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

Throwing a Wrench in TikTok's Creator Factory

Throwing a Wrench in TikTok's Creator Factory

By Jon Steinberg · Jul 23, 2022 8:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend! “TikTok is really TV these days,” influencer marketing CEO Mae Karwowski told our own Kaya Yurieff in this week’s cover story. “You’re flipping channels as you’re watching TikTok. You’re looking to be entertained.”And how, besides scrolling ad nauseam, do The Information’s subscribers like to be entertained?... Hi, welcome to your Weekend! “TikTok is really TV these days,” influencer marketing CEO Mae...

Art by Clark Miller.

Screentime: How a Sexual Wellness CEO Uses Her Phone for Work and Play

By Annie Goldsmith · Jul 23, 2022 7:00am PDT

Alexandra Fine first made waves when she crowdfunded a vibrator on Kickstarter—the 2016 campaign was the platform’s first ever for a sex toy. But Fine’s company, Dame Products, has come a long way since those days, and now offers a cornucopia of sexual wellness products through stores including Sephora and Nordstrom. As for Fine’s personal phone... Alexandra Fine first made waves when she crowdfunded a vibrator on Kickstarter—the 2016 campaign...

Jay Carney, Amazon’s top public relations and public policy executive, is leaving for Airbnb. Photo: Bloomberg

Amazon PR Chief’s Exit Foretells Policy Shake-up

By Paris Martineau · Jul 22, 2022 5:02pm PDT · 1 comment

The departure of Jay Carney, Amazon’s top public relations and public policy executive, has set off an executive reshuffling that could recalibrate Amazon’s policy priorities at a time when the company faces the most serious regulatory challenges in its 28-year history. CEO Andy Jassy is on the hunt for a new senior policy executive,... The departure of Jay Carney, Amazon’s top public relations and public policy executive, has...

Art by Clark Miller.

Can Nuggs Make Fake Meat Fashionable?

By Daria Solovieva · Jul 22, 2022 1:00pm PDT

Art by Clark Miller.

Market Research

Can Nuggs Make Fake Meat Fashionable?

By Daria Solovieva · Jul 22, 2022 1:00pm PDT

“Guys this isn’t an ad or anything. I found Nuggs on Instagram a while ago and I’m f***ing addicted.” It was high praise coming from anyone. But when it’s coming from supermodel Bella Hadid in a story visible to her 50 million–plus Instagram followers, you’ve got a hit product on your hands. Nuggs, a pseudo-chicken nugget product from... “Guys this isn’t an ad or anything. I found Nuggs on Instagram a while ago and I’m f***ing...

Art by Clark Miller.

Can the Pro-Abortion Rights ‘Camping’ Movement Really Make a Difference?

By Flora Tsapovsky · Jul 22, 2022 11:00am PDT

When 19-year-old Jordan Benewiat posted a TikTok on June 24 inviting women to “camp” with her, it got 45,600 views and an outpouring of positive responses. Benewiat, who recently moved from Kansas to her sister’s home in Medford, Ore., said the invitation, intended for women in states with abortion bans, was genuine: “I totally stand behind... When 19-year-old Jordan Benewiat posted a TikTok on June 24 inviting women to “camp” with her, it...

Art by Clark Miller.

The Million-Follower Factory: TikTok Is Making Everyone Famous—But Few Creators Are Cashing In

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 22, 2022 9:05am PDT · 7 comments

Three years ago, Owen Holt was finishing up his junior year of high school in Orlando, Fla., when his older sister encouraged him to try his hand at TikTok. He posted a video of himself in the bathroom, lip-syncing to an a cappella cover of Justin Bieber’s 2009 hit “Love Me,” and then he went to bed. The next morning he woke up to 10 million... Three years ago, Owen Holt was finishing up his junior year of high school in Orlando, Fla., when...

