Board Talk Empire with GRIN's Brandon Brown, Founder Hacks & SEC Memecoin Clarity? | E2091

Today’s show: Jason and Alex break down the latest *head-scratching* SEC ruling on meme coins—did they just *legalize* pump-and-dumps to protect Trump’s token? Plus, they dive into why venture debt can destroy startups, the rise of AI-driven companies, and how Tesla is gearing up to challenge Waymo in the self-driving car race. Then, Brandon Brown from GRIN joins the show to talk about scaling to 8-figure revenue, surviving *brutal* market corrections, and why he’s stepping down as CEO after a decade. This one’s packed with insights for founders, investors, and anyone watching the future of crypto, startups, and AI unfold.

Timestamps:
(0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show!
(1:39) Palmer Luckey feud, and supporting Trump in Silicon Valley
(9:36) AI's impact on startup growth and job displacement
(10:11) Paddle. Go to https://www.paddle.com/twist to get started with your exclusive listener fee-free period.
(12:20) Product market fit and Salesforce productivity
(15:01) Howey Test and its application to cryptocurrencies
(20:07) LinkedIn Ads. Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(26:13) Jason's libertarian views on meme coins
(31:13) Hubspot for Startups. Get up to 75% off plus 3 months of Perplexity AI for free. Go to https://www.hubspot.com/startups
(32:16) Meme coin regulation and political implications
(37:22) GRIN's Brandon Brown interview and company evolution
(46:10) Leadership changes and challenges at GRIN
(53:28) Venture debt risks and business cycle preparedness
(59:00) Leadership skills and defining reality
(1:04:13) Updates on Waymo and autonomous rides
(1:09:06) Tesla and the global autonomous vehicle market

Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: [https://www.twist500.com](https://twist500.com)
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp

Check out GRIN: https://grin.co/
Checkout Angel University with Jason Calacanis & Mike Savino: https://www.angel.university/
Check out the Founder Friday City Competition: https://www.founderfridays.tech/city-competition

Follow Brandon
X: https://x.com/Brandon_Brown
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-brown-0898731/

Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm

Follow Jason:
X: https://twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

Thank you to our partners:
(10:11) Paddle. Go to https://www.paddle.com/twist to get started with your exclusive listener fee-free period.
(20:07) LinkedIn Ads. Get a $100 LinkedIn ad credit at http://www.linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups
(31:13) Hubspot for Startups. Get up to 75% off plus 3 months of Perplexity AI for free. Go to https://www.hubspot.com/startups

All rights for the video shared and linked below belong to the original copyright holder, and we are using the footage under the principle of fair use.

Listen here:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-startups-audio/id315114957
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ULQ0ewYf5zmsDgBchlkr9
Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes315114957/this-week-in-startups-audio

More from us:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/twistartups
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
Official site: https://thisweekinstartups.com

Subscribe to our YouTube to watch all full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkkhmBWfS7pILYIk0izkc3A?sub_confirmation=1

Subscribe to TWiST Clips for all the best moments:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS7tJlcUA6PzVHEMo-X7ddg?sub_confirmation=1

#startups #entrepreneurship #investing #angelinvesting #tech #news #business