Tech founders love Elon Musk — and hope to emulate his brutal Twitter crackdown
Only two more Tuesdays left this year, readers. We didn't think refreshing Elon Musk's Twitter feed was how we'd spend it. But here we are. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It's Jordan Parker Erb and Diamond Naga Siu. Today, we're taking you inside the latest club in Silicon Valley: Elon Musk's fan club. Filled with tech executives, the group has gone almost unnoticed amid Musk's chaotic takeover of Twitter — but they're there, quietly cheering on the CEO from the sidelines.
We've got that, and more, below.
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1. Welcome to the Elon Musk fan club. Dunking on how he changed Twitter's company culture seems to be popular on social media. But for tech founders, Musk's approach makes him a visionary. His "hardcore" approach to cost-cutting and efficiency is a stark contrast to the Silicon Valley norm of lavish benefits and idealistic visions.
- Tech companies have historically offered many creative perks: nap pods, onsite acupuncturists and massages, free dry cleaning, nitro cold brew by the keg, rock climbing, and more. But critics say the high pay and cushy benefits made tech workers lazy.
- Cue Musk's Twitter takeover: slashing headcount, revoking benefits, and cranking up productivity. Tech founders are keen to adopt a similar reset, and Musk gives them a perfect playbook to follow.
- This freedom to crack down harder on workers is part of a larger power shift back to employers. With the tech labor market in flux, companies are able to let go of low performers without fear of not being able to fill the role.
Take a peek at his ardent, under-the-radar fan club.
In other news:
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4. Black women are worn out from discrimination in corporate America. Several Black women told Insider they're starting their own businesses instead of dealing with statements like "David's here. Susan's here. And diversity is here." Here's how the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs could take down corporate America.
5. ChatGBT probably won't replace Google search anytime soon. ChatGBT, the sophisticated chatbot from OpenAI, may struggle to go beyond the current phase of an interesting — but deeply flawed — novelty tool, experts said. We explain why.
6. Uh oh! You might owe scooter company Bird a few cents. Following a dismal third-quarter earnings report, the company has begun emailing customers that they still owe $0.62, $0.93, or $0.78 — from rides they took years ago. Inside Bird's frantic bid for funds.
7. Twitter has a $1.3 million competitor. Spill is a new social platform (named after the phrase "spill the tea") created by former Twitter employees — and already has 20,000 people on its waitlist, its founder told us. We got a look at the pitch deck Spill used to raise a $1.3 million pre-seed funding round. Check it out here.
8. Meet the designer behind Karlie Kloss' metaverse clothing collection. RynityRift has partnered with Paris Hilton, Elton John, Alo Yoga, and other big names to design their metaverse clothing. He is able to reach a bigger audience in the metaverse than in real life. Follow a day in his life here.
Odds and ends:
9. We reviewed the rugged Apple Watch Ultra. Even if you're neither outdoorsy nor an extreme athlete, the new Ultra stands out from the rest of the lineup. With its long battery life and unique functions, the Ultra is a great option for anyone willing to splurge. Read the full review here.
10. Time is running out to buy the best tech gifts. The holidays are quickly approaching, so we put together a list for a group that's notoriously hard to shop for: teenagers. From the latest earbuds to new gaming gear, these are 25 tech gifts teens will actually be excited about.
What we're watching today:
- Oracle, Nike, and others are reporting earnings. Keep up with earnings here.
- The Brookings Institution is hosting an event, "Should crypto be regulated by the federal government?" at 9 a.m. ET.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb and Diamond Naga Siu in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com + dsiu@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb + @diamondnagasiu.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.