The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

Art by Clark Miller

The Board Games That Techies Can’t Stop Playing

By David Ewalt · Aug 10, 2024 6:00am PDT · 6 comments

Matt Calkins sees a parallel between the best board games and the best software. “What I like is efficiency, the simultaneous utilization of the time of everyone at the table,” said Calkins, founder and CEO of Appian, an enterprise software company. “I like a game with high throughput.” Calkins is the author of several... Matt Calkins sees a parallel between the best board games and the best software. “What I...

Art by Clark Miller (Photos: Getty Images)

The Techies Who Went Out of Office to Chase Olympic Glory

By Akash Pasricha · Aug 10, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Shortly before Canyon Barry shipped out for the Paris Olympics to compete in 3×3 basketball, his co-workers at L3Harris Technologies, the U.S. defense tech giant, threw him a jubilant send-off. “A nice little ice cream party,” he recalled. For the occasion, the company commissioned custom T-shirts, showing a basketball orbiting... Shortly before Canyon Barry shipped out for the Paris Olympics to compete in 3×3...

Photos via Adobe Stock

Paramount and Warner Discover Reality

By Martin Peers · Aug 9, 2024 3:30pm PDT

It’s Friday and lots of people are on vacation. That makes this an ideal time to dive into a really wonky subject—accounting. Fun! Don’t click away just yet. This is actually interesting. Two aging entertainment companies, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global, both chose this week to reveal multibillion-dollar write-downs of their... It’s Friday and lots of people are on vacation. That makes this an ideal time to dive into a...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

TikTok’s Latest Growth Hack: Buying New Users With Discounts

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 9, 2024 12:30pm PDT · 1 comment

Art by Mike Sullivan.

TikTok’s Latest Growth Hack: Buying New Users With Discounts

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 9, 2024 12:30pm PDT · 1 comment

TikTok is testing a truism: Money talks. TikTok users in the U.S. who invite their friends to the app can now get steep discounts on goods, such as digital cameras and hair styling tools marked down to just a penny, as part of a promotion the ByteDance-owned company introduced in recent weeks. That builds on a referral scheme TikTok has been... TikTok is testing a truism: Money talks. TikTok users in the U.S. who invite their friends to the...

Photo by Freyr

U.S. President of Freyr Battery Leaves in Latest Shakeup

By Steve LeVine · Aug 9, 2024 12:06pm PDT

In a new shakeup, Jeremy Bezdek, president of Freyr Battery’s U.S. division, has left the company, according to a person familiar with the situation. The unexpected move comes two months after CEO Birger Steen left the next-generation battery maker 10 months after taking the job. The move is surprising. Senior company executives did not... In a new shakeup, Jeremy Bezdek, president of Freyr Battery’s U.S. division, has left the...

Can Google Outrun Regulation?

By Jessica E. Lessin · Aug 9, 2024 11:36am PDT · 1 comment

Another bustling week in tech... and on More or Less. After taping this week's episode—which covers everything from why Instagram products are so expensive to my new podcast obsession—we all looked at each other and said, "What are we going to title this one?" I hope you enjoy and that it jogs some new ideas loose in... Another bustling week in tech... and on More or Less. After taping this week's...

Art by Clark Miller

The Far-Right Guru Who Has Befriended Silicon Valley’s Extreme Factions

By Julia Black · Aug 9, 2024 9:00am PDT · 17 comments

In recent weeks, Democrats have relentlessly blistered Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, using a straightforward message: They’re too weird to hold high office. If Trump and Vance are weird, imagine what the American public might make of Curtis Yarvin, 51, whose far-right thinking has influenced both Vance and, increasingly,... In recent weeks, Democrats have relentlessly blistered Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D....

Greg Brockman. Photo by Errich Petersen/Getty Images for SXSW

Pro Weekly: Where AI Employees Are Moving

By Akash Pasricha · Aug 9, 2024 8:00am PDT

Greg Brockman. Photo by Errich Petersen/Getty Images for SXSW

Pro Weekly: Where AI Employees Are Moving

By Akash Pasricha · Aug 9, 2024 8:00am PDT

Earlier this week, my colleagues Stephanie, Jon and Amir broke the news of another leadership shake-up at OpenAI. Greg Brockman, president, is on a leave of absence. Peter Deng, president of consumer product, and John Schulman, a co-founder and scientific lead for advancement, are departing; Schulman is joining Anthropic’s technical staff. We’ve... Earlier this week, my colleagues Stephanie, Jon and Amir broke the news of another leadership...

DOJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter, left, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Photos via Getty

How Google’s Antitrust Losses Could Shrink Its Business

By Erin Woo · Aug 9, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

After winning a landmark antitrust case against Google on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice won’t just seek to diminish the company’s lucrative alliance with Apple. In the next phase of the case, which involves meting out punishments for Google’s illegal monopoly, government lawyers are also likely to try to hamper the... After winning a landmark antitrust case against Google on Monday, the U.S. Department of Justice...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Getty

Airbnb’s Paradox: Profits v. Growth

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 8, 2024 5:00pm PDT · 2 comments

One of the internet’s corporate success stories of the past decade, Airbnb, is suddenly in need of an overhaul. Its stock plunged 11% this week—dragging it down 15% for the year—after executives acknowledged a slowdown among U.S. consumers had hurt its growth. The slowdown crystallizes a paradox about Airbnb’s performance. Its 11% expected... One of the internet’s corporate success stories of the past decade, Airbnb, is suddenly in need...

Image by Getty.

