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

Silicon Valley’s Least Favorite Word

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 16, 2016 7:01am PST · 11 comments

This week I was reminded of a topic that makes Silicon Valley cringe more than Donald Trump. Sadly, it is diversity. Our annual “Future List” showed that about 89% of investment decision-makers at the top 72 VC firms were male and 75% were white. The number of women rose by 17 to 62—in part because we added a few firms to the... This week I was reminded of a topic that makes Silicon Valley cringe more than Donald Trump....

An attendee at a convention trying out NextVR software on a Gear VR headset. Photo by Flickr/eVRydayVR.

Why Chinese Lifeblood for VR Could Slow

By Tom Dotan and Cory Weinberg · Dec 15, 2016 1:11pm PST

For startups in the virtual reality sector, Chinese media and tech companies have been one of their biggest sources of capital lately. But that reality may soon change.Disappointing sales of VR headsets in the U.S. and the possibility of new Chinese government restrictions on foreign investments may cause these Chinese investors to pull back... For startups in the virtual reality sector, Chinese media and tech companies have been one of...

Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence

Why Tech Stocks Missed Out on the ‘Bounce’

By Cory Weinberg and Peter Schulz · Dec 15, 2016 7:02am PST

In Wednesday's meeting with tech leaders, President-Elect Donald Trump bragged that his election had given the stock market a “bounce.” It was the wrong audience for the remark.While the S&P 500 is up 6% since the election, tech stocks have generally not done as well. Some are up a little—Apple is up around 4% while... In Wednesday's meeting with tech leaders, President-Elect Donald Trump bragged that his...

Despite More Women, VCs Still Mostly White Men

By The Information Staff · Dec 14, 2016 6:40am PST · 6 comments

Despite More Women, VCs Still Mostly White Men

By The Information Staff · Dec 14, 2016 6:40am PST · 6 comments

Ethnic and gender diversity among senior ranks of the top venture capital firms improved—barely—in the past 12 months. The VC industry remains overwhelmingly male and white.That’s according to the results of a study conducted by The Information and Social Capital, a VC firm, updating a report we published in October of last... Ethnic and gender diversity among senior ranks of the top venture capital firms...

Social Capital Founder & CEO Chamath Palihapitiya. Photo by Bloomberg.

Subscriber Op-Ed

The Sunk Cost Fallacy and the Future of Silicon Valley

By Chamath Palihapitiya · Dec 14, 2016 6:38am PST · 10 comments

Last year, we released the inaugural Future List, a new way of thinking about the durability of the venture industry, along with an op-ed arguing that we need to change our behavioral biases to prioritize solving hard problems. Why? Because without solutions to hard problems, a growing disparity in economic and social opportunity will compound... Last year, we released the inaugural Future List, a new way of thinking about the durability of...

Waymo CEO John Krafcik. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google’s Car Diaspora

By Amir Efrati · Dec 13, 2016 9:53am PST · 2 comments

At least a dozen senior members of the Google autonomous car team have departed in the past year, most of them to Uber and to a self-driving car startup that’s right next door to Google’s campus in Mountain View. (Scroll down for the list.) The unit, which Alphabet said on Tuesday would become its own division called... At least a dozen senior members of the Google autonomous car team have departed in the past year,...

A Microsoft employee demonstrating the HoloLens at a developer conference in March. Photo by Bloomberg.

Why Augmented Reality Is So Hard

By Reed Albergotti · Dec 13, 2016 7:01am PST · 8 comments

When I set out to dig into the augmented reality industry and one of its biggest players, Magic Leap, I didn’t realize how far the technology had come. I didn’t realize the extent of the challenges either. Head-worn, battery-powered computers can combine fake images with the real world. I’ve shot laser guns at flying robots... When I set out to dig into the augmented reality industry and one of its biggest players, Magic...

A Google self-driving car on the road in Mountain View, Calif. Photo by Amir Efrati.

Google Scaled Back Self-Driving Car Ambitions

By Amir Efrati · Dec 12, 2016 5:01pm PST · 1 comment

A Google self-driving car on the road in Mountain View, Calif. Photo by Amir Efrati.

Google Scaled Back Self-Driving Car Ambitions

By Amir Efrati · Dec 12, 2016 5:01pm PST · 1 comment

Alphabet has backed off plans to develop a revolutionary car without a steering wheel or pedals, at least for now, according to people close to the closely-watched project. Instead, the self-driving car pioneer has settled on a more practical effort to partner with automakers to make a vehicle that drives itself but has traditional features for... Alphabet has backed off plans to develop a revolutionary car without a steering wheel or pedals,...

DocuSign Chairman and CEO Keith Krach. Photo by Bloomberg.

Mutual Funds Sell Airbnb, DocuSign Shares

By Alfred Lee · Dec 12, 2016 12:12pm PST

Mutual funds sold shares in Airbnb, DocuSign and Palantir over the past nine months, at prices below the companies’ most recent valuations, securities filings show. The sales may be a sign that the funds are cooling on some investments after rushing into the sector in previous years.It also challenges the idea that mutual funds buying into... Mutual funds sold shares in Airbnb, DocuSign and Palantir over the past nine months, at prices...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo by Bloomberg.

Brian Chesky’s Big Gamble

By Cory Weinberg · Dec 12, 2016 7:00am PST · 4 comments

Last month, Airbnb launched its second act, called Trips. The service—unveiled on the stage of an ornate Los Angeles theater hosting the startup’s annual festival—is designed to capture the three-quarters of traveler dollars that don’t go to lodging.A dive into Trips, an effort to make money from all travel services,... Last month, Airbnb launched its second act, called Trips. The service—unveiled on the stage...

