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

More from The Startup Podcast

1. 

   S5 · E4 · 2 Mar 2026 · 37 min

   Insiders React: OpenClaw and Claude Cowork have changed everything for startups w/ Gary Lo, Open BA

   The agentic AI revolution is finally escaping the coding bubble. What does that mean for startup founders? Just 13 days after recording his first conversation with Yaniv, Gary Lo called to re-record. The reason? OpenClaw and Claude Cowork dropped some huge AI agent updates, and it shifted Gary's perspective enough to change the whole conversation. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Gary Lo – founder of OpenBA, one of Australia's most compelling pre-seed AI startups – to unpack why OpenClaw and Claude Cowork news marks a 'Cursor moment' for the rest of the world: the inflection…

2. 

   S5 · E3 · 23 Feb 2026 · 58 min

   Making the most of the founder/investor dynamic (w/ Liz Zalman, author of 'Founder vs Investor')

   Founders and investors like to tell themselves they're on the same team, and they can be – but it takes work. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Liz Zalman, a veteran founder with over 20 years of startup experience, for an in-depth chat about the real dynamics of the founder-investor relationship. Liz is also co-author (alongside VC Jerry Neumann) of 'Founder Vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO’, one of Yaniv's favorite books on startups. From re-vesting demands to acquisition offers that investors won't approve, Liz brings hard-won,…

3. 

   S5 · E2 · 16 Feb 2026 · 56 min

   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…

4. 

   S4 · E79 · 13 Nov 2025 · 40 min

   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…

5. 

   S4 · E78 · 6 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 10 min

   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…

6. 

   S4 · E77 · 3 Nov 2025 · 45 min

   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…

7. 

   S5 · E26 · 3 Aug 2026 · 46 min

   ScaleStudio: The new tool putting our principles into practice

   After nearly 300 episodes of The Startup Podcast, Chris Saad is bringing everything he's learned about building world-class products and product strategy into a single tool: ScaleStudio. In what may be our final episode (unless a white knight sponsor appears), Chris walks Yaniv through the product that could fundamentally change how founders approach strategy; from problem statement all the way to positioning, roadmap sequencing, and org design. Chris demonstrates how this one AI tool, housing his vast knowledge of Silicon Valley startup strategy, can give an overwhelming process a navigable…

8. 

   S5 · E25 · 27 Jul 2026 · 52 min

   Rob Snyder demonstrates his PULL framework in real-time – using Yaniv's startup

   A few weeks ago, Rob Snyder came on the pod to introduce his PULL framework for identifying real product-market fit. Now, Yaniv turns the tables and subjects his own startup, Vera, to the same scrutiny. Yaniv and Rob strip away the noise around Vera's mission to help adult children care for aging parents and get brutally honest about where the product actually has pull, where it doesn't, and what needs to change immediately. They identify a specific, unavoidable moment in the customer journey and pinpoint that is where the real business begins, and discuss more macro issues, such as AI vs.…

9. 

   S5 · E24 · 20 Jul 2026 · 44 min

   Why you should run your startup like a poker player (Replay)

   This is a remastered Replay of one of our most popular episodes, "What Startups Can Learn From Poker", which was originally published on 21 December 2022. Enjoy! Original description: All season, Chris and Yaniv have talked about the mindset that is needed to succeed at venture-backed startups. For the final episode of Season 1, we tie it all together with an analogy: tournament poker. It is amazing how many things poker and startups have in common, so in this episode we use the lens of poker to discuss the big picture of how to approach building a successful startup. We dive into each of…

10. 

    S5 · E24 · 13 Jul 2026 · 56 min

    Avoiding ‘team debt’ by building small and smart (w/ Matt Cook)

    Is hiring a person still your default answer to a problem? For a growing number of startups, it shouldn't be. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by returning guest Matt Cook, co-founder of Scouut, one of Australia's most respected engineering recruiters for early-stage startups, to unpack what's changed in engineering hiring since Matt's last visit. They cover ‘team debt’ (the AI-era sequel to tech debt), why AI is acting as an appetite suppressant for headcount, why the best engineers are now worth $400K+, and why the ‘software factory builder’ is becoming the most sought-after hire…

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