Q&A

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Beezer Clarkson, managing director at Sapphire Ventures. Photo courtesy of Sapphire Ventures.
Q&A

Next Year’s VC Funds May Be Hit Harder by Covid Recession, Says LP

By Kate Clark · Apr 24, 2020 7:00am PDT
For the people who invest in venture capital funds, the impact of Covid-19 is like watching a “slow-motion plane crash,” Sapphire Ventures managing director Beezer Clarkson said in an interview with The Information. While VCs were still raising strongly in the first quarter, next year will be different. “In 2021, we will see... For the people who invest in venture capital funds, the impact of Covid-19 is like watching a...
Hello Sunshine's Sarah Harden at the world premiere of "The Morning Show". Photo by AP
Q&A

Hello Sunshine CEO Sees ‘New Content Formats’ Emerging From Crisis

By Jessica Toonkel · Apr 23, 2020 12:38pm PDT · 1 comment
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Reese Witherspoon’s philosophy with her AT&T-backed production company Hello Sunshine was to focus on just a handful of quality projects, such as “The Morning Show” for Apple TV Plus and “Little Fires Everywhere” which debuted recently on Hulu. That approach put the four year... Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Reese Witherspoon’s philosophy with her AT&T-backed...
Microsoft’s Ann Johnson. Photo: Microsoft
Q&A

How Microsoft Is Tackling Covid-19 Cybersecurity

By Ashley Gold · Apr 16, 2020 10:26am PDT
The spread of coronavirus has sparked an onslaught of online scams, as cybercriminals prey on people’s skyrocketing stress and unusual work environments. Ann Johnson, who heads Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Solutions Group, which sells cybersecurity products and services to businesses, said she and cybersecurity professionals at other... The spread of coronavirus has sparked an onslaught of online scams, as cybercriminals prey on...
Tim Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg
Former AOL CEO Armstrong Predicts Ad Slump Will Be Worse Than in 2008
By Jessica Toonkel · Apr 1, 2020 12:55pm PDT · 3 comments
Tim Armstrong. Photo by Bloomberg
Q&A

Former AOL CEO Armstrong Predicts Ad Slump Will Be Worse Than in 2008

By Jessica Toonkel · Apr 1, 2020 12:55pm PDT · 3 comments
Former AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, a veteran digital ad executive, predicts the coronavirus will devastate ad spending more severely than either the 2008 financial crisis or the recession that followed Sept. 11.And that is despite the fact that people are spending far more time watching TV and streaming video thanks to the quarantines. “For the... Former AOL CEO Tim Armstrong, a veteran digital ad executive, predicts the coronavirus will...
Larry Ingrassia. Photo by Vicki Ingrassia
Q&A

The Secret to Success in the Direct-to-Consumer Market

By Priya Anand · Jan 24, 2020 7:00am PST · 5 comments
When mattress maker Casper filed paperwork to go public earlier this month, it said it had lost $92 million in 2018 and was on track to lose more than that in 2019. But that’s not how direct-to-consumer startups have to operate, according to the author of a new book on the industry. He says at least two of Casper’s mattress startup... When mattress maker Casper filed paperwork to go public earlier this month, it said it had lost...
Facebook's Michael Abrash at an Oculus event in 2018. Photo by Bloomberg
Q&A

Facebook’s Chief Scientist: Mass Adoption of AR Is Years Away

By Alex Heath · Jan 2, 2020 10:01am PST · 1 comment
Five to 10 years. That’s how long Michael Abrash, chief scientist at Facebook, predicts it will take before augmented reality glasses—which will display digital images and data on wearable devices that people view through—are ready for the masses. Abrash leads Facebook Reality Labs, a Redmond, Washington–based research... Five to 10 years. That’s how long Michael Abrash, chief scientist at Facebook, predicts it...
Silicon Valley Bank's Bob Blee. Photo by Silicon Valley Bank. Art by Jesse Howe
Q&A

