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

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Recent Editions

Source: Fiksu

Cost of App Install Ads Soars On and Off Facebook

By Tom Dotan and Peter Schulz · Sep 22, 2015 7:06am PDT

The cost of buying app install ads on social media sites, particularly Facebook, has soared in the past 12 months. But the price of app install ads is rising nearly as fast when bought through automated systems like the one run by Fiksu, new data shows.Since the summer of last year, median prices for app install ads on social sites got as high... The cost of buying app install ads on social media sites, particularly Facebook, has soared in...

Uber CTO Thuan Pham. Photo courtesy of Uber.

Inside Uber’s Engineering Struggles

By Amir Efrati · Sep 21, 2015 7:06am PDT · 2 comments

May 13 was one of Uber’s darkest days. The computer system used by its business-operations employees ground to a halt, for the whole day. The cause: a bug in one of Uber’s databases, which set off a chain reaction that took down other systems and was made worse by human errors in response to the cascading problems, according to... May 13 was one of Uber’s darkest days. The computer system used by its business-operations...

The Information You Missed

By The Information Staff · Sep 19, 2015 8:06am PDT

Good Morning!What a strange week. The fashionistas swarmed New York for Fashion Week while the techies descended upon San Francisco for Dreamforce. Now, we're heading to NY for two subscriber events in the Big Apple this week. Look for recaps, and we're very excited to see everyone planning to attend. Good Morning!What a strange week. The fashionistas swarmed New York for Fashion Week while the...

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Flickr/TechCrunch.

Snapchat Fires Chief Talent Officer

By Amir Efrati and Tom Dotan · Sep 18, 2015 5:30pm PDT · 4 comments

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Flickr/TechCrunch.

Snapchat Fires Chief Talent Officer

By Amir Efrati and Tom Dotan · Sep 18, 2015 5:30pm PDT · 4 comments

Snapchat has fired its Chief Talent Officer, Simmi Singh, just seven months after she joined, according to a person familiar with the matter.Snapchat confirmed Ms. Singh had departed but declined to comment further. Snapchat has fired its Chief Talent Officer, Simmi Singh, just seven months after she joined,...

The Information's 411

The Information’s 411 — Some Dreamers of the Dreamforce Dream

By Tom Dotan · Sep 18, 2015 10:50am PDT

As anyone who’s seen the masses of crumpled suits and skewed lanyards wandering through the streets of San Francisco this week can attest, another Dreamforce is winding down.As the last tarp on the circus tent comes down, Stephen Nellis makes his first appearance on the podcast to talk about what he learned about the future of Salesforce.... As anyone who’s seen the masses of crumpled suits and skewed lanyards wandering through the...

Lyft co-founder and CEO Logan Green. Photo by Bloomberg.

Ride-Sharing’s Tempestuous Teens

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 18, 2015 7:44am PDT

Don't let the escalating Uber-Lyft-Didi Kuaidi battle make you think otherwise. Ride-sharing is very much in its adolescent years. The current state of play—companies dominating specific markets—seems set, but it’s delicate. The status quo is being propped up by sloshing of loose capital that’s fueling a race for... Don't let the escalating Uber-Lyft-Didi Kuaidi battle make you think otherwise. Ride-sharing...

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, left, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, middle, at Dreamforce on Wednesday. Photo by Bloomberg.

Risks in Salesforce’s Reliance on Outside Tech

By Steve Nellis · Sep 17, 2015 3:00pm PDT

Salesforce.com has long relied on technology from others, including its competitors, to power its subscription sales software and app-building platforms. But given its stated ambition to overtake SAP as the third biggest software firm in the world, its reliance on others represents major risks.This issue came to the surface again at... Salesforce.com has long relied on technology from others, including its competitors, to power its...

Apple's senior vp for worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller. Photo by Bloomberg.

How Apple’s Payment Plan Affects Revenue

By Alfred Lee · Sep 17, 2015 7:06am PDT

Apple's senior vp for worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller. Photo by Bloomberg.

How Apple’s Payment Plan Affects Revenue

By Alfred Lee · Sep 17, 2015 7:06am PDT

Since Apple unveiled its monthly payment plan for iPhones, the consensus on Wall Street is that it could help sustain strong sales of the high-priced devices. On the flip side: Apple may be required to defer into the future some of the revenue it receives from phones sold under the plan instead of recognizing it all upfront, according to several... Since Apple unveiled its monthly payment plan for iPhones, the consensus on Wall Street is that...

Photo by Flickr/Yusuke Kawasaki. Data based on WeWork projections obtained by The Information, prepared on a per-square foot basis. Art by Myk Klemme.

Keeping a Lid on Labor Costs: WeWork’s Example

By Alfred Lee · Sep 16, 2015 7:06am PDT

One of the biggest questions hanging over tech is how fast-growing companies manage their labor costs. This is an acute issue in the on-demand world, where labor is a major portion of costs. Uber, for instance, has fought legal battles over whether its drivers are employees or independent contractors. Lyft has faced similar pressures.Then... One of the biggest questions hanging over tech is how fast-growing companies manage their labor...

Source: CB Insights

The Make-Or-Break Series C

By Steve Nellis and Peter Schulz · Sep 15, 2015 10:03am PDT

When Uber raised its Series C round in 2013, its value soared by 10 times, from about $347 million to $3.5 billion. But companies that raised C rounds after Uber also experienced sharp increases in valuation, suggesting the Uber round reset valuation levels broadly.The Information asked CB Insights for historical fundraising and valuation data... When Uber raised its Series C round in 2013, its value soared by 10 times, from about $347...

