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Recent Articles about Snapchat
Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images.
The Big Read

Struggling Snap Considers Outside Funding for AR Glasses

By Kaya Yurieff, Erin Woo and Jemima McEvoy · Aug 22, 2025 6:09am PDT · 2 comments
For nearly as long as Evan Spiegel has run Snap Inc., his big bet has been on Spectacles, the company’s augmented reality glasses. All together, he has poured $3 billion into the effort—a fraction of what Mark Zuckerberg at Meta Platforms has invested in wearable technology, but a major expense for a company of Snap’s modest size. Spiegel... For nearly as long as Evan Spiegel has run Snap Inc., his big bet has been on Spectacles, the...
Sasha Kaletsky, managing partner at Creator Ventures.
Creator Economy

The Bull Case for Snap

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 7, 2025 2:06pm PDT · 1 comment
Snap’s stock plunged this week after reporting lackluster second-quarter results. But some investors still see reasons to be bullish about the company.Sasha Kaletsky, managing partner of early-stage venture firm Creator Ventures, said the Snapchat parent company has invested “incredibly aggressively” in Spotlight, its TikTok competitor, which... Snap’s stock plunged this week after reporting lackluster second-quarter results. But some...
Carrie Colbert, Curate’s founder, and RJ Larese, a venture partner and head of “influential investing.” Photo credit: Becki Smith of Smith House Photo and courtesy of Larese.
Creator Economy

VC Firm Taps Creators as LPs, Startup Advisers

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 6, 2025 2:02pm PDT
When Pepsi acquired probiotic soda maker Poppi in May for nearly $2 billion, influencer Alix Earle also won big. The TikTok star, who promoted the brand on social media and appeared in the company’s Super Bowl commercial, got equity in the company rather than just the typical cash payment. Curate Capital, a venture capital firm that invests... When Pepsi acquired probiotic soda maker Poppi in May for nearly $2 billion, influencer Alix...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information's Future of Influence event in June. Photo by Erin Beach.
Snap’s Earnings Show a Stalled Business
By Martin Peers · Aug 5, 2025 5:00pm PDT
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information's Future of Influence event in June. Photo by Erin Beach.
The Briefing

Snap’s Earnings Show a Stalled Business

By Martin Peers · Aug 5, 2025 5:00pm PDT
Last Friday, the day after Figma went public with a 250% pop, former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan tweeted that Figma’s success was “a great reminder that letting startups grow into independently successful businesses, rather than be bought by existing giants, can generate enormous value.” Good point. But for every Figma, there’s a... Last Friday, the day after Figma went public with a 250% pop, former Federal Trade Commission...
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Snap’s Ad Slowdown Overshadows Video Gains

By Kaya Yurieff · Aug 5, 2025 3:31pm PDT
Snap’s bleak second-quarter results were a letdown after a parade of upbeat reports from Meta Platforms, YouTube and Reddit. The Snapchat owner’s revenue rose 9% to nearly $1.35 billion during the second quarter, a slowdown from the 14% to 15% growth Snap saw in recent quarters. Snap’s bleak second-quarter results were a letdown after a parade of upbeat reports from Meta...
Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Meta Says AI Is Boosting Social Engagement

By Kalley Huang and Kaya Yurieff · Jul 30, 2025 4:37pm PDT
Artificial intelligence was the star of Meta Platforms’ second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. Meta’s long-term path to making money from AI is fuzzy. But right now, some of the most material benefits from Meta’s investments in AI are improvements to “ranking,” or how the company shows users relevant content on its social media apps.... Artificial intelligence was the star of Meta Platforms’ second-quarter earnings call on...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information's Future of Influence event in June. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

What to Expect from Meta, Snap, YouTube Earnings

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 22, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Earlier this year, uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs seemed poised to hurt advertising demand. But those worries seem to have faded during the second quarter as President Trump postponed tariff deadlines. In fact, ad spending growth accelerated for Meta Platforms, YouTube, Google’s paid search advertising and... Earlier this year, uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration’s tariffs seemed poised to...
Art by Clark Miller
How Granola—and AI Note Taking—Grabbed Silicon Valley’s Attention
By Abram Brown · Jul 12, 2025 6:00am PDT · 9 comments
Art by Clark Miller
Artificial Intelligence

How Granola—and AI Note Taking—Grabbed Silicon Valley’s Attention

By Abram Brown · Jul 12, 2025 6:00am PDT · 9 comments
At the moment, many in the tech industry have developed a rather profound addiction to Granola. No, not to the crunchy breakfast-time oats—but to a software product made by a two-year-old startup that has come to dominate a crowded field of artificial intelligence–powered note-taking options. The tool from Granola, which was valued... At the moment, many in the tech industry have developed a rather profound addiction to Granola. ...
Linda Yaccarino. Photo via Getty
Creator Economy

Linda Yaccarino’s Legacy Turning X Into a Creator Destination

By Kaya Yurieff · Jul 9, 2025 2:00pm PDT · 1 comment
Everyone is buzzing about Linda Yaccarino stepping down as the CEO of Elon Musk’s X after two years at the helm. During her tenure, she often referenced creators in public remarks and in posts on X. But the company has had a mixed track record when it comes to creator tools and making it a more popular destination for influencers. Everyone is buzzing about Linda Yaccarino stepping down as the CEO of Elon Musk’s X after two...
Art by Clark Miller.
The Big Read

