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☆ Where are Gen Z's tech founders?
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( Amanda Hoover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

So where are Gen Z's tech founders? Gen Z founders and would-be founders are stepping into a vastly different tech world from that of their predecessors — a world where launching a unicorn is far more difficult, and publicly scrutinized, than it was for the garage-band generation of Jobs and Gates. Gen Z is coming of age in an era when the same Big Tech companies are diffuse and dominant. In other words, millennial founders ran so that Gen Z founders could walk. Perhaps we won't see Gen Z founders standing before a crowd and unveiling their latest shiny products anytime soon.

Persons: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Gen X, Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, Travis Kalanick, Peter Thiel, Millennials, I'm, Zuckerberg, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Brian Chesky, Elizabeth Holmes, Sam Bankman, Gen, aren't, Zers, Jerry Neumann, millennials, Uber, Z, There's, Neumann, Kimberly Eddleston, they've, Adam Neumann, Holmes, Alexandra Debow, that's, Alexandr Wang, Wang, They've, Ibrahim Rashid, Rashid didn't, COVID, Rashid, Martin Shkreli, Forbes, Alexis Barreyat, Barreyat, Julian Kage, Kage, they'd, Debow, It's, Eddleston, Emma Chamberlain's Organizations: Boomers, Columbia University, Big Tech, Northeastern University, Facebook, New York University, MIT, Wired, Forbes, University of Chicago, Deloitte, Harvard, Harvard Business Locations: swaggering, Silicon Valley

☆ Sam Altman's Worldcoin turns your iris into a code for universal basic income. Its privacy chief wants you to chill about your data.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-22 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The technology is similar to Apple's Face ID but mobile platform-agnostic, given that many Worldcoin users have Android devices. So I can take a photo of your face, and, through complicated AI, I could fool Face ID, for example. If it is the first time, the orb takes the iris code and cryptographically processes the iris code. Individually, neither of those new codes looks anything like the iris code, nor can they be brought back to the iris code on their own. To get an iris code, you have to recombine all of those pieces.

Persons: Sam Altman's, Worldcoin, It's, Damien Kieran, Elon Musk, Kieran, they're, it's, Alex, Sam Altman Organizations: Service, Business, Companies, Humanity, Twitter, Google Locations: Germany, France, Kenya

☆ The company behind Sam Altman's iris-scanning ID startup just revealed new tech. Its privacy chief explains how it works.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The technology is similar to Apple's Face ID but mobile platform-agnostic, given that many Worldcoin users have Android devices. So I can take a photo of your face, and, through complicated AI, I could fool Face ID, for example. If it is the first time, the orb takes the iris code and cryptographically processes the iris code. Individually, neither of those new codes looks anything like the iris code, nor can they be brought back to the iris code on their own. The one person that can access that information is the owner of the world ID — the user.

☆ BeReal is facing a user mutiny after its new owner brought ads to the app
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

BeReal's new owner, Voodoo, faces a user backlash after it brought ads to the app. Voodoo aims to reach 100 million daily active users, but ads may alienate its core user base. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBeReal's new owner, Voodoo Games, quickly introduced ads to the social-media app after acquiring the company in June. Takes away the friend aspect and creates another money grabbing app," read one review posted on July 9.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Voodoo Games

☆ Queer community platform Lex lays off staff as it charts an uncertain path forward
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-17 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewLex, a social network that helps people find and build queer communities in their cities, has laid off most of its staff. "We're committed to building Lex to be a thriving social app for LGBTQ+ community," Lewis said in a written statement. AdvertisementLike many other newer social-media platforms, Lex has been experimenting with ways to monetize its product. In June, Lex announced its "Team Gay Agenda" campaign to raise funds from its users via recurring monthly pledges and told users that the "Lex community is at risk." "With the well documented demise of queer spaces, our number one priority will always be making sure our community has space to thrive on Lex," Lewis added.

