World Model · podcast knowledge graph

How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320

2026-08-03 · 62 min · episode 2320 · 47 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

  • → references twistartups.substack.com website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • → references @Calacanis website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • → references tripadvisor.com place
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tripadvisor.com/
  • → appeared on This Week in Startups podcast
    0.68
    evidence rules-v5
    How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320
  • → hosted by Jason Calacanis person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • → founded Bespoke company
    0.54
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • → founded Bespoke company
    0.54
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • → works at Bespoke company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • → works at Bespoke company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • → discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • → references ThisWeekIn website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • → references Twist website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://quo.com/TWiST
  • → references @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • → references wisprflow.ai website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://wisprflow.ai/
  • → references partners.launch.co company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://partners.launch.co/
  • → references Location website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://antler.co/location/japan
  • → references be-spoke.io website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/
  • → references bebot.io website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://bebot.io/
  • → references Be Trained person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/en/be-trained
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://cnn.com/2025/08/07/asia/japan-biggest-population-decline-record-intl-hnk
  • → references Flash Alert 2025 195 website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/gms-flash-alert/flash-alert-2025-195.html
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://businesstraveller.com/insights/features/japan-akiya-boom-buying-abandoned-homes
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-day-without-a-mexican-20-years-later-1236293209
  • → references tokyo.founder.university company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tokyo.founder.university/
  • → references jetro.go.jp website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://jetro.go.jp/en

Entities found in this episode

websites 28

  • mentioned twistartups.substack.com website
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • mentioned @Calacanis website
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • references twistartups.substack.com website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://twistartups.substack.com/
  • references @Calacanis website
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://substack.com/@calacanis
  • mentioned ThisWeekIn website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • mentioned Twist website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://odoo.com/twist
  • mentioned @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • mentioned wisprflow.ai website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://wisprflow.ai/
  • mentioned Location website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://antler.co/location/japan
  • mentioned be-spoke.io website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/
  • mentioned bebot.io website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://bebot.io/
  • 0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://cnn.com/2025/08/07/asia/japan-biggest-population-decline-record-intl-hnk
  • mentioned Flash Alert 2025 195 website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/gms-flash-alert/flash-alert-2025-195.html
  • 0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://businesstraveller.com/insights/features/japan-akiya-boom-buying-abandoned-homes
  • 0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-day-without-a-mexican-20-years-later-1236293209
  • mentioned jetro.go.jp website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://jetro.go.jp/en
  • references ThisWeekIn website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://youtube.com/thisweekin
  • references Twist website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://quo.com/TWiST
  • references @Thisweekinstartups website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
  • references wisprflow.ai website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://wisprflow.ai/
  • references Location website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://antler.co/location/japan
  • references be-spoke.io website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/
  • references bebot.io website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://bebot.io/
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://cnn.com/2025/08/07/asia/japan-biggest-population-decline-record-intl-hnk
  • references Flash Alert 2025 195 website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/gms-flash-alert/flash-alert-2025-195.html
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://businesstraveller.com/insights/features/japan-akiya-boom-buying-abandoned-homes
  • 0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-day-without-a-mexican-20-years-later-1236293209
  • references jetro.go.jp website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://jetro.go.jp/en

companys 11

  • mentioned Bespoke company
    0.68
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • founded Bespoke company
    0.54
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • founded Bespoke company
    0.54
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • mentioned Technology company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • works at Bespoke company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • works at Bespoke company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    founder of Bespoke
  • mentioned partners.launch.co company
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://partners.launch.co/
  • mentioned tokyo.founder.university company
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tokyo.founder.university/
  • discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • references partners.launch.co company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://partners.launch.co/
  • references tokyo.founder.university company
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tokyo.founder.university/

persons 5

  • mentioned Akemi Tsunagawa person
    0.72
    evidence rules-v5
    How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320
  • mentioned Jason Calacanis person
    0.70
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • hosted by Jason Calacanis person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Jason Calacanis
  • mentioned Be Trained person
    0.45
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/en/be-trained
  • references Be Trained person
    0.38
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://be-spoke.io/en/be-trained

places 2

  • mentioned tripadvisor.com place
    0.90
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tripadvisor.com/
  • references tripadvisor.com place
    0.77
    evidence rules-v5
    Link in episode "How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320": https://tripadvisor.com/

podcasts 1

  • appeared on This Week in Startups podcast
    0.68
    evidence rules-v5
    How Bespoke faked AI until it actually worked (w/ Akemi Tsunagawa) | E2320
Episode description as stored
This Week In Startups is made possible by: Odoo https://Odoo.com/twist Quo https://quo.com/TWiST Northwest Registered Agent https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist Today's show: *Before Bespoke's "travel concierge" chatbot could actually hold a conversation, founder/CEO Akemi Tsunagawa and her team quietly answered customers themselves. That "fake it till you make it" strategy paid off. Bespoke landed Narita Airport as a customer based on the strength of their "chatbot" answers, and now the team runs three companies, and is expanding into shipyard robots. In the fourth and final edition of TWiST Tokyo for Summer '26, Jason and Akemi discuss her thesis: "solve the labor gap first, [then] build the tech to math." Plus insights into Japan's tourism boom, how founders should consider the country's accelerating population decline, the economics and politics of importing foreign labor, and why AI may already be taking over more jobs than you think. Guest Akemi Tsunagawa on X: https://x.com/AkemiTsunagawa Bespoke: https://www.be-spoke.io/ Bebot: https://www.bebot.io BeTrained: https://www.be-spoke.io/en/be-trained Relevant Links Disrupting Japan: "Silicon Valley Has Chatbots All Wrong": https://www.disruptingjapan.com/silicon-valley-has-chatbots-all-wrong-heres-how-they-really-make-money/ CNN on Japan's population decline: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/asia/japan-biggest-population-decline-record-intl-hnk Paul Graham: "Do Things That Don't Scale": https://www.paulgraham.com/ds.html Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai/ TripAdvisor: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ KPMG on Japan's Business Manage Visa Reforms: https://kpmg.com/xx/en/our-insights/gms-flash-alert/flash-alert-2025-195.html Business Traveller on the "Akiya" renovation trend: https://www.businesstraveller.com/insights/features/japan-akiya-boom-buying-abandoned-homes/ THR on the 2004 satirical film "A Day Without a Mexican": https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/a-day-without-a-mexican-20-years-later-1236293209/ Founder University x Japan: https://tokyo.founder.university/ JETRO: https://www.jetro.go.jp/en/ Antler in Japan: https://www.antler.co/location/japan Timestamps: 0:00 Founder U Japan Cohort 3: Coming in Jan 2027! 1:06 Introducing Akemi Tsunagawa, founder of Bespoke 3:08 Why investors passed in 2015 4:49 Selling Narita Airport on Bebot 6:29 The roots of Japan's tourism explosion 9:27 Odoo - The all-in-one business platform. Get started for free at https://Odoo.com/twist 14:17 Japan's population decline, by the numbers 20:06 Quo (formerly OpenPhone) - Quo gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at https://quo.com/TWiST 21:38 Training foreign workers via smart glasses 27:50 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 https://northwestregisteredagent.com/twist 33:06 Moving into shipyard robotics, too? 37:44 Some customer development lessons 48:21 Plans for even more expansion 52:52 Q&A: How AI changed hiring Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp Follow Lon: X: https://x.com/lons Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis Check out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/ Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagra