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Loop Golf's Matt Holder on auto tee times for golfers, plus: Cruise robotaxi suspension | E1836

This Week in Startups

Fri Oct 27 2023



Commuting Challenges:

  • The viral TikTok video features a young woman crying about her long commute to work, mentioning that she loves her job but cannot afford to live in the city.
  • She has an hour-long commute each way and expresses frustration at not being able to walk to work due to financial constraints.

Loop Golf:

  • Loop Golf is a startup offering an automatic tee time booking app for golfers, providing a centralized platform for selecting preferences and automatically booking tee times.
  • The CEO, Matt Holder, discusses how Loop Golf works and its advantages over traditional golf booking apps.
  • They charge a nominal fee per transaction, with golf courses retaining 100% of their green fees.

Cruise RoboTaxi Permit Suspension:

  • Cruise's robo-taxi permit was suspended by California's DMV due to allegations of withholding footage after an incident in San Francisco.
  • The incident involved a hit-and-run where a woman was struck by another vehicle and propelled into the path of a Cruise vehicle.
  • It has been confirmed that the Cruise vehicle stopped on top of the woman until first responders arrived, following standard procedure. However, it also pulled her forward 20 feet during this process.
  • The DMV claims that Cruise did not disclose this additional movement in the initial accident review meeting and only learned about it later through another government agency.

Affordability problem in Manhattan:

  • Living in a studio apartment with a short commute is preferable for better quality of life.
  • The current affordability problem in Manhattan is concerning.
  • Some young people have to live outside of Manhattan due to high rental prices.

Degrees and experience:

  • A person shared their frustration about not being able to get a marketing job because they are up against more experienced candidates.
  • They mentioned that degrees should count as experience, but it seems like the speaker disagrees.
  • The speaker believes that going $80,000 in debt for a marketing degree was a mistake.

Opinions on sharing thoughts:

  • The speaker questions the need for everyone's thoughts about the world to be ingested by others.
  • They express a lack of interest in hearing everyone's opinions through videos or other mediums.

Wrap-up and announcements:

  • The podcast episode will conclude and invite listeners to check out the new website.
  • Mention of experimenting with AI on the website.
  • Welcoming a new team member named Nick.