This Week in Startups
This Week in Startups

We Asked 3 Experts How to Get More Value out of OpenClaw | E2253

February 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Speakers & Context

  • The Format: Live panel discussion with hosts and multiple guests demoing tools.
  • The Key Players:
    • Jason Calacanis: Host, founder of Launch accelerator; credible for spotting AI trends and builder efficiency from running startups.
    • Lon Harris: Co-host; provides technical pushback and context on AI hardware/software shifts.
    • Jordi Coltman: Marketer-turned-builder (@jordimaui); credible for non-technical OpenClaw onboarding tips from personal experimentation.
    • Tremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of Pulse (fitness app for creators); credible for scaling agent teams in production via custom protocols.
    • Jesse Lime Gruber: Founder/CTO of Open Home (@JesseRank); credible for hardware enabling agent autonomy, with dev kits already in hackers' hands.
  • The Vibe: Enthusiastic and technical—builders demoing live, debating setups with hype around paradigm shift.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **🎙️ Introductions: Geordi Coltman, Tremaine Grant, Jesse Lime Gruber**
  • 2 (01:35) **Beginner Mistakes with OpenClaw Setup**
  • 3 (06:20) **Tremaine's Heartbeat Protocol Demo**
  • 4 (12:26) **Agent Collaboration and Roles**
  • 5 (19:02) **OpenHome Smart Speaker for Agents**
  • 6 (24:06) **Why New Hardware Beats Phones/Existing Devices**
  • 7 (26:52) **Balancing Agent Autonomy and Human Oversight**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

This Week In Startups is made possible by:

Gusto - https://Gusto.com/twist

Circle - https://circle.so/twist

Northwest Registered Agent - https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

Today’s show:

*Getting OpenClaw set up and running without destroying your bank account is one thing.

But now that you have your agent or swarm operational, how can you use them to get real work done?

We have three builders who are going to show you how to maximize your OpenClaw output!

GUESTS:

Jordy Coltman: Viral X author and creator of the WeeklyClaw newsletter

Jesse Leimgruber: Creator of the OpenHome.com smart speaker and kit

Tremaine Grant: Founder/CEO of Pulse

PLUS, on Off Duty, Lon and Jason talk “Knight of the 7 Kingdoms” and “The Pitt,” react to the “Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer, and check out some of Jason’s favorite headphones and earbuds.

Timestamps:

00:40 We’re gonna show you how to maximize your IRL OpenClaw productivity

00:50 Even AI skeptic Lon is blown away by OpenClaw’s power

01:46 Jordy Coltman’s top time-wasting mistakes made by OpenClaw beginners

03:00 Why Jordy thinks new hardware is the best home for your agents

05:38 Why Jason thinks “OpenClaw is a box” is coming soon

08:29 Tremaine Grant of Pulse demos his “virtual office” interface and the “Heartbeat Protocol”

00:10:15 Gusto - Gusto. Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at Gusto.com/twist.

00:15:16 What’s really happening when agents “chat” together?

00:18:53 Jesse Leimgruber’s demos his OpenHome AI smart speakers

00:19:47 Circle.so - The easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off the Circle Plus Plan by going to http://circle.so/twist.

00:22:55 Freeing agents from screens and making them proactive

00:29:43 Northwest Registered Agent - 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 www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist

00:30:58 Why Jason wants his agent to read Slack and emails to him

00:50:05 Who polices autonomous agents? Other agents?

00:53:32 Jason and Lon’s thoughts on “Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

00:56:20 Lon’s favorite picks from Quentin Tarantino’s Top 10 movies

01:01:13 “The Mandalorian and Grogu” trailer reaction

01:05:22 Jason’s favorite earbuds and headphones

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