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☆ From the battery boss who naps at noon to the fitness entrepreneur who rises at 3:30 a.m., these are the most unusual CEO habits
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Alexandra Bacon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRunning a company is a stressful job, especially if you're running one of the biggest firms in the world. Here are some of the most unusual routines of CEOs:This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Or if you're Elon Musk, your morning routine includes eating a doughnutElon Musk. Taylor Hill/Getty ImagesTesla CEO Elon Musk opts for a sugary start to the day.

Persons: —, Tim Cook, Richard Branson, Josh York, Bob Iger, Chip Somodevilla, Iger, Mikael Berner, Elon, Taylor Hill, Elon Musk, Mark, Mark Zuckerberg, Robin Zeng, CATL, Jack Dorsey, Joe Raedle Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Murray, Steven Barlett, Tobias Lutke, brag Organizations: Service, Business, Disney, Getty, Edison Software, EV, Twitter, Telegraph

☆ AI is threatening Americans’ jobs. Could guaranteed income provide a safety net?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

That idea of guaranteed income is receiving renewed interest as AI becomes an increasing threat to Americans’ livelihoods. As more Americans’ jobs are increasingly at risk due to the threat of AI, Tubbs and other proponents of guaranteed income say this could be one solution to help provide a safety net and cushion the expected blow AI will have on the labor market. “Then, when we have to deal with that job displacement, we’re better positioned to do so.”Silicon Valley’s infatuation with guaranteed incomeThe idea of a guaranteed income is not new. AFP/Getty ImagesDecades after King’s death, the idea of guaranteed income went on to see a resurgence of support emanating out of Silicon Valley. Other tech industry tycoons, including Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, have also thrown immense financial support behind guaranteed income programs.

Persons: CNN — Michael Tubbs, Tubbs, ”, “, ” Michael Tubbs, Nick Otto, ” Tubbs, Nathan Frandino, Let’s, Martin Luther King, Jr, I’m, ” King, King, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman —, Musk, Rishi Sunak, Zuckerberg, ” Altman, Altman, Sam Altman, Justin Sullivan, Elizabeth Rhodes, Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, Ken Paxton, ” Paxton, overreach, ‘ It’s, ’ Tomas Vargas Jr, Vargas, I’ve, that’s, ” Tomas Vargas Jr, Tomas Vargas Jr, ” Vargas Organizations: CNN, Getty, Global, Monetary Fund, Reuters, Stockton, Civil Rights, Washington DC, Elon, “, UK, Harvard, Facebook, YCombinator, Twitter, UPS Locations: Stockton , California, Silicon Valley, Big, America, Stockton, AFP, San Joaquin, U.S, Washington, Alaska, YCombinator, San Francisco , California, United States, Texas, Harris, Harris County

☆ Elon Musk may have a point in his fight against Brazil, but he's not actually helping
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk said he would ignore the order and demanded that Brazil uphold free speech principles. Musk's voice isn't helping the country's debate on free speech, a civil liberties expert told BI. AdvertisementElon Musk is wading into a war with Brazil over orders from the country's Supreme Court to ban certain X accounts that helped spread election misinformation. However, the country's protection of free speech is not absolute, giving the federal government greater discretion to ban certain types of speech — like hate speech. And it's this type of speech that Musk is going to bat for in Brazil — speech that can have serious implications for the country.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon, isn't, Musk, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, De Moraes, Jair Bolsonaro, Alimonti, Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, country's, brazenly, Jack Dorsey, Charles Breyer, Musk's, Breyer Organizations: Brazilian, Court, Service, Associated Press, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Nazi, Musk, Business, X Corp, Media Matters Locations: Brazil, China, India, Turkey

☆ Here's how guaranteed basic-income programs get their funding
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Allie Kelly | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Cities like San Antonio, Austin, Denver, Boston, and Minneapolis have turned to basic-income pilot programs to explore ways to reduce those poverty levels. Republicans in Texas, Arizona, Iowa, and South Dakota are making efforts to ban GBI programs at the municipal and state level. AdvertisementStates and cities sometimes fund basic-income programsMany basic-income programs receive funding directly from state and local governments. Nonprofits and philanthropy play a key role in basic-income fundingOther basic-income programs are organized through a nonprofit, or receive funding from foundations and private donors. Along with funding cash payments, the Economic Security Project said that philanthropic donations can help a GBI programs pay for income policy research.

