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

Illustration by Danielle Davis.

The Latest Trend in EdTech: Dungeons & Dragons Academies

By Mary Pilon · Feb 12, 2022 5:00am PST · 1 comment

Live from his home dungeon in Orem, Utah, Dax Levine called class into session one recent Wednesday evening. “People pay me to find creative ways to murder them,” he told the 10 students who had logged into Zoom. They were there to engage in the night’s lecture on “Conflict-Driven Characters,” just one of the courses offered at Levine’s... Live from his home dungeon in Orem, Utah, Dax Levine called class into session one recent...

Zendesk's San Francisco headquarters. Photo by Bloomberg.

Lessons in Takeover Strategy: Zendesk-Momentive Edition

By Martin Peers · Feb 11, 2022 5:00pm PST

If there’s a next season of “Billions,” the writers may want to pivot to the enterprise software world, focusing on what has to be the most drama-laden takeover deal in recent memory. That would be Zendesk’s bid to buy Momentive Global, the company formerly known as SurveyMonkey. This software soap opera hasn’t received a lot of mainstream media... If there’s a next season of “Billions,” the writers may want to pivot to the enterprise software...

Art by Haejin Park.

Crypto’s Town Square Has Become “a Scammer’s Paradise.” Why Isn’t Discord Doing More to Clean It Up?

By Margaux MacColl · Feb 11, 2022 1:00pm PST · 3 comments

Kat Heart’s home was on fire. It was July 2021 and Heart, a part-time outdoor education instructor, was 3,000 miles away in White Plains, N.Y., teaching children how to forage for food and survive bear encounters. Meanwhile, an electrical flame crawled up the walls of her duplex in Arlington, Wash., collapsing the roof and destroying almost... Kat Heart’s home was on fire. It was July 2021 and Heart, a part-time outdoor education...

Erich Schwartzel courtesy of Penguin Randomhouse.

Erich Schwartzel’s “Red Carpet” Reveals How Beijing Used Hollywood as a Tool of Chinese Soft Power

By Jillian Goodman · Feb 11, 2022 12:00pm PST · 2 comments

Erich Schwartzel courtesy of Penguin Randomhouse.

Erich Schwartzel’s “Red Carpet” Reveals How Beijing Used Hollywood as a Tool of Chinese Soft Power

By Jillian Goodman · Feb 11, 2022 12:00pm PST · 2 comments

This is 10 Questions, a new column in which we ask tech authors to pull back the covers on their recently released books. Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. There are two important things to understand about China’s relationship with Hollywood, according to Erich Schwartzel, author of “Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the... This is 10 Questions, a new column in which we ask tech authors to pull back the covers on their...

Art by Haejin Park. Photo courtesy Hilary Coles.

The Founder Who Went Up a Mountain in Nepal and Came Down a Better Leader

By Annie Goldsmith · Feb 11, 2022 12:00pm PST · 1 comment

In our new column, My Life’s Work, we ask tech founders and executives how their unique life experiences influenced their careers. Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity. When Hilary Coles co-founded Hims in 2017, the company focused on two key areas: men’s hair loss and erectile dysfunction, offering telehealth solutions and... In our new column, My Life’s Work, we ask tech founders and executives how their unique life...

Photo by AP

Tom Brady’s Media Company Looks to Raise $50 Million as Demand for Sports Content Surges

By Jessica Toonkel · Feb 11, 2022 10:23am PST

Superstar quarterback Tom Brady is freshly retired from football, but he’s got plenty else to keep him busy. His production company, Religion of Sports, is looking to raise around $50 million, according to people familiar with the situation. Such a deal would value the four-year-old company, co-founded by Brady, former NFL star Michael... Superstar quarterback Tom Brady is freshly retired from football, but he’s got plenty else...

From left, Alibaba co-founder Trudy Dai, CEO Daniel Zhang, and co-founder Jack Ma. Photos by AP; Bloomberg. Art by Mike Sullivan

Jack Ma’s Alibaba Heir Faces Growing Doubts

By Juro Osawa · Feb 11, 2022 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Alibaba and its CEO, Daniel Zhang, face what could be a year of reckoning. The share price of the company, sometimes referred to as the Chinese equivalent of Amazon, plummeted over the past year under the onslaught of aggressive regulators and competitors it had overlooked, eroding morale. And chatter in the cafeteria of Alibaba’s... Alibaba and its CEO, Daniel Zhang, face what could be a year of reckoning. The share price of the...

