capital, and the global tech landscape. In this episode, you will: Learn why both hosts believe their AGI predictions were misses and what “AGI” even means anymore.Understand how Google re-emerged as a serious AI contender, from Gemini to Cloud to Chrome.Discover how VC funding split into a two-speed market, with AI startups booming while everyone else grinds.See why Bitcoin’s stability above $100K signals its cemented role as a store of value.Reflect on how tech dominance, global competition, and Trump-era chaos shaped the broader economy. The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    40 min
  4. Is OpenAI Evil? Reacting to Sam Altman's Latest Announcements w/ Jacob Ward

    11/06/2025

    Is OpenAI Evil? Reacting to Sam Altman's Latest Announcements w/ Jacob Ward

    OpenAI may appear to be building the future, but are they leading the tech industry towards collapse? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Jacob Ward (journalist, author of The Loop and NBC Technology Correspondent) to break down OpenAI’s latest livestream and what it signals about the next era of AI. Sam Altman may talk the good talk, but his actions, and the priorities of OpenAI at large, may not align with those claims. Chris, Yaniv, and Jacob unpack these differences between words and actions, the emerging social consequences, and what it all means for the tech industry. In this episode, you will: Understand OpenAI’s roadmap for AI-powered research and why "AI research interns" might be closer than you thinkLearn why the promise of autonomous five-year research cycles raised eyebrowsExplore the shift from ChatGPT as a product to ChatGPT as a platform, and what that means for app ecosystemsConsider the emotional and psychological dimensions of AI companionship and relianceEvaluate the trillion-dollar infrastructure buildup underway across data centers, GPUs, and nuclear-scale power demandsExamine how OpenAI’s nonprofit arm plans to invest in disease research and AI resilience The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    1h 10m
  5. Replay: Engaging Young Employees - How to Attract the Best & Brightest Minds w/ Dan Brockwell from Earlywork

    11/03/2025

    Replay: Engaging Young Employees - How to Attract the Best & Brightest Minds w/ Dan Brockwell from Earlywork

    What do you need to do to keep employees engaged and committed? What should your position be on remote work? Side hustles? Ping pong tables? Should you offer all employees equity? Bringing Gen Z employees to your workplace is well worth it, but it means a mental pivot from the hiring team, keeping in mind an entirely new set of criteria. Chris and Yaniv discuss all this and more with Dan Brockwell, Founder and Chief Meme Officer of Earlywork, a vibrant community for early-career professionals. In this episode, you will: Understand the four key factors Gen Z professionals weigh when choosing startups: learning, culture, compensation, and impact.Learn why “job risk” and “career risk” are not the same and why startups often offer safer long-term bets.Discover how equity (ESOPs) can be both a powerful motivator and a cultural signal of respect for young talent.Explore the pros and cons of remote vs hybrid work for early-career employees and how to design hybrid intentionally.Recognize the rise of side hustles, and how founders can embrace them to retain ambitious, creative employees.Get insights into how Gen Z finds jobs through online communities, Slack channels, and personal branding instead of traditional job boards. [This is a replay episode. The original was published on May 26, 2022] The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    45 min
  6. Insiders React: Google's 'Quantum Advantage' + MIT's 'Telepathic' Interface, China Leads the Sci-Fi Future

    10/30/2025

    Insiders React: Google's 'Quantum Advantage' + MIT's 'Telepathic' Interface, China Leads the Sci-Fi Future

