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

Startups That Hired Rapidly Learn the Virtue of Slowing Down

By Mahira Dayal · Jul 26, 2022 12:50pm PDT · 4 comments

Sometimes slow and steady does win the race. Startups that raised a lot of money during the boom years—and avoided spending sprees—now look smart as venture funding dries up. One measure of whether startups will be able to outlast the current downturn is how many people they’ve hired relative to how much money they’ve... Sometimes slow and steady does win the race. Startups that raised a lot of money during the boom...

U.S. President Joe Biden. Photo by Bloomberg

Self-Driving Truck Upstarts Look to Offload China Businesses

By Juro Osawa · Jul 26, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Executives of tech companies operating in both the U.S. and China are taking steps to break apart their businesses to avoid the kind of political and regulatory pressure facing TikTok and its Chinese parent, ByteDance. The latest example of U.S.-China corporate decoupling involves two developers of self-driving trucks, both founded in... Executives of tech companies operating in both the U.S. and China are taking steps to break apart...

Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, is now CEO of startup 9count. Photo: Alex Hofmann

Creator Economy

Former Musical.ly President on Where TikTok Is Going Next

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 25, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on social relationships or on an “interest graph,” making it entertainment-focused, said Alex Hofmann, former North America president of Musical.ly, in an interview.Hofmann, who left Musical.ly a few months after ByteDance acquired the company in late... In the early days of Musical.ly, leadership had frequent debates about whether to base the app on...

Event Recap: Best Strategies for Making the Most of AI

By The Information Staff · Jul 25, 2022 1:30pm PDT

Partner Content

Event Recap: Best Strategies for Making the Most of AI

By The Information Staff · Jul 25, 2022 1:30pm PDT

Last month, The Information and the Boston Consulting Group hosted a Women In Tech Leadership Summit on the topic of customers of the future. In one lively session, a group of experts discussed using the power of artificial intelligence for personalization. Here are some key takeaways: Expect projects to fail but keep trying. “The reality... Last month, The Information and the Boston Consulting Group hosted a Women In Tech Leadership...

Mike Sullivan

Can Netflix Win the Contest for Connected TV Ad Dollars?

By Andrew A. Rosen · Jul 25, 2022 9:19am PDT · 1 comment

PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sign up here. During the company’s quarterly earnings presentation last Tuesday, Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings modestly—and accurately—characterized the company’s second-quarter results as... PARQOR is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

IPOs Are a Year Away for Tech Startups, KKR Deal-Makers Say

By Maria Heeter · Jul 25, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

For tech startups that were eyeing going public this year, the market for initial public offerings has slammed shut—and the deal-makers looking to build out Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.’s equity capital markets business don’t see that changing anytime soon. In fact, they see the IPO window opening for tech startups in the... For tech startups that were eyeing going public this year, the market for initial public...

Goodenough, seated, last Friday at his birthday celebration. Photo: Venkat Viswanathan

The Electric: The Battery Industry Threw a 100th Birthday Party For Its Father

By Steve LeVine · Jul 24, 2022 2:00pm PDT

In 1991, the first portable electronic device hit the market. It was a Sony hand-held video camera, and it was an immediate sensation. The secret behind the camera was a powerful new battery—lithium-ion. Since then, the battery and others like it have revolutionized how we live, enabling devices like the iPhone, laptops, ear buds, and of course... In 1991, the first portable electronic device hit the market. It was a Sony hand-held video...

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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...