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

Clockwise from top left: Chris Capossela, Andrej Karpathy, Sarah Friar, Paul Vogel, JuE Wong.

On the Market: OpenAI, Microsoft, Spotify and Nextdoor Leaders

By The Information Staff · Mar 4, 2024 6:00am PST · 1 comment

For many tech executives, the outbreak of Covid-19 turned into a leadership boot camp, requiring them to shepherd companies through the intense spike in demand for online shopping and entertainment and the painful slowdown in business that followed. A generation of tech executives is now leaving those companies with battle-honed skills. Our... For many tech executives, the outbreak of Covid-19 turned into a leadership boot camp, requiring...

Cuberg founder and ex-CEO Richard Wang. Photo: Getty

The Electric: Why Next-Gen Battery CEOs Are Dropping Like Flies

By Steve LeVine · Mar 4, 2024 4:30am PST

On Feb. 16, Paolo Cerruti, co-founder of Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, visited the company’s California-based subsidiary, lithium-metal battery developer Cuberg. In recent years, Northvolt had racked up $55 billion in orders for conventional electric vehicle batteries and broken ground on three gigafactories. But Cerruti was displeased... On Feb. 16, Paolo Cerruti, co-founder of Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt, visited the...

Hot Dealmakers As Tech's Winter Lingers

Hot Dealmakers As Tech's Winter Lingers

By Abram Brown · Mar 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:A new VC star’s unordinary approachOur finest AI tips to improve your lifeHow to best appreciate the new “Dune” moviePlus: What Socrates and Satya Nadella have in common; a vengeful billionaire and a murderous enigma; and a top-notch ‘Job.’A couple days ago, something unusual caught my attention: an... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:A new VC star’s unordinary approachOur finest AI tips to...

Art by Clark MIller

The Billion-Dollar Startup That Quietly Makes America Run

By Abram Brown · Mar 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Art by Clark MIller

The Billion-Dollar Startup That Quietly Makes America Run

By Abram Brown · Mar 2, 2024 7:00am PST

In 2012, Joe Lonsdale and his co-founder, Zac Bookman, started OpenGov with a fairly straightforward idea. “We thought there’s room for something to really help governments run a lot better,” said Lonsdale, who’s also a venture capitalist and a Palantir co-founder. Since then, they’ve found plenty of room in that... In 2012, Joe Lonsdale and his co-founder, Zac Bookman, started OpenGov with a fairly...

Art by Clark Miller

The Secret Strategies for Stronger Communication

By Abram Brown · Mar 2, 2024 5:00am PST · 6 comments

What makes Microsoft’s Satya Nadella such a strong CEO? Should we all talk like spies? And why did bestselling author Charles Duhigg struggle for a time as a New York Times journalist? It was all a matter of communication—well, miscommunication, in Duhigg’s case. “I was fine at, like, the strategy and logistics and was... What makes Microsoft’s Satya Nadella such a strong CEO? Should we all talk like spies? And...

Art by Clark Miller

Our Best Tips for Using AI in Everyday Life

By The Information Staff · Mar 2, 2024 5:00am PST · 5 comments

One of the finest uses of artificial intelligence is to efficiently summarize an immense amount of information. But why let the bots have all the fun—or do all the work? In that spirit, we’ve taken our anecdote-rich insiders’ guide to AI from last week and condensed it to the practical tips that impressed or surprised us the... One of the finest uses of artificial intelligence is to efficiently summarize an immense amount...

Photos by Getty

Alphabet Needs Its Own Mark Zuckerberg

By Martin Peers · Mar 1, 2024 3:30pm PST

Mark Zuckerberg may be few people’s conception of the ideal CEO. Some might balk at his strategic thinking, particularly around burning tens of billions on far-off metaverse technology, or might complain about Meta Platforms’ lack of fiscal discipline before its business slowed in 2022. Others might cite Meta’s ineffectual response to complaints... Mark Zuckerberg may be few people’s conception of the ideal CEO. Some might balk at his strategic...

RIP Apple Car, Google’s AI Reality Problem, Long Live Consumer Tech

By Jessica Lessin · Mar 1, 2024 1:00pm PST

RIP Apple Car, Google’s AI Reality Problem, Long Live Consumer Tech

By Jessica Lessin · Mar 1, 2024 1:00pm PST

This week, the gang of More of Less had a lot to chat about. The Morins gave us the download from what they called the "most premier VC conference" around. The event was surely a sign that the venture capital industry is not dead (or at least doesn't believe it is dead). We also couldn't refrain from armchair... This week, the gang of More of Less had a lot to chat about. The Morins gave us the download from...

Art by Clark Miller

Investor Neil Mehta Answers the Panic Button

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 1, 2024 9:00am PST · 3 comments

The Clay Theatre, a Pacific Heights landmark constructed shortly after the 1906 earthquake, has stood empty for four years on a busy stretch of Fillmore Street, the exterior poster frames as vacant as the adjacent ticket booth. Given the venue’s storied past and the area’s tony reputation as a place filled with Gettys and... The Clay Theatre, a Pacific Heights landmark constructed shortly after the 1906 earthquake,...

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. Photo by Getty

Pro Weekly: IPO Chatter Surfaces Again

By Akash Pasricha · Mar 1, 2024 8:00am PST

Reddit’s initial public offering prospectus, published last week, has reignited chatter that IPOs could pick up this year. According to The Information’s Tech IPO Tracker, at least 16 tech companies could make public debuts in the next 10 months. In another sign of increased activity, artificial intelligence hardware startup Astera Labs released... Reddit’s initial public offering prospectus, published last week, has reignited chatter that IPOs...

Meta Quest 3 headset. Photo by Getty.

