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I just recorded an episode of Equity where I learned about the latest wave of stupidity. The tech industry’s DEI allergy has hit a new low as Silicon Valley leaders once again wave the “meritocracy” flag high and wide. Scale AI’s Alexandr Wang has decided that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is outdated and instead introduced a shiny new acronym: MEI (Merit, Excellence, Intelligence). I’m so shaken up, I might need to see a chiropractor.
I would invite him and those who support them to fuck all Get out of here for good. You misunderstood me. You thought I was telling you to get out of here for good. Please read my lips. I said it perfectly clear. Get out, for good. Get your head out of your ignorant ass and get out of here for good.
Of course, this ignorance was met with rapturous applause from tech titans like Elon Musk of X, but had the LinkedIn startups all but doing backflips in astonishment.
Critics argue that Wang’s post misses the mark (rightly so!) by ignoring institutional barriers and reducing complex social dynamics to a simple and dangerously naive ideal of meritocracy. Meanwhile, at Scale AI’s headquarters, annotators from economically depressed regions toil away for salaries that would cost them a decent brunch in Silicon Valley. But of course, let’s talk about how “objective” hiring practices save us all from the tyranny of fairness and inclusion.
<演説台から降りて、次々と吐き出される罵り言葉の箱を片付ける。>
Sincerely,
Haje
(@Haje on X. Please don’t message me with your thoughts on the above. Also, the thoughts above are my own and do not necessarily reflect the position of TechCrunch or any other writer, nor the usual “whatever” people say when writing infuriated op-eds.)
This week’s most interesting startup stories
Have you ever wondered what keeps top venture capitalists up at night? Spoiler alert: it’s not a big investment portfolio or a packed schedule. Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the man behind Khosla Ventures, recently confessed his biggest worries. And they’re not what you’d expect from a guy who just invested $50 million in OpenAI and made it big time. Kony’s candid chat with Khosla about the future of AI, regulatory woes, and why the European tech industry is snoozing while the rest of the world is racing ahead is fascinating. Fasten your seatbelt and let’s get ready for an enlightening (and surprisingly entertaining) journey!
- Add lotion to basket: To turn your sweet dreams into vivid nightmares, scientists have developed a robot with stretchy, manipulable, living skin. Think Terminator T-1000, but with a slightly better skincare routine.
- Lilergvat of Svarr, Uvargir*: In a recent interview that raised more eyebrows than a botched Botox injection, Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed that the messaging giant is run by only “about 30 engineers” and has no dedicated product manager — apart from himself. While he boasts about its efficiency from his Dubai hideout, security experts uniformly cover their faces with their hands, saying this is a big red flag for user safety.
- Hey Butch, did Do you buy a return ticket?Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has finally reached space, but its return is longer than expected. Originally scheduled to return on June 14, the two-person crew was unable to resolve several technical issues, leading to an extended space vacation until June 26.
Most interesting fundraising this week
Volkswagen is looking to make a big leap (and cash) into the electric vehicle future by investing up to $5 billion in Rivian software development, starting with an initial $1 billion capital infusion. The deal seems like a win-win for both parties: Rivian gets the financial boost it needs to continue on its ambitious path, and Volkswagen finally gets a chance to hone its somewhat rusty software skills. In this new friendship, the two auto giants will share tech secrets like school kids swapping lunch snacks. Volkswagen will even get access to Rivian’s sophisticated electric architecture. The partnership could inject some much-needed oomph into Volkswagen’s lineup and give Rivian a European feel. The deal kind of started with the two companies’ love affair with building cars in Georgia (the state, not the country).
Imagine sitting in a venture capital firm’s office negotiating for $500,000 instead of spending your summers smoking weed behind a bike shed (or whatever the hell kids are doing these days). Sound like something from a teen drama? But for Christopher Fitzgerald and Nicholas Van Landshoot, this is reality. Instead of perfecting their cannon fire or binge-watching Netflix, these two 18-year-olds convinced experienced investors to fund their AI-powered API startup with $500,000.
- hot: In a world where instant gratification is endless, Zepto has raised a whopping $665 million to help you never have to wait more than 10 minutes for your groceries or electronics. Investors are excited, as if they’d never seen a grocery app before.
- Great CRM. Very smart.Forget all about your perception of CRM being a glorified, soul-sucking spreadsheet: Christopher O’Donnell, the former executive who helped build HubSpot to fame, is back with a vengeance, this time armed with AI.
- $50 million buy now buttonHave you ever felt like shopping online was like searching for a needle in a digital haystack? Daydream seems to think so too, and has decided to tackle the challenge head-on. Armed with a massive $50 million seed funding and AI-powered tools, the company wants to make e-commerce search as easy as finding cat videos online. meowsurely.
More TechCrunch articles you shouldn’t miss…
Every week we want to share with you a story that doesn’t fit into the categories above, and we don’t want you to miss out, so here are some randomly selected stories for you to enjoy.
- Stop, collaborate, and listen*OpenAI is on a mission to become the Swiss Army knife of technology. Fresh off its acquisition of database company Rockset, the company has now snapped up Multi, a startup that’s adding features to Zoom.
- Simply put? It’s awesome!*Anthropic has released a new and improved AI model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet. It’s being touted as the best model yet, but it’s more of a gentle step forward than a giant leap for AI. The new model is better at analyzing text and images, but don’t expect it to tell better jokes than its predecessor. AI humor is still a mystery to be solved. But that’s why I’m here, right? I’m funny. Everyone says so.
- Avenue of Broken Dreams*: The legal drama surrounding Fisker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy is heating up faster than the lawyers can chase billable hours. Accusations of “questionable activity” and heated exchanges that seem more suited to daytime TV than bankruptcy court are turning the fight over Fisker’s assets into an all-out legal battle.
- Keep your friends warm*: If you thought antivirus software was nothing to worry about, the US government has a different opinion: Kaspersky is now banned. Citing national security concerns and the possibility of data weaponization by Russia, the US government has declared a “first-of-its-kind” ban on a popular antivirus provider.
- Everything is waiting for you*: In a world where venture capital for black women is as rare as a hen’s dentist, Fearless Fund co-founder Ayana Parsons has decided to trade in her boardroom for a beach view. Announcing her resignation on LinkedIn, Parsons will no longer serve as general partner and COO, but will instead “enjoy island life” with her family. It’s a shame that some of the biggest names in tech haven’t rallied behind Fearless Fund as this legal drama unfolds.