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Photo: Bloomberg

Binance the SPAC Savior; What Happens if Salesforce Joins the NFT Fray

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 10, 2022 5:52pm PST

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Photo: Bloomberg

Binance the SPAC Savior; What Happens if Salesforce Joins the NFT Fray

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 10, 2022 5:52pm PST

Over the last six months, we’ve grown accustomed to crypto trading firms shelling out big bucks for the naming rights to stadiums, sports team sponsorships and Super Bowl ads. So perhaps it was only a matter of time before these cash-flush firms did one better and bought stakes in iconic U.S. companies. That’s the cleanest explanation for... Over the last six months, we’ve grown accustomed to crypto trading firms shelling out big bucks...

Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. Photo by Bloomberg

Binance Blesses Forbes’ SPAC Deal

By Martin Peers · Feb 10, 2022 5:00pm PST

When it comes to weaving a fun story, it’s tough to beat the news media. That’s why we’re skeptical of the explanation crypto exchange Binance is giving for its $200 million investment in Forbes. This is likely less about Binance helping Forbes adapt to Web3 and more about saving Forbes’ SPAC deal from a BuzzFeed-like embarrassment.Let’s... When it comes to weaving a fun story, it’s tough to beat the news media. That’s why we’re...

Matt Koval, a long-time YouTube employee and creator, is joining startup Mighty Networks. Photo: Matt Koval

Creator Economy

YouTube’s Matt Koval Joins Mighty Networks; Twitter CEO on Creator Priorities

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 10, 2022 2:32pm PST

Matt Koval has spent a lot of time thinking about how to be successful as a creator: He started making YouTube videos in 2008 and about four years later became an employee for the video-sharing site. That tenure, which ends March 1 when he joins startup Mighty Networks, gave him a window into a big challenge facing many creators: how to turn... Matt Koval has spent a lot of time thinking about how to be successful as a creator: He started...

Meta Chief Business Officer Marne Levine.

Women in Tech Leadership Forum

Meta’s Ads Chief: Transition to Metaverse, Reels Will Pay Off

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Feb 10, 2022 1:32pm PST · 1 comment

Marne Levine, chief business officer at Facebook owner Meta Platforms, said the company is in a period of “transition” similar to its difficult shift a decade ago from desktop apps to mobile apps where ads were unproven. “We’re making significant investments in big bets that will pay off in the long term,” she said... Marne Levine, chief business officer at Facebook owner Meta Platforms, said the company is in a...

A plaza in Decentraland, where Samsung has opened a virtual store called 837X. Credit: Decentraland Foundation.

Samsung’s Latest AR Moves; Microsoft’s Potent App Store Promises

By Mathew Olson · Feb 10, 2022 11:00am PST

A plaza in Decentraland, where Samsung has opened a virtual store called 837X. Credit: Decentraland Foundation.

Samsung’s Latest AR Moves; Microsoft’s Potent App Store Promises

By Mathew Olson · Feb 10, 2022 11:00am PST

Gadget hounds more or less knew what to expect from Samsung’s first big event of the year yesterday: new phones and tablets under the Galaxy brand. Compared to Apple and even Google with its refresh of the Pixel phone last year, Samsung isn’t pitching its phones on the merits of AR all that hard—but that doesn’t mean the company’s interest in... Gadget hounds more or less knew what to expect from Samsung’s first big event of the year...

LinkedIn Chief People Officer, Teuila Hanson

Women in Tech Leadership Forum

LinkedIn: More ‘Boomerang’ Employees Are Returning to the Social Network

By Sarah Krouse · Feb 10, 2022 10:55am PST · 1 comment

LinkedIn hasn’t been immune from the pandemic-spurred exodus of workers. Lately, however, it has seen a new trend: Employees who left over the last two years are returning, Chief People Officer Teuila Hanson said in an interview. Since early September, 145 employees who left the company have come back as “boomerangs,” she said... LinkedIn hasn’t been immune from the pandemic-spurred exodus of workers. Lately, however,...

