SpaceX + xAI deal gets us one step closer to Musk Industries | E2243

SpaceX + xAI deal gets us one step closer to Musk Industries | E2243

Author: Jason Calacanis February 3, 2026 Duration: 1:02:11

This Week In Startups is made possible by:


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Today’s show: 


SpaceX is buying xAI, forming a mega-corp that plans to launch data centers into SPACE. Will Tesla also join up, fulfilling Elon’s destiny to become real-life Tony Stark, with his own Musk Industries? Jason and Alex break down the future of SpaceXAI in a breaking news report.


THEN, we’re still celebrating OpenClaw (née Clawdbot) Mania! Oliver and Lukas return to TWiST to share their Almost Top 10 (okay it’s just a Top 6) favorite Skills so far. 


Learn how they’re using Replicants to summarize TWiST episodes, surf Reddit, produce original Gamma decks, train agents to make themselves smarter, and take care of LAUNCH’s administrative and operations tasks.


Timestamps:


(00:00) BREAKING: SpaceX bought xAI!


 (1:56) Why it will be cheaper to generate compute in space than here on Earth


(8:19) Will Tesla eventually join the club, forming “Musk Industries”?


(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist


(12:37) ALSO BREAKING: We’re still obsessing about Clawdbot/OpenClaw


(14:58) So is OpenClaw and all of its various skills secure yet? NO.


(16:42) Today we’re looking at our picks for the Top 6 OpenClaw skills


(17:13) Alex’s first pick: Reddit (read only), which makes it easier to track down what you want on the aggregator


(19:35) Reddit hates bots! But maybe they’ll change their tune?


(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.


(22:46) Our Replicant summarized the last few episodes of TWiST… but at what COST? (18 cents)


(26:40) Lukas taught our Replicant to make Gamma decks for us


(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist


(30:21) Our Replicant has ALL the Polymarket data now! The power!


(34:14) AI agents are also playing cards together on ClawPoker


(35:07) Oliver tested out our pal Matt Van Horn’s (@mvanhorn) self-improving “Last 30 Days” skill


(38:22) Why memory is so crucial for getting models to improve themselves over time


(40:33) Yo dawg I know you like monitoring tasks so I built you a task monitor that monitors your tasks so you can task monitor your tasks


(41:40) What makes OpenClaw so powerful is also what makes it dangerous!


(49:12) If you want to really learn about OpenClaw, you need to make your own skills


(50:03) Jason’s advice for OpenClaw’s suddenly famous creator: Peter Steinberger (@steipete)


(56:31) What would be the best way(s) to monetize OpenClaw?


(57:54) Will an OpenClaw agent sue a human in court?


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Follow Lon:


X: https://x.com/lons


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Follow Alex:


X: https://x.com/alex


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/


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Thank you to our partners:


(11:36) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist


(21:47) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.


(29:23) Northwest Registered Agent - Get more when you start your business with Northwest. In 10 clicks and 10 minutes, you can form your company and walk away with a real business identity —  Learn more at https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist


Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/


Every week, Jason Calacanis dives headfirst into the swirling vortex of Silicon Valley and global tech with This Week in Startups. It’s a direct line to the conversations shaping our digital future, moving far beyond surface-level news. You’ll hear Jason’s unfiltered analysis on everything from market shifts and media trends to the underlying mechanics of building a business, all delivered with a blend of enthusiasm and seasoned skepticism. The core of this podcast, however, lies in the guests. Jason sits down with the very people driving change-founders who have scaled impossible heights, operators managing daily chaos, and investors who spot trends before they become obvious. These conversations are less like formal interviews and more like insider debriefs, pulling back the curtain on real strategies, painful failures, and unexpected successes. For anyone curious about how technology is built, funded, and ultimately changes the world, this series offers a front-row seat. It’s the context behind the headlines, providing a deeper understanding of the forces at play in startups and technology. Tune in for a consistently engaging and insightful look at the ecosystem, straight from someone who lives and breathes it.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

This Week in Startups
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