    Is this the moment quantum computing becomes real? After years of being “five years away,” Google just announced a verifiable quantum advantage, claiming its Willow chip ran a molecule simulation 13,000× faster than the world’s fastest supercomputer. Is this truly the dawn of the quantum era? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein dive deep into Google’s latest quantum computing breakthrough, exploring what it means for AI, science, and the future of technology. They'll also expand to cover the rise of brain–computer interfaces, China’s ten-year tech roadmap, and the political turbulence shaping our next decade of innovation. In this episode, you will: Understand Google’s new Willow chip and its role in achieving “verifiable quantum advantage”Learn how quantum computing could accelerate drug discovery, materials science, and AI developmentExplore why Google’s “Quantum AI” lab is merging the worlds of artificial intelligence and quantum physicsHear how emerging brain–computer interfaces (like MIT’s Alter Ego) could usher in near-telepathic communicationDiscover China’s bold 10-year plan targeting quantum tech, robotics, and embodied AI — and what it means for global competitionDebate whether technocratic governance models (like China, Singapore, and Dubai) are overtaking Western democracies in innovation speed The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    43 min
  7. Trends in Startup Funding w/ Carta's Head of Insights, Peter Walker

    10/27/2025

    Trends in Startup Funding w/ Carta's Head of Insights, Peter Walker

    Looking to fund your startup? If you're new to the process, fundraising can be difficult to navigate. Not only are there a myriad of ways to go about it, but it can be hard to tell whether the tips, tricks, and advice floating around are based on any evidence at all. So, what is the truth?  And what are the actual, data-backed insights that can help you choose the best method of fundraising for your own business? Enter: Peter Walker.  As Head of Insights at Carta, he has access to, and industry knowledge about, the vast sets of funding data that will help you cut through the noise. Today, he joins Chris and Yaniv in discussing the real data behind startup funding trends in 2025 and the key takeaways you can apply to your own startups. In this episode, you will: Discover why Silicon Valley valuations often hurt founders more than they helpUnderstand how AI startups now account for nearly half of all venture funding, and what that means for non-AI foundersLearn how lean AI-driven teams are reshaping early-stage hiring, with Series A companies shrinking from 25 employees to just 15See why most founders misunderstand SAFE notesExplore why 70% of startup employees never exercise their equityUncover the reasons behind why nearly 40% of startups lose a co-founder within seven yearsGet clarity on founder vesting, equity splits, and why a six-year vesting schedule may protect your company better than fourReframe your goals as a founder: why chasing “life-changing money” isn’t the right reason to start a company The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    1h 6m
  8. Insiders React: Is ChatGPT Atlas The Future Of Browsing? + YouTube's AI Likeness Detection, Apple's New Vision Pro M5

    10/23/2025

    Insiders React: Is ChatGPT Atlas The Future Of Browsing? + YouTube's AI Likeness Detection, Apple's New Vision Pro M5

    OpenAI just dropped its unbelievable new browser. All signs point to it overshadowing Chrome, but is this really the dawn of a new era? Or just another hype cycle, courtesy of Sam Altman? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein react to OpenAI’s surprise launch of ChatGPT Atlas and debate its strategic implications. They also discuss Apple’s underwhelming Vision Pro refresh (and what it means for the company at large), YouTube’s new likeness detection tech, and Reid Hoffman’s viral post on “good vs. bad actors” in AI. In this episode, you will: Explore what makes ChatGPT Atlas different from Chrome, Safari, and Arc, and why it matters.Understand why OpenAI is desperate to own distribution, not just models.Compare today’s “browser wars” with the 2000s Chrome vs. Internet Explorer showdown.Learn how Apple’s Vision Pro M5 update signals the slow rebirth of spatial computing.Discover why YouTube’s new Content ID for faces could be a turning point for AI deepfakes.Hear how AI arms races mirror past battles like spam detection, piracy, and antivirus wars.Unpack Reid Hoffman’s call for “good actors” in AI and whether self-regulation can actually work. Get started with Cyber Matters: https://www.cybermatters.io The Pact  Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/  Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following Key links Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A  The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

    53 min
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4.9
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

Advice for founders and entrepreneurs who want to build disruptive startups like they do in Silicon Valley. Not another interview podcast: concrete tips and masterclasses on what founders need to know: raising Venture Capital, strategy, product, marketing, growth, and more. A guide to the unique mindset and approach that drives Silicon Valley style disruption. Hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein share practical advice based on decades of experience at Google, Uber, and their own startups.

Information

  • Creator
    Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    288
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad
  • Show Website
    The Startup Podcast

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