Persons: —, Kel Rakowski, Jennifer Rhiannon Lewis, Lewis, Rakowski, We're, Lex, Gen Z Organizations: Service, Business, Gen

☆ Noplace is the hottest new app on the charts. Its founder spills on how it went viral and plans to skirt becoming a 'fad.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The social media app is the brainchild of 27-year-old serial founder and investor Tiffany "TZ" Zhong, whose tech career took off in her late-teens. Instead of stressing over carefully curated posts, the app encourages users to share their stream-of-consciousness thoughts directly to the feed. According to its App Store description, it aims to harken back to the social media era before "algos and ads" took over. She particularly follows the behavior of Noplace's "power users," some of whom even spend between eight and 10 hours on the app, Zhong said. And at a time when social media platforms are prioritizing entertainment over social interactions, Noplace feels timely.

Persons: —, Tiffany, Zhong, you've, It's, Noplace, Nospace, …, Alexis Ohanian, it's, There's Organizations: Service, Twitter, Apple, Business, Noplace's, Big Locations: Noplace, Reddit

☆ BeReal staffers hit with layoffs weeks after new ownership takes control
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

French gaming company Voodoo recently acquired social media app BeReal in a €500 million deal. Voodoo is now set to lay off a chunk of BeReal staffers, sources say. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementFrench gaming company Voodoo is already cutting a chunk of BeReal staffers just weeks after acquiring the company in a deal worth 500 million euros, Business Insider has learned. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: BeReal, — Organizations: Voodoo, Service, Business

☆ Instagram and TikTok are chasing after 'close friends' as the social web goes private
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThere's a new app that promises to connect you with your closest friends — only this time, it's coming from TikTok. The app, dubbed Whee, pitches itself as a platform to "keep you connected with your close friends through life's spontaneous moments." Whee's arrival on the charts — it's 27th among social-networking apps in Apple's App Store, outranking Skype and Signal — comes as Instagram is also leaning into features for close friends. After spending years leaning into influencer content, to the chagrin of some users, the big social platforms are betting big on close friends. But as the platforms prioritized creator-made content, like on Instagram reels, everyday users' content seemed to take a back seat.

Persons: —, Snapchat, They're, Mervana Parekh, Nathan Sharp, influencers, Adam Mosseri, YouTubers Colin, Samir, Mosseri Organizations: Service, Android Police, Business, Skype, Acrew, Retro Locations: TikTok

☆ BeReal is being acquired and its CEO is stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

BeReal is acquired by Voodoo Games for 500 million euros. The once-popular social media app struggled to grow and had limited runway left. Co-founder and CEO Alexis Barreyat will leave BeReal after a transition period. Voodoo, a French gaming company, said it valued BeReal at 500 million euros. Business Insider first reported that BeReal was looking to be acquired.

Persons: BeReal, Alexis Barreyat, — Organizations: Voodoo Games, Service, Business Locations: French

☆ 2 former Instagram staffers left their jobs to create a new social-media app that's grabbed the tech world's attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Advertisement"We always have loved this idea of a super simple product that's really just for you and your friends," Sharp told BI. "There's not any real public discovery surface inside of Retro," Sharp said. Advertisement"What's most important to us is that we build a sustainable business, whether that's venture scale or not," Sharp said. "You can complete your feed in Retro," Olson said. Courtesy of Retro"There are a few places where we've chosen comfort over — or perhaps to the detriment of — the growth of the product or the business," Olson said.

Persons: —, Nathan Sharp, Sharp, Ryan Olson, Olson, that's, Mike Krieger, Kevin Systrom, Sam Lessin, A16z's Andrew Chen, Adam Mosseri, Retro's, It's, Olson didn't, you'd, Marissa Mayer's Organizations: Service, Retro, Business, Lone Palm Labs, Retro's, Facebook, Meta, Instagram Labs Locations: Silicon

☆ How Instagram got its mojo back
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementSensor Tower shows that Instagram downloads were up 20% in 2023 compared to 2022, in contrast to TikTok's 4% year-over-year growth. Instagram beat TikTok not only in growth, but sheer volume of app downloads in 2023: Instagram had 767 million while TikTok had 733 million. One reason is Threads, the newly launched Twitter competitor, which requires an Instagram account and may have prompted some people who were curious about Threads to re-download Instagram. AdvertisementTikTok is getting oldAt the same time, TikTok, once the main existential crisis for Instagram (well, probably still is), is faltering. In 2014, that same age group (which we are trying not to refer to as middle-aged) accounted for only about 20% of Instagram users.