Tech Firms and VCs Both Cashed Up, Says Silicon Valley Bank Exec

By Kevin Dugan · Dec 23, 2019 10:01am PST
Tech companies lately have been hoarding cash, at least in part to arm them for potential acquisitions, according to Bob Blee, head of corporate finance at Silicon Valley Bank. At the same time, venture capital firms have plenty of dry powder, which gives them plenty of weaponry for investments.In a wide-ranging interview about the state of... Tech companies lately have been hoarding cash, at least in part to arm them for potential...
Photo: CQ Roll Call via AP Images
Why Libra Worries This Physicist-Turned-Congressman
By Christopher Stern · Nov 26, 2019 11:03am PST · 3 comments
Photo: CQ Roll Call via AP Images
Q&A

Why Libra Worries This Physicist-Turned-Congressman

By Christopher Stern · Nov 26, 2019 11:03am PST · 3 comments
Rep. Bill Foster might be the only member of Congress who writes computer code in his spare time. The holder of a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard, Foster stood out among his fellow representatives during testimony by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last month, with questions that revealed a detailed knowledge of cryptocurrency.The suburban Chicago... Rep. Bill Foster might be the only member of Congress who writes computer code in his spare time....
DAZN Executive Chairman John Skipper.
Q&A

Former ESPN Chief Skipper on the Future of Cable Sports and Role of Streaming

By Jessica Toonkel · Sep 26, 2019 7:01am PDT · 1 comment
ESPN’s former chief John Skipper, now running a global streaming service focused on sports, remains bullish on the future of national cable services like those run by his former employer. But he is pessimistic about regional sports channels, those broadcasting local baseball and other sports, which he says face a “fierce... ESPN’s former chief John Skipper, now running a global streaming service focused on sports,...
Peter Faricy.
Q&A

Cable Giant Discovery Hires Amazon Veterans to Build E-Commerce and Tech

By Jessica Toonkel · Jul 30, 2019 7:01am PDT · 3 comments
As entertainment companies Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal develop their own streaming services, much of their focus is on securing exclusive programming to lure in viewers. Peter Faricy, a former Amazon executive who last fall joined cable channel giant Discovery to run its expanding array of streaming services, thinks content isn’t... As entertainment companies Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal develop their own streaming...
Prof. Margaret O'Mara. Photo by Jim Garner
Q&A

New Book Highlights Silicon Valley’s Military Roots

By Nick Wingfield · Jul 5, 2019 7:01am PDT · 4 comments
Over the past year, workers at Google, Microsoft and Amazon have demanded that their employers stop supplying technology to the U.S. military and other government agencies. But a new book from the historian Margaret O’Mara shows how the tech industry might not exist without the patronage of big government—and particularly the defense... Over the past year, workers at Google, Microsoft and Amazon have demanded that their employers...
David Stern. Photo by Bloomberg
Former NBA Head David Stern on How Sports Betting Can Save TV Rights
By Tom Dotan · Jul 2, 2019 11:33am PDT
David Stern. Photo by Bloomberg
Q&A

Former NBA Head David Stern on How Sports Betting Can Save TV Rights

By Tom Dotan · Jul 2, 2019 11:33am PDT
As sports betting gradually becomes legal across the country, there may be one unexepected beneficiary: the league’s TV rights, argues former NBA Commissioner David Stern.He expects the ratings for games to go up as people who have bets riding on the results tune in—even if they’re not necessarily fans of the teams.... As sports betting gradually becomes legal across the country, there may be one unexepected...
Facebook's David Marcus. Photo by Bloomberg
Q&A

Facebook’s Marcus Says Libra Association Will Be Independent ‘by Launch’

By Alex Heath · Jun 28, 2019 7:02am PDT
The Information: If we could start with maybe David to start, could you explain why Facebook has hired the handful of people who already worked at the association in key roles? On the Libra website, it says that will be the MD's [managing director’s] job to recruit those positions. I'm just curious how that fits with the goal of... The Information: If we could start with maybe David to start, could you explain why Facebook has...
Scopely chairman and co-CEO Walter Driver. Photo by Scopely
Q&A

Scopely Sees Growth With Mobile Games That Live On

By Beejoli Shah · May 16, 2019 10:01am PDT
Mobile games are a fickle business, in which one-time hits can quickly fade into oblivion. Scopely, the startup behind popular mobile games like “Star Trek Fleet Command” and “The Walking Dead: Road to Survival,” believes it has come up with a system to minimize that risk. Central to Scopely’s success, says chairman... Mobile games are a fickle business, in which one-time hits can quickly fade into oblivion....
Q&A