Amazon headquarters in Seattle. Photo by Bloomberg

Prime Day Is a Bonanza for Amazon Ads, Too

By Paris Martineau · Jul 22, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Amazon sold a lot of products last week during its annual Prime Day promotion. It also sold a lot of ads. Egged on in some cases by Amazon itself, advertisers spent nearly three times as much on Prime Day as they did on the average day in the two weeks prior, according to data from Perpetua, an e-commerce firm that analyzed the accounts of more... Amazon sold a lot of products last week during its annual Prime Day promotion. It also sold a lot...

Starting late next year, Ford will introduce a lithium-ion-phosphate battery with cell-to-pack technology in its flagship electric Mustang Mach E SUV. Photo: Courtesy Ford

The Electric: Ford Tries to Allay Supply Chain Worries, but Some Are Skeptical

By Steve LeVine · Jul 22, 2022 4:00am PDT

Starting late next year, Ford will introduce a lithium-ion-phosphate battery with cell-to-pack technology in its flagship electric Mustang Mach E SUV. Photo: Courtesy Ford

The Electric: Ford Tries to Allay Supply Chain Worries, but Some Are Skeptical

By Steve LeVine · Jul 22, 2022 4:00am PDT

Amid an acute shortage of key metals for electric vehicle batteries, Ford wants to show that it has assured its needed supplies. But many of its key deals are a lot less than certain. In a call with analysts and reporters on Thursday, Ford announced a slew of signed and potential supply chain deals—negotiations for nickel from Indonesia, a... Amid an acute shortage of key metals for electric vehicle batteries, Ford wants to show that it...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Bloomberg

Amazon’s Health Dreams and Snap’s Headwinds

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jul 21, 2022 5:00pm PDT

In a day full of headlines, this one stood out: After reporting disastrous financial results, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel said he and his chief technology officer Bobby Murphy are sticking around until at least 2027. That gives them enough time to build all their drones! All kidding aside, I suppose CEOs are doing everything they can these days to... In a day full of headlines, this one stood out: After reporting disastrous financial results,...

Photo: AP

Creator Economy

How Discord’s Revenue Per User Compares to Facebook; Snap’s Disappearing Growth

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 21, 2022 4:19pm PDT

Discord, the messaging app commonly used by gamers, is still thriving after the peak of the pandemic shutdowns, when people were hunkered down in their homes, looking to connect over the internet. That’s according to a new report from my colleague Mark Matousek, who detailed the startup’s impressive business growth after it rejected Microsoft’s... Discord, the messaging app commonly used by gamers, is still thriving after the peak of the...

Laura Mandaro Promoted to Managing Editor, News and Talent

By The Information Staff · Jul 21, 2022 1:33pm PDT

The Information Founder Jessica Lessin and Executive Editor Amir Efrati just sent this note to our staff. Team, We are thrilled to share that Laura Mandaro has been named Managing Editor, News and Talent for The Information. We think Laura is the ideal colleague to both deepen our news coverage and to guide our incredible reporting and editing... The Information Founder Jessica Lessin and Executive Editor Amir Efrati just sent this note to...

Chainalysis CEO Michael Gronager. Photo: Bloomberg

An ‘Exceptionally High’ Bar: Investors Shift Focus in New Crypto Deals

By Aidan Ryan and Kate Clark · Jul 21, 2022 12:35pm PDT

Chainalysis CEO Michael Gronager. Photo: Bloomberg

An ‘Exceptionally High’ Bar: Investors Shift Focus in New Crypto Deals

By Aidan Ryan and Kate Clark · Jul 21, 2022 12:35pm PDT

Crypto venture capitalists are rewriting their playbooks after the brutal collapse in digital currency prices this spring. That’s dented their overall deal-making, but it has also created an opportunity for a subset of crypto startups. Blockchain startups with B2B models that aren’t as exposed to fluctuations in digital asset prices... Crypto venture capitalists are rewriting their playbooks after the brutal collapse in digital...

Discord CEO Jason Citron. Photo by Discord, Art by Clark Miller

Discord CEO Proves There’s Life Without Microsoft

By Mark Matousek · Jul 21, 2022 6:00am PDT

It could have been one of the biggest business blunders of the pandemic. In early 2021, Discord spurned a $12 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft, an eye-popping sum for a nine-year-old social communications startup whose app saw a tsunami of new users during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Around that time, Discord held acquisition talks, which... It could have been one of the biggest business blunders of the pandemic. In early 2021, Discord...