Persons: Instagram, TikTok, —, I've, aren't, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Adam Mosseri, Instagram hasn't, Ryan Broderick, Pew, You'd, let's, ByteDance, I'm Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Meta, The, Schools, Boston Globe Locations: Europe, Valencia, Massachusetts

☆ Citadel's relocation to Miami was a success. But can Ken Griffin get the rest of Wall Street to do it?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. In today's big story, we're looking at how two of the most powerful Wall Street firms are doing two years after relocating to Miami . Nearly two years ago the billionaire uprooted his hedge fund, Citadel, and market maker, Citadel Securities, from their Chicago headquarters to Miami. Employees at Citadel and Citadel Securities spoke to Business Insider's Emmalyse Brownstein about life in the new HQ . Shares tumbled 55% after The Wall Street Journal reported that Fisker had hired restructuring advisors to assist with a possible bankruptcy filing.

Persons: —, we're, sarayut Thaneerat, Tyler Le, Ken Griffin, Samantha Lee, San Francisco, Griffin, Anita Kot, Dogecoin, Elon Musk, Ned Davis, Fisker, Patrick Pleul, Andrew Cabellero Reynolds, Jenny Chang, Rodriguez, Sam Altman, Muhammad Ali, Steven Mnuchin, BI's Peter Kafka, Ezra Bailey, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Wall, Citadel, Citadel Securities, Sunshine State, Miami, New York, Ned Davis Research, Street Journal, Elon, OpenAI, Google, KKR, Benz Locations: Miami, Florida, Chicago, New York, London, York, Plenty, San, Austin, He's, Blackstone

☆ BeReal weighs an uncertain Series C or acquisition as growth stalls and funding is set to run out later this year, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Kali Hays | Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The company is considering raising a Series C before what's left of its $90 million in funding runs out. BeReal closed a $60 million Series B funding round at an around $600 million valuation in late 2022, following a $30 million Series A earlier the same year. Sooner than later, BeReal leadership will be forced to choose between raising another round and maintaining its independence or selling itself outright, running the risk of disappearing. Company leadership holds an all-hands every quarter after they meet with the company's board, which includes investors. As for the possibility of an acquisition, BeReal leadership has told employees there are "offers" that have been made, without giving any specifics.

Persons: Alexis Barreyat, what's, BeReal, Yuri Milner's, Andreessen Horowitz, Barreyat, Romain Salzman, Kali Hays, Callum Burroughs cburroughs@businessinsider.com Organizations: Business, Gas, Yuri Milner's DST, Accel Locations: Paris, Japan, Asia, Pacific, khays@businessinsider.com

☆ Invite-only Lapse wants to rival Instagram. It's about to raise a lot of cash to do just that.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Lapse, a buzzy social media app that wants to rival Instagram, is set to raise fresh funding, Business Insider understands. Based on the number of shares allocated, the company has raised approximately £24.48 million, $31 million. One London-based source familiar with the deal said Lapse was set to secure around $30 million. A look at the Lapse app. It aims to help satisfy the demand for more authenticity on social media.

Persons: Instagram, Jacob Andreou, Ben, Dan Silvertown, Plural's Ian Hogarth, Dmitry Tokarev Organizations: Business, Meta, Greylock Ventures, Facebook, Companies, Octopus Ventures, Redbus Ventures Locations: London

☆ More than 15% of teens say they're on YouTube or TikTok ‘almost constantly’
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-11 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

About 17% of the 63% of respondents who said they use TikTok indicated they access the short-video service "almost constantly," the report noted. Teenage boys, on the other hand, were more likely to use video game-centric messaging and social apps such as Discord and Twitch. Regarding race and ethnicity, the survey found that about 80% of Black teenagers use TikTok, compared to 70% of Hispanic teens and 57% of white teens. Hispanic teens are also more likely to use the Meta-owned WhatsApp messaging service than Black or white teens, the report noted. The Pew Research survey was based on the responses of nearly 1,500 13- to 17-year-olds between Sept. 26, 2023, and Oct. 23, 2023.

