Hello, readers. Nathan Rennolds, an associate editor in London, here.
Last week, robot pizza startup Zume reportedly closed down, despite having raised almost $500 million from funds like Softbank.
I couldn't help but think it was a timely reminder to investors that, in the tech industry, great expectations often lead to hard times.
Now, let's get some reactions to Apple's new AR/VR headset.
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1. Apple's Vision Pro looks amazing, but why buy it? The long-rumored AR/VR glasses were shown off during an extensive — and beautiful — demo on Monday. But with a hefty price tag of $3,500, the headset is likely to appeal only to the Apple faithful and Apple developers. Here's why.
- Tony Fadell, who created the iPod, said Apple had "jumped the shark" with the Vision Pro headset, slamming the price, battery life, apps, and marketing.
- Companies like Meta and Sony have already developed headsets that sold millions, cost a fraction of the price, and satisfied consumers' biggest current demand in the space: playing games.
- The Vision Pro also comes with a host of caveats beyond the price tag, such as a battery life of just two hours.
Read more about the Apple Vision Pro's limits here.
In other news:
2. Marc Benioff just shook up Salesforce's top ranks. Salesforce is bringing back several executives who had left for rivals like Amazon and Oracle, according to an internal memo seen by Insider. It also hinted at Benioff's succession plan. Read the full memo here.
3. Marc Andreessen has a plan to use "AI to save the world." The venture capitalist wrote that AI could "make everything we care about better" in a new blog post. He said AI companies should be able to build fast and aggressively — and without regulation. Read more.
4. Big Tech is paying big salaries for AI. While tech companies are looking to cut costs in many areas, AI is booming. Here's how much you can make as an engineer or developer.
5. Starbucks has inked a deal with CloudKitchens. As the coffee giant looks to expand its delivery business, it's turning to Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick's ghost-kitchen company to grow. Find out more.
6. "I made over $14,000 selling my fantasy books on TikTok Shop." Adam Beswick is a self-published author in the UK who promotes his books on TikTok. In less than a year, he's made more than $14,000. More here.
7. The colleges churning out startup founders. Stanford, UCLA, and USC are in the top 10 schools with grads who have receive private startup funding, per Crunchbase. Check out where else made the list here.
8. Sequoia Capital split in three. The VC powerhouse announced Tuesday that it is splitting into three entities, ending rumors of a power struggle between its US and Chinese operations. Get the full story.
Odds and ends:
9. How to negotiate virtually and win difficult Zoom conversations. Leigh Thompson, a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, shared four ways to boost your Zoom presence, including roadmapping the negotiation. Find all her tips here.
10. The 11 best podcasts for AI and machine-learning enthusiasts. As the AI industry continues to boom, these podcasts cover the most important companies and people in the space. Get the full list here.
Curated by Nathan Rennolds and edited by Jack Sommers in London.