Welcome back, readers! I hope you've had a restful long weekend. Back in New York City, I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb. I returned to the muggy city on Sunday, miraculously avoiding the "flightmare" that's been plaguing airports nationwide.
Today, we're taking an inside look at what's going on at Snap, where CEO Evan Spiegel shocked employees by laying off 20% of staff and obliterating some projects.
Buckle up; Let's get started.
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1. Snap insiders are worried about the future of the company. Employees were shocked last week as CEO Evan Spiegel slashed the company's workforce by 20% and cut projects to the bone. The depth of the reorganization left both workers and observers stunned — and questioning Snap's future.
- Late August marked a drastic shift in strategy for Snap and Spiegel. As cofounder, he had for years shunned the need to generate a profit, opting instead for long-term technology bets and experimental products, such as the Pixy drone.
- Suddenly, he scrapped that approach to pursue radical cost cutting and a push for cash flow, and workers went from feeling relatively stable to joking they now work at "Snapazon," a reference to the sometimes grueling, metric-heavy approach of Amazon.
- "It seemed like everything was fine," one former worker told Insider. "Then literally in one day, everything kinda crashed."
Employees describe the "immensely stressful" past few weeks.
In other news:
2. For the first time ever, more Americans are using iPhones than Androids. The major milestone comes just ahead of Apple's "Far Out" event, where it's expected to unveil new products including the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Series 8. Everything to know ahead of the big event.
3. Employees describe Amazon Care's downfall. Blindsided by the news that Amazon is shuttering its urgent and primary care business, insiders reflected on why the organization failed to gain as much traction as expected. Here's what employees told us about Amazon's failed healthcare initiative.
4. A former cybercriminal shares four tips to avoid getting hacked. Brett Johnson used to steal peoples' identities for a living. Now, he helps protect them from the types of crimes he used to commit. He shares the top things everyone should do to lower their risk of getting hacked.
5. A leaked memo shows Travis Kalanick's food tech startup wants workers back in the office three days a week. Otter, CloudKitchens' sister company, will require workers with commutes of 60 minutes or less to come into the office every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting next week. What else the leaked memo said.
6. Amazon is tightening its belt. The e-commerce giant is shutting down two delivery stations in Baltimore — which employ a total of over 300 people — and has scrapped plans to open 42 facilities elsewhere in the US. A look at Amazon's plans.
7. What it was like to be laid off from events startup Pollen. An employee who was laid off after Pollen's sudden implosion describes feeling betrayed and angry due to missed paychecks and being unable to pay rent. Read their story here.
8. Saudi Arabians are using an app to report activists who speak out against the government. While Google and Apple have policies against apps that encourage harassment and discrimination, Kollona Amn is still available on both platforms — and its popularity is resulting in some activists receiving harsh sentences or self-censoring. Everything we know about Kollona Amn.
Odds and ends:
9. Tour the Rivian R1S's sleek, feature-packed interior. Insider's transportation reporter is giving readers a glimpse into one of the coolest new electric SUVs in the country. Check it out here.
10. A SpaceX Starlink user strapped the internet dish to a yacht. The user was testing Starlink at sea for his company RebelRoam, which provides WiFi for public transport — and said that despite some outages, Starlink's connectivity was "surprisingly good." See how the internet dish worked on a sailing vacation around Greece.
What we're watching today:
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Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.
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