The Hongguang Mini is one of the world's best selling electric vehicles.

The Electric: China Tweaks Its Incentives for EVs

By Steve LeVine · Jul 21, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial policies. Since 2017, he has focused on the Chinese EV market, as well as smart cities, urban logistics and battery recycling management. China looks like a success story in the global move to electric vehicles. More EVs were sold in China last year... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a researcher specializing in Chinese industrial...

Photo courtesy of Bloomberg

Crypto Gets a Lesson in Macroeconomics

By Akash Pasricha · Jul 20, 2022 4:31pm PDT

Some data points in crypto really just stump you. Here’s one: Since Coinbase opened its NFT Marketplace to the public on May 4, it has processed roughly $3.1 million in transactions, according to a dashboard on Dune Analytics. GameStop, on the other hand, launched its NFT marketplace nine days ago on July 11, and it has processed more than $8.2... Some data points in crypto really just stump you. Here’s one: Since Coinbase opened its NFT...

When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program

When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 20, 2022 2:00pm PDT

When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program

Creator Economy

When TikTok Will Beat Facebook in Influencer Marketing (Chart); LinkedIn’s New Tech Creator Program

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 20, 2022 2:00pm PDT

TikTok will surpass Meta Platforms’ Facebook when it comes to the amount of money advertisers spend on influencer marketing in the U.S. by the end of this year and will beat out YouTube by 2024, according to a new forecast from Insider Intelligence, provided exclusively to The Information. Both social networks won’t catch up to Instagram, also... TikTok will surpass Meta Platforms’ Facebook when it comes to the amount of money advertisers...

Dan Wright, who has just resigned as DataRobot CEO. Art by Mike Sullivan

DataRobot CEO Resigns Following Stock Sale Revelation

By Kevin McLaughlin · Jul 20, 2022 10:43am PDT · 7 comments

Dan Wright, CEO of artificial-intelligence software pioneer DataRobot, has resigned less than a year and a half after ascending to the position, according to a departure memo viewed by The Information. Wright is leaving amid tepid revenue growth and following employee uproar over the revelation, first reported by The Information, that he and... Dan Wright, CEO of artificial-intelligence software pioneer DataRobot, has resigned less than a...

Photo by Bloomberg.

Google Announces Hiring Pause

By Erin Woo · Jul 20, 2022 9:48am PDT · 1 comment

Google said it will pause hiring for two weeks, after saying last week it would slow its pace of hiring for the rest of the year. In an email to employees viewed by The Information, Prabhakar Raghavan, a senior vice president at Google, said the hiring pause would not impact offers that had already been extended to applicants, but that Google... Google said it will pause hiring for two weeks, after saying last week it would slow its pace of...

Art by Josh Brill

Climate Tech Investors Can’t Afford to Repeat Past Mistakes

By Amy Duffuor · Jul 20, 2022 9:00am PDT · 2 comments

The facts of climate change are stark. The global average temperature has risen around 2°F since 1900. Why do we care? Even small changes in the average temperature of the planet can cause dangerous shifts in climate and weather. The scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in their 2022 report that without a... The facts of climate change are stark. The global average temperature has risen around 2°F...

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming.

As China’s Tech IPO Window Cracks Open, Investors See New Hope for ByteDance

By Jessica E. Lessin, Juro Osawa and Shai Oster · Jul 20, 2022 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming.

As China’s Tech IPO Window Cracks Open, Investors See New Hope for ByteDance

By Jessica E. Lessin, Juro Osawa and Shai Oster · Jul 20, 2022 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Investors in ByteDance are getting more optimistic that one of the world’s most highly valued private companies can move toward an initial public offering, a development that comes after years of setbacks for TikTok’s parent company. Three investors say a number of recent signs suggest the Chinese government is opening a path to a... Investors in ByteDance are getting more optimistic that one of the world’s most highly...