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

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

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Creator Economy

A Social Shopping App Gets Popular Thanks to Costly Referrals

By Ann Gehan · Oct 30, 2023 3:14pm PDT · 1 comment

I’m Ann, and I cover e-commerce and retail for The Information. Lately, I’ve been hearing more about Flip, a TikTok-like shopping app that’s been dominating my conversations with e-commerce founders, as well as my X feed, for the past few weeks—thanks to a costly way of getting new customers. The app, first launched in 2019, offers a... I’m Ann, and I cover e-commerce and retail for The Information. Lately, I’ve been hearing more...

Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.

Mistral, a Wannabe OpenAI of Europe, Seeks $300 Million

By Kate Clark and Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 30, 2023 12:36pm PDT · 3 comments

Mistral, an artificial intelligence startup founded by former Meta Platforms and Alphabet researchers, plans to raise an additional $300 million from investors just four months after raising $113 million in a seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The round is expected to value the... Mistral, an artificial intelligence startup founded by former Meta Platforms and Alphabet...

Jaleh Rezaei, cofounder and CEO at Mutiny, and Sara Hooker, head of Cohere for AI. Photo by Erin Beach.

What You Missed From Our WTF Conference; Biden’s AI Executive Order Unveiled

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 30, 2023 7:35am PDT

Here’s a simple but smart idea I heard about last week: Ask all your employees to use AI for every possible task for a week and see what tasks it’s useful or not useful for.That suggestion came from Rebecca Hinds, head of Asana’s Work Innovation Lab, at our annual Women in Tech, Media and Finance conference, during a discussion on generative AI... Here’s a simple but smart idea I heard about last week: Ask all your employees to use AI for...

Art by Clark Miller.

Inside the War Between Square and Cash App at Dorsey’s Block

By Mark Matousek · Oct 30, 2023 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Art by Clark Miller.

Inside the War Between Square and Cash App at Dorsey’s Block

By Mark Matousek · Oct 30, 2023 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

As CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey was widely panned for his hands-off style, seen as contributing to the company’s uneven growth and slow-to-evolve culture, which paved the way for last year’s takeover by Elon Musk. Dorsey’s other public company, Block, originally known as Square, has a whole different problem: Its divisions feud... As CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey was widely panned for his hands-off style, seen as contributing to...

Biden praised GM CEO Mary Barra as the country's EV leader, even as the company badly trailed Tesla. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty

The Electric: From Big Auto to Big Oil, a Big Bet on a Long Tail for Combustion

By Steve LeVine · Oct 30, 2023 4:30am PDT

For more than two years, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen have followed a similar script: In just a few years, each company claimed, it would puncture Tesla’s dominance of electric vehicle sales and possibly overtake the industry leader. Now, though, all three have ripped up their talking points—and turned back the clock: In place of more... For more than two years, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen have followed a similar script: In...

One AI Device to Rule Them All

One AI Device to Rule Them All

By Jon Steinberg · Oct 28, 2023 6:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend.It’s been 10 years since the movie “Her” introduced us to a queasy future in which a man falls in love with his AI-powered digital assistant. Guess who loved that movie? Yup, Sam Altman, the father of ChatGPT. “The things ‘Her’ got right—like the whole interaction models of how people use AI—that was incredibly... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.It’s been 10 years since the movie “Her” introduced us to a queasy...

WTF speakers Sophia Amoruso, founder of Girlboss; Valerie Capers Workman, chief legal officer, Handshake; Julia B. Chan, editor-in-chief, The 19th; Jessica Lessin, founder, The Information; and artist and entrepreneur Katy Perry. Art by Mike Sullivan. All photos by Erin Beach.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

Katy Perry, ChatGPT Vacations and an Enthusiastic Return to Office: Inside The Information’s WTF Conference

By The Information Staff · Oct 28, 2023 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

“There’s been 10 years of women that are championing other women,” singer-songwriter Katy Perry said to The Information CEO Jessica Lessin and a crowd of 232 women at The Estate Yountville in Napa Valley, Calif. “The positive of social media is that it took the gatekeeper away.…It’s up to you to become... “There’s been 10 years of women that are championing other women,”...

The Pentagon. Photo via United States Department of Defense.

Tech Loves Big Government (as a Customer)

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 27, 2023 4:30pm PDT · 2 comments

The Pentagon. Photo via United States Department of Defense.

Tech Loves Big Government (as a Customer)

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 27, 2023 4:30pm PDT · 2 comments

Tech giants usually prefer to avoid Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Congressional hearings, Justice Department lawsuits and Securities and Exchange Commission probes are no fun. But a new generation of tech companies is finding governments are more likely to be customers than adversaries. That’s clear from the under-the-hood... Tech giants usually prefer to avoid Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Congressional...

Sam Bankman-Fried is questioned by his attorney Mark Cohen, left, as Judge Lewis Kaplan looks on from the bench as Bankman-Fried testifies in his trial at Manhattan federal court on Friday. Sketch by Elizabeth Williams via AP.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Testimony Was Always His Only Case

By Aidan Ryan · Oct 27, 2023 3:53pm PDT · 4 comments

Some observers saw Sam Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify in his trial on fraud charges as a Hail Mary pass. But he might not have had any other choice. Bankman-Fried began testifying before the jury Friday morning, the third witness called by his lawyers, following brief appearances by his Bahamas lawyer and an expert witness who... Some observers saw Sam Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify in his trial on fraud charges as...

The New Founder Mindset: The End of the Product-Focused CEO

By Jessica E. Lessin · Oct 27, 2023 10:24am PDT · 3 comments

People often ask me how being a founder changes how I report on founders. Let me count the ways! I got the chance to discuss some of them as the gang debated the state of founderhood and some prominent founders of the moment. I hope you enjoy. Apple Spotify People often ask me how being a founder changes how I report on founders. Let me count the...