Meta Rebuffed Google Proposal For a VR and AR Tie-Up

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Mar 1, 2024 6:00am PST

Late last year, in a meeting between Google and Meta Platform staffers, Google suggested that Meta partner on Android XR, the new software platform Google is developing for virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed-reality headsets, according to a person involved in the talks. The two companies had long been in regular contact over... Late last year, in a meeting between Google and Meta Platform staffers, Google suggested that...

Photo: Barry Winiker/The Image Bank via Getty

Venture Capital Has Never Felt More Polarized

By Kate Clark · Feb 29, 2024 5:22pm PST · 1 comment

Photo: Barry Winiker/The Image Bank via Getty

Venture Capital Has Never Felt More Polarized

By Kate Clark · Feb 29, 2024 5:22pm PST · 1 comment

Venture capital leaders flew to Los Angeles this week for the annual Upfront Summit, a two-day conference featuring investors, founders and a smattering of celebrities like Lady Gaga. The energy was high and the references to the painful VC correction that pummeled valuations and knocked out VC firms were rare. The downtown is over, apparently!... Venture capital leaders flew to Los Angeles this week for the annual Upfront Summit, a two-day...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Lessons From an Energy Drink Company’s Crazy Stock Run

By Cory Weinberg · Feb 29, 2024 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

My writing and reporting workload over the last few days has gotten pretty heavy, so I’ve regularly been grabbing Celsius energy drinks. The sleek cans have become ubiquitous in grocery and convenience stores. Celsius drinks, which taste better than Red Bull, contain a crazy caffeine jolt and have no added sugars. They’re favored by TikTokers,... My writing and reporting workload over the last few days has gotten pretty heavy, so I’ve...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

Why TikTok Can Outstare UMG in its Music Standoff

By Erin Woo · Feb 29, 2024 3:31pm PST · 1 comment

TikTok’s standoff with Universal Music Group is the latest example of how the app has changed from its roots as a lip-syncing platform toward one more focused on shopping.To recap: Late last month, TikTok and Universal Music Group, one of the biggest record labels in the world, failed to reach an agreement to let TikTok license UMG songs for use... TikTok’s standoff with Universal Music Group is the latest example of how the app has changed...

Photo by Getty

Behind Meta’s Effort to Make Llama 3 More Engaging

By Kalley Huang · Feb 29, 2024 7:10am PST

“Promoting or encouraging harmful or illegal activities is not acceptable,” Meta AI, an artificial intelligence assistant, told me the other day. “It's important to respect the safety and well-being of individuals and property.”I had asked the assistant, which is embedded in Meta Platforms’ apps and Ray-Ban smart glasses, how to kill the engine... “Promoting or encouraging harmful or illegal activities is not acceptable,” Meta AI, an...

Bill Gurley. Photo by Getty.

How Nextdoor Became a Missed Opportunity for Benchmark’s Gurley

By Cory Weinberg · Feb 29, 2024 6:00am PST · 3 comments

Bill Gurley. Photo by Getty.

How Nextdoor Became a Missed Opportunity for Benchmark’s Gurley

By Cory Weinberg · Feb 29, 2024 6:00am PST · 3 comments

Nextdoor once looked like the next great bet for Bill Gurley, the prominent Benchmark venture capitalist known for early investments in Uber, Zillow and Stitch Fix. Now the neighborhood social network is looking like a missed opportunity for him. Gurley urged Nextdoor co-founder Nirav Tolia not to sell the startup in 2018, when it was valued at... Nextdoor once looked like the next great bet for Bill Gurley, the prominent Benchmark venture...

A CATL battery pack in a chassis at the Munich Motor Show. Photo: Getty

The Electric: China Digs In With Iron-Based Batteries, Wrong-Footing Western Automakers

By Steve LeVine · Feb 29, 2024 4:30am PST

A new, ultracheap battery, a $233,000 electric supercar and a big five-year deal for iron-based batteries all deliver a single, pointed message—a fresh threat to Western auto and battery manufacturers already struggling to compete with their Chinese rivals. A new, ultracheap battery, a $233,000 electric supercar and a big five-year deal for iron-based...

Art by Clark Miller.

Consumer Startups Are a Better Bet Than Enterprise Startups

By Kirsten Green and Jason Bornstein · Feb 28, 2024 7:13pm PST · 12 comments

We live in a consumer-driven economy—consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. GDP. Yet Carta recently reported that just 7% of seed capital raised on the site last year went to consumer companies, the smallest share since 2018. Andreessen Horowitz meaningfully cut its consumer investing team and folded it under its... We live in a consumer-driven economy—consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the U.S....

Editor’s Note

Editor’s Note

By The Information Staff · Feb 28, 2024 6:53pm PST

On February 28, 2024, The Information published an article “Apollo Names Partner to Lead Its $100 Billion Climate Push.” The article did not meet The Information’s editorial standards and has been retracted. Any links to it have been disabled. On February 28, 2024, The Information published an article “Apollo Names Partner to Lead...

Sridhar Ramaswamy. Photo by Getty.

What Snowflake’s CEO Shake-Up Means

By Martin Peers · Feb 28, 2024 5:00pm PST

Sridhar Ramaswamy. Photo by Getty.

What Snowflake’s CEO Shake-Up Means

By Martin Peers · Feb 28, 2024 5:00pm PST

Big news tonight in the enterprise software sector—and we’re not talking about Salesforce introducing a dividend (although that’s notable). No, the real headline is an AI-inspired changing of the guard at Snowflake, until recently a fast-growing enterprise software hotshot whose 2020 IPO turned into a blockbuster. Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman is... Big news tonight in the enterprise software sector—and we’re not talking about Salesforce ...