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

Five times/week

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.

By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy

Recent Editions

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg

Creator Economy

Why Instagram Waited to Launch Group Features

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 26, 2022 4:04pm PDT

One word that has been coming up frequently in my conversations with creators is community. This buzzword refers to the fact that influencers are focused on building deeper loyalty with fans. While Instagram, YouTube or TikTok may be the primary way they reach audiences, they are choosing other apps— including Discord, Geneva, Telegram, as well... One word that has been coming up frequently in my conversations with creators is community. This...

Andy Rubin. Photo by Bloomberg

‘Father of Android’ Andy Rubin is Back with Surveillance Startup

By Jon Victor · Oct 26, 2022 1:21pm PDT · 1 comment

Andy Rubin is planning his next act. The former Google executive, who received a $90 million severance package following a misconduct allegation, sparking widespread protests among staff in 2018, has a new startup focused on “surveillance services” for homes, according to public records. The downtown Palo Alto, Calif.-based company,... Andy Rubin is planning his next act. The former Google executive, who received a $90 million...

Conviction General Partner Sarah Guo. Photo by Bloomberg

Is AI Stealing Web3’s Thunder?; The Most Promising Crypto Startups

By Aidan Ryan · Oct 26, 2022 1:00pm PDT

“In Silicon Valley, crypto and the metaverse are out. Generative AI is in,” the New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose proclaimed last week, joining other industry watchers in weighing in on what’s top of mind for those who control the Silicon Valley war chests. But are crypto investments really out of style?It’s a tempting claim to... “In Silicon Valley, crypto and the metaverse are out. Generative AI is in,” the New York Times...

Photo from MrBeast on YouTube

YouTube and TikTok Creators Are Tearing Up Netflix’s Streaming Rulebook

By Andrew A. Rosen · Oct 26, 2022 10:00am PDT · 15 comments

Photo from MrBeast on YouTube

YouTube and TikTok Creators Are Tearing Up Netflix’s Streaming Rulebook

By Andrew A. Rosen · Oct 26, 2022 10:00am PDT · 15 comments

Parqor is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sign up here. Netflix makes no secret of its long-term view that “streaming entertainment is replacing linear TV.” This has always been an elegant vision—the cable bundle is expensive, it... Parqor is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Apple Is Working on a 16-Inch iPad, Further Blurring Line With Laptops

By Wayne Ma · Oct 26, 2022 8:48am PDT · 2 comments

Apple is developing its largest iPad yet, a model with a 16-inch screen that it hopes to release in the fourth quarter of next year, according to a person familiar with the project. The device would further blur the line between the iPad and MacBook, bringing the tablet’s screen size in line with that of Apple’s largest laptop, which... Apple is developing its largest iPad yet, a model with a 16-inch screen that it hopes to release...

Art by Jesús Escudero

Meta Responds to Its Next Threat: Apps That Link Instagram Influencers and Superfans

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 26, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Meta Platforms is already waging a high-profile battle to keep TikTok from draining audiences from its best-known apps, Instagram and Facebook. Now Meta is having to respond to another set of competitors who are more quietly beginning to nip at its heels. Increasingly, Instagram influencers are encouraging their most avid followers to meet up... Meta Platforms is already waging a high-profile battle to keep TikTok from draining audiences...

Emad Mostaque, CEO of Stability AI. Photo via Scale AI on YouTube

Stability AI CEO, After Ruffling Feathers of Researchers, Discussed $1 Billion in New Financing

By Erin Woo and Jon Victor · Oct 25, 2022 6:21pm PDT · 4 comments

Emad Mostaque, the former hedge fund manager who made his startup, Stability AI, one of the most visible standard-bearers of software that creates original images from simple text descriptions, could soon test the limits of hype around the new technology. After raising $100 million of venture capital in three successive equity funding deals in... Emad Mostaque, the former hedge fund manager who made his startup, Stability AI, one of the most...

Photo by Bloomberg

Google’s Head-Scratcher, Microsoft’s Slowing Azure

By Jessica E. Lessin · Oct 25, 2022 5:28pm PDT

Photo by Bloomberg

Google’s Head-Scratcher, Microsoft’s Slowing Azure

By Jessica E. Lessin · Oct 25, 2022 5:28pm PDT

So much for doing more with less. Alphabet, one of the many tech giants that has been discussing the need to be more efficient, still spent a lot in its most recent quarter, which ended up hurting them. Google’s parent company reported a big 19% drop in operating profit for its third quarter on Tuesday as it continued to hire heavily and... So much for doing more with less. Alphabet, one of the many tech giants that has been discussing...

Photo: Bloomberg

Creator Economy

A Tale of Two YouTubes; Podcasts Fuel Spotify Growth; Most Promising Creator Economy Startups

By Mahira Dayal · Oct 25, 2022 4:35pm PDT · 1 comment

It’s the season of downbeat superlatives for internet companies, as advertisers rein in spending. The latest: YouTube said its ad revenue dropped 2% to $7.07 billion in the third quarter, the first time that metric has dropped year over year since parent-company Alphabet began reporting it in 2019. Snap last week reported its weakest quarterly... It’s the season of downbeat superlatives for internet companies, as advertisers rein in spending....

The Information 50

What We Learned From The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups

By Amir Efrati · Oct 25, 2022 6:50am PDT · 15 comments

After splurging in 2020 and 2021, investors this year turned less generous toward startups. But that didn’t slow the pipeline of promising companies that could become the next ByteDance, Stripe or Databricks. The third edition of The Information’s 50 most promising startups looked for the next big winners in artificial intelligence... After splurging in 2020 and 2021, investors this year turned less generous toward startups. But...

Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg.

