E118: Did Windsurf Screw 200+ Employees for $2.4B ft. Carta's Peter Walker
Release Date: 07/20/2025
Big Tech Will Lay Off 1M People In 2026. Are You One of Them?
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We ran a comprehensive model to predict how many layoffs may happen in 2026. To see our math, and try to predict what’s next, tune into this full episode of Topline. Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:43 Show intro & what we’re covering today 01:31 Setting the stage: big layoffs & what’s coming 01:54 Quiz Pro Quo: the tech ecosystem trivia segment...
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99% of AI Leaders STILL Don’t Know How to Keep Us Safe
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The biggest AI companies in the world have made some bold statements about their priorities, but their actions haven't always lined up. Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:00 Welcome Back to Topline 00:52 How Well Do You Know The AI Bubble? 12:48 AI's Job Market Collapse? 15:19 Anthropic's Controversial Funding 30:25 Where is Funding Going? 47:38 How Should We Invest in...
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The Inevitable Rise of 72-Hour Work Weeks, Explained
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Dave Kellogg, EIR at Balderton Capital, wrote an explosive piece on the reality of modern startups in 2025. Dave walks us through the winners and losers in the AI era. Read Dave’s Article Here: Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:47 Introduction & editorial setup 03:03 Defining winning: market share as goal 07:09 Marathon vs sprint; growth tradeoffs 12:02 Switching...
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AI Cults? The Most Popular ChatGPT Uses Are Not What You Think.
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The Topline crew, joined my Kyle Norton from the Revenue Leadership Podcast, look at the newest ChatGPT usage data. This is getting unhealthy Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast. Chapters: 00:00 AI’s Personal Health Impact 00:37 Intro & Today’s Three Topics 01:38 ChatGPT Usage Study Overview 02:34 Non-Work Usage Surges to 73% 05:05 Writing Beats Search...
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The Most Surprising Companies Private Equity is Buying
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We ran an analysis on some of the biggest Private Equity assets and acquisitions. Is the explosion of this space a bubble, or is there something deeper happening here? 3 CEOs debate! Chapters: 00:00 – Private Equity’s Reach 05:00 – The Broader Impact of Private Equity 10:00 – Toll Roads, Robert Moses, and Infrastructure Power 15:00 – What It’s Like to Work for Private Equity 23:50 – Inside Vista and the Private Equity Playbook 27:50 – Preparing for a Private Equity Acquisition 30:50 – Founder Perspectives on Being Acquired 38:10 – The Role of AI in Private...
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The Fastest Way to Make $1M in 2025 is Not What You Think
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3 millionaires explain how they would make $1M with these business models, strategies, and systems. Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Wednesday. to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Agenda 03:17 Bootstrapping: Who It’s For and Why It Matters 09:00 Executive Search and the Craft Business Dilemma 10:06 The Venture Trap and Valuation Missteps 13:48 Smart vs. Dumb Money: Lessons...
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If You Want $100M FAST, Copy These Startups
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The Topline crew breaks down the fastest growing startups of 2025. Chapters: 02:20 Welcome to Top Line 02:57 Discussion on AI Company Investments 08:47 Fastest to $10 Million in Revenue 09:53 Debate on AI Market Sustainability 15:58 AI’s Impact on Business Strategies 29:58 Fastest to $50 Million in Revenue 33:16 PLG vs. Sales-Led Growth 34:08 Choosing the Right Business Model 37:03 Fastest to $100 Million in Revenue 38:07 Revenue Milestones and AI Companies 42:00 Challenges with AI Accuracy 45:35 Fastest to $500 Million 50:29...
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This Controversial Industry is Secretly Creating Billionaires
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Special purpose vehicles are the biggest underworld in startups. They’re creating more opportunity to invest in some of the biggest companies in the world. That doesn’t mean they don’t come with risk. Peter Walker from Carta gives us a full breakdown. 00:00 Too Good to Be True? 01:05 Deep Dive into SPVs 04:03 The Growth and Impact of SPVs 06:04 Understanding SPVs in Venture Capital 23:31 The AI Bubble and Its Implications 32:43 Will Startups Shut Down? 33:52 Hiring and Firing in Startups 39:09 Private Equity vs. Venture Capital 44:28 AI’s Role in Business...
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We Obsessed Over Palantir's $370B Strategy (Nobody Talks About THIS)
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We went DEEP studying Palantir so you don't have to. We uncover how its stock keeps growing, how the company handles sales and marketing, and to understand why it’s such a cultural phenomenon. Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday Don’t miss GTM2025 — the only B2B tech conference exclusively for GTM executives. to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Palantir's Enigmatic CEO 00:53 Welcome to Top...
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‘Every Person On My Team Codes Now’ - Inside $250M Founder’s AI Coding Experiment
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AJ Bruno, the CEO of $21M SaaS startup Quota Path, explains his company-wide experiment to make all of his employees vibe code. The results were shocking. Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday. Don’t miss GTM2025 — the only B2B tech conference exclusively for GTM executives. to Topline Newsletter. , the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast! Chapters: 00:00 The Future of AI in Startups 00:52 Introduction to Top Line 05:08 Vibe Coding...
info_outlineWindsurf grew fast, hit $82M in ARR, and was nearly acquired by OpenAI for $3 billion—until the deal collapsed. Google stepped in with a $2.4 billion offer, but only for 40 engineers.
In this episode, Sam, Asad, and AJ are joined by Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, to break down what really happened and what this deal signals for the future of startup M&A. They explore how acqui-hires are evolving into talent-first extractions, what founders owe their teams in billion-dollar outcomes, and why equity might not mean what employees think it does. The crew also debates whether enterprise revenue is still reliable in AI startups, how employees can protect themselves in a shifting market, and whether we’re already deep in another bubble.
Thanks for tuning in! New episodes of Topline drop every Sunday and Thursday.
Don’t miss GTM2025 — the only B2B tech conference exclusively for GTM executives. Elevate your 2026 strategy and join us from September 23 to 25 in Washington, D.C. Use code TOPLINE for 10% off your GA ticket.
Stay ahead with the latest industry developments and emerging go-to-market trends with Topline Newsletter by Asad Zaman. Subscribe today.
Tune in to The Revenue Leadership Podcast every Wednesday, where host Kyle Norton talks with real revenue operators and dives deep into what it takes to succeed as a modern revenue leader.
You’re invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!
This episode is sponsored by UserEvidence. Want to know what actually moves the needle on trust? Download The Evidence Gap, a data-backed report on the customer proof that drives real results. Get it now at userevidence.com/evidence.
Key chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Topline Podcast
(00:47) - The Windsurf Acquisition and Its Implications
(12:39) - The State of Startups and Market Dynamics
(23:55) - Employee Impact and Corporate Responsibility
(36:08) - The Future of Startup Employment and Negotiation
(46:04) - Venture Capital Trends and Market Outlook