Persons: —, Monique Gonzalez, John Gillette, Flint, Joe Biden, Jack Dorsey, UpTogether Organizations: Service, Economic Security, Business, SNAP, Republicans, BI, American, ARPA, Chicago's Department of Family, Support Services, Mayors, Georgia Resilience, GRO Fund, Colorado Trust Locations: Cities, San Antonio, Austin, Denver, Boston, Minneapolis, Texas , Arizona , Iowa, South Dakota, Arizona, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, Chicago, Somerville , Massachusetts, GBI, Harris, Houston, Georgia, Atlanta, Colorado

☆ The allure of fasting diets for successful people — and where it falls short
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Intermittent fasting diet plans, meal kits, fitness trackers, and biological age tests can all offer something to busy people who want to feel in control. More than one in 10 Americans (12%) tried intermittent fasting in 2023, according to one food and beverage industry-backed survey. The business of intermittent fasting phone apps is blossoming and is on track for more growth in the next five to 10 years. There are many ways to do intermittent fasting — from skipping breakfast to whole days without foodPeople have been fasting for as long as people have been people. AdvertisementThe case against fasting to lose weight and live longerFirefighters in San Diego tried intermittent fasting out during the pandemic, with good results.

Persons: —, Chris Hemsworth, Podcaster Andrew Huberman, Hugh Jackman, Dwayne, Johnson, Terry Crews, It's, Sam Altman, biohacking, Dave Asprey, Gary Vaynerchuk, Bryan Johnson, Jack Dorsey, it's, Hippocrates, Daniel Belsky, There's, Satchidananda Panda, I've, Krista Varady, Dr, Peter Attia, you've, Satchidananda, He's, Randy Shropshire, nix, Valter Longo, Longo, Belsky, Stephen Kritchevsky, Mark Cucuzzella, Nir Barzilai, Nir Barzilai Nir Barzilai, Barzilai, Panda, That's, Cucuzzella Organizations: Service, Business, Columbia University, 16ers, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, University of Illinois, Getty, Cancer, gerontology, USC, Firefighters, Wake Forest University, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Locations: Greece, Chicago, San Diego, New York

☆ Self-proclaimed bitcoin inventor is not ‘Satoshi Nakamoto,’ UK judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London — An Australian computer scientist who claims he invented bitcoin is not “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the pseudonymous inventor of the cryptocurrency, a judge at London’s High Court ruled on Thursday. Craig Wright has long claimed to have been the author of a 2008 white paper, the foundational text of bitcoin, published under the pseudonym. The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) took Wright to court to stop him suing bitcoin developers, asking for a ruling that Wright was not Satoshi. Judge James Mellor said at the end of closing arguments on Thursday that the evidence Wright was not Satoshi was “overwhelming.”“Dr Wright is not the author of the Bitcoin white paper,” Mellor said. But he added: “Dr Wright’s conduct is also deadly serious.

Persons: London —, Satoshi Nakamoto, Craig Wright, Wright, Satoshi, James Mellor, ” “ Dr Wright, ” Mellor, “ Dr Wright, Jack, “, ”, Dr Wright, Jonathan Hough, ” Hough, Dr Wright’s, Wright’s, Mellor Organizations: London, London’s, Alliance, COPA, Twitter Locations: Australian, ”

☆ Why Republicans are fighting the basic-income programs many cities and states are adopting: 'Is money a birthright now?'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewAs guaranteed basic-income programs get more popular, opposition is also on the rise. Several lawmakers, like Arizona's Gillette, believe that income programs would discourage work and could raise taxes. A recently introduced bill in South Dakota would ban basic-income programs at the state level and prevent municipal governments from creating local programs. AdvertisementDespite opposition, basic-income program participants have seen benefitsPilot income programs have remained divisive with policymakers, but several major cities have seen positive results. In 2020, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey pledged $15 million to Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, which helped 25 cities and towns nationwide begin basic-income programs.