The Recession Fears Looming Over VC’s Booming July

By Kate Clark · Aug 8, 2024 3:15pm PDT

Global venture funding reached $23 billion last month, up 20% compared to July 2023, according to Crunchbase data. Judging from the numerous funding announcements that arrived in my inbox this morning, those increases look poised to continue. However, investors are wary a recession could hamper the turnaround.First the positives: Anduril just... Global venture funding reached $23 billion last month, up 20% compared to July 2023, according to...

Art by Mike Sullivan

TikTok Lays the Groundwork for More European Ecommerce

By Michael Roddan · Aug 8, 2024 2:00pm PDT

Art by Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

TikTok Lays the Groundwork for More European Ecommerce

By Michael Roddan · Aug 8, 2024 2:00pm PDT

TikTok over the last year has been encouraging more creators to livestream, where they can sell products or earn digital gifts that convert to cash. To beef up its European business, it’s been trying to build out its payments functions. But these efforts have hit some snags. Earlier this year its parent ByteDance withdrew an application for... TikTok over the last year has been encouraging more creators to livestream, where they can sell...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Amazon Enlists TikTok, Pinterest in Quest to Sell Everywhere

By Theo Wayt · Aug 8, 2024 11:43am PDT · 4 comments

Amazon’s e-commerce business is huge but slow-growing, while shopping on social media has been taking off. That’s prompted Amazon to look for ways to team up with popular social media apps. It’s finally landed a key partner. TikTok will enable users to buy items from Amazon advertisements without leaving the TikTok app, an... Amazon’s e-commerce business is huge but slow-growing, while shopping on social media has...

Photo by Getty

Why Uber is a Better Bet Than DoorDash

By Anita Ramaswamy · Aug 8, 2024 10:54am PDT · 3 comments

For almost the entire time since DoorDash went public in late 2020 the restaurant-delivery service has traded at a premium valuation to Uber. Lately the gap between the two stocks has nearly closed, although the much bigger ride-hailing and delivery firm remains the underdog of the pair. While that made sense early on, when the pandemic blitzed... For almost the entire time since DoorDash went public in late 2020 the restaurant-delivery...

Vlad Tenev, co-founder and CEO of Robinhood and co-founder of Harmonic. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

Sequoia Capital Has Discussed Funding AI Reasoning Startup Cofounded by Robinhood CEO

By Jon Victor · Aug 8, 2024 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

One of the newest entrants in the race to develop artificial intelligence that can reason through problems is about to raise a bunch more money. Harmonic, a startup cofounded last year by Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev and self-driving vehicle entrepreneur Tudor Achim, has been in talks to raise funding from investors including Sequoia Capital... One of the newest entrants in the race to develop artificial intelligence that can reason through...

Photo via AP

Snowflake Looks to an AI Deal to Jump-Start Growth

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Aug 8, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Photo via AP

Snowflake Looks to an AI Deal to Jump-Start Growth

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Aug 8, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Snowflake had been riding high before the artificial intelligence boom. But questions about the usefulness of its data management products for AI developers—a growing source of revenue for rivals like Databricks—and a broader pullback in business software spending have sent its stock plummeting 42% so far this year. Now, in an effort... Snowflake had been riding high before the artificial intelligence boom. But questions about the...

Albemarle CEO Kent Masters. Photo: Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: Outcompeted by China, Battery Makers Seek More U.S. Largesse

By Steve LeVine · Aug 8, 2024 4:30am PDT

U.S. battery component and metals suppliers—increasingly doubtful about their ability to compete with low-cost Chinese rivals—want greater federal subsidies and tighter restrictions on U.S. support to Chinese companies. The lobbying push will likely raise tensions with U.S.-based automakers, which need Chinese-made materials to make their... U.S. battery component and metals suppliers—increasingly doubtful about their ability to compete...

Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

What Quarterly Updates Reveal About Consumer Spending

By Martin Peers · Aug 7, 2024 5:00pm PDT

We’re in unstable times. Today’s stock market action, where a morning rally gave way to an afternoon sell-off, was the latest evidence. There’s surely lots of reasons for this volatility, but uncertainty about the economy has to be top of the list.Some quarterly earnings reports in the past couple of days demonstrated why investors might be... We’re in unstable times. Today’s stock market action, where a morning rally gave way to an...

Gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik on day three of the Paris Olympic Games on July 29. Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty.

Creator Economy

The Paris Olympics Is Minting New Creators

By Julia Hornstein · Aug 7, 2024 2:49pm PDT

If the Paris Olympics has shown us anything, it’s that athletes are going viral for more than winning medals in their sports. American gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik, who became known as “Pommel Horse Guy” after winning two bronze medals at the Games, has incited a social media storm of dad jokes and has caused boys to join gymnastics... If the Paris Olympics has shown us anything, it’s that athletes are going viral for more than...

A Jio store in Kolkata, India. Photo by Getty

Meta in Talks With Indian Tech Giant Jio Over Possible VR Deal

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan, Wayne Ma and Amir Efrati · Aug 7, 2024 10:03am PDT

A Jio store in Kolkata, India. Photo by Getty

Meta in Talks With Indian Tech Giant Jio Over Possible VR Deal

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan, Wayne Ma and Amir Efrati · Aug 7, 2024 10:03am PDT

Meta Platforms is in talks to license its Horizon virtual reality software to Indian technology company Jio, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, the latest sign of how Meta is trying to extend its influence in VR and augmented reality beyond its own devices. The talks, which may not lead to a deal, center on Meta providing... Meta Platforms is in talks to license its Horizon virtual reality software to Indian technology...