Jessica Lessin
@Jessicalessin
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Working for a better journalism future. Founder, @theinformation. Co-host @moreorlesspod
San Francisco
Joined September 2007
Just saw our scoop from