Persons: —, Dia Broncucia, Justin Searls, John Gillette, Gillette, Arizona's Gillette, Lupe Diaz, Steve Holt, Skyler Wheeler, Sen, John Wiik, Paul Bettencourt, Bettencourt, Harris, I've, Ivanna Neri, Neri, UpTogether, Tony Evers, Austin, Stephanie Hendon, Louis, Jack Dorsey, Mark, Anthony Middleton Organizations: Service, Business, Income, Austin, BI, Republican, Republicans, GOP, Social Security, Iowa GOP, Houston Public Media, Gov, Madison Forward Fund, Madison Locations: Denver, Arizona, Arizona , Iowa, South Dakota , Texas, Wisconsin, Phoenix, Iowa, South Dakota, Texas, Houston, UpTogether, Harris, Madison, Minneapolis , Northern Virginia, Boston, St, Oregon, Durham

☆ The smart ring era is here and tech companies are fighting for your finger. Will you wear one?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The smart ring era is here. Honor, the mobile business spun out of Huawei, also announced this week that it's working on a smart ring. Avi Greengart, president and lead analyst at Techsponential, told Business Insider at MWC that Samsung's Galaxy Ring "validates the smart ring category." Rumors of an Apple smart ring have been simmering for over a decade — mostly due to a string of patents the company has filed for. There's another good reason tech companies are eyeing smart rings right now, according to IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo: subscriptions.

Persons: —, Prince Harry, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, Jennifer Anniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Smart, they've, Oura, Avi Greengart, Apple, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Jeremy Liew, Liew Apple, Greengart, Francisco Jeronimo, Jeronimo Organizations: Samsung, Service, Mobile, Congress, MWC, Huawei, IDC, Apple, Venture, Business Locations: Barcelona, Cupertino

☆ Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey's daily routine: a 'wake me up' cocktail and 7-minute workouts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Twitter and Block cofounder Jack Dorsey once balanced the responsibilities of running both companies with an early morning wake-up and a lot of meditation. Some Twitter staff even tried the cocktail out during the company's retreat in 2018, according to the book. In 2012, Dorsey told Fast Company he'd divide his weeks into themes in order to manage running both companies. On days beginning with 'T,' I start at Twitter in the morning, then go to Square in the afternoon," he told Fast Company.

Persons: —, Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, Ben Greenfield, I'm, Greenfield, Kurt Wagner, Wagner Organizations: Service, Twitter, Business, New York Times, Bloomberg, — Company, Fast Company, Wired, Block Locations: San Francisco

☆ Elon Musk's X suspends some India accounts after order from Modi government
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | In Charmainemariajacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's social media platform X said Thursday it will block certain accounts and posts from India in response to executive orders by the government. X said it did not agree with the order but failure to comply would subject the company to "potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment." Tens of thousands of Indian farmers — mostly from the northern state of Punjab — have been protesting since mid-February in renewed calls for better crop prices which were promised to them in 2021. In October, the Modi government warned Musk that X would have to comply to country's new and upcoming IT rules. However, it has written an appeal challenging the Indian government with accounts that are pending to be blocked, the company said.

Persons: Elon, X, Jack Dorsey —, Musk —, Narendra Modi's, Modi, Musk, Naman Tandon Organizations: Global Government Affairs, CNBC, country's Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, Reuters, Twitter Locations: Punjab, Haryana, Ambala, India, New Delhi, Delhi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

☆ Block shares surge as much as 14% after company announces surprise profit
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Block stock rose as much as 14% in extended trading Thursday after the payments company reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat analyst estimates on gross profit and showed strong growth in its Square and Cash App revenue. Revenue: $5.77 billion vs. $5.70 billion expectedBlock posted $2.03 billion in gross profit, up 22% from a year ago. Analysts tend to focus on gross profit as a more accurate measurement of the company's core transactional businesses. Its Cash App business reported $1.18 billion in gross profit, a 25% year-over-year rise. The company, which is run by Jack Dorsey, said its Cash App Card has 23 million monthly actives in December, up 20%.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Dorsey Organizations: Twitter Inc, Inc, Cash Locations: Miami , Florida

☆ St. Louis Guaranteed Basic Income of $500 a Month Spent on Bills, Debt: City
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe city of St. Louis is giving out $500 a month to 540 families, and in just three months recipients say it's helped them pay off debts and their bills. In St. Louis, recipients were chosen from over 5,500 applicants. Advertisement"The main categories where we see spending is pretty much where we anticipated," Adam Layne, the St. Louis city treasurer, told Business Insider in an interview. They had to be residents of St. Louis, have a school-age child, and have had a negative financial impact from the pandemic. Layne said the guaranteed basic income program took about a year and a half of planning and coordinating with partners, including researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.

