Tech: Amazon’s ‘Remote Advocacy’ Slack

Plus: Salesforce leak, and sweaters that protect your privacy.

View in browser Subscribe February 22, 2023 Do you play a sport, reader? If so, you apparently live like a lot of tech billionaires or founders. But at the same time — maybe not. These more-active moneybags seem to forgo running and biking in favor of less-common activities like segway polo and BASE jumping (AKA parachuting). I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I want to challenge Bill Gates to a pickleball match. He's family friends with the founders of the sport and has played longer than most people have been alive. My colleague Grace Kay compiled a list of plutocrats with their preferred sports — including the Microsoft founder. Before you go challenge Mark Zuckerberg to an MMA fight, let's dive into today's tech. — Diamond Naga Siu  If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media   1. Thousands of Amazon employees are fighting against its return to office policy.   As of Tuesday, a new Slack channel at Amazon called "Remote Advocacy" had more than 14,000 members. It was created hours after CEO Andy Jassy issued the office-return mandate.   A survey in the internal channel showed that nearly 80% of the respondents would find another job due to this change. And some employees started a petition to protest the mandate.    Amazon insiders revealed to my colleague Eugene Kim the "absolute chaos" from this announcement.   Enter Amazon's return to office rage here.   Bonus: Read the leaked message from an Amazon VP trying to calm down employees. ADVERTISEMENT Make compliance a competitive advantage Download Laika's guide to SOC 2 compliance to learn everything you need to know about this important standard, and how you can use it to give your startup a competitive edge. DOWNLOAD NOW IN OTHER NEWS Salesforce leak, layoffs, & more Cap-able   2. This $400 Italian sweater protects your privacy. Its trippy designs trick cameras into thinking you aren't human. Instead, cameras might identify you as a giraffe, zebra, or other animal. Enter the collection here (if you can spot it). 3. Leaked messages reveal major Salesforce changes. CEO Marc Benioff axed a plan to cut the lowest performing 5% of its workers, per leaked Slack memos. The messages also revealed a revised return-to-office policy and new restructuring plan. Catch up with all the changes here. 4. Black investors changing the startup funding landscape. Insider compiled a list of 51 Black investors you should know. The list includes their notable investments, types of companies they're interested in, and work they've done. Check out the full list here. 5. Big Tech layoffs were like ripping off "golden handcuffs." This ex-Google employee shared with Insider the silver lining of getting laid off from the search giant. Get her optimistic outlook here. 6. Hear from the original voice of Apple's Siri. Susan Bennett, a voice actor, was the first voice of Siri when it was released in 2011. She told Insider about her wild ride — and relationship — with Apple. Hey Siri: take me to the story. 7. Lawsuits claim that Twitter owes more than $14 million. Vendors and landlords alike are accusing Twitter of owing them big bucks — not even including accruing interest. The lawsuits were all filed since Elon Musk took over. Check out the unpaid bills here. 8. Steer clear of these electric cars. Insider's vehicle virtuoso Tim Levin has test driven 22 electric vehicles. He shared three models with negatives that outweigh the positives, including the GMC Hummer EV. Get in, we're (not) going shopping. ODDS AND ENDS Florida's climate exodus & stores closing Getty; Marianne Ayala/Insider   9. Climate change is forcing people to leave Florida. Flooding — for months at a time — is one effect of climate change in Florida that's forcing people to relocate. The state's calamities are a preview of what will happen to millions before the century ends. Dive into the climate exodus here 10. More than 800 stores are closing across the US this year. Macy's, Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Tuesday Morning, Gap, Party City, and other big names are all shuttering locations this year. Get the full list of closures here. WHAT WE'RE WATCHING TODAY Supreme Court, Mobile Growth Summit, & more The US Supreme Court will hear arguments today in the social media terrorist content liability case Twitter, Inc v. Taamneh. The Mobile Growth Summit in Las Vegas starts today. It features speakers from Google, Meta, Zynga, Roblox, and other major companies. Quarterly earnings for eBay, Nvidia, and other companies. Keep up with earnings here. CAN'T GET ENOUGH? Keep up with Insider Get Insider's app and notifications to be the first to find out about the stories you want to know — from tech to business. Download it here. Become an Insider subscriber to get actionable, high-value news and insights to improve your career, company, and community. Subscribe here. Want more of Insider in your inbox? Sign up for our newsletters here. Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London. Email sent to: geefunk007.bond1@blogger.com Manage your email preferences  |  Unsubscribe  |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy © 2023 Insider Inc. 1 Liberty Plaza, New York, NY 10006