Gm. Starting the day with the results of Monday's poll:

56% said Google is a descending organization.

One reader who voted Descending said,

“As the company lost sight of the "don't be evil" mantra with a broad focus on profit at all costs. Overall product quality has suffered along with the trust and good will initially earned with customers. Couple examples: Google created half a dozen messaging apps, all are/were garbage compared to the walled garden of iMessage.”

Well, can't argue with that one.

This week's poll is a moral dilemma:

FRESH POWDER

Looking at three startups that recently topped up their coffers. Congrats!

TECH

Elliott Eyes Salesforce

Salesforce did not have the best 2022. It laid off 10% of its employees, took a spanking in the stock market, and saw Co-CEO Bret Taylor announce an exit.

But, Salesforce's banner 2021 was not too long ago, and it is still the world's pre-eminent software company. Surely CEO Marc Benioff's job is safe, right?

Well, about that...

Elliott's Investment

It turns out that Elliott Management Corp, one of the world's largest and most prolific activist investment firms, has bought a multibillion-dollar stake in Salesforce.

Not what you want to hear if your Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

That is because, like all activist investors, Elliott is a catalyst of change at the companies they take an interest in. Their goal is to raise the stock price, and they do so by obtaining a board set and pushing for changes.

These changes can include new products, layoffs, or changes in management.

Nothing is off the table.

Looking Ahead

Is Marc Benioff a walking dead-man? No, he's not, but he's also not going to have the free-reign he is accustomed to.

Elliott and fellow Salesforce activist investor Starboard are not in the business of losing money. Benioff is going to be under significant pressure to quickly boost Salesforce's profitability.

And if he doesn't?

🔪🩸💀

ED-TECH

YouTube University?

YouTube is partnering with Arizona State to launch classes for college credit.

Maybe I wouldn't have dropped out if I could go to class on YouTube!

The Courses

First up is How to Make Epic Videos like MrBeast. Ok, not really, but I'd take it.

Starting yesterday, students can sign up for four courses that start March 7th. The program doesn't require applications or a minimum GPA for enrollment. Just my style.

Courses include Intro to Human Communication (will it help me talk to girls?), Rhetoric and Composition, Real World College Math and US History to 1865. Courses are brought to you by the Crash Course team — John and Hank Green — who have been teaching on YouTube since I was in middle school.

The Business Model

The big thing I'm wondering is if there's ads in the middle of lectures haha. Hopefully not.

Forreal though, there's a $25 fee if students elect to sign up and begin coursework and a $400 fee to receive college credit for each course. The program will have 12 courses available by January 2025, which would give students a chance to receive credit for a full year of college. So that's only $4,800 for an entire semester. Crazy.

I see this being an absolutely huge business for YouTube. We've all been using YouTube to get through classes (they just haven't been getting paid directly like this for it). With their new Courses feature launching in India, it's clear that YouTube is doubling down on education. I'm very bullish on the future of Creator-Educators.

Now the only question is will YouTube throw good parties?

QUICK HITS

Seed Round

Stat: 17%: The percentage of Stanford students who used ChatGPT on their fall finals. This number is definitely going to be higher in the spring, right?

Story we're watching: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the design of the first small modular nuclear reactor for use in the US. Small modular reactors are cheaper, safer, and faster to build than previous larger reactors. If nuclear energy is truly the future of energy, this could mark the beginning of the nuclear age.

Rabbit hole: The Untold Story of How I Made $439,234.96 Per Month (Scott Delong)

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON

• Andrew Wilkinson's Tiny is going public.

• Spotify is cutting 6% of its staff.

• Microsoft confirmed its multibillion-dollar investment into OpenAI.

• Meta is expanding its VR partnership with the NBA.

THREE LIES AND A HEADLINE

News is so weird these days. Three of these headline are fake stories from The Onion while one is actually true. Can you spot the truth amongst the fakes?

A. Concerning Study Finds 1 in 10 Americans Lack Access To Adequate Food Eating Challenges

B. Golden State Warriors Present Kamala Harris With Blank Jersey

C. If We Have Self-Healing Bio Robots, It Started Here With Mouse Muscle Cyborgs

D. Pizza Hut CEO Accused Of Stuffing Assets Into Offshore Crusts

FOUNDERS CORNER

The best resources we came across that will help you become a better founder, builder, or investor.

💃🏻 Too many crypto bro podcasts? Sign up for TheGirlsTable for a dope podcast and newsletter about crypto, venture capital, and web3.

🔥 Check out this anonymous VC ranking from verified founders. Who will be #1 in 2023?

🤖 For a solid dose of nostalgia and memories, check out Retro Tech Dreams.

THREE HEADLINES ANSWER

C.