Inside the Great AI Talent Auction: The Deals, the Free Agents—and the Egos

By Erin Woo · Jun 27, 2025 9:04am PDT · 2 comments
Say you’re at the top of your field. Say you’ve been promoted to be a senior researcher at OpenAI, watching the paper value of your equity swell as your company’s valuation goes from less than $20 billion to $260 billion in just four years. Say Mark Zuckerberg—yes, Zuck, personally—comes texting and calling, offering you tens of... Say you’re at the top of your field. Say you’ve been promoted to be a senior researcher at...
TikTok employees Khartoon Weiss, Sofia Hernandez, Kim Farrell, David Kaufman and Moritz Bartsch speak at the TikTok Cannes Lions press preview today. Photo via Getty.
Creator Economy

TikTok Wants Time on Your TV Screen

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 17, 2025 1:00pm PDT
I’m at Cannes Lions, where I spent the morning with TikTok’s marketing leaders. As YouTube has made expanding on living room screens a top priority, I’ve been curious if TikTok will follow suit. While TikTok tried launching an app for TV screens on Android a few years ago, the ByteDance-owned company hasn’t seemed to put much promotion... I’m at Cannes Lions, where I spent the morning with TikTok’s marketing leaders. As YouTube...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information’s Future of Influence event last week. Photo by Erin Beach
Snapchat Now Wants (Some) Videos to Stick Around
By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 12, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information’s Future of Influence event last week. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

Snapchat Now Wants (Some) Videos to Stick Around

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 12, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Snapchat has realized the limits of disappearing content—especially when it comes to attracting creators. On Thursday, the app said users will be able to automatically save their disappearing Stories to their public profiles. That’s a big change, and it’s one that should help make the app more of a destination for creators, whose Instagram,... Snapchat has realized the limits of disappearing content—especially when it comes to attracting...
Roman Wasenmüller, Spotify’s head of podcast business, speaks at The Information's Future of Influence event. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

No, It’s Not Too Late to Start a Podcast

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 10, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Podcasting is booming, driven by the rise of video shows and podcasters’ sway during last year’s presidential election. That’s got me thinking about whether podcasting has become too saturated. It’s a question I posed to our podcasting panel at The Information’s Future of Influence event last week in Los Angeles. Spotify doesn’t think so.... Podcasting is booming, driven by the rise of video shows and podcasters’ sway during last year’s...
Dude Perfect’s Andrew Yaffe, Coca-Cola’s Valeria Herzer and John Deere’s Jen Hartmann. Photo by Erin Beach.
Creator Economy

Coca-Cola and Unilever Shift Creator Strategies

By Kaya Yurieff and Ann Gehan · Jun 5, 2025 2:00pm PDT
Agencies have long functioned as an intermediary between creators and advertisers. But they may start to get squeezed out, as major brands and creators try to build longer-term relationships with each other and take more creative risks.  “Outsourcing” relationships between brands and creators will no longer fly, said Esi Eggleston... Agencies have long functioned as an intermediary between creators and advertisers. But they may...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel at The Information's Future of Influence event on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy

Snap’s Spiegel on Trump, Shopping and His New Role as a Creator

By Kaya Yurieff · Jun 4, 2025 2:15pm PDT
OMG! What a day we had in Hollywood on Tuesday at The Information’s Future of Influence event. I loved meeting new readers, seeing familiar faces and hearing from our fabulous lineup of speakers including creators Adam W and Victoria Garrick Browne and executives from Meta Platforms, YouTube, Spotify and Substack. A big thank you to... OMG! What a day we had in Hollywood on Tuesday at The Information’s Future of Influence event. I...
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Erin Beach
Snap’s Spiegel: Company Is on ‘Cusp’ of Computing Transformation
By Kalley Huang · Jun 3, 2025 8:13pm PDT · 2 comments
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Erin Beach
Creator Economy Summit

Snap’s Spiegel: Company Is on ‘Cusp’ of Computing Transformation

By Kalley Huang · Jun 3, 2025 8:13pm PDT · 2 comments
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel defended his company’s ability to stay independent despite competition from deep-pocketed rivals like Meta Platforms, predicting that the Snapchat parent was on “the cusp of a real transformation in the way that people think about and use computers.” That transformation, Spiegel said, will involve his company’s augmented... Snap CEO Evan Spiegel defended his company’s ability to stay independent despite competition from...
Art by Clark Miller
Policy

How to Fix the FAA? 5 Ideas From Sebastian Thrun and Other Tech Leaders

By Theo Wayt, Sylvia Varnham O'Regan and Evan Robinson-Johnson · May 24, 2025 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
Judging by the ongoing disruptions at Newark Liberty International and other airports across the country, the Federal Aviation Administration faces enough issues to fill up a 747 jet. And the agency’s responsibilities are only going to grow in the coming years as startups push out of Earth’s atmosphere amid the intensifying commercial space... Judging by the ongoing disruptions at Newark Liberty International and other airports across the...
The Italian Embassy in Washington. Photo via Flickr
Creator Economy

Why the Italian Embassy Wants to Work With Creators

By Kaya Yurieff · May 21, 2025 2:00pm PDT
I spent Tuesday evening at the Italian Embassy in Washington, where I moderated a discussion about the growth of the creator economy and how governments should be thinking about working with influencers. The convergence of politics and creators has been building slowly over time. Case in point: 10 years ago, Michelle Obama invited Vine... I spent Tuesday evening at the Italian Embassy in Washington, where I moderated a discussion...