Startups Weekly: So are we all working from home now?

Image credits: Robert Daley/Getty Images

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In the corporate tug-of-war over remote work, CEOs like Andy Jassy and Elon Musk are old-school gym teachers insisting that everyone return to the field, even though the bleachers are perfectly fine. They claim remote work is akin to slacking off, but research and employee sentiment suggest otherwise, and flexibility may be the secret sauce to productivity and satisfaction. It is emphasized that there is.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are watching this development like a tennis match, wondering if these executives will match their strategies with the realities of modern work preferences. Ron has been working from home as a writer for almost as long as I have been alive. No wonder we call him “Papa Ron” (though honestly, it would be funny if we didn’t). In any case, Ron argues that working from home is not going away, and even though I’m writing this from my local pizza shop, I can’t say I disagree. work remotely. I work at a pizza parlor. Anything is fine as long as it’s not an office, amirite?

This week’s most interesting startup stories

Very checkered. Lots of security. Image credits: checker

Mahbod Moghaddam, whose rollercoaster career ranged from legal eagle to rap lyric annotator to blockchain enthusiast, died in March at the age of 41. He left behind a legacy as colorful and controversial as a graffiti-strewn alley. Moghaddam, known for his edgy and quirky projects and brainchild projects like Genius and Wikipedia but on blockchain, Everipedia, is revolutionizing the digital payment scene for his content with ventures like HellaDoge. He remained a thorn in his side in his final efforts. aspects of the institution that he helped establish. As tributes continue to pour in, the tech community reflects on the man who was both a pioneer and a provocateur.In the startup world, being memorable is more influential than being impeccable. proves to be large.

• Send an employee to the background: Checker, once the darling of Silicon Valley’s background checks, decides to cut 382 employees, proving that even a $5 billion valuation can’t protect it from the harsh reality of hiring freezes did.
• Is fintech going down the drain?: As Y Combinator’s demo day ends, it’s no surprise that fintech’s once-bulging slice of the startup pie has shrunk, going from a hefty 24% of the total to just 8% in just two years. it is clear. Maybe it’s just the AI ​​eating its proverbial lunch.
• Not a big problem: Aerospike, a popular NoSQL company that started as a humble key-value store for ad tech, has invested a whopping $109 million to stay in the big data sandbox. With its eye on AI awards, Aerospike has enriched its database with all the latest features such as graphing and vector functionality.
• What is Web3…Beauty?: Kiki World is turning your bathroom into the next blockchain battlefield. We decided that what the beauty industry really needed was more votes and digital tokens. That means…
• Greetings to our newest Nearicorn! Guesty, the software platform Airbnb (or Airbnbs software platform), has amassed a whopping $130 million to keep the vacation rental management party going. Even in a post-pandemic world, investors can’t resist the lure of a strong booking rush. With a valuation of nearly $1 billion, it’s clear that while you were busy canceling travel plans, Guesty was plotting to conquer the world one short-term rental at a time.

moretranspo

Image credits: faraday future

Look, I’m doing my best to balance everything on Startups Weekly. It’s not my fault that the transportation team continues to punch well above its weight. Read all their articles, okay, okay.

Elon Musk’s claim that Tesla ditched low-cost EVs and developed robotaxis, only to flip around and hype its next new car isn’t all that surprising, and more “Musk-esque.” I countered with this development. Robotaxi public release (Even if Tesla abandons selling entry-level cars).critic answered He has been promising this since 2016, but fully self-driving (FSD) continues to be a thorn in Tesla’s side.

Here are the highlights from last week:

• Tesla Fire Sale: Tesla has slashed the price of its Model Y SUV, as was the trend last season, in a desperate bid to clear a pile of inventory that has become as much of a nuisance as traffic jams. Tesla’s discounting success – cutting prices by up to $7,000 – highlights the company’s struggle to balance production with actual sales.
• Apple falls far from the car. After packing up its electric car project, Apple laid off 600 staff members who were said to have worked on the project. I would pay a lot of money to see a prototype…
• Stubborn assertion: Faraday Future, which is running on smoke, is currently facing accusations from whistleblowers of inflating its already meager sales figures. Against a backdrop of furloughs, near-evictions, and federal investigations, the company’s drama seems more suited to melodrama than Silicon Valley. I’ll pass you the popcorn, okay?

Other must-see TechCrunch articles…

Tick, tick. Image credits: Frédéric Lardinois/TechCrunch

Every week, we have a few stories that just don’t fit into the categories above, but we’d like to share with you. It would be a shame if you missed it, so I’d like to introduce you to a bag containing random goods.

• Zero-day price spike: Crowdfence is acting as a modern-day arms dealer, funneling millions of dollars into hacks that can reveal iPhone and Android secrets in the name of supporting government surveillance. Zero-day exploits are the new gold rush, and prices are soaring as tech giants fortify their fortifications.
• No problem, you can have my SSN. Anyway I wasn’t using it: Greylock McKinnon Associates (GMA), a consulting firm with expertise in sensitive data, recently joined the “hacking club” by losing over 341,650 Social Security numbers. While they were busy providing litigation support, the hackers were busy exfiltrating data. Insert rant about how stupid SSN is anyway.
• About the keyboard and magnets: You see, I’m as surprised as you are, but if my analysis software is anything to go by, it seems like people were all up in arms about Frederick’s work on magnetic keyboard switches. If keyboard nerds are your thing, hit your button here.
• Dial down the drama: Snapchat has decided to tweak its “Solar System” friendship rankings feature, which caused more teen drama than a high school prom, rather than do away with it. At Snap, the solution to your tech anxiety appears to lie in a toggle switch in the settings menu.
• Insta talk: TikTok’s next Instagram-competing photo-sharing app could be called TikTok Notes, according to screenshots posted by users. TikTok also confirmed that the app is in development.