Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel - deel.com/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
LinkedIn - linkedIn.com/twist
Today’s show:
Jason sits down with Brynn Putnam, CEO and founder of Board, to learn more about her company’s tabletop gaming console. The pair talks about how to raise capital for yet-to-launch hardware projects, the screen-time debate, and how Board is approaching building or buying IP for its family-friendly games. Next, Alex got Heremus’s AJ Piplica on the horn to chat hypersonic, autonomous jets. The startup’s technology bridges the gap between rockets and airplanes, and may represent the future of warfare, yes, but also fast freight!
Guest Links:
Brynn Putnam https://x.com/BrynnPutnam
Board https://board.fun/
Board Series A announcement techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/board-the-new-game-startup-from-mirror-founder-brynn-putnam-raises-20m-has-already-sold-thousands/
Mirror lululemonstudio.com/
AJ Piplica https://x.com/AJ_Piplica
Heremus hermeus.com/
Heremus Series C announcement prnewswire.com/news-releases/hermeus-reaches-1-billion-valuation-with-350-million-raise-to-build-todays-fastest-aircraft-for-the-american-warfighter-302735273.html
Timestamps:
0:00 Board's Brynn Putnam joins the show
2:17 Board's proprietary AI software stack
6:06 Why Board manufactures in Mexico (not China)
8:44 LinkedIn: Thanks to our partners at LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs' new AI assistant.
9:05 How to raise a Seed round for hardware without a finished product
14:49 Brynn's daughter and the mermaid example
16:32 Can Board limit screen time fears?
18:10 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 northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
22:17 Selling the first 10,000 units
28:01 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit deel.com/twist to learn more.
29:05 Why Board is steering away from simple ports toward native IP experiences
39:22 Hermeus's AJ Piplica joins the show
40:38 What is Dark Horse?
47:10 Commercial applications: Cargo, organs, flowers, and trans-Atlantic in 90 minutes
58:05 Dark Horse range and the "reusable first stage" analogy
1:02:05 $350M Series C led by Khosla; total funding now exceeds $500M
1:03:02 The SpaceX model: get customers to fund your R&D
1:07:10 Closing: the American Dynamism pitch
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
X: twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Check out all our partner offers: partners.launch.co/
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
Deel - deel.com/twist
Northwest Registered Agent - northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
LinkedIn - linkedIn.com/twist
Today’s show:
Jason sits down with Brynn Putnam, CEO and founder of Board, to learn more about her company’s tabletop gaming console. The pair talks about how to raise capital for yet-to-launch hardware projects, the screen-time debate, and how Board is approaching building or buying IP for its family-friendly games. Next, Alex got Heremus’s AJ Piplica on the horn to chat hypersonic, autonomous jets. The startup’s technology bridges the gap between rockets and airplanes, and may represent the future of warfare, yes, but also fast freight!
Guest Links:
Brynn Putnam https://x.com/BrynnPutnam
Board https://board.fun/
Board Series A announcement techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/board-the-new-game-startup-from-mirror-founder-brynn-putnam-raises-20m-has-already-sold-thousands/
Mirror lululemonstudio.com/
AJ Piplica https://x.com/AJ_Piplica
Heremus hermeus.com/
Heremus Series C announcement prnewswire.com/news-releases/hermeus-reaches-1-billion-valuation-with-350-million-raise-to-build-todays-fastest-aircraft-for-the-american-warfighter-302735273.html
Timestamps:
0:00 Board's Brynn Putnam joins the show
2:17 Board's proprietary AI software stack
6:06 Why Board manufactures in Mexico (not China)
8:44 LinkedIn: Thanks to our partners at LinkedIn! Post your job for free at linkedIn.com/twist then promote it to get access to LinkedIn Jobs' new AI assistant.
9:05 How to raise a Seed round for hardware without a finished product
14:49 Brynn's daughter and the mermaid example
16:32 Can Board limit screen time fears?
18:10 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 northwestregisteredagent.com/twist
22:17 Selling the first 10,000 units
28:01 Deel - Founders scale faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes, hire anyone anywhere, get visas handled fast, and get back to building. Visit deel.com/twist to learn more.
29:05 Why Board is steering away from simple ports toward native IP experiences
39:22 Hermeus's AJ Piplica joins the show
40:38 What is Dark Horse?
47:10 Commercial applications: Cargo, organs, flowers, and trans-Atlantic in 90 minutes
58:05 Dark Horse range and the "reusable first stage" analogy
1:02:05 $350M Series C led by Khosla; total funding now exceeds $500M
1:03:02 The SpaceX model: get customers to fund your R&D
1:07:10 Closing: the American Dynamism pitch
Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com
Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
Follow Lon:
X: https://x.com/lons
Follow Alex:
X: https://x.com/alex
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm
Follow Jason:
X: twitter.com/Jason
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
Check out all our partner offers: partners.launch.co/
Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: substack.com/@calacanis
Follow TWiST:
Twitter: twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
