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

Graphic by Shane Burke. Photos via Shutterstock.

Creator Economy

Video Dubbing, Generative AI and the Tech Features Creators Need

By Kaya Yurieff · May 15, 2023 2:00pm PDT

In March, we started asking our readers what was on their mind when it came to the creator economy. We got so many good questions that we decided to publish another set this month. (Read our previous Mailbag). Disagree with my answers? We’ll discuss them in The Information’s Forum on Tuesday. You can submit more questions here! Let’s dive... In March, we started asking our readers what was on their mind when it came to the creator...

Elon Musk at a Tesla event in Corpus Christi, Texas, on May 8. Photo via YouTube/Tesla

Musk Tells Tesla Staff He Must Approve All Hiring—Again

By Becky Peterson · May 15, 2023 11:57am PDT · 3 comments

Just a few days after appointing a new CEO for Twitter, Elon Musk is back to micromanaging Tesla. In an email to staff at the electric vehicle maker on Monday, Musk said that Tesla can make no new hires unless he personally approves them, including contractors. He told executives to send him a list of hiring requests on a weekly basis, while... Just a few days after appointing a new CEO for Twitter, Elon Musk is back to micromanaging Tesla....

Summit Recap: What’s Next for Social Commerce

Partner Content

Summit Recap: What’s Next for Social Commerce

By The Information Partnerships · May 15, 2023 9:01am PDT

What’s the secret for brands who want to tap into the power of the creator economy? Sahil Patel, reporter for The Information, sat down to find out the answers with three experts from the creator commerce world: Kenny Gold, managing director, head of social, content and influencer, Deloitte Digital Megan Tobin, head of creator... What’s the secret for brands who want to tap into the power of the creator economy? Sahil...

Summit Recap: How to Build a Strong Personal Brand

By The Information Partnerships · May 15, 2023 9:00am PDT

Partner Content

Summit Recap: How to Build a Strong Personal Brand

By The Information Partnerships · May 15, 2023 9:00am PDT

In the world of the creator economy, traffic growth and brand partnerships rely on one thing: the creator’s personal brand. Many creators have turned to experts to help them shape their brands and stand out. Laura Mandaro, managing editor of news and talent for The Information, spoke with three luminaries for their advice on developing a... In the world of the creator economy, traffic growth and brand partnerships rely on one thing: the...

Partner Content

Panel Recap: Building a Global Financial Strategy

By The Information Partnerships · May 15, 2023 8:51am PDT

Organizational growth often requires global expansion. But how do companies navigate the complexity of hiring people from all over the world, taking into account various regulations, taxes and wages—while creating benefit parity across the board? Jessica Lessin, founder and CEO of The Information, sat down for a virtual panel with three... Organizational growth often requires global expansion. But how do companies navigate the...

Art via Unsplash

Open-Source AI Is Gaining on Google and ChatGPT

By Jon Victor · May 15, 2023 6:00am PDT · 9 comments

In February, Meta Platforms set off an explosion of artificial intelligence development when it gave academics access to sophisticated machine-learning models that can understand conversational language. Within weeks, the academics turned those models into open-source software that powered free alternatives to ChatGPT and other proprietary AI... In February, Meta Platforms set off an explosion of artificial intelligence development when it...

GM's Lordstown, Ohio, auto assembly plant in 2019. Photo: Bloomberg

The Electric: U.S. Automakers Face Another Threat—Restive Battery Plant Workers

By Steve LeVine · May 15, 2023 4:30am PDT · 1 comment

In 1966, General Motors opened a new factory in a cornfield in Lordstown, Ohio, 210 miles southeast of Detroit, to manufacture top-selling Chevys and Pontiacs. When it opened, Lordstown was the most modern GM plant, to which the company soon added 26 robots. For workers, though, the plant was a brutal physical experience with a vastly... In 1966, General Motors opened a new factory in a cornfield in Lordstown, Ohio, 210 miles...

