gm. Another day, another 6 hours scrolling TikTok. Let’s goooo.
POLLS
Ok, Wednesday’s poll engagement was insane.
“Everyday until I got rate-limited before I bought plus, now I make sure to max out the gpt4 limit. Too much to learn and explore. Obsessed and ready for AI to rule humanity lol.” Sam Altman, is this you?
“Every single day for pretty much everything” Ok srsly Sam stop it.
“Sometimes you just don't have the time to compose your own impromptu love haiku for your partner...!” True, ChatGPT is writing my wedding vows.
Matching ChatGPT tattoos anyone???
Ok, on to today’s poll.
Will TikTok be banned in the US? |
FRESH POWDER
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Give Me TikTok Or Give Me Death
Why is it that the world’s most popular and addicting app is also the world’s most scrutinized app?
Obviously, I’m talking about TikTok.
The app which may or may not be Chinese spyware is once again feeling the heat from the government, except this time, it appears that a ban really might be on the table.
The Biden Ultimatum
This is not the first time that TikTok has stared down the ban hammer. Trump threatened the same thing, but then ultimately lost in court.
After that legal win, times were pretty good for TikTok. That is until BuzzFeed reported that the rumors over China accessing US data were true. Suddenly, the app was back in the government’s crosshairs.
And now, they’ve received an ultimatum from the Biden administration.
Divest from Chinese parent company ByteDance, or kiss the US goodbye.
The TikTok Response
To TikTok, divesting doesn’t really address the US's national security issues.
As spokesperson Maureen Shanahan says, “divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access”.
Instead, TikTok wants “robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification”. In other words, intense self-regulation. Will the Biden administration go for it?
Who knows. All I know is that if TikTok is banned, Vine better come back.
QUICK HITS
Seed Round
Stat: $230B: The amount that Samsung is investing in its new South Korean chip factory, which when complete will be the largest in the world.
Story we're watching: It really seems like Amazon is mulling over creating a web browser, and they have good reason to do so. Google is moving closer to banning third-party cookies in Chrome, which would significantly affect Amazon’s lucrative ad business, and not in a positive way. I’m a Chrome man, but if Amazon’s browser is better, who says my head can’t turn? (Apologies, I’ve been watching a lot of Love Island recently).
Rabbit hole: How Siri, Alexa, And Google Assistant Lost The AI Race (NYT)
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON
NASA’s got some drippy new spacesuits. Definitely going as an astronaut next Halloween.
Stripe raised a crap ton of new funding.
OpenAI’s co-founder Greg Brockman says “GPT-4 isn’t perfect, but neither are you”. Ouch, Greg.
Apparently OpenAI checked to see if GPT-4 could take over the world. You know, just the usual pre-release stuff.
GUESSTIMATE
How much did bitcoin’s price rise following the SVB collapse?
FUNDRAISING FRIDAY
Great thread from Integral founder Gui Laliberte:
1/ How to pick the right amount for your seed round
Every other week, entrepreneurs ask me for fundraising help. Most don't know that successful fundraisers use The Amount strategically.
Here's how you can be more strategic with your amount:
— Gui Laliberte ✧ (@laliberteg)
Mar 6, 2023
LAYOFFS TRACKER
Notable layoffs this week:
Avidbots: 50 people (14%)
Anchorage: 75 people (20%)
Meta: 10,000 people
 FOUNDERS CORNER
The best resources we came across this week that will help you become a better founder, builder, or investor.
🦸🏻‍♂️ AI will give you superpowers. That’s why you should start reading Superhuman ASAP.
🌎 Did you know Ayn Rand basically predicted the current political-economic climate in the US? Founders, I highly recommend reading Atlas Shrugged.
🌉 Bay Area? Sign up for the Bay Area Times.
GUESSTIMATE ANSWER
About 20%. Not bad for a bear market.