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Chart by Shane Burke
Creator Economy

Why Influencer Marketing Firms Are For Sale

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 31, 2023 2:03pm PDT
Earlier today, I published a story about a flurry of acquisitions hitting creator economy startups. Some of these deals are wiping out investors or returning very little cash. For instance, when Patreon bought Moment earlier this month, the livestreaming events startup was running low on funds. The deal won’t return much to Moment investors,... Earlier today, I published a story about a flurry of acquisitions hitting creator economy...
Art by Shane Burke
Exclusive

Fire Sales Sweep the Creator Economy as Startups Struggle

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 31, 2023 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
Fire-sale prices for startups. Investors hung out to dry. Founders pulling the rip cord even when they’ve still got cash left in the bank. The harsh realities facing creator economy startups are getting even harsher, prompting a stampede of founders looking for exits as they struggle to find growth and funding for their businesses. So far... Fire-sale prices for startups. Investors hung out to dry. Founders pulling the rip cord even when...
Hey Alexa: What’s Andy Jassy Up To?
The Weekend

Hey Alexa: What’s Andy Jassy Up To?

By Jon Steinberg · Oct 21, 2023 6:00am PDT
Hi, welcome to your Weekend.As Jessica writes in her cover story this week, Andy Jassy has enjoyed a relatively smooth transition period as CEO of Amazon. Sure, there have been hiccups and challenges in the two years since Jeff Bezos handed Jassy the reins. He earned some ire from employees after laying off 27,000 workers in 2022. And there was... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.As Jessica writes in her cover story this week, Andy Jassy has...
Photo via Flexport.
Pro Weekly: Companies Turn to New Leaders As Growth Slows
By Akash Pasricha · Oct 20, 2023 8:00am PDT
Pro subscription required icon Photo via Flexport.
Pro Weekly

Pro Weekly: Companies Turn to New Leaders As Growth Slows

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 20, 2023 8:00am PDT
As tech companies grapple with slower growth, a focus on profitability and tumbling valuations, many are shuffling their leadership. Our Org Charts reflect those changes.Logistics startup Flexport last week named the leaders who will report to founder Ryan Petersen, whom the board reinstated as CEO last month. Since Petersen and the board... As tech companies grapple with slower growth, a focus on profitability and tumbling valuations,...
Magic Johnson. Photo via Shutterstock.
Creator Economy

Magic Johnson Leaves Cameo's Board

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 19, 2023 1:30pm PDT
Kicking off today’s newsletter with a scoop: Cameo in recent weeks has sought to raise at least $10 million in funding, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Such a deal, if completed, would be a sign investors are still hopeful of the celebrity video site’s future. But the site has also lost a high-profile ambassador. ... Kicking off today’s newsletter with a scoop: Cameo in recent weeks has sought to raise at least...
Prime energy drinks. Photo via Shutterstock
Creator Economy

The Most Promising Creator Startups

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 17, 2023 2:14pm PDT
On Tuesday, we released The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups, an annual list where we select companies that have the potential to be the most valuable businesses in their sectors based on our reporting, including their revenue and growth prospects. The 50 companies we selected have raised less than $100 million in funding or started... On Tuesday, we released The Information’s 50 Most Promising Startups, an annual list where we...
Daniel Roth, LinkedIn editor in chief. Photo: LinkedIn
Creator Economy

What LinkedIn’s OpenAI-Powered Assistant Got Right (and Wrong)

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 4, 2023 2:14pm PDT
Last week, I was scrolling on LinkedIn when I noticed a new AI-powered assistant the professional social network is testing. The bot reviewed the part of my profile where I list my title and the “about” section, and drafted personalized suggestions “using insights from millions of profiles,” for me to review. It was the first time I had... Last week, I was scrolling on LinkedIn when I noticed a new AI-powered assistant the professional...
VidCon's inaugural conference in Baltimore. Photo via VidCon
What You Missed at VidCon Baltimore
By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 2, 2023 2:31pm PDT
VidCon's inaugural conference in Baltimore. Photo via VidCon
Creator Economy

What You Missed at VidCon Baltimore

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 2, 2023 2:31pm PDT
First, some breaking news: ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, is planning to buy at least $300 million in stock from current and former employees, a buyback that implies a valuation around $223.5 billion. That’s about 26% lower than the buyback ByteDance announced a year ago. In an unusual move, TikTok is buying back shares at different prices,... First, some breaking news: ByteDance, the parent of TikTok, is planning to buy at least $300...
Two children of San Francisco from opposite sides of the tracks: Mayor London Breed and philanthropist Daniel Lurie. Art by Clark Miller; Breed photo by Getty Images.
The Big Read

Daniel Lurie Started Tech’s Favorite Charity. Can He Save Its Favorite City?

By Jon Steinberg · Sep 29, 2023 10:00am PDT · 11 comments
At 11 a.m. last Tuesday, a San Francisco icon stepped up to the podium at the century-old Potrero Hill Neighborhood House. With the Financial District’s half-vacant towers gleaming in the distance and the golden September sun streaming through the windows, the venue seemed stage-designed for a biopic: the room where a political star... At 11 a.m. last Tuesday, a San Francisco icon stepped up to the podium at the century-old Potrero...
Art by Mike Sullivan.
The Flexicon

A Is for Adaptogens, B Is for Body Sculpting: A Trending-in-Silicon Valley Health Glossary

By Annie Goldsmith · Sep 16, 2023 6:01am PDT · 1 comment
Last month, The Information Weekend conducted our first-ever Brain-Body Investment Survey, asking subscribers about their exercise, wellness and beauty practices. The results emphasized Silicon Valley’s willingness to experiment and innovate—not just in their jobs, but on their bodies. Some of the practices respondents jotted down... Last month, The Information Weekend conducted our first-ever Brain-Body Investment Survey, asking...
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks during a news conference following a Senate bipartisan Artificial Intelligence Insight Forum. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.
AI Agenda

