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

Nio plans to offer a car with solid-state batteries by the end of the year. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Electric: Solid-State Batteries Are All the Rage—Except in China

By Steve LeVine · Jun 24, 2022 5:00am PDT

Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance 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.Investors worldwide are pouring billions of dollars into companies such as QuantumScape, Solid Power and... Today's column is from Dalibor Petkovic, a freelance researcher specializing in Chinese...

Netflix's offices in Los Angeles. Photo by Bloomberg.

Netflix’s Layoffs; What Twitter’s Stock Price Reveals

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

What a grim summer this is turning out to be. News today that Netflix was laying off 300 people, or 3% of its workforce, is a reminder that the slowdown in streaming we talk about so often has a human cost (on that, more below). More sobering: Netflix was the 28th tech firm to lay people off this week, according to Layoffs.fyi. In other... What a grim summer this is turning out to be. News today that Netflix was laying off 300 people,...

Erin Woo Joins The Information’s Startup Team

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 4:00pm PDT

We are thrilled to announce that Erin Woo has joined The Information to report on startups and venture capital. Previously, she was a reporting fellow on the technology desk at The New York Times, where she wrote about startups, the Elizabeth Holmes trial and tech news ranging from QR codes to cryptocurrency. Erin started her career as an intern... We are thrilled to announce that Erin Woo has joined The Information to report on startups and...

Maria Heeter Expands The Information’s Investing Coverage

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:49pm PDT

Maria Heeter Expands The Information’s Investing Coverage

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:49pm PDT

We are excited to announce that Maria Heeter has joined The Information as a venture capital reporter covering late-stage private startups, venture capital investors and IPOs. Before joining The Information, Maria covered real estate at Bloomberg News, led the student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges and reported on business and Covid-19 for... We are excited to announce that Maria Heeter has joined The Information as a venture capital...

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Partner Content

Event Recap: Dos and Don’ts for Working with Creators

By The Information Staff · Jun 23, 2022 3:45pm PDT

So you want to hire an influencer to pitch your company. But how do you make sure you hire the right one? At The Information’s annual Creator Economy Summit, attendees gathered to discuss how to avoid common partnership mistakes during the “Brands, Creators and Campaigns” masterclass session. Panelists included: Jamie Gutfreund... So you want to hire an influencer to pitch your company. But how do you make sure you hire the...

How creator diversity programs compare. Table: Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

What’s Hot at VidCon; How Creator Diversity Programs Compare (Chart)

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 23, 2022 3:11pm PDT

VidCon kicked off on Wednesday evening, with welcome receptions, social media-worthy spaces for creators to hang out and excited teen fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite influencer. My first stop was Meta Platforms’ creator lounge, a private space for creators to hang out–and of course take photos and shoot Reels.... VidCon kicked off on Wednesday evening, with welcome receptions, social media-worthy spaces for...

A promotional image for the Quest 2 VR headset. Photo: Meta Platforms.

A Peek at Meta VR Testing; Tim Cook Says “Stay Tuned” for AR News

By Mathew Olson · Jun 23, 2022 11:00am PDT

Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned when it comes to making sure its VR products work for a wide range of people. In recent days, for instance, Meta has been looking for very specific demographic groups—young people of South Asian descent or African American females who wear lipstick—for... Meta Platforms is working hard—and shelling out money—to make sure it leaves no stone unturned...

Tech’s Worst-Timed Deals: Six Acquisitions That Have Not Improved With Age

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

Tech’s Worst-Timed Deals: Six Acquisitions That Have Not Improved With Age

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2022 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

As tech valuations collapse to a fraction of where they were last year, executives likely have a few regrets. One is sure to be acquisitions done at the top of the market. It’s always tempting when stock prices and private valuations are trading at stratospheric levels for company executives to choose that moment to expand through... As tech valuations collapse to a fraction of where they were last year, executives likely have a...

In Cannes This Week? Don’t Mention the R Word

By Mark Di Stefano · Jun 22, 2022 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Having trouble reaching someone in the advertising or marketing worlds this week? They’re most likely living it up in the South of France. Yes, after two years on hiatus due to Covid-19, the annual Cannes ad festival is back on. And attendees are out in force, looking to make up for lost party time. Just don’t mention the r-word (yes,... Having trouble reaching someone in the advertising or marketing worlds this week? They’re most...

Art: Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

NFT Lovers Buck the Crypto Crash

By Mahira Dayal · Jun 22, 2022 2:14pm PDT

If you attended this year’s NFT NYC conference, you wouldn’t think we’re knee-deep in a crypto crash. Lines to register at the Marriott Marquis at Times Square wrapped around the block and snaked up five floors of the hotel on Tuesday. NFT enthusiasts, tech employees and digital artists, who paid at least $599 for general admission tickets, told... If you attended this year’s NFT NYC conference, you wouldn’t think we’re knee-deep in a crypto...

FalconX Chief of Staff Austin Reid. Photo: FalconX. Art by Mike Sullivan

FalconX Deal a Bright Spot in Bleak Market for Crypto

By Aidan Ryan · Jun 22, 2022 1:59pm PDT

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for crypto companies as token prices have dropped, bellwethers such as Coinbase have laid off staff, and the crash in two cryptocurrencies—terraUSD and luna—has trashed confidence in digital assets. But some startups have been able to lock in new funding rounds or deals. FalconX on Wednesday said it raised... It’s been a rough couple of weeks for crypto companies as token prices have dropped, bellwethers...