The Weekly Digest

The Information You Missed This Week

By The Information Staff · Dec 10, 2016 8:01am PST

Good Morning! If you’re reading this on an iPhone 6S, read it quickly. It could shut down any minute. Good Morning! If you’re reading this on an iPhone 6S, read it quickly. It could shut...

The Information’s 411 — A Magic Leap

By Tom Dotan · Dec 9, 2016 7:57am PST · 2 comments

The Information’s 411 — A Magic Leap

By Tom Dotan · Dec 9, 2016 7:57am PST · 2 comments

Reed discusses his investigative look at mixed reality startup Magic Leap and explains why it's worth being skeptical about the company's chances, despite all the funding. Reed discusses his investigative look at mixed reality startup Magic Leap and explains why...

The Private Tech M&A Boom that Wasn’t

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 9, 2016 7:01am PST · 1 comment

For those waiting for a big wave of venture-backed M&A exits, 2016 wasn’t the year and it is unclear 2017 will be either. It was a very strong year for global tech M&A, with deals like SoftBank’s $32 billion purchase of ARM and Microsoft’s $26 billion deal for LinkedIn, which closed this week. When measured by dollar... For those waiting for a big wave of venture-backed M&A exits, 2016 wasn’t the year and...

Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Reality Behind Magic Leap

By Reed Albergotti · Dec 8, 2016 2:46pm PST · 10 comments

Plantation, Florida—In a massive, nondescript office complex far from the hustle of Silicon Valley, Magic Leap has become one of the hottest companies in the world of “mixed reality,” creating a headset that shows people images overlaid against the real world—like a cartoon-like firefly that controls a real-life lamp by... Plantation, Florida—In a massive, nondescript office complex far from the hustle of Silicon...

Snap Chief Strategy Officer Imran Khan. Photo by Bloomberg.

Snap’s Advertising Dilemma

By Tom Dotan · Dec 8, 2016 7:01am PST · 3 comments

Going into 2016, Snap executives set a high bar for themselves in trying to pull in around $300 million in revenue—many times last year’s number. With the year nearly over, Snap has far exceeded that target, according to multiple people close to the company, and going into 2017 has again set an aggressive goal of $1 billion.Next year... Going into 2016, Snap executives set a high bar for themselves in trying to pull in around $300...

Hike founder Kavin Mittal. Photo by Abhishek Bali/Hike.

India’s Shadow Messenger

By Amir Efrati · Dec 7, 2016 10:01am PST · 2 comments

Hike founder Kavin Mittal. Photo by Abhishek Bali/Hike.

Q&A

India’s Shadow Messenger

By Amir Efrati · Dec 7, 2016 10:01am PST · 2 comments

Tencent tried, and failed, to adapt its WeChat messaging app to India. So it did the next best thing, leading a $175 million financing of the homegrown messenger app Hike at a post money valuation of $1.4 billion. Tencent sees Hike as the best way to participate in the future growth of the Indian web, even if it’s in the shadow of market... Tencent tried, and failed, to adapt its WeChat messaging app to India. So it did the next best...

Apple's senior vp for software engineering, Craig Federighi, at the WWDC in June. Photo by Bloomberg.

Slow Uptake for Apple’s Deep Learning Tools

By Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 7, 2016 7:01am PST · 4 comments

When Apple unveiled iOS 10 this past summer, the company made a big deal of how it was baking artificial intelligence into the operating system. Among the changes were features that make it easier for developers to create apps that can recognize the content of images and understand natural language, powered by deep learning software. It... When Apple unveiled iOS 10 this past summer, the company made a big deal of how it was baking...

Source: Slice Intelligence

Apple Grabs Wearables Lead with Holiday Sales

By Cory Weinberg and Peter Schulz · Dec 6, 2016 7:02am PST · 2 comments

For all the skepticism about the Apple Watch’s prospects, the new version appears to be selling better than the first one. Apple raked in nearly half of the revenue generated online in the U.S. wearables market in the monthlong lead-up to Cyber Monday, new data shows, a big increase on last year. Meanwhile, Fitbit lost ground—and the... For all the skepticism about the Apple Watch’s prospects, the new version appears to be...

Didi President Jean Liu. Photo by Bloomberg.

Didi’s IPO Hurdles: Profits and Regulations

By Shai Oster and Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 6, 2016 7:00am PST · 2 comments

After acquiring its biggest rival, Uber China, Didi Chuxing is relatively free to run away with the largest ride-sharing market in the world. But the company, valued at $34 billion in a recent financing, is working through big challenges on both the regulatory and business fronts. It must clear both if it is to pull off a successful IPO in the... After acquiring its biggest rival, Uber China, Didi Chuxing is relatively free to run away with...

Art by Sam Lessin.

Free Speech and Democracy in the Age of Micro-Targeting

By Sam Lessin · Dec 5, 2016 10:01am PST · 10 comments

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Free Speech and Democracy in the Age of Micro-Targeting

By Sam Lessin · Dec 5, 2016 10:01am PST · 10 comments

For many centuries philosophers, political scientists and lawyers have taken for granted that there is a reasonably clear distinction between the public and private spheres and the nature of “speech” in each space.The private sphere—i.e., speaking with friends in your home—was a sphere of very limited audience and... For many centuries philosophers, political scientists and lawyers have taken for granted that...