What Altimeter’s Meta Manifesto Says About Investor Attitudes to Big Tech

By Martin Peers · Oct 24, 2022 5:00pm PDT

It’s no fun being a Big Tech executive nowadays. Not only do they have antitrust regulators breathing down their necks, now investors are beginning to complain about their spending! Today, for instance, Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner published an open letter to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling for him to reduce staffing by at least... It’s no fun being a Big Tech executive nowadays. Not only do they have antitrust regulators...

Chart: Shane Burke

Taking Stock of Meta’s Creator Initiatives; Spotify to Hire for Creator Roles

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2022 2:31pm PDT

Chart: Shane Burke

Creator Economy

Taking Stock of Meta’s Creator Initiatives; Spotify to Hire for Creator Roles

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 24, 2022 2:31pm PDT

Since launching this newsletter 18 months ago, we’ve chronicled how large tech platforms have raced to roll out features aimed at creators. Last year, Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms was especially active, in some cases announcing several new features in the span of a month. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed: “We want to build the... Since launching this newsletter 18 months ago, we’ve chronicled how large tech platforms have...

113 People Who Run Tesla

By Mark Matousek · Oct 24, 2022 10:52am PDT

Elon Musk, who is set to add Twitter to the sprawling roster of companies he oversees, is known for juggling many responsibilities. His 28 direct reports at Tesla, where he is CEO, reflect his tendency to spread his attention wider than most executives do. Musk has long advocated for a flat management structure and encouraged employees from... Elon Musk, who is set to add Twitter to the sprawling roster of companies he oversees, is known...

Chart by Shane Burke.

Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet Grapple With Bond Investment Losses

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 24, 2022 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

The bond market’s historic sell-off this year, in response to rising interest rates, has been disastrous for retirees dependent on bonds for income. It’s been almost as bad for Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet, wiping out billions of dollars from the mountains of cash they’re sitting on. Worst hit is Apple, which reported that... The bond market’s historic sell-off this year, in response to rising interest rates, has...

Biden announces the initial grants from the $135 billion pot to build a U.S. battery supply chain. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The Electric: How the Biden Administration Should Interpret the New Battery Law

By Steve LeVine · Oct 23, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their plans to produce millions of electric vehicles. To discuss how the lithium mining industry is responding, I'm excited to host Eric Norris, president of lithium at Albemarle, the world's largest lithium producer, for the next Live Chat With The Electric... Save the date: Automakers face a massive shortage of lithium this decade, hobbling their...

Still Deep Blue, But Trending Red

Still Deep Blue, But Trending Red

By Jon Steinberg · Oct 22, 2022 7:00am PDT · 5 comments

Still Deep Blue, But Trending Red

Still Deep Blue, But Trending Red

By Jon Steinberg · Oct 22, 2022 7:00am PDT · 5 comments

Hi, welcome to your Weekend!Midterms, super PACs, Taylor Swift, Razzlekhan: We’re going very high and very low this week. First off, we have Abe’s cover story of Jeff Lawson, the Twilio CEO whose company became a Wall Street darling during the pandemic, only to take a terrifying plunge during this year’s selloff. What makes Lawson... Hi, welcome to your Weekend!Midterms, super PACs, Taylor Swift, Razzlekhan: We’re going very high...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Screentime: Investor Katie Stanton Is Working Through Her 2,000 Unread Emails

By Annie Goldsmith · Oct 22, 2022 6:00am PDT · 8 comments

Katie Stanton is in high demand. The Moxxie Ventures founder and general partner has 2,007 unread emails and 530 unread texts on her phone. She’s “always” running down her battery and her voicemail message is “please don’t leave a message.” But Stanton, a Yahoo and Vivendi board member, who formerly worked for the U.S. Department of State under... Katie Stanton is in high demand. The Moxxie Ventures founder and general partner has 2,007 unread...

Art by Clark Miller and Mike Sullivan.

The Top 20 Tech-Themed Halloween Costumes of 2022

By The Information Staff · Oct 21, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Witches and werewolves: tired. Scary-mucci and Semafor: wired. It’s the spooky season, and here at The Information, we are pumpkin spice–pilled. This year’s Halloweenfestivities may be somewhat muted, what with tens of thousands of axed tech employees, terra coin investors, and 15-minute grocery delivery guys wandering the streets like the... Witches and werewolves: tired. Scary-mucci and Semafor: wired. It’s the spooky season, and here...

Art by Clark Miller

Follow the Money

Big Tech Moves (Slightly) to the Right: Employee Contributions Show Silicon Valley’s Growing Embrace of Conservatives

By Arielle Pardes and Shane Burke · Oct 21, 2022 12:19pm PDT · 10 comments

It’s not just Elon Musk who is tacking to the right. Employees of four big tech companies are directing a greater share of their midterm political contributions to conservative candidates than in the two previous election cycles. The Information’s analysis of political giving by employees of Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta shows that 15% of... It’s not just Elon Musk who is tacking to the right. Employees of four big tech companies are...

Cybereason co-founder and CEO, Lior Div. Photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan

$2.5 Billion–Valuation Security Firm Cybereason Hires JPMorgan to Find Buyer

By Kevin McLaughlin and Maria Heeter · Oct 21, 2022 11:12am PDT · 1 comment

Cybereason co-founder and CEO, Lior Div. Photo by Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan

$2.5 Billion–Valuation Security Firm Cybereason Hires JPMorgan to Find Buyer

By Kevin McLaughlin and Maria Heeter · Oct 21, 2022 11:12am PDT · 1 comment

Cybereason, a prominent Israeli security software firm valued at $2.5 billion by investors including Google, SoftBank and ex-Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s private equity firm, has hired JPMorgan Chase & Co. to find a buyer, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The company considered going public earlier this... Cybereason, a prominent Israeli security software firm valued at $2.5 billion by investors...