Meta's avatars featuring clothing from new fashion partners. Credit: Meta Platforms.

Avatar Fashion Comes to Non-VR Meta Apps; June News Roundup

By Mathew Olson · Jun 22, 2022 11:00am PDT

Meta's avatars featuring clothing from new fashion partners. Credit: Meta Platforms.

Avatar Fashion Comes to Non-VR Meta Apps; June News Roundup

By Mathew Olson · Jun 22, 2022 11:00am PDT

Starting today, users of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will be able to start dressing up avatars they use on those apps in outfits from brands like Balenciaga and Prada. But this feature won’t be available to users of Horizon Worlds, the social VR platform which recently expanded its reach to users in the United Kingdom. Even though Meta... Starting today, users of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger will be able to start dressing up...

Signage at VidCon 2016. Photo by Shutterstock

VidCon Returns as Chill Falls on Creator Economy

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 22, 2022 6:00am PDT

VidCon, the annual gathering of social media creators, fans and industry representatives, will descend on Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday for the first time since 2019. While the pandemic hijacked the conference’s plans to meet in person for two years running (it took place virtually in 2020), it made the YouTube- and TikTok-famous stars that... VidCon, the annual gathering of social media creators, fans and industry representatives, will...

Alicia Boler-Davis, in 2012. Photo by Bloomberg.

Reading Between the Lines of Amazon’s Big Shakeup

By Nick Wingfield · Jun 21, 2022 5:00pm PDT

We learned a few things from an Amazon executive reshuffling Tuesday, which was set in motion by the recent departure of Dave Clark, the company’s former CEO for worldwide consumer. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy promoted Doug Herrington to be the chief of what the company is now calling Worldwide Amazon Stores, and consolidated all of its operations... We learned a few things from an Amazon executive reshuffling Tuesday, which was set in motion by...

TikTok star Charli D'Amelio. Photo: AP

Creator Economy

Who’s Headed to VidCon; Facebook Extends Fee-Free Creator Tools

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 21, 2022 2:12pm PDT

It’s a busy week for conferences touching various areas of the creator economy, from advertising at the Cannes Lions Festival in France to crypto topics at NFT NYC and, of course, the Super Bowl of the influencer industry, VidCon in Anaheim, Calif. While I’m at VidCon, my colleague Mark Di Stefano is on the ground in Cannes and Mahira Dayal is... It’s a busy week for conferences touching various areas of the creator economy, from advertising...

Illustration by Josh Brill

What Venture Investors Get Wrong About China

By Ming Liao · Jun 21, 2022 9:00am PDT · 4 comments

Illustration by Josh Brill

What Venture Investors Get Wrong About China

By Ming Liao · Jun 21, 2022 9:00am PDT · 4 comments

For two decades, investors in China’s venture capital firms have looked for partners with an instinct for the “new economy.” And for two decades, the firms have posted high-flying returns primarily driven by winners in this fiercely competitive arena—including upstarts in budget appliances (Xiaomi), social media... For two decades, investors in China’s venture capital firms have looked for partners with...

Jerry Seinfeld (left) and Ted Sarandos. Photo by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan

A Netflix Slump Tests Sarandos’ Talent Savvy

By Jessica Toonkel · Jun 21, 2022 6:00am PDT

In 2019, when comedian Mike Myers was pitching a new comedy series to Netflix, program executives at the company were skeptical. The onetime “Saturday Night Live” star hadn’t had a hit since the early 2000s and Netflix staffers worried a new series wouldn’t attract an audience, according to people familiar with the... In 2019, when comedian Mike Myers was pitching a new comedy series to Netflix, program executives...

Buyers of the coming Sony-Honda electric vehicle should have access to Sony's film library, including the James Bond franchise. Photo: Courtesy MGM

The Electric: Inside the Battle Over the EV Dashboard

By Steve LeVine · Jun 19, 2022 2:00pm PDT

Welcome back to The Electric! Automakers and tech companies are at war for who will control the profit from the sale of electric vehicles this decade. The assumption is that paid monthly subscriptions for software delivered over the air to EVs will generate much of the earnings. This week, we interrogate that assumption, and point out that... Welcome back to The Electric! Automakers and tech companies are at war for who will control...

San Francisco's Tentative Comeback

San Francisco's Tentative Comeback

By Jon Steinberg · Jun 18, 2022 8:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend! Nick Wingfield, senior editor at The Information, here, sitting in for your regular newsletter maestro, Jon Steinberg. Is it 2018? That was the last time Bay Area venture capitalists and techies could brag that the Golden State Warriors were champions. For the two seasons prior to this one, San Francisco’s... Hi, welcome to your Weekend! Nick Wingfield, senior editor at The Information, here, sitting...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

‘I choose to be intentionally paranoid’: Adam Selipsky Navigates AWS Into a Cloudy Future

By Adam Lashinsky · Jun 18, 2022 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Mike Sullivan.

‘I choose to be intentionally paranoid’: Adam Selipsky Navigates AWS Into a Cloudy Future

By Adam Lashinsky · Jun 18, 2022 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Of the five big tech companies that dominate their respective corners of the industry, Amazon is the only one whose headquarters sprout from the soil of a bustling metropolis. There’s no suburban sprawl in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, where a cluster of Amazon office towers is located, along with the company’s distinctive, triple-bulbed... Of the five big tech companies that dominate their respective corners of the industry, Amazon is...