The Information

The Brex Boys’ Uncomfortable Reckoning

The Brex Boys’ Uncomfortable Reckoning

By Mack Cooper · Feb 9, 2024 9:00am PST

When pain clouds the present, the past can provide a welcome escape—a reality I see reflected on Pedro Franceschi’s face as we headed down Market Street in San Francisco last week. With the Muni trams crawling past us, he pointed out several of Brex’s former offices, narrating his startup’s high-speed rise: one at 580... When pain clouds the present, the past can provide a welcome escape—a reality I see...

Art by Clark Miller.

From Instagram’s First Employee to Tech’s Newest Thriller Writer

By The Information · Jan 13, 2023 9:00am PST

Josh Riedel was getting hit by a bomb cyclone. From his home in San Francisco’s Mission District, the former Instagram manager and first-time novelist found himself in the eye of one of California’s endless storms. Driving through the city near SoMa, he passed cars halfway submerged in murky water, huge limbs torn off trees and other... Josh Riedel was getting hit by a bomb cyclone. From his home in San Francisco’s Mission...

Josh Wolfe’s War: The Lux Capital Founder Blazes a Controversial Path in Defense Tech

Josh Wolfe’s War: The Lux Capital Founder Blazes a Controversial Path in Defense Tech

By · Jan 6, 2023 9:21am PST

Josh Wolfe arrived at a remote island in the Philippines by inflatable boat, surrounded by men with large guns. It was 2019 and the founding partner of the New York venture firm Lux Capital was on a very strange work trip. Over the course of two weeks, American soldiers escorted Wolfe through the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia and... Josh Wolfe arrived at a remote island in the Philippines by inflatable boat, surrounded by men...

Jasper founders Dave Rogenmoser, Chris Hull and J.P. Morgan. Art by Clark Miller; photo courtesy Jasper.

The Best Little Unicorn in Texas: Jasper Was Winning the AI Race—Then ChatGPT Blew Up the Whole Game

By · Dec 23, 2022 9:15am PST

Jasper founders Dave Rogenmoser, Chris Hull and J.P. Morgan. Art by Clark Miller; photo courtesy Jasper.

The Best Little Unicorn in Texas: Jasper Was Winning the AI Race—Then ChatGPT Blew Up the Whole Game

By · Dec 23, 2022 9:15am PST

A few weeks ago, Sam Altman, CEO of artificial intelligence startup OpenAI, logged onto a Zoom call. On the other side of the screen was Dave Rogenmoser, CEO of Jasper, a copywriting startup built on OpenAI’s flagship large-language model, GPT-3. The two companies share a Slack channel, where they trade updates and feedback about GPT-3,... A few weeks ago, Sam Altman, CEO of artificial intelligence startup OpenAI, logged onto a Zoom...

Art by Clark Miller.

The Buzz Is Gone: Tech Companies (With a Few Exceptions) Are Reining In Once-Legendary Holiday Parties

By · Dec 16, 2022 9:00am PST

On December 8, several thousand Adobe employees and their guests milled around San Francisco’s Chase Center arena for the company’s holiday-slash-40th-anniversary party. Starting at 7 p.m., the Adobe workers and their dates shot hoops in an arcade, received spray-on temporary tattoos, and grabbed drinks and food (tacos, sliders,... On December 8, several thousand Adobe employees and their guests milled around San...

Art by Clark Miller

‘You’re Not in Control of Your Thoughts’: Social Media Companies Know When Users Are Manic or Bipolar. So Why Don’t They Help Them?

By · Oct 14, 2022 9:05am PDT

Last month, before an audience of millions, Gabbie Hanna unraveled in her living room, convinced she was the second coming of Jesus Christ. Hanna, a popular influencer who made her name on Vine in the early 2010s, had ignited controversy before, usually for her public feuds with rival influencers or dismissive comments about mental health. But... Last month, before an audience of millions, Gabbie Hanna unraveled in her living room, convinced...

Art by Clark Miller

Saint Frances of the Whistle: A Year After Frances Haugen’s Facebook Leak, Every Corporate Secret Is Now Up for Grabs

By · Sep 30, 2022 8:30am PDT

When Frances Haugen has sought refuge during the past year of personal attacks, speaking engagements, and congressional and parliamentary hearings, she has found it beside a placid blue lagoon in Puerto Rico. She shares a home in Miramar—“the Brooklyn of San Juan,” she said—with her new husband, Alex, whose last name and background she prefers,... When Frances Haugen has sought refuge during the past year of personal attacks, speaking...

Art by Clark Miller

‘What Am I Going to Do Now?’: Fired Crypto Workers Weigh Life After the Boom

By · Sep 23, 2022 9:00am PDT

Art by Clark Miller

‘What Am I Going to Do Now?’: Fired Crypto Workers Weigh Life After the Boom

By · Sep 23, 2022 9:00am PDT

On July 14, James Hu was sitting in his “fabulously expensive” apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He had just returned from the Soho offices of OpenSea, the non-fungible token marketplace, where he had been laid off from his job and locked out of his work computer. The event was not exactly a huge shock to Hu, who had watched mass crypto... On July 14, James Hu was sitting in his “fabulously expensive” apartment in Williamsburg,...

Photo Erika Nardini. Composite by Clark Miller.

Erika Nardini Isn’t Here to Apologize

By · Sep 16, 2022 10:30am PDT

The Barstool Sports offices are heard before they are seen. Raucous cheers and hollering permeate the elevator bank inside its Manhattan headquarters—the sound of an ever-rowdy 400-employee media company revving up for the day. Located on the second floor of a nondescript building a few blocks from Penn Station, the offices are not as glossy as... The Barstool Sports offices are heard before they are seen. Raucous cheers and hollering permeate...

A selfie of the author Zara Stone, overlaid with results from Perfect Corp.’s AI Personality Finder demo. Art by Clark Miller

The Secret Life of Selfies: How a Beauty Tech Startup Is Using AI to Match Faces With Products

By · Sep 9, 2022 12:00pm PDT · 1 comment

For years, Hannah Williams’ go-to selfie app has been YouCam Makeup. Before posting a self-portrait to Instagram, the 25-year-old cashier from Morgantown, W. Va., will run the shot through YouCam’s augmented reality filters to whiten her teeth, remove stray pimples and smooth her complexion. In recent months, she’s played... For years, Hannah Williams’ go-to selfie app has been YouCam Makeup. Before posting a...