After Strategy Reboot, JPMorgan Going Deeper in Cloud

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 7, 2019 11:27am PDT
Lori Beer, global chief information officer at JPMorgan Chase, says the bank has learned a lot during its transition to using services from outside cloud computing providers such as Amazon Web Services. Armed with this knowledge, Ms. Beer said in a recent interview, JPMorgan will soon give the green light to storing “highly... Lori Beer, global chief information officer at JPMorgan Chase, says the bank has learned a lot...
Illustration by Mike Sullivan
Former CBS News Chief Rhodes Says Shift to Streaming News Is Coming
By Jessica Toonkel · May 2, 2019 7:02am PDT
Illustration by Mike Sullivan
Q&A

Former CBS News Chief Rhodes Says Shift to Streaming News Is Coming

By Jessica Toonkel · May 2, 2019 7:02am PDT
Netflix, Amazon and other new streaming services have expanded into most every programming genre on television, with the notable exception of news. Former CBS News President David Rhodes explains that by saying news is “unloved” by new video entrants because it is “risky and it’s expensive as well as accident... Netflix, Amazon and other new streaming services have expanded into most every programming genre...
Kevin Durant, left, and Sarah Flynn. Photos by Bloomberg and courtesy of Thirty Five Ventures.
Q&A

In Producing for Apple and Disney, Warriors’ Durant Wants Ownership

By Beejoli Shah · Mar 12, 2019 10:02am PDT · 1 comment
The proliferation of new streaming services, from Netflix to Apple, is creating a demand for content from all arenas—including the basketball court. Los Angeles Laker LeBron James has set up a film and television deal at WarnerMedia, and Boston Celtics player Kyrie Irving was a producer on Lionsgate’s recent film, “Uncle... The proliferation of new streaming services, from Netflix to Apple, is creating a demand for...
Postmates CFO Kristin Schaefer.
Q&A

Postmates CFO on Why 2019 Is a Good Time for an IPO

By Priya Anand · Feb 1, 2019 6:31am PST · 1 comment
Postmates Chief Financial Officer Kristin Schaefer says the prepared food and grocery delivery service has found a “secret weapon”—a loyal base of subscribers to its unlimited delivery plan who can help it weather tough competition from rivals that include Uber, DoorDash, Grubhub and Amazon. The quickly growing group of... Postmates Chief Financial Officer Kristin Schaefer says the prepared food and grocery delivery...
Chris Williams. Photo by pocket.watch.
Q&A

Pocket.watch Rides Wave of Demand for Kids’ Content

By Beejoli Shah · Jan 17, 2019 10:02am PST · 1 comment
The explosion in demand for TV shows driven by streaming services is lifting all boats, but one genre may be rising more than most: children’s programming. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and Disney’s upcoming streaming service are all ordering more kids shows or movies. Among the beneficiaries are some little-known startups that are... The explosion in demand for TV shows driven by streaming services is lifting all boats, but one...
Deborah Jackson (l.) and Andrea Turner Moffitt, co-founders of Plum Alley Investments. Photo: Samantha Casolari
At Plum Alley Investments, Backing Women in ‘Hard’ Tech
By Jessica Toonkel · Dec 28, 2018 7:00am PST · 1 comment
Deborah Jackson (l.) and Andrea Turner Moffitt, co-founders of Plum Alley Investments. Photo: Samantha Casolari
Q&A

At Plum Alley Investments, Backing Women in ‘Hard’ Tech

By Jessica Toonkel · Dec 28, 2018 7:00am PST · 1 comment
As the founders of Plum Alley Investments, Andrea Turner Moffitt and Deborah Jackson don’t like it to be thought of as a women’s investing network. In fact, 20% of their members are men. They also don’t want to be lumped in with “impact investors.” Plum Alley looks to invest in women-run startups that are focused on... As the founders of Plum Alley Investments, Andrea Turner Moffitt and Deborah Jackson don’t...