Persons: —, Louis, it's, Adam Layne, Layne, St, Jack Dorsey's, St . Louis, Louisans Organizations: Service, Business, American, Washington University Locations: St, Louis, St .

☆ Jack Dorsey gave his parents a security detail after Twitter banned Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jack Dorsey feared for his parents' safety after Twitter banned Donald Trump, a new book says. Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey was concerned about his parents' safety after his company banned former President Donald Trump from the platform, according to a recent book on the social media company. The family faced security concerns after Twitter decided to permanently ban Trump from the site following the insurrection at the Capital in 2021. AdvertisementDorsey and his family were not the only ones to face security concerns over their involvement with the social media company. "If I die under mysterious circumstances, it's been nice knowin ya," the billionaire posted on social media last May.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Donald Trump, Kurt Wagner, Marcia, St . Louis, Elon Musk, Wagner, Dorsey, Tim, Yoel Roth, Roth, Musk, it's, Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, Rob Price, Zuckerberg Organizations: Twitter, Trump, Capital, Facebook, YouTube, BBC Locations: St ., Russia, Ukraine, San Francisco

☆ Twitter employees monitored Elon Musk's jet-tracking account to see when he'd be in the office
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter staff also took to watching a social-media account that tracks Musk's planes, according to a new book about the company. Musk's jet travels made Sweeney's jet-tracking account @Elonjet more active than ever. Musk also reached out directly to Sweeney about the jet-tracking account. AdvertisementSince then, the college student has set up an account on the site that posts Musk's flight data with a 24-hour delay. The college student also posts flight data associated with other celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Mark Zuckerberg.

Persons: —, Elon, Musk, Jack Sweeney —, Kurt Wagner, Wagner, Elon Musk, Sweeney, he'd, Lars Moravy, Andrej Karpathy, Parag Agrawal, Agrawal, Vijaya Gadde, Jack Dorsey, Alex Spiro, Dorsey, Taylor Swift, Mark Zuckerberg, Grimes Organizations: Service, Twitter, Bloomberg, Business, SpaceX, Tesla, Gulfstream, Super, University of Central, University of Central Florida Locations: San Francisco, Texas, California, University of Central Florida

☆ Why Jack Dorsey's failure led to Elon Musk's arrival at Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Elon Musk's chaotic takeover of Twitter was enabled by Jack Dorsey's hands-off leadership style. AdvertisementThe world has been able to watch the chaos that ensued after Elon Musk bought Twitter, more or less in real time. AdvertisementI talked to Wagner about Twitter under Jack Dorsey, and Twitter and Musk, and what happens next. Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey quiet quitsPeter Kafka: What was your sense of Jack Dorsey before you got into this project? I think Elliott forced his hand on that front and made the job really, really un-fun for him.

Persons: Elon, Jack Dorsey's, Kurt Wagner, Musk, —, Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Kurt Wagner's, Wagner, Dorsey, Peter Kafka, He's, That's, it's, Elliott, Covid, Jack, JOSH EDELSON, he'd, Twitter, Antonio Masiello, “, There's, they've, Esther Crawford, I'm Organizations: Twitter, Service, Elon, Bloomberg, Elliott Management, San, Getty, Journal Locations: San Francisco