Persons: TikTok, Snapchat, Meta's Organizations: Pew Research Center, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, U.S, Pew Research Locations: U.S

☆ Instagram is taking aim at a wave of alternative social-media apps as it launches and tests new features
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Over the last several months, Instagram has been testing and rolling out several features to bring us closer to our friends. And yes, that means more "Close Friends" tools. Earlier this month, Instagram expanded the Close Friends feature, which lets users curate content for a smaller follower pool, to the feed. You can post your memes and photo dumps directly to your grid and only your close friends can see them. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that Instagram is working on two internal prototypes that could push some new apps to the sidelines.

Persons: Instagram, Kylie Jenner, Amo, Alessandro Paluzzi Organizations: Meta, Apple, Business, TikTok, Facebook, Paluzzi Locations: amo

☆ The Hot New Thing in Social Media Is Here. Again.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | More About Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The history of social media platforms is littered with apps that had their moment before fading. And in 2015 there was Beme, which was marketed as an online space for sharing everyday life as it really is. Much like Dispo, Lapse encourages people to take pictures the way they did in the analog days, when disposable cameras were all the rage. When the photos are ready, several hours later, their takers can decide if they want to post them for their Lapse friends or archive them for private viewing. All photos posted on Lapse must be taken in the app and cannot be altered in any way.

Persons: Gen Organizations: Apple Locations: United States

☆ Great news — social media is falling apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

And I'm not alone: People are spending less and less time on social media. But instead of spelling the death of social media, it may be the beginning of a better era. Welcome to the Great Social Media Splintering. One recent study found social media could cause an increase in eating disorders and poor body image in men and women. Studies have found that news overload from social media can cause stress, anxiety, fatigue, and lack of sleep.

Persons: I've, haven't, I'm, it's, Ben Grosser, Harvard University's Berkman Klein, media's, TikTok, Chand Rajendra, Rebecca Rinkevich, Mike McCue, Jack Dorsey, Steve Teixeira, Rajendra, Nicolucci, Shubham Agarwal Organizations: Facebook, Twitter, Great Social Media, Harvard, Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center, Internet & Society, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Institute, Rebooting Social Media, Mastodon, Mozilla, Wired, Company Locations: Instagram, Google's, India, Brazil, Facebook, Ahmedabad

☆ Welcome to the Great Internet Splintering
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

But instead of spelling the death of social media, it may be the beginning of a better era. Welcome to the Great Social Media Splintering. One recent study found social media could cause an increase in eating disorders and poor body image in men and women. The fatigue I have felt is therefore partly fueled by another, more-pressing concern: Which social network should I bank on? But until it emerges, I expect to continue living a splintered and nomadic online social life.

Persons: I've, haven't, I'm, it's, Ben Grosser, Harvard University's Berkman Klein, media's, TikTok, Chand Rajendra, Rebecca Rinkevich, Mike McCue, Jack Dorsey, Steve Teixeira, Rajendra, Nicolucci, Shubham Agarwal Organizations: Facebook, Twitter, Great Social Media, Harvard, Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center, Internet & Society, University of Michigan, Institute, Rebooting Social Media, Mastodon, Mozilla, Wired, Company Locations: Instagram, Google's, India, Brazil, Facebook, Ahmedabad

☆ BeReal is set to make its first marketing hire — but experts say it could be too late for the app to recapture its early buzz
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BeReal recently posted a job ad for its first-ever communications and marketing lead. Social-media experts said it's probably too late for BeReal to recapture its early buzz. BeReal, the French photo-sharing app startup, is set to make its first-ever marketing hire but social-media experts say it may be too late to recapture the early buzz. But BeReal appeared to have missed its moment to capitalize on its surge in popularity in 2022, experts have said. Ultimately, it could be too late for BeReal to turn itself around without a substantial pivot, experts said.

