This Week in Startups: iPhone Air is “Inspiring,” and a First Step Toward Apple Glasses (w/ Zach Handshoe of SpatialGen) | E2200

Date: October 29, 2025

Host: Jason Calacanis (JCal)
Co-host: Alex
Featured Guests:

• Zach Handshoe (Co-founder, SpatialGen)
• Risen Martin (Co-founder, Hux)
• Vasif Durarbali (Chess Grandmaster, founder of Chess Ever)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the future of spatial video and immersive media, with a focus on Apple’s evolving ecosystem and how startups like SpatialGen are building the foundation. The episode also spotlights innovative AI applications in audio (Hux) and a new take on chess broadcasting platforms (Chess Ever) for serious players. A recurring theme is how founders are seizing "picks and shovels" opportunities in emerging tech and how community, iteration, and focused value unlock new markets.

Segment 1: SpatialGen and the Future of Immersive Media

[00:00–03:05] Introduction & Context

• The show kicks off by highlighting three startups: SpatialGen (spatial video), Hux (AI audio), and Chess Ever (chess innovation).
• Jason and Alex set the stage: “This is from Launch Accelerator 35 and the company wants to make it possible and easy to both make and distribute spatial video.”
• Teaser about an inside look at Apple's event process.

What is SpatialGen?

[03:07–06:53]

• Founder Zach Handshoe shares:

  • SpatialGen is building infrastructure for distributing 3D, spatial, and immersive video content.
  • Aimed at making processing and streaming 3D media (Apple immersive video, models, etc.) cost-effective and accessible, especially when current cloud storage costs are prohibitive.

• Notable process inside Apple events:

  • Apple demands intense precision and choreography from presenters. Days of prep, multiple dry runs, proprietary slide templates, and exact foot placement.
  • “They scrutinize everything you do... where you put your feet on the stage. The punctuation in your slides.” — Zach Handshoe [05:01]
  • High-res, ultra-wide presentation format matching the Apple Vision Pro display.
  • Jason jokes about stage directions: “Is stage left when you’re in the audience left or the stage left?” [05:56] — showing the quirky, granular prep.

[06:53–09:14]

• Apple’s tech requirements are cutting edge — presentations run at resolutions similar to the Vision Pro device.
• SpatialGen helps content creators, sports leagues (like NBA and tennis), and even the US Air Force process and distribute massive, high-bitrate 3D/video datasets.

“We’re building the spatial cloud... There need to be affordable solutions that have the technical resources to pull it off, and that’s what we provide.” — Zach [07:22]

Demand, Use Cases & Technical Barriers

[09:14–12:06]

• Demand is growing, with large enterprise (rather than just consumers) driving much of the growth.
• Processing and streaming live immersive video (e.g., Apple’s 16K spec) is incredibly data-intensive.
  • e.g.: 30 gigabits per second, which requires direct fiber lines for live ingest, not the public internet.
• Hardware is expensive—e.g., Apple-approved Blackmagic immersive cameras ($40,000 each) with individualized metadata for precise lens calibration.

“You have to figure out how to get to the puck. Puck being revenue and consumer adoption... How far out are we from non-developer weirdos wearing Vision Pro prototypes on planes?”
— Jason [12:40]

Market Timing and Apple’s Vision

[12:39–19:27]

• Live immersive NBA games are coming in early 2026 (Apple + Spectrum partnership).
• Vision Pro 2 launches; competitive devices from Samsung/Google (Galaxy XR) and Meta gaining traction.
• Apple Vision Pro: M5 chip, increased comfort (even if heavier), “developer kit” ethos — not yet for the mass market.

“I just got the iPhone Air and it’s completely inspiring... It’s the first time I held an Apple product since maybe iPhone4 and said, Holy cow, this is incredible.”
— Jason [15:52]

• Notable insight:
  • “The iPhones can take spatial videos... You can step back into that scene with the Vision Pro.”
    — Zach [16:42]
  • Despite media skepticism, Apple engineers are bullish: “There is no lack of energy on the engineering side from Apple.”
    — Zach [17:21]

[19:27–22:41]

• Apple is prioritizing comfort and the user experience for extended use, e.g., full NBA games.
• Emerging use cases: privacy for working on sensitive stuff in public, or watching “spicy” shows on a plane.