The Hero’s Journey of Marissa Mayer

The Hero’s Journey of Marissa Mayer

By Jon Steinberg · May 13, 2023 6:00am PDT

The Hero’s Journey of Marissa Mayer

The Hero’s Journey of Marissa Mayer

By Jon Steinberg · May 13, 2023 6:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend.Marissa Mayer has been a mainstay of tech journalism for almost two decades, ever since she was anointed the glamorous geek goddess of Google back in its “don’t be evil” days. She’s had quite a ride since then, becoming Yahoo CEO in 2012, bumping along in the role for five acquisition-heavy years, then selling the... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.Marissa Mayer has been a mainstay of tech journalism for almost two...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Screentime: The Author–Investor Searching for the Internet’s Next Hangout

By Annie Goldsmith · May 13, 2023 6:00am PDT

Despite leaving Discord last year, Amber Atherton still spends many of her working hours on the social platform. The company’s former head of community—now a partner at early-stage venture firm Patron—Atherton builds relationships with her portfolio companies in a Discord “zen garden” designed for streaming lo-fi... Despite leaving Discord last year, Amber Atherton still spends many of her working hours on the...

Nike Vaporfly ($250). Art by Clark Miller.

Market Research

Running Shoe or Cheat Code? Tech Pros on Their Performance-Enhancing Athletic Gear

By Annie Goldsmith · May 13, 2023 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Samantha Whitmore has run seven marathons and six ultramarathons. Her favorite was a 44-mile rim-to-rim-to-rim run of the Grand Canyon, which she and her husband have traversed four times. “You’ll come away from the experience feeling like you are capable of anything,” she said. “It’s a mental as well as... Samantha Whitmore has run seven marathons and six ultramarathons. Her favorite was a 44-mile...

Linda Yaccarino. Photo by Bloomberg.

Musk Installs NBCU’s Linda Yaccarino to Be His Adult in the Room

By Sahil Patel, Erin Woo and Becky Peterson · May 12, 2023 1:00pm PDT · 9 comments

At SpaceX, Elon Musk’s top lieutenant Gwynne Shotwell has won a reputation as the adult in the room, able to turn Musk’s visionary ideas into commercial reality. Ad executives are hoping that former NBCUniversal ad sales chief Linda Yaccarino will play the same role at Twitter, where she was named Friday as CEO. People who know Musk... At SpaceX, Elon Musk’s top lieutenant Gwynne Shotwell has won a reputation as the adult in...

Photo via Bakkt.

Crypto Firm Bakkt Delists Tokens as Regulatory Pressures Mount

By Aidan Ryan · May 12, 2023 12:03pm PDT

Photo via Bakkt.

Crypto Firm Bakkt Delists Tokens as Regulatory Pressures Mount

By Aidan Ryan · May 12, 2023 12:03pm PDT

Bakkt, the new owner of a crypto custody and clearing provider that helps fintech companies like Public.com and Webull offer crypto trading, is removing support for 25 of the 36 tokens it offers, a spokesperson confirmed. The decision, which impacts popular tokens like uniswap and avalanche, marks the latest example of companies pulling back on... Bakkt, the new owner of a crypto custody and clearing provider that helps fintech companies like...

Left: Passes founder Lucy Guo starts her morning with a 20 mph sprint on a Barry’s Bootcamp treadmill. Right: Guo inside her $6.7 million Miami apartment. Photograph by Celia D. Luna for The Information

Show Us Everything

Think She’s Fast? You Should Borrow Her Ferrari: Welcome to Lucy Guo’s Miami

By Margaux MacColl · May 12, 2023 11:03am PDT · 35 comments

This is “Show Us Everything,” a new feature from The Information Weekend, in which company founders share intimate glimpses of their everyday lives. When Lucy Guo told me she ran a 4:50 mile, I knew we were about to have very different experiences at Barry’s Bootcamp. It was a little after 8 a.m. when a black... This is “Show Us Everything,” a new feature from The Information Weekend, in...

Marissa Mayer in the office of her startup, Sunshine. Photograph by Carolyn Fong for The Information

Can Marissa Mayer Eclipse Herself?