Persons: BeReal, it's, they've, Colin Kennedy, influencers, Kennedy, Paul Armstrong, Armstrong Organizations: US App Stores Locations: BeReal, Europe

☆ Social Media Is Dead: Instagram, TikTok Replaced by Group Chats, Messaging
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Frustrated with the state of the platform, Breuning launched the "Make Instagram Instagram Again'' crusade in 2022. Influencers, marketers, average users, and even social-media executives agree: Social media, as we once knew it, is dead. Social media to social mediaNo app better defines the changing nature of social media than Instagram. "I'm honestly just tired of social media," said 23-year-old Walid Malb, who works in the creator economy. Amanda Perelli is a senior creator economy reporter covering social media influencers, advertising and marketing trends for Insider.

Persons: Tati, everyone's, Bruening, Breuning, algorithmically, Kylie Jenner, Adam Mosseri, Instagram, Jeffrey Gerson, Sarah Frier, Influencers, Mosseri, Hannah Stowe, Andrea Casanova, Casanova, I'm, Walid Malb, —, Gerson, Nina Haines, Victoria Johnston, Johnston, Lia Haberman, Alpha, they're, Haberman, wouldn't, Amanda Perelli, Bradley Organizations: Bloomberg, Apple, Twitter, UCLA, American Influencer Council, Social, . Locations: Instagram, New York, Similarweb, Castro, Geneva

☆ Meta has hired the core team behind the once-buzzy photo app Poparazzi
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The core team behind the once-viral social-media app Poparazzi has been hired by Meta. Poparazzi, an anti-selfie photo-sharing app that encouraged users to snap pictures of their friends, skyrocketed briefly to the top of Apple's US App Store after launching in 2021. Now, four Poparazzi staffers, including its engineers and CEO Alex Ma, are employees of Meta, Insider has learned. Poparazzi cofounders Austen and Alex Ma. "Our journey to Poparazzi started 4 years ago with a simple goal: to connect people authentically," Alex Ma wrote in the Medium post.

Persons: Poparazzi, Alex Ma, Meta, Alex, Austen Ma, Ma, TTYL, Poparazzi cofounders Austen, Poparazzi's Organizations: Apple, Meta, Benchmark, TechCrunch, Facebook

☆ Sequoia bolsters London office with sixth partner hire as VC firm unveils radical restructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Venture capital firm Sequoia has hired a sixth partner for its London office, Insider understands. Venture capital firm Sequoia has bolstered its presence in Europe with the hire of its sixth partner in London, Insider understands. "Since Julien joined us as an associate five years ago, he's become a valued member of our London team," Accel partner Sonali De Rycker said. Sequoia will expand in Europe despite a broader contraction in venture capital funding to European startups. Sequoia has closed 21 deals in Europe in the three years since it opened in London, Crunchbase data shows.

Persons: Julien Bek, Accel's Luciana Lixandru, Sequoia's Lixandru, Bek, Julien, he's, Sonali De Rycker, Slay, Matt Miller, George Robson, Anas Organizations: Sequoia, . Venture, Apple, Accel, London, Investment, Investments, Trade Republic, Global Founders Capital, Revolut Locations: Sequoia, Europe, London, California, China, India, Southeast Asia, Geneva, Switzerland, Lixandru

☆ Regular internet use may be linked to lower dementia risk in older adults, study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggested that older people who regularly used the internet were less likely to develop dementia. Scientists still don’t know what causes dementia, so the new research can’t pinpoint the exact connection between internet usage and brain health. A 2020 study found an association between cognitively stimulating jobs and a lower risk of dementia, for example. Research also suggests that most older adults most frequently use the internet for basic tasks like email, news or online banking. And learning new skills may be protective against dementia, studies suggest.

☆ I rented clothes instead of buying new, and saved $53 a month—here's the No. 1 reason I'll keep doing it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

I started renting used clothes in January, saving me an average of $53 per month so far. Balancing my vanity with an awareness that I needed to budget more effectively, I started renting clothes from Nuuly — a sister company to Urban Outfitters — in January. It hasn't curbed my shopping habits as much as I predicted, but it has saved me money: I spend $53 less per month, on average. But I didn't start renting clothes for my self-esteem. Why I'll keep renting clothes — but not forever

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