☆ Inside Twitter's first-ever company retreat: Jack Dorsey's parents posed for selfies, Elon Musk was a no-show, and employees meditated with the billionaire founder
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Kurt Wagner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Jack Dorsey once led a Twitter company retreat to boost employee morale and set a vision for the company. Had Dorsey opened his eyes, he would have seen nearly all of Twitter's 3,500 employees facing him in their own noiseless trance. From the convention center floor where they all sat looking up at the stage, Dorsey was just a silhouette, like a statue of a skinny Buddha. It was July 31, 2018, the first day of #OneTeam, Twitter's first-ever company-wide retreat. "BATTLE FOR THE BIRD: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter's Soul" by Kurt Wagner.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Kurt Wagner, —, Dorsey, Twitter's, Marcia, Louis, Jay Rock, Getty Dorsey, Twitter, Leslie Berland, She'd, coaxing Dorsey, unapproachable, wasn't, humanize Dorsey, Tim, Bruce Falck, Ned Segal, JP Maheu, Del Harvey, I'm, Elon, hadn't, Lucy Nicholson, Musk, Simon Organizations: Service, Moscone Center, Twitter, Employees, American Express, Trust, Safety, Simon & Schuster, Bloomberg Locations: San Francisco's, San Francisco, St, @Twitter

☆ A former Twitter engineer says Elon Musk wrongly fired him for leaking information to the press
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA former engineer at Twitter, now X, says that he was wrongfully fired from his job after being accused of leaking information to the press. Speaking to Zoë Schiffer in her newly released book, "Extremely Hardcore," Lin said that someone lied about him leaking information to the press. So when Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, the engineer was on board. AdvertisementWorkers install lighting on an "X" sign atop the downtown San Francisco building that housed what was formally known as Twitter, rebranded X by owner Elon Musk. Lin still insists that he had no involvement in leaking information, Schiffer writes in the book.

Persons: —, Randall Lin, Zoë Schiffer, Lin, Schiffer, Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Noah Berger, I've, Zoë, James Musk, Elon Musk's, Elon Organizations: Service, Twitter, Elon, Business, Twitter's San, Workers Locations: Twitter's, Twitter's San Francisco, San Francisco

☆ Jack Dorsey showed up to the Super Bowl rocking a 'Satoshi' t-shirt
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Lina Batarags | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jack Dorsey was at the Super Bowl. He wore a t-shirt that says "Satoshi," emblazoned in the style of a Nirvana t-shirt. And we saw Jack Dorsey in a t-shirt that's making waves on X, formerly known as Twitter. That's because Dorsey can be seen sporting a black t-shirt that says "Satoshi" in yellow lettering. AdvertisementJUST IN: Jack Dorsey spotted wearing a Satoshi #Bitcoin shirt at the #SuperBowl 🏈 pic.twitter.com/oDUySC5p7X — Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) February 12, 2024Two things to note here:Satoshi Nakamoto is said to be the inventor of bitcoin.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Satoshi, —, It's, Tim Cook, Taylor Swift, Dorsey —, Beyonce, Jay, Dorsey, miley, ike Organizations: Super, Service, Twitter

☆ Every celebrity and tech exec spotted at the Super Bowl, from Taylor Swift to Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewFootball stars and Taylor Swift weren't the only A-listers making headlines at the Super Bowl. AdvertisementAlicia Keys and Usher perform onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium. Beyoncé — who dropped two new songs in the middle of the Super Bowl — joined her family later to catch the game. Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey attend Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Elon Musk looks on prior to Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.

Persons: —, Taylor Swift, Swift —, Travis Kelce, Swift, Spice, Blake Lively, Kevin Mazur, Usher, Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ethan Miller, Reba McEntire, Post Malone, Andra, Blue Ivy Carter, Rumi Carter, Beyoncé —, Bowl —, Ivy Carter, Jay, Justin, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Ciara, Russell Wilson, Kendall, lado, Kardashian, Justin Bieber, helton, alf, uring, ady G aga, ady, aga, hird, J ames, raymond G reen, ames,, raymond G reen, Organizations: Service, Super, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, 49ers, Business, Apple Music, Post, Bowl, Denver Broncos Locations: Las Vegas, Tokyo

scores bigIn many ways, the N.F.L. couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for the Super Bowl. The game was a place to see and be seen. Yes, Swift arrived in time from Japan to cheer on her boyfriend, the Chiefs star Travis Kelce. And A-list celebrities like Jay-Z, Beyoncé and LeBron James were spotted at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Persons: couldn’t, Usher, Taylor Swift, Swift, Travis Kelce, Jay, LeBron James, Elon Musk —, Tim Cook, Jack Dorsey Organizations: Super, Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, Elon, Apple, Twitter Locations: Japan, Las Vegas

☆ Bluesky is finally open to everyone. But will anyone come? We ask its CEO.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Starting Tuesday, Bluesky is finally out of "beta" and will be open to anyone — no codes needed. Like Mastodon and Threads, Bluesky is an experiment in a new, "decentralized" way of running a social app, where users can create their own communities and moderation rules. AdvertisementJack Dorsey was involved in creating Bluesky while he was still at Twitter and now sits on its board. Business Insider spoke with Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky, about the app — which she said now has 3 million users. If you've never modified anything else, that's like a normal social app experience.

