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Pleased Friday, Crunchers! It’s 27 Might 2022, and we’re slinking into an extended weekend as a result of it’s Memorial Day weekend right here within the U.S. There’s no publication on Monday — Haje goes 🍷 wine tasting in Sonoma, and Christine is planning to spend Monday 🛋️ sitting on the couch doing completely nothing, which we have a good time wholeheartedly. We’ll see you again right here on Tuesday!
Undecided what to do that weekend? Take a look at this roundup of all of the superb podcasts we printed this week. It’ll preserve you busy for a couple of hours not less than. — Haje and Christine
The Avisionews Prime 3
- Golden goose: Manish was on hearth as we speak, writing not one, however two of our prime tales of the day. The primary is about Jar, an Indian fintech firm that’s taking a look at a $50 million Collection B spherical. The nation’s residents have financial institution accounts to save cash, however Jar helps them do one thing they will not be as conversant in — make investments. And the corporate has chosen to begin with one thing Indians are identified to like, gold.
- Revolving door: Manish’s second story has to do with one other Manish — Manish Maheshwari, the previous head of Twitter India, who left a startup he co-founded after simply 6 months. Our Manish reported in December that Maheshwari left his publish at Twitter to begin edtech firm Invact Metaversity with Tanay Pratap. The association didn’t appear to work out as deliberate, with some firm hiccups involving getting product out the door and a few management disagreements.
- Typically it’s not meant to be: In Substack’s case, a recent spherical of capital. Connie went over the small print yesterday of them trying to boost a Collection C, however then calling it off when favorable phrases with buyers didn’t transpire. Immediately, Alex peels away a few of the onion layers to elucidate why Substack’s objectives, primarily based on its Collection B elevate in 2021, didn’t translate nicely in 2022’s funding surroundings.
Startups and VC
Earlier this week, Anita reported that Adam “WeWork” Neumann is again with a brand new startup, and raised backing from a16z. In as we speak’s Chain Response podcast, Anita and Lucas focus on whether or not Neumann really deserves $70 million and one other probability. We’re comprehensively confused why anybody would place one other guess on him, and we’ll little doubt be following his new startup carefully.
A couple of extra gems for ya:
Journey or die-sel
Picture Credit: Bloomberg Creative (opens in a new window) / Getty Photos
Diesel costs alone are driving about 17% of the inflation we’re seeing as we speak, and Tim writes a rousing piece about how gasoline and diesel are maybe not the best, particularly provided that the economic system is peeking over the cliff into an abyss whose depth equals our normal optimism round local weather for the time being.
Maybe that’s precisely what’s wanted: Perhaps when financial and local weather pursuits align, we discover the pot of “yay we are able to dwell on this planet for a couple of extra years” on the finish of the rainbow.
(Avisionews+ is our membership program, which helps founders and startup groups get forward. You possibly can enroll right here.)
Huge Tech Inc.
- Sony’s dwell service plans: Sony goes all in on its dwell service choices. This follows the corporate’s acquisition of Bungie earlier this 12 months. Sony laid out plans this week for its firm life after the acquisition, which incorporates investing closely into the dwell service gaming sector, although it didn’t go into specifics on which of its franchises would get the remedy.
- Snap to it: We thought Snapchat was simply people pushing out small “snaps” to different people, however the social media big has greater plans than that. Its snappy new characteristic, “Shared Tales,” is a riff on its “Customized Tales” characteristic to allow customers to, nicely, you may see the place we’re going with this. Right here’s the way it works: Customers added to a bunch can add their mates, too, to make it simpler to share their tales. Don’t fear, if somebody within the good friend group will not be your cup of tea, your tales gained’t be shared with them.
- Database debacle: Voto Consulting, a New Jersey talent-acquisition agency, realized the laborious method what occurs while you don’t password-protect a database and depart it on the web. The résumés and private info from some 30,000 employees was uncovered. As Zack reviews, the story will get far more fascinating — one thing that you actually need to take a look at for your self.
- Drive time: In as we speak’s transportation information, Rivian opened up its hood and rearranged some issues with the corporate’s engine (sure, we all know it’s an electrical automobile) in the best way of hiring new COO Frank Klein. This comes amid another management modifications as its head of producing stated goodbye. In the meantime, Tesla says it gained’t open a producing plant in India till it could possibly first promote and repair automobiles within the nation. Manish lays out the back-and-forth occurring between nation and firm: Nation officers need automobiles to be constructed regionally and for Tesla to observe its excessive import duties. Tesla doesn’t wish to pay greater charges but if the market doesn’t take a look at nicely. Thus a superfun standstill.