Why Musk-Altman-Zuckerberg Summit is a Sideshow; Nvidia Adds Databricks to Investment Portfolio

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 14, 2023 7:00am PDT
On Wednesday morning, dozens of U.S. senators and tech executives including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and xAI’s Elon Musk filed into the Kennedy Caucus Room just north of the U.S. Capitol. The chamber has held hearings on the sinking of the Titanic, the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Watergate scandal, but this time it was... On Wednesday morning, dozens of U.S. senators and tech executives including OpenAI’s Sam Altman,...
Credit: Shutterstock
Pinterest Shopping Push Crowded by TikTok Efforts
By Alex Perry · Sep 13, 2023 4:21pm PDT
Credit: Shutterstock
Creator Economy

Pinterest Shopping Push Crowded by TikTok Efforts

By Alex Perry · Sep 13, 2023 4:21pm PDT
For the past year, Pinterest management has pushed to make the digital scrapbooking app a shopping destination, not just a place to browse ideas and share digital vision boards. On Wednesday, CEO Bill Ready trotted out stats to illustrate how Pinterest’s revitalized e-commerce bent was working. But unlike a year ago, its efforts will... For the past year, Pinterest management has pushed to make the digital scrapbooking app a...
Art by Midjourney and Shane Burke.
Creator Economy

YouTubers Cash in on Prop Trading’s Rise

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Sep 11, 2023 3:32pm PDT
I’ve spent the past two weeks digging into retail websites that call themselves prop or funded trading firms to report on a story about how HR startup Deel has quietly become the default payout provider for traders on these sites. I quickly discovered how much these websites, which proliferated after the meme stock trading craze of 2020-2021,... I’ve spent the past two weeks digging into retail websites that call themselves prop or funded...
Brands are turning college students into mini influencers. Photo: Her Campus Media
Creator Economy

How Brands Are Turning College Students into Influencers

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 7, 2023 2:37pm PDT · 1 comment
A decade ago, companies tapped college students to hand out t-shirts, rep their gear (think: wearing a Red Bull backpack to class), and give out flyers on university campuses. Now, many of these college ambassador programs are turning college students into mini influencers. For beauty company Clinique, for example, students create and post... A decade ago, companies tapped college students to hand out t-shirts, rep their gear (think:...
From left to right: Creators Katerina and Yinon Horowitz, Jack Settleman, Komal Nambiar, Ross Pomerantz and Raven Ross. Art by Clark Miller
Creator Economy

What’s Overlooked When Startup Funding Tailspins

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 28, 2023 1:59pm PDT
How are creator economy startups doing during the downturn? Not so hot. How are the creators themselves faring? Much better, as I reported in a story earlier today. Two charts published in the piece sum up the divergence: While VC funding for startups hoping to attract creators as customers has plummeted, spending on influencer marketing—a... How are creator economy startups doing during the downturn? Not so hot. How are the creators...
Chamath Palihapitiya. Photo by Variety via Getty Images.
Chamath Palihapitiya’s Venture Firm Offered to Sell Hundreds of Startup Stakes
By Maria Heeter · Aug 28, 2023 12:36pm PDT · 8 comments
Chamath Palihapitiya. Photo by Variety via Getty Images.
Exclusive

Chamath Palihapitiya’s Venture Firm Offered to Sell Hundreds of Startup Stakes

By Maria Heeter · Aug 28, 2023 12:36pm PDT · 8 comments
Social Capital, the investment firm led by venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, tried to sell stakes in hundreds of young companies in June of this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The stakes for sale were worth $312 million in total based on the valuations at which the companies last raised money, the people said. ... Social Capital, the investment firm led by venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, tried to sell...
From left, megayacht owners Jan Koum, Jeff Bezos, Barry Diller, Diane von Furstenberg and Evan Spiegel. Art by Clark Milller
Mogul Studies

Yacht Brinkmanship: Owners of Tech’s Biggest Pleasure Craft Compete to the Ends of the Earth

By Andrew Zucker · Aug 26, 2023 6:00am PDT · 10 comments
If you’re Sergey Brin, Evan Spiegel, Jan Koum, Jeff Bezos, Laurene Powell Jobs, Eric Schmidt, Yuri Milner or any one of dozens of other modern-day tech moguls, it’s not enough to just own a yacht. Now you might need two—one for you and your guests to ride on, and one to act as a “support vessel,” tailing you around... If you’re Sergey Brin, Evan Spiegel, Jan Koum, Jeff Bezos, Laurene Powell Jobs, Eric...
Photo via Shutterstock.
Creator Economy

Apple Beefs Up Tools for Paid Podcasters

By Alex Perry · Aug 21, 2023 4:02pm PDT
We don’t hear much about Apple and the creator economy except when creators—or the platforms that host them—complain about the Apple App Store fees that cut into their earnings. That makes Apple’s launch Monday of multiple features aimed at helping creators all the more remarkable, even if the individual products are fairly standard. The... We don’t hear much about Apple and the creator economy except when creators—or the platforms that...
Creator Cassey Ho. Photo courtesy of subject
Creator Economy

How the ‘Blogilates’ YouTube Channel Spawned Two Merchandise Brands—and a Target Deal

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 14, 2023 2:20pm PDT
Creators’ success on social media often has a limited shelf life. They need to generate a constant stream of new content, keep up with frequent changes on social platforms and deal with inconsistent income. So many are starting offline brands to expand their businesses and find new ways to connect with their fans. Take Cassey Ho, 36, who... Creators’ success on social media often has a limited shelf life. They need to generate a...