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Below is a collection of every Profile article by The Information.
LionTree's Aryeh Bourkoff. Photo by Bloomberg.
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Bourkoff Is Star Media Dealmaker, but Can He Make Shift to Tech?

By Jessica Toonkel · Sep 23, 2020 6:01am PDT · 3 comments
Aryeh Bourkoff hates wasting time. Rather than checking his overcoat when he goes out to lunch during New York’s frigid winters, the investment banker sometimes asks his assistant to walk with him to the restaurant so she can take his coat with her back to the office. When it is time for him to leave, he summons her to bring it back, say... Aryeh Bourkoff hates wasting time. Rather than checking his overcoat when he goes out to lunch...
Uber's SVP of business, Emil Michael. Photo by Bloomberg.
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The Man Who Has Travis Kalanick’s Ear

By Amir Efrati · Apr 4, 2017 10:31am PDT
As Uber CEO Travis Kalanick tries to save his company’s reputation, he is again leaning heavily on his most indispensable executive: Emil Michael. Mr. Michael, who has run business development, fundraising and acquisitions at Uber since 2013, is Mr. Kalanick’s closest confidant and has been his go-between with everyone from frenemies... As Uber CEO Travis Kalanick tries to save his company’s reputation, he is again leaning...
Art by Matt Vascellaro.
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Billionaire’s Grandson Now a Private Tech Broker

By Alfred Lee · Jan 12, 2017 7:01am PST · 1 comment
When Zenefits was raising its series C round early in 2015, one of the investors invited to participate was Los Angeles-based Alex Davis and his firm Disruptive Technology Advisers. Investors can take months before pulling the trigger on such a deal. But Mr. Davis took just 48 hours after meeting with Zenefits management to deliver cash on... When Zenefits was raising its series C round early in 2015, one of the investors invited to...
Guo Wei. Art by Matt Vascellaro.
The New Wave of Chinese Investors in Silicon Valley
By Yunan Zhang · Nov 29, 2016 11:59am PST · 4 comments
Guo Wei. Art by Matt Vascellaro.
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The New Wave of Chinese Investors in Silicon Valley

By Yunan Zhang · Nov 29, 2016 11:59am PST · 4 comments
Guo Wei, 29, arrives for a meeting at a Union Square coffee shop in San Francisco dressed in an unassuming plain T-shirt, loose sweatpants and a backpack. The only nod to the fact that he’s a minor celebrity in tech circles back home in China is a pair of dark sunglasses.Yet, he’s among a new wave of young upstart Chinese investors... Guo Wei, 29, arrives for a meeting at a Union Square coffee shop in San Francisco dressed in an...
Art by Matt Vascellaro.
Profile

The Googler in the Trenches of the Ad-Blocking War

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 8, 2016 7:02am PST · 8 comments
Scott Spencer isn’t a recognizable name in the consumer tech industry, but he’s one of the executives most likely to shape the future of advertising across the web.The veteran Googler is dead center in the battle between publishers and website visitors over ad blocking. Millions of people are using ad-blocking software, a response to... Scott Spencer isn’t a recognizable name in the consumer tech industry, but he’s one...
Uber's growth chief Ed Baker and his viral growth formula. Art by Matt Vascellaro.
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The Man Driving Growth at Uber

By Amir Efrati · Oct 17, 2016 7:00am PDT · 1 comment
Last winter and spring, two teams of Uber executives faced off over the company’s strategy in China—specifically, how to attract more drivers than Didi Chuxing, the local leader in on-demand rides. One side was led by Uber’s finance chief Gautam Gupta, which wanted to keep on matching or beating Didi’s financial bonuses... Last winter and spring, two teams of Uber executives faced off over the company’s strategy...
Brian Sumner, a software engineer inside Apple's Titan car unit, speaks about his work during the MesosCon convention last year. Photo by Harrison Roberts.
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At Apple, the Sumner Boys Help Build a Car

By Amir Efrati · Jul 21, 2016 7:01am PDT · 1 comment
In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice assistant for the iPhone that was still under wraps, the team was struggling to recruit engineers. So after his first months there went well, Mr. Sumner suggested to Siri’s leaders that they hire his brother, Kevin, another infrastructure engineer.... In early 2011, when software engineer Brian Sumner joined Apple to work on Siri, a voice...
Illustration by Jeff Greco. Photo by Flickr/TechCrunch.
Evanescence: How Snapchat’s CEO is Shaping His Empire
By Tom Dotan · May 26, 2015 7:01am PDT · 1 comment
Illustration by Jeff Greco. Photo by Flickr/TechCrunch.
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Evanescence: How Snapchat’s CEO is Shaping His Empire

By Tom Dotan · May 26, 2015 7:01am PDT · 1 comment
Evan Spiegel has perfected the art of keeping people guessing about his true nature and ambitions. It’s a fitting accomplishment for the co-founder of Snapchat, who’s building his budding tech empire on the belief that modern communication should be brief, private and fleeting. So far, advertisers and media partners have been willing to look... Evan Spiegel has perfected the art of keeping people guessing about his true nature and...
Google Senior Vice President Sundar Pichai. Photo by Bloomberg.
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At Google, Larry Page Finds His Right-Hand Man

By Amir Efrati · Jun 23, 2014 8:22am PDT · 1 comment
If Larry Page stopped being Google’s CEO today, Sundar Pichai would undoubtedly be his replacement. When Mr. Page tried in vain to convince WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum not to sell the messaging startup to Facebook for $19 billion two months ago, it was Mr. Pichai who accompanied Mr. Page to the high-stakes talks rather than Vic Gundotra, who was in... If Larry Page stopped being Google’s CEO today, Sundar Pichai would undoubtedly be his...
Parse co-founder and Facebook executive Ilya Sukhar. Photo by Bloomberg.
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Behind Facebook’s Mobile Platform, a Driven Young Entrepreneur

By Eric Newcomer · Jun 16, 2014 7:56am PDT
When Facebook purchased the mobile services company Parse for $85 million a little more than a year ago, one key to the deal was convincing the Parse team, led by Ilya Sukhar, that it would be able to stay together and keep building its business within Facebook. Mr. Sukhar, a mobile programming prodigy, had already rejected offers from... When Facebook purchased the mobile services company Parse for $85 million a little more than a...
Apple software boss Craig Federighi and his field marshall. Illustration by Matthew Vascellaro.
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Apple's Software Taskmaster Faces Tough Test

By Jessica E. Lessin · Apr 22, 2014 11:10am PDT
At Apple, it’s the time of year when software engineers race to finalize the features that will make it into the latest version of the iPhone software. That means it’s crunch time for Kim Vorrath. Ms. Vorrath, who has been at Apple since 1987, has hardly any public profile. But internally, she’s well-known as the... At Apple, it’s the time of year when software engineers race to finalize the features that...
Credit: Matt Vascellaro
Supply Chain Guru Emerges as a Valley Mr. Fixit
By Katie Benner · Mar 10, 2014 9:30am PDT
Credit: Matt Vascellaro
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Supply Chain Guru Emerges as a Valley Mr. Fixit

By Katie Benner · Mar 10, 2014 9:30am PDT
As an investor and board member at GoPro, the camera-maker that recently filed for an IPO, Michael Marks has been busy: He brought in his friend Terry Gou, the chief executive of Apple supplier Foxconn, as a key investor, handpicked top managers with expertise in manufacturing and supply chain management and offered operational advice to... As an investor and board member at GoPro, the camera-maker that recently filed for an IPO,...