Art by Clark Miller.

Market Research

Has Continuous Glucose Monitoring Peaked?

By Annie Goldsmith · Oct 27, 2023 10:00am PDT · 5 comments

In November 2020, marketing consultant Sarah Eade Bengard was in St. Barts, mingling at a venture capitalist friend’s beach party, when she noticed something strange. A number of guests had small circular sensors dotting their upper arms. They were continuous glucose monitors, medical devices usually reserved for diabetics who need to... In November 2020, marketing consultant Sarah Eade Bengard was in St. Barts, mingling at a venture...

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 27, 2023 8:00am PDT

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 27, 2023 8:00am PDT

The Information’s readers are using artificial intelligence to create voice-overs for TikTok videos, summarize legal documents and maintain their lawns, among other tasks, they say in interviews.In our recent survey of 593 subscribers, almost 90% said they use AI, and two-thirds of that group said they are paying for one or more generative AI... The Information’s readers are using artificial intelligence to create voice-overs for TikTok...

The Ai Pin by Humane will feature a laser projector in place of a screen. Art by Clark Miller

Has Humane Created the Next iPhone—or the Next Google Glass?

By Julia Black · Oct 27, 2023 6:00am PDT · 13 comments

In late September, a stakeholder in Humane received a humbled message from the startup. The Information had just broken the news that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had been secretly meeting with renowned former Apple designer Jony Ive. The duo was dreaming up the “iPhone of artificial intelligence,” according to later reports,... In late September, a stakeholder in Humane received a humbled message from the startup. The...

The Amazon Spheres in Seattle. Photo via Getty.

Amazon Cranks Up Its AI Euphoria

By Nick Wingfield · Oct 26, 2023 5:00pm PDT

Amazon’s artificial intelligence growth is a sight to behold. No, the company didn’t report how much money it’s making from AI, and it probably won’t anytime soon. We’re talking about the expanded use of AI buzzwords in its earnings release. References to Bedrock and CodeWhisperer—two generative AI products from Amazon—rose 67% and 200% in the... Amazon’s artificial intelligence growth is a sight to behold. No, the company didn’t report how...

Erin and Sara Foster. Photo by Erin Beach.

Creator Economy

What Creators Can Learn From Kim Kardashian’s Skims

By Kalley Huang · Oct 26, 2023 3:45pm PDT · 1 comment

It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in Yountville, Calif. Creators and influencers are increasingly launching their own companies to expand their audiences and to generate revenue beyond sponsorships. But their names aren’t enough to sell offline brands, said Erin and Sara Foster, the... It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in...

Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead Bank. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

Fintech Meltdown, Working for Musk, Regulating AI: WTF Highlights

By Natasha Mascarenhas, Erin Woo and Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 2:37pm PDT

Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead Bank. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

Fintech Meltdown, Working for Musk, Regulating AI: WTF Highlights

By Natasha Mascarenhas, Erin Woo and Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 2:37pm PDT

The coming wave of fintech failures. How to “own your story” while working for a leader like Elon Musk. A regulatory crackdown on artificial intelligence. And the repercussions of bad press on high-profile female founders. These are some of the topics discussed by speakers at The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance... The coming wave of fintech failures. How to “own your story” while working for a...

The SPVs Behind Venture Capital’s Biggest Bets

The SPVs Behind Venture Capital’s Biggest Bets

By Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 10:00am PDT · 2 comments

You might have noticed that Thrive Capital has made a number of bold bets this year, leading massive investments in Stripe, Ramp and OpenAI once again, even as other late-stage investors have pulled back. Special-purpose vehicles helped buttress the firm’s Stripe investment, while lowering the risk of its core fund’s performance. The same could... You might have noticed that Thrive Capital has made a number of bold bets this year, leading...

From left to right, Kara Nortman, Rachel Holt and Ruchi Sanghvi. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

VC Founders: to Create the Next Sequoia, Do it ‘From the Ground Up’

By Kate Clark and Natasha Mascarenhas · Oct 26, 2023 8:31am PDT · 1 comment

Women founders who started their own venture firms say the autonomy has allowed them to alter stubborn industry practices—a benefit that’s worth the risks of failure. “If I'm going to do this, I'm going to build it from the ground up,” said Rachel Holt of her decision to co-found early-stage venture fund Construct... Women founders who started their own venture firms say the autonomy has allowed them to alter...

Photo via Shutterstock.

Don’t Laugh at Intel; Biden’s Industry-Friendly Executive Order

By Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 7:00am PDT

Congratulations if you already knew that Intel, the American chip pioneer, had started selling artificial intelligence-related software—as opposed to just hardware—to businesses that want to build generative AI apps. I had no idea myself until I wrote a story on Wednesday about Intel expanding that effort. It’s planning to announce the move... Congratulations if you already knew that Intel, the American chip pioneer, had started selling...

Left to right: Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril; Ryan and Brandon Tseng, co-founders of Shield AI. Photos via Getty, Shield AI and Anduril.

How Anduril Is Fueling VC’s Push Into Defense Tech

By Cory Weinberg, Natasha Mascarenhas and Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

Left to right: Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril; Ryan and Brandon Tseng, co-founders of Shield AI. Photos via Getty, Shield AI and Anduril.

How Anduril Is Fueling VC’s Push Into Defense Tech

By Cory Weinberg, Natasha Mascarenhas and Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

Anduril, the defense tech startup that says it’s trying to build the “Lockheed Martin of the 21st century,” laid out lofty goals to investors early last year. It set its sights on $1 billion in annual revenue by 2026, five times its expectation for $200 million of revenue in 2022. Achieving that ambition will be expensive.... Anduril, the defense tech startup that says it’s trying to build the “Lockheed Martin...