The Startup Different Podcast

David and Chris Sinkinson

SIGNAL AWARDS 2025 - BEST INDIE PODCAST - SILVER COMMUNICATOR AWARDS 2025 - BUSINESS - EXCELLENCE DAVEY AWARDS 2025 - PODCAST SERIES TALK SHOW - SILVER Startup Different is what happens when two brothers who’ve built and sold startups start debating whether AI is taking over — or just overhyped. Brothers and entrepreneurs Dave and Chris bring humor, hard-earned experience, and a touch of chaos to a weekly breakdown of how tech is reshaping business, startups, and work. Smart, funny, and occasionally wrong — it’s the award-winning podcast for people who still like humans.

  1. AI Has Broken Hiring

    4D AGO

    AI Has Broken Hiring

    The hiring process is broken, and AI has shattered it beyond recognition. In this episode of Startup Different, we examine the absurd reality of modern recruitment: 90% of Fortune 500 companies use AI to screen resumes, 46% of job seekers use AI to write them, and actual humans have been effectively removed from the early stages of hiring. When both sides are optimizing for algorithms instead of actual job fit, what are we even measuring anymore? The result is an arms race where the process has become slower, more expensive, and less effective at identifying real talent. But some companies are breaking free from the broken system. Anduril, the defense tech startup, is running drone-flying competitions where the winners get job offers - completely bypassing resumes, cover letters, and all the traditional screening. We explore why this approach works, what other creative alternatives exist, and how both startups and job seekers can navigate a hiring landscape where traditional signals have become meaningless. From paid projects to portfolio-based evaluation to network hiring, there are better ways to match talent with opportunity. Whether you're a founder struggling to hire through the noise or a job seeker whose resume disappears into the AI void, this episode provides a practical roadmap for the new reality. We'll show you how to design hiring processes that actually test for competence, how to source talent when job boards are broken, and how to stand out as a candidate when everyone else is using the same AI tools. The traditional hiring playbook is dead - here's what replaces it.

    26 min
  2. The Bot Takeover of Social Media

    FEB 17

    The Bot Takeover of Social Media

    Remember when you could tell the difference between a bot and a human online? Those days are over. In this episode of Startup Different, we confront the uncomfortable reality that 40-60% of internet traffic is now bot-generated, and AI has gotten so sophisticated that it passes as human 54% of the time in blind tests. When even the engagement on your social media posts might be fake, what does "social" media even mean anymore? We dive deep into the bizarre case of Moltbook - a social network where every single user is an AI bot - and what this experiment reveals about the future of online interaction. We explore why Meta removes 5.5 million bot accounts monthly yet researchers estimate bots still comprise 15-20% of active users, and discuss the $100 billion in annual advertising fraud caused by fake traffic. The metrics founders rely on for growth and validation are increasingly meaningless, and the old playbook for social media marketing is breaking down in real time. But this episode isn't just about the problem - it's about solutions. We provide actionable strategies for founders who need to navigate social media marketing in the bot age. Learn why vanity metrics are dead, how to build audiences you actually own, and why proving your community is human-verified might become your biggest competitive advantage. If you're spending time and money on social media for your startup, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about "engagement" and where you invest your marketing efforts.

    24 min
  3. Data Centers in Space: Innovation or Insanity?

    FEB 10

    Data Centers in Space: Innovation or Insanity?

    Elon Musk wants to put AI data centers in space, and he's not alone. In this episode of Startup Different, we explore the wild frontier of orbital computing and ask the hard questions: Is this brilliant innovation or billionaire vanity project? While the promise of unlimited solar power and free cooling sounds compelling, the reality involves 40-550ms latency, space debris risks, and data sovereignty nightmares that could give any CISO cold sweats. We break down the real economics behind space-based infrastructure, examine why launch costs dropping 90% in the last decade is changing the game, and discuss what happens when your customer data is literally orbiting above adversarial nations. From Lumen Orbit's ambitious 2026 launch plans to the legal vacuum surrounding space-based data storage, we explore both the genuine opportunities and the overlooked risks that mainstream coverage is missing. For entrepreneurs and tech leaders, this episode provides a grounded reality check on space-based computing. We'll help you separate the signal from the noise, understand which innovations will trickle down to terrestrial infrastructure, and determine whether you should be paying attention to this trend - or focusing your energy on solving problems back on Earth. If you've ever wondered whether data centers in space are the future or just the latest tech hype cycle, this conversation will give you the framework to decide for yourself.

    25 min
  4. The 3 Worst Pieces of Startup Advice (And What to Do Instead)

    FEB 3

    The 3 Worst Pieces of Startup Advice (And What to Do Instead)

    "Follow your passion." "Raise as much money as you can." "Fail fast." These three pieces of startup advice sound inspiring—until they destroy your company. In this myth-busting episode, we tackle the most dangerous conventional wisdom in entrepreneurship and reveal why the advice that sounds best is often the advice that hurts most. The truth? Passion doesn't create successful businesses—solving real market problems does. Passion often develops after you've achieved success, not before. Raising maximum capital early doesn't give you runway—it dilutes your equity, reduces future profits, and can actually slow you down by removing the healthy constraints that force creativity. And "fail fast"? Too often it becomes an excuse for poor execution rather than a framework for learning. Many of the world's most successful companies bootstrapped their way to profitability without raising a dime, proving that capital isn't the answer to every problem. Whether you're about to quit your job to "follow your passion" or drafting that pitch deck to raise your Series A, this episode will make you think twice. We don't just tear down bad advice — we give you the context-dependent, uncomfortable, unglamorous alternatives that actually work. Because good advice rarely fits into catchy phrases, and the best entrepreneurial decisions require critical thinking, not slogans.

    26 min
  5. Zero to One - 3 Essential Tips to Get Your First Million

    JAN 27

    Zero to One - 3 Essential Tips to Get Your First Million

    Everyone wants to scale fast and dominate massive markets—but that's exactly backward. In this essential episode, We reveal why the path to your first million dollars starts with going smaller, not bigger. Drawing on Peter Thiel's "Zero to One" thinking and their own hard-won experience selling AppArmor, they break down three counterintuitive strategies that separate startups that survive the Valley of Death from those that don't. The biggest mistake founders make? Building first, selling later. We flip that script and show you why validation through sales—before you write a single line of code—is the difference between solving real problems and creating expensive solutions nobody wants. Then we tackle the niche paradox: why dominating a tiny market of 100 passionate customers beats chasing millions of indifferent ones. Finally, we explore the power of doing things that don't scale—those manual, exhausting, seemingly inefficient actions that generate the insights you can't get any other way. Whether you're pre-revenue and trying to find product-market fit, or stuck at $100K wondering how to hit seven figures, this episode delivers the tactical roadmap most founders learn too late. Forget the growth hacking headlines and viral launch fantasies. This is about the unglamorous, essential work that actually builds sustainable businesses—one validated customer at a time.

    25 min
  6. 2026 Tech Predictions: Will They Deliver or Disappoint?

    JAN 20

    2026 Tech Predictions: Will They Deliver or Disappoint?

    Last episode, we held tech pundits accountable for their 2025 predictions. This episode? We're putting their credibility on the line again with bold calls for 2026. Quantum computing breakthroughs, AI agents managing your calendar, companion robots solving loneliness—everyone's predicting the next big thing. But which predictions are built on real progress versus marketing hype? We break down three major tech trends poised to explode (or implode) in 2026: quantum computing's perpetual "5 years away" problem, the rise of AI agents that might actually work this time, and companion robots targeting our loneliness epidemic. From the massive skills gap holding quantum back to the trust issues plaguing AI agent adoption, we explore why technological capability doesn't equal market readiness. And while companion robots may help elderly populations, we tackle the uncomfortable truth: no technology can replace genuine human connection. Whether you're an entrepreneur evaluating which emerging tech to bet on, an investor trying to separate signal from noise, or simply someone exhausted by clickbait predictions, this episode gives you the framework to think critically about what's actually coming in 2026. We're making our predictions public—and we'll be back next year to own the results. Because unlike most prediction factories, we believe accountability matters more than headlines.

    24 min
  7. Reviewing 2025 Tech Predictions - The Accountability Report

    JAN 13

    Reviewing 2025 Tech Predictions - The Accountability Report

    Remember when everyone said 2025 would be the year of humanoid robots in every home? Or that GPT-5 would blow our minds? Time for a reality check. In this accountability episode, Chris and David do something most tech pundits refuse to do—revisit their 2025 predictions and actually score themselves on accuracy. The results might surprise you. From Tesla's delayed Optimus robot to GPT-5's incremental improvements that fell short of the hype, this episode breaks down what the prediction circus got wrong about 2025's biggest tech trends. More importantly, we explore why hardware timelines and software timelines are fundamentally different beasts, and why Chinese AI models becoming "credible competition" doesn't mean they've surpassed US technology. If you're tired of breathless predictions without consequences, this conversation delivers the honest post-mortem the tech world needs. Whether you're making strategic decisions about AI adoption, evaluating vendor claims, or just trying to separate signal from noise in the hype cycle, this episode shows you how to think critically about technology predictions. Plus, we share why talking about your wins matters for credibility—and preview our own bold predictions for 2026 (which we'll be accountable for next year). Because the best way to learn from predictions isn't making them—it's reviewing them honestly.

    25 min
  8. Happy Holidays from Startup Different!

    12/23/2025

    Happy Holidays from Startup Different!

    A quick holiday message from Dave and Chris! We're taking a short break to spend time with family and recharge. The podcast will be back with new episodes on January 13th, 2025. Thank you for listening to Startup Different this year—we appreciate all of you. Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!

    1 min
See All (120)

Trailer

About

SIGNAL AWARDS 2025 - BEST INDIE PODCAST - SILVER COMMUNICATOR AWARDS 2025 - BUSINESS - EXCELLENCE DAVEY AWARDS 2025 - PODCAST SERIES TALK SHOW - SILVER Startup Different is what happens when two brothers who’ve built and sold startups start debating whether AI is taking over — or just overhyped. Brothers and entrepreneurs Dave and Chris bring humor, hard-earned experience, and a touch of chaos to a weekly breakdown of how tech is reshaping business, startups, and work. Smart, funny, and occasionally wrong — it’s the award-winning podcast for people who still like humans.

Information

  • Creator
    David and Chris Sinkinson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    120
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © David and Chris Sinkinson
  • Show Website
    The Startup Different Podcast