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JC Jason Calacanis Jason Calacanis Angel investor, internet entrepreneur and podcaster focused on startups and venture capital.

“I think the new moat is that you're relentless and that people trust you. And that would fall under brand. So we should have a new focus on brand today. … That kind of hospitality is a moat. Most people would say, oh, that's not a real moat. It's not a technical moat. How you make that customer feel, and how they feel you're being attentive towards them means everything.”

This Week in Startups · Startups & Venture · October 2026

“I think the new moat is that you're relentless and that people trust you. And that would fall under brand. So we should have a new focus on brand today. … That kind of hospitality is a moat. Most people would say, oh, that's not a real moat. It's not a technical moat. How you make that customer feel, and how they feel you're being attentive towards them means everything.” — Jason Calacanis, This Week in Startups

Context

A founder guest had just said investors fear AI labs can wipe out any startup because moats are gone. Asked how he'd answer that, Jason argues brand, trust and attentive service are the new moat, comparing it to a steakhouse that remembers your order.

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Transcript

This Week in Startups Around 32:48 into the episode
Speaker 4

…paying us for it. I think it shows investors that we're doing something valuable enough that, you know, if you got, if, if, if, if the folks, if the companies that everyone's scared of, if they're paying us to do something, I think it's a good signal that we're doing something unique and valuable.

Lon Harris

Jason, unpack this a little bit for us in terms of moats. Like, how would you answer a question from an investor like

Jason Calacanis

that? Yeah, well, as Jake said, you know, for investors who are a little scared, hey, I have no moats, et cetera. I think the new moat is that you're relentless and that people trust you. And that would fall under brand. So we should have a new focus on brand today. I'm doing this myself. And so what is uniquely human about Jake? He's Jake. What can he do to make Hermetic, you know, be indispensable? It's that he's thinking about what the customer needs before they even know they need it. He is looking and studying them and saying, how could I make this experience even better? If you go to a truly great restaurant and they get to know you, you come in, your…

Lon Harris

I've never been, but I've heard. I'm familiar.

Jason Calacanis

Yeah. Well, we are in Austin now. We got to make a New Orleans 48 hour ride. Let's see what a PJ can do if we get a little Phenom 300 and zip. They make chicory coffee.

Lon Harris

Yes.

Speaker names come from our own diarization. The position is estimated from where the line sits in the episode.

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