From a hush-hush Apple meeting to mysterious executive departures, 9 of the most important tech stories Business Insider reported in 2018

Microsoft in talks to acquire GitHub

A Microsoft acquisition of GitHub — the popular platform for software developers — seemed like a wild notion when Business Insider's Julie Bort and Becky Peterson broke the news this summer that the two companies were in discussions for a multibillion dollar deal.

Within days however, Microsoft announced plans to buy GitHub for $7.5 billion, sending shockwaves throughout the tech world and spurring competitors like IBM to acquire RedHat.

The inside story of Travis Kalanick's downfall at Uber

A lot of stories have been written about the internal turmoil at Uber that led to the ousting of CEO Travis Kalanick.

BI Chief Tech Correspondent Julie Bort wrote the definitive account, speaking to dozens of people over six months, and unearthing important new new details, revelations and behind-the-scenes events that set in motion a boardroom coup that's sure to be analyzed by business school professors for years to come.

Apple's secret app developer meeting

Kif Leswing's fascinating and detailed report about an invite-only meeting with app developers that Apple hosted in a New York City luxury loft shed new light on the iPhone maker's strategy to focus on subscriptions.

With Apple's recent shift to a "services" business, building a reliable app-subscriptions revenue stream, and keeping developers happy, will become increasingly vital to the company's success.

Instagram's new TV service recommended graphic videos that appeared to depict child exploitation

When Instagram launched a video-streaming service called IGTV in June, the launch was hailed as a move to encroach into YouTube's business. But as Business Insider's Isobel Asher Hamilton discovered in an investigation, Instagram's new TV service was recommending a crop of graphic and disturbing videos, whose content appeared to include child exploitation and genital mutilation.

Instagram removed the videos after being contacted by Business Insider and Britain's National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children reported the videos to the police.

The breakup of high-flying Silicon Valley VC firm Social Capital

One of the biggest stories in Silicon Valley's rarefied world of venture capital in 2018 was the demise of Social Capital, the firm founded by former Facebook exec Chamath Palihapitiya.

In a series of exclusive reports, Business Insider chronicled the growing tensions and finger-pointing between the members of the firm and its larger-than-life founder.

Facebook backs off from drones and shutters its Building 8 skunkworks labs

As Facebook was whiplashed by one scandal after another in 2018, the social networking giant backed off several of its most ambitious projects.

Shortly after Business Insider's Rob Price described the high-level departures and changes at Facebook's Aquila drone project, Facebook confirmed it was getting out of the drones business.

Price also reported the first details about Facebook shuttering its ambitious and high-profile "Building 8" hardware lab, and moving some of the projects to various units within the company.

Leaked Andreessen Horowitz data reveals how much Silicon Valley startup execs really get paid

How much do engineers, designers and other techies working at startups make?

VC firm Andreessen Horowitz conducts an annual survey to get a sense of Silicon Valley salaries, and Business Insider's Rob Price got ahold of the results. The interactive graph that BI created, based on the data, has quickly become a must-have resource in the competitive world of tech.

The story of the mysterious exit of a $2 billion tech startup's CEO

Kirk Krappe, the longtime CEO of $1.86 billion startup Apttus, left the company in July 2018 with little fanfare. Two months Apttus was acquired by a private-equity firm.

As Business Insider's Becky Peterson discovered during an investigation into the events, the CEO's abrupt departure followed a string of problematic incidents at the company, including a claim of sexual assault at a company retreat and a corporate culture rife with dysfunction.

Uber's new CEO encourages employees to have "the D"

This may not rank among the most consequential stories of 2018, but it sure is one of the most memorable. Becky Peterson's account of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's pet catchphrase, and its unfortunate double-entendre, is sure to leave you with a smile on your face.