By Arielle Pardes · May 12, 2023 9:00am PDT · 17 comments

Earlier this year, Marissa Mayer—signature blond bob, talking a mile a minute—taught a class on how to start your own company. It had been five years since Mayer had become a startup founder herself, and she had prepared a slide deck describing the finer details of entrepreneurship. As she clicked through the presentation, her... Earlier this year, Marissa Mayer—signature blond bob, talking a mile a minute—taught...

Turo CEO Andre Haddad. Photo by Getty

Pro Weekly: The Rare Startup With a Rising Valuation

By Kalley Huang · May 12, 2023 8:00am PDT

Welcome back! It’s no secret that the valuations of tech companies have fallen in the past year or so. We offer a window into just how far valuations of once high-flying startups have declined in our updated Tech IPO Tracker, which now includes estimated valuations of companies that were looking to go public as recently as last year. Since... Welcome back! It’s no secret that the valuations of tech companies have fallen in the past...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

TikTok Tests Exclusive Deals With Music Artists, Edging Into Labels’ Turf

By Erin Woo and Kalley Huang · May 12, 2023 6:00am PDT

Art by Mike Sullivan.

TikTok Tests Exclusive Deals With Music Artists, Edging Into Labels’ Turf

By Erin Woo and Kalley Huang · May 12, 2023 6:00am PDT

Over the past few years, TikTok has become a viral hitmaker, sending musical artists like Lil Nas X to the top of the record charts and propelling the careers of Olivia Rodrigo and Megan Thee Stallion. Now TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, is angling to play a bigger role in these artists’ careers, which could reduce the increasingly steep... Over the past few years, TikTok has become a viral hitmaker, sending musical artists like Lil Nas...

Masayoshi Son. Photo by Bloomberg.

SoftBank’s Missed AI Call

By Martin Peers · May 11, 2023 5:00pm PDT

What do you call a visionary who fails to act on their own vision? Masayoshi Son. The SoftBank chief was a prominent advocate for artificial intelligence for at least the past six years, long before OpenAI’s ChatGPT woke the world to AI’s potential. But lately, as everyone and their dog rushes to put money into AI startups, SoftBank has been... What do you call a visionary who fails to act on their own vision? Masayoshi Son. The SoftBank...

Changpeng Zhao. Photo by AP.

Binance.US Explores Ways to Cut Founder Changpeng Zhao’s Majority Stake

By Aidan Ryan and Erin Woo · May 11, 2023 3:32pm PDT

Binance.US and Changpeng Zhao, the crypto exchange’s founder, majority owner and chair, have been exploring ways to reduce his stake in the company, two people familiar with the matter said. Zhao has been trying to sell at least some of his stake since last summer, one of the people said. And in recent weeks, since the Commodity Futures... Binance.US and Changpeng Zhao, the crypto exchange’s founder, majority owner and chair,...

Photo by Bloomberg

Creator Economy

Meta’s Generative AI ‘Sandbox’ Is Also a Creator Play

By Isabelle Sarraf · May 11, 2023 2:53pm PDT

Meta Platforms is pouring more money into generative artificial intelligence and incorporating the technology into its products for advertisers and creators. The parent of Facebook and Instagram on Thursday unveiled an “AI Sandbox” of three new features that use generative AI it’s been testing with a small group of advertisers. One allows... Meta Platforms is pouring more money into generative artificial intelligence and incorporating...

Rewind AI co-founder Dan Siroker. Photo via Getty.

AI Startup Rewind Gets 170 Offers—and $350 Million Valuation in Unusual Fundraising

By Kate Clark · May 11, 2023 12:37pm PDT · 7 comments

Rewind AI co-founder Dan Siroker. Photo via Getty.

AI Startup Rewind Gets 170 Offers—and $350 Million Valuation in Unusual Fundraising

By Kate Clark · May 11, 2023 12:37pm PDT · 7 comments

Hungry venture capitalists inundated Rewind AI co-founder and CEO Dan Siroker the moment they caught wind of his artificial intelligence startup’s Series A plans, he wrote on Twitter last month. So he skipped the traditional fundraising process and tried something unorthodox.On April 14, he shared a link to an online form and asked investors to... Hungry venture capitalists inundated Rewind AI co-founder and CEO Dan Siroker the moment they...