Practical Considerations, Consumerization & Vision

[22:20–23:46]

• Security anecdote: Inputting passwords in Vision Pro shows them in plain text — only the wearer sees.
  • “It’s pretty funny but it’s like, oh, wait, who’s going to see it?” — Zach [22:44]
• SpatialGen is expanding to support more consumer hardware (Insta360, GoPro).

“You can just get a video file or stream that works right out of the box.” — Zach [23:21]

[23:46–25:19]

• Company status: Small, lean team; raising funds but not hiring; using Launch's ‘Whisper Network’ for founder-investor connections.

[25:19–28:13]

• Whisper Network lets founders cross-reference and request warm intros to investors.
• Launch team tracks founder support and makes the case for super pro-rata investing by detailing what they've done for their companies.

“If my team takes more than seven minutes to get back to you, just cc me.” — Jason [28:32]

[28:13–31:27]

• Whisper Network also helps with investor discovery by sector/focus.
• Expansion updates: Founder University expands to Riyadh and more international regions; global “This Week in Startups” versions coming.

Segment 2: Hux — Personalized AI Audio Experiences

[33:04–38:36]

• Hux: New app by former NotebookLM (Google) team.
• Delivers a personalized, proactive audio experience — pitches itself as “audio-forward personal AI.”
  • Not prompt-based; it delivers relevant info (from connected email, calendar, set interests) passively, like a ‘friend’ catching you up.

“If you wake up in the morning and there was a friend that was ready to get you caught up... why don’t we have a friend do this pre-read for you and just read it out to you while you brush your teeth?”
— Risen Martin [35:32]

• Early users average 15 minutes of listening daily ([39:28]), mixing morning briefings and deep-dive explorations.
• Hux leverages both male and female voices for engaging delivery.

[41:11–43:17]

• The product defies easy categorization — it’s like “an AM radio station, podcast, and AI chat buddy all in one.”
• Voice AI competitive landscape: OpenAI Pulse is a possible competitor, but Hux aims to differentiate via proactive, highly personalized interactions.

"With Hux, we’re trying to…standardize [AI utility] for everyone."
— Risen Martin [34:36]

[44:25–45:37]

• Marketing: Early adopters are essential for feedback before scaling; word-of-mouth is key (market discipline echoed from NotebookLM experience).

[45:53–47:44]

• Their metric for success: Retention (daily/weekly/monthly).
• Upcoming features: Notifications, more timely/polished delivery, and deeper integrations once they understand usage patterns.

[49:15–51:38]

• On LLMs: They use “most commercial models” — a mix, tailored for specific workflows (not uniform performance across all tasks).
• They currently index on quality and latency over cost, but cost optimization will become more important as usage scales.

[51:44–52:14]

• Monetization: Considering subscriptions but interested in “better ads for everyone” (with an opt-out subscription plan for ad-averse users).

“If you do go the advertising route, please allow me to give you money and not listen to insurance advertisements.”
— Alex [52:03]

Segment 3: Chess Ever — Pro-Grade Chess Broadcasting for Serious Players

[52:33–56:34]

• Pitch by Grandmaster Vasif Durarbali:
  • Chess is surging post-pandemic and Queen’s Gambit, but serious players (~70,000 globally) are underserved.
  • Chess Ever offers robust event coverage, pro analysis tools, and rich searchable archives—features missing or hard to use in mainstream apps like Chess.com.
  • Core function: Instantly search events/players and analyze games with a swipe; focus on expert tools over playzone features.

