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Hellooooo from team Daily Crunch! Haje is back from all sorts of minor disasters and Christine is still going. Let’s go.
It’s still Black History Month, so get a TC+ subscription for today’s feature (use code DC for a discount) and find out why our own Dominic Madori believes that ringing the opening bell of Nasdaq for black founders and investors symbolizes progress.
Contents
The businesskinda.com Top 3
- The beat continues: Our listening to music is getting way too smart for its own good. Spotify’s new feature called “DJ” is injecting some artificial intelligence into our music – because there’s no AI at work just yet – and claims to know what you want to listen to so well that you’ll have every time you tap the DJ button, a personalized music experience. It even gives you commentary on what you’re listening to. Sarah has more.
- United States for the win: Mary Ann spoke exclusively to Klarna’s co-founder and CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski and learned that the US is now the payments giant’s largest market. She has the scoop on how the US is surpassing Europe.
- Hi! You! Get in my car: Uber has redesigned its app to create a more simplified and personalized experience for customers, allowing you to see everything the ride-hailing giant has to offer. Rebekah guides us through the changes.
Startups and VC
Whatever you do, don’t miss our Wednesday Equity show this week Natasha M interviewed Kaisa Snellman, an economic sociologist and associate professor of organizational behavior and academic director of the INSEAD Gender Initiative, exploring how data shows that female check writers alone are not enough to close the female fundraising gap.
One year after completion of the special acquisition with FirstMark Horizon Acquisition Corp. to go public, Starry Group Holdings, an internet service provider, said it had filed for bankruptcy in an effort to reduce its debt while preserving customer and network operations in five cities. Christine reports.
And a few more to keep you tickled:
Go long or go short? A VC reveals when it’s time to sell and how to maximize buyer interest
Image Credits: puhimec (Opens in a new window) /Getty Images
Will your startup IPO capture a giant slice of your market, or is it value added that will be acquired by a hard-charging unicorn?
“If the product doesn’t quite fit the market, there’s a third choice that too many entrepreneurs and their investors overlook: sell out,” said Kittu Kolluri, founder and general manager of Neotribe Ventures.
In an article aimed at early-stage founders, Kolluri shares a detailed framework with timelines that can help decide whether it’s time to look for a buyer or keep reaching for the stars.
“How can you choose? While it’s not a trivial decision, it’s also not as difficult as you might think. There are only two gates: value and growth.”
Three more from the TC+ team:
businesskinda.com+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams lead the way. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!
Big Tech Inc.
“Hello @Bing.” That’s what you can text now to bring Bing into your conversation. The search engine may have had its ups and downs, but that’s not stopping Microsoft. Frederick writes the company now brings the new AI-powered Bing to mobile and Skype so you can ask questions in a chat mode.
This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments related to section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects internet companies from liability for the user-generated content they host. Taylor writes, “It has become an unlikely controversy in recent years.” Why? “Plaintiffs … argue that the technology platforms in question should be held legally accountable for Islamic State content they hosted or promoted in the run-up to attacks that have collectively claimed more than 150 lives,” she said.
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Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.