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Photo by Bloomberg.

Spotify’s Finances Show Why Music Streaming Is a Terrible Business

By Martin Peers · Feb 10, 2022 8:45am PST · 6 comments

Investors have slowly awakened to the realization that video streaming, as exemplified by Netflix, is a high-cost venture with lots of competition and no guarantee of a cash payoff. The economics of music streaming, though, are even worse. Just look at Spotify. It’s no secret that music companies take most of the money Spotify collects.... Investors have slowly awakened to the realization that video streaming, as exemplified by...

Apple ad announcing new privacy options for blocking mobile ad tracking.

Ad Tech Startup Branch Raises $300 Million as Sector Survives Apple Crackdown

By Sarah Krouse · Feb 10, 2022 6:00am PST

When Apple launched a sweeping iPhone privacy change last year, it spelled trouble for the entire online ad industry, including companies that help advertisers and app developers measure whether mobile ads prompted consumers to make purchases. Facebook owner Meta Platforms and other ad sellers took a hit, but the intermediaries that measure... When Apple launched a sweeping iPhone privacy change last year, it spelled trouble for the entire...

KKR offices in London. Photo: Bloomberg

KKR Shows Private Equity’s Crypto Cravings; Dune Analytics Opens Window on Blockchain Data

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 9, 2022 5:45pm PST

KKR offices in London. Photo: Bloomberg

KKR Shows Private Equity’s Crypto Cravings; Dune Analytics Opens Window on Blockchain Data

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 9, 2022 5:45pm PST

Private equity has its sights set on crypto. The latest: KKR is considering an investment in Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based gaming company building metaverse products with blockchain, according to a Bloomberg report. The investment is said to value the company at over $5 billion.This story may sound familiar. In November, The Information... Private equity has its sights set on crypto. The latest: KKR is considering an investment in ...

Join the Special Forces of Tech Journalism

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 9, 2022 5:05pm PST

Tech companies are the most powerful companies in the world. They are run by some of the most powerful people in the world. And most of what they do remains hidden in the shadows, obscured by complex processes and maneuvers. Here at The Information, we know technology. No organization has more expertise covering its power. We also know that... Tech companies are the most powerful companies in the world. They are run by some of the most...

Disney CEO Bob Chapek. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Risks of Disney’s Quick Fix for Subscriber Growth

By Martin Peers · Feb 9, 2022 5:00pm PST

Disney has figured out an ingenious way to jump-start its streaming subscriber growth—give people less of a choice! Since late December, Disney has automatically included Disney+ and ESPN+ in one of its Hulu offerings, at a slightly higher price than it previously charged, we learned today. Ingenious! It’s a reminder that the customer-unfriendly... Disney has figured out an ingenious way to jump-start its streaming subscriber growth—give people...

Former Twitch executive and creator Marcus Graham. Photo: Courtesy Marcus Graham

Creator Economy

The Tech Employees Who Are Also Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 9, 2022 2:00pm PST

This morning we published a feature on what you might call a side-hustle side effect: more workers at social networks that support creators are creators themselves. I spoke with former employees at companies like TikTok and Twitch, plus executives at creator-focused platforms Patreon and Cameo, about how both employees and companies are... This morning we published a feature on what you might call a side-hustle side effect: more...

One of the "calm" visual settings available in the Tripp VR app's composer tool. Credit: Tripp.

Finding Meditation’s Place in the Metaverse; Snap’s Spending Money

By Mathew Olson · Feb 9, 2022 11:00am PST · 1 comment

One of the "calm" visual settings available in the Tripp VR app's composer tool. Credit: Tripp.

Finding Meditation’s Place in the Metaverse; Snap’s Spending Money

By Mathew Olson · Feb 9, 2022 11:00am PST · 1 comment

When Facebook bought Oculus, fitness was not a VR category people had high hopes for. But it now appears that all VR needed to make exercise apps an attractive business was wireless headsets. Could meditation be on a similar path?There’s certainly reasons to think so. Indeed, VR is already key to mindfulness or spirituality for some. There’s the... When Facebook bought Oculus, fitness was not a VR category people had high hopes for. But it now...