Eddy Cue. Photo by Bloomberg.

Apple Unifies Cloud Services Platform Amid Open-Source Push

By Amir Efrati · Sep 15, 2015 7:15am PDT

Like other tech companies that run Web services, Apple has long relied on open source software. But unlike most others, Apple has largely done so secretly, hampering its hiring and causing other problems. Now some within Apple are hoping that is going to change.The tech firm is developing a technology platform that can power all of its Web... Like other tech companies that run Web services, Apple has long relied on open source software....

Art by Sam Lessin.

Paying Up Front is a Legacy Concept

By Sam Lessin · Sep 14, 2015 10:06am PDT · 6 comments

Art by Sam Lessin.

Modest Proposals

Paying Up Front is a Legacy Concept

By Sam Lessin · Sep 14, 2015 10:06am PDT · 6 comments

Last week Apple announced that they were taking a step towards a subscription model around the iPhone. Rather than paying upfront for the hardware, you pay each month and get access to iPhone as a product — effectively whatever is the ‘best’ version of the product at any given moment.This is thematically quite consistent... Last week Apple announced that they were taking a step towards a subscription model around the...

Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Flickr/TechCrunch.

Snapchat Faces Rivals for Ad Dollars: Social Media Stars

By Tom Dotan · Sep 14, 2015 7:05am PDT

Snapchat’s plans to grow its revenue and build advertiser relationships are running into an interesting conundrum: social media stars. Dozens of content creators with huge followings have flocked to Snapchat from other social media apps, posing competition to Snapchat’s ad ambitions.These so-called influencers, names like Shaun... Snapchat’s plans to grow its revenue and build advertiser relationships are running into an...

The Information You Missed

By The Information Staff · Sep 12, 2015 8:06am PDT

Good Morning! This week we unveiled details of the speaker lineup at our upcoming inaugural Subscriber Summit. Here’s Jessica’s story in case you missed it. Good Morning! This week we unveiled details of the speaker lineup at our upcoming inaugural...

Art by Myk Klemme

The Information's 411

The Information’s 411 – Jawbone, Off the Record

By Tom Dotan · Sep 11, 2015 2:14pm PDT

On this seasonably, yet still surprisingly warm week in San Francisco, we went long on two stories. They both happen to touch on similar topics about the process of reporting while dealing with sources and companies on and off the record.The first was a debate—a polite discussion, really—between Jessica and Frank Shaw, who heads up... On this seasonably, yet still surprisingly warm week in San Francisco, we went long on two...

Apple Is In the Grey

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 11, 2015 8:06am PDT · 1 comment

Apple Is In the Grey

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 11, 2015 8:06am PDT · 1 comment

The media coverage of big Apple events is almost as entertaining as the events themselves, and this week’s iPad-AppleTV-iPhone bonanza was no different. Within hours, reporters and analysts had declared the two hour and 20 minute pitch fest everything from the most spectacular press event in years to a snooze. The truth is it was... The media coverage of big Apple events is almost as entertaining as the events themselves, and...

Announcing our Summit Lineup and Co-Hosts

By Jessica E. Lessin · Sep 10, 2015 9:08am PDT

When we told you we were planning our Inaugural Subscriber Summit about the private tech markets, we knew the topic would be interesting and timely.We had no idea.I am thrilled to announce that our first Subscriber Summit will be October 8 in San Francisco, and more details about the program and tickets are now available at... When we told you we were planning our Inaugural Subscriber Summit about the private tech...

Photo by Flickr/Lucas Hayas

Option Games: Common Stock Values Get Murkier

By Alfred Lee · Sep 10, 2015 7:06am PDT · 2 comments

Valuing common stock has gotten trickier for startups.The growing number and complexity of rights on preferred shares are causing companies to adjust their reasoning around how much their common stock is worth, according to firms providing the valuations and lawyers overseeing them. But companies still have a lot of discretion, a reminder that... Valuing common stock has gotten trickier for startups.The growing number and complexity of rights...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Photo by Bloomberg.

When iPhones Seem Pricier

By Martin Peers · Sep 9, 2015 9:06am PDT · 1 comment

Today’s Apple event will show off a new iPhone offering lots of glitzy new features, sure to attract the usual deluge of media attention. But anyone trying to figure out how the iPhone will sell in the future should focus less on these features and more on cellular carriers’ pricing.In the past two years, the major carriers have... Today’s Apple event will show off a new iPhone offering lots of glitzy new features, sure...

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Photo by Bloomberg.

Salesforce Analytics Chief Stepping Aside

By Steve Nellis · Sep 9, 2015 7:06am PDT

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. Photo by Bloomberg.

Salesforce Analytics Chief Stepping Aside

By Steve Nellis · Sep 9, 2015 7:06am PDT

Keith Bigelow, a Salesforce.com executive who was hired from archrival SAP to oversee the launch of an ambitious new line of analytics software, is stepping down from the role, Salesforce said.Mr. Bigelow runs Salesforce’s so-called analytics cloud. Its flagship product is Wave, the tool for slicing and dicing raw data into useful reports... Keith Bigelow, a Salesforce.com executive who was hired from archrival SAP to oversee the launch...