“Our beta app...what I’m showing...either cannot be done or is very hard to do in the established apps.”
— Vasif [54:11]

[56:34–61:04] Market Nuances and Positioning

• Chess.com is dominant for amateurs; Chess Ever targets the “serious player” niche.
• Concrete missing features:
  • Archives of important games (e.g., every Magnus Carlsen opening sequence)
  • Advanced broadcast tools tailored for expert-level commentary
  • Ability to save/analyze games efficiently, particularly via mobile apps

“There are three things missing from Chess.com...You need to slow down during that part. One, the archive of important matches...two, expert-level broadcasting...three, tools for advanced analysis and notes.”
— Jason [59:14]

• Freemium model: Free and paid tiers, with the premium offering beating competitors—goal isn’t higher price, but more value.

[61:52–67:54] Community & Business Model

• Jason draws analogies to Tonebase (for serious musicians) and Fitbod (for serious lifters)—build for the elite, then open the tent wider.
• Suggests considering a “club” dynamic, with application/invite gates for access to the “pro space,” and monetization via expert access, classes, and exclusive content.
• Features in development:
  • “Guess the Move” game for viewers—gamifying chess spectating
  • AI-driven analysis (blunder prediction, position-aware polls, instant highlights)
  • Inspiration from poker and streamable, community-driven broadcasts (e.g., Hustler Casino Live and celebrity match formats)

[69:17–77:00] Team & Founder University

• Vasif is a Founder University alum; credits that experience for accelerating his progress.
• Team: Vasif + co-founder Henning (AI specialist and chess enthusiast)
• Key advice: Build a team of “10/10” skilled, passionate people who love chess, as motivation/drive is then organic.
• If Chess Ever can hit $500k/year in revenue, Jason suggests the accelerator can help cement the business for VC investment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On spatial video’s future:

  “You are basically with your company skating to where the puck is going, which is exactly where I like to invest.”
  — Jason [12:06]

• On Apple Vision hardware:

  “If they're going to do it live, it’s going to be expensive…and you're also going to need one of these URSA sin immersive cameras from Blackmagic, I believe.”
  — Jason [10:38]

• On market enthusiasm for Apple Vision:

  “Some of the engineers just looked at me with this blank face like I was stupid and said, ‘We just released another headset, Zach.’”
  — Zach [17:20]

• On value of early adopters and retention:

  “Of all the metrics that I look at, I only really look at retention. Everything else is sort of a supporting metric that explains it or the lack thereof.”
  — Risen, Hux [45:53]

• On serving the 'serious' chess player:

  “Our MVP Release is in Q4, Chess Ever will outperform current platforms in event coverage and pro tools. Our AI features will come soon. Our vision does not end with serious players. It starts with them, where they show up casual players follow.”
  — Vasif [54:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:07 — Zach Handshoe (SpatialGen) on presenting at Apple and company mission
• 07:22 — What SpatialGen actually builds; business model insight
• 12:39 — Market timing and upcoming Apple/NBA partnership
• 15:52 — Jason on iPhone Air: "Holy cow, this is incredible."
• 16:42 — Spatial video capture and Apple’s product focus
• 19:27 — Apple Vision Pro 2 “comfort vs. battery life” engineering
• 23:21 — Uploading/processing videos from GoPro/Insta360 in SpatialGen
• 28:13 — Whisper Network for founders/investor connections
• 33:04 — Risen Martin introduces Hux
• 35:32 — Vision for personal audio AI: “a friend that does a pre-read for you”
• 39:28 — Hux usage metrics, session length
• 45:53 — Product market fit: focusing on retention
• 49:15 — LLM “hodgepodge” approach powering Hux; cost vs. quality tradeoffs
• 52:52 — Chess Ever founder Vasif’s pitch
• 59:14 — Jason’s three-point test for features missing in Chess.com for experts
• 67:54 — Gamification and inspiration from poker broadcasts
• 71:10 — Team building: skills + passion formula
• 76:00 — Founder University testimonial

Closing Remarks

Jason and Alex reinforce the value of focusing on niches, the importance of founder–investor synergy, and how early adopters/communities can be a wedge for larger market reach. The episode brims with actionable insights for founders navigating waves of technological innovation, consumerization, and infrastructural disruption — with plenty of humor and real talk throughout.

End of summary.