Persons: —, Bluesky, Joe Biden couldn't, Jack Dorsey, Meta, Jay Graber, We've, we've, you've Organizations: Service, Twitter, Meta, Business

Bluesky, a Twitter-like social network championed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, has emerged from its cocoon and is now allowing anyone to create an account and join the service. Until Tuesday, anyone hoping to join Bluesky needed an invitation, which typically meant hunting down an existing member and begging for an invite. That invite-only period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features, Bluesky said. In fact, Threads has already begun experimenting with sharing posts to Mastodon and other services using ActivityPub. “I’m pretty optimistic about this.”By contrast, Bluesky adopted a federation algorithm called the Authenticated Transfer Protocol and is so far the only such service using it.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Bluesky, Elon Musk, it’s, Mark Zuckerberg, “, ActivityPub Organizations: Twitter, ”

☆ 6 venture investors spotlight the fintechs that could soar in 2024 amid another tough year for startups
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Bianca Chan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Fintech has shown few signs of recovering in 2024 as funding declines and layoffs continue. VCs said they want to pick up deals this year in AI and cost-management tools for software. Investors digging for deals in the fintech industry are zeroing in on a few pockets of resilience. Venture funding to financial-technology startups fell by 50% in 2023 from 2022, according to CB Insights. Only one month into 2024, fintech layoffs have been abound.

Persons: Fintech, VCs, Jack Dorsey's Block Organizations: PayPal, Business Locations: Brex

☆ Google's layoffs already impacted its culture. Now they're affecting its bottom line.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, we're looking at highlights from two of the world's biggest tech companies' earnings reports, including how much layoffs cost for one of them. Tech: Tech CEOs will testify before Congress today for a hearing on child safety. Mateusz Wlodarczyk/Getty ImagesThere's been plenty of speculation about what Google's mass layoffs last year meant for its famous culture. Jerod Harris/Getty ImagesCongress is set to grill some of the biggest names in tech today. Leaders from Meta, X, TikTok, and other tech companies will face questions over their platforms' efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation online.

Persons: It's, Sundar Pichai, Mateusz Wlodarczyk, Sarah Jackson, Satya Nadella Stephen Brashear, Hisham Ibrahim, Jerome Powell's, Claudia Sahm, Powell, Linda Yaccarino, Jerod Harris, Linda Yaccarino's, Jack Dorsey's Block, Dorsey, Brooks Kraft, Dan DeFrancesco, Hallam Bullock, Jordan Parker Erb Organizations: Business, Tech, Google, Microsoft, Getty, Bloomberg, JPMorgan, Meta, Elon Musk's, Brooks Kraft LLC, Los Angeles Times, UPS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Amazon, Boeing, Mastercard Locations: Chipotle, New York, London

☆ Jack Dorsey's Block lays off 'large number' of staffers, adding to wave of tech industry cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

While Dorsey did not specify the number of Block employees laid off on Tuesday, a person familiar with the company said the number was close to 1,000. Dorsey did say that the layoffs focused on Block workers at Cash App, Foundational, and Square. Staffers were told separately that Block would look to reduce head count by about 10%, as BI reported. Google and Amazon made significant cuts to head count, while Meta is slimming down more roundaboutly by eliminating certain job titles and telling affected workers they can reapply. You can read Dorsey's full note to Block staff below:Team,Today our Cash App, Foundational, and Square teams are parting ways with a large number of our teammates.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Dorsey, Cash, Kali Hays Organizations: Business, Cash, BI, Google, Amazon, Meta, Marketing, Creative Locations: Commerce, khays@insider.com

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