This week, This Week in Startups explored the shifting dynamics of AI ownership and geopolitics in tech, ranging from why companies should control their own models to SpaceX and Cursor's challenge to Claude's dominance. The episodes also highlighted the murky intersection of startup ambition and regulation, from a defense tech founder's path to arming America after a YC rejection to Naval Ravikant's contrarian $500 VC fund and the ethical questions emerging around prediction markets. Across these stories runs a common thread: the old gatekeepers—whether AI labs, venture capitalists, or government institutions—are losing their monopoly on what gets built and funded.
Episodes This Week
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Other Weeks
This Week in This Week in Startups (May 25 - May 31, 2026)
2 episodes · May 25 – May 31
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3 episodes · May 18 – May 24
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3 episodes · May 11 – May 17
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3 episodes · May 4 – May 10
This Week in This Week in Startups (Apr 13 - Apr 19, 2026)
3 episodes · Apr 13 – Apr 19
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3 episodes · Apr 6 – Apr 12
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4 episodes · Mar 30 – Apr 5
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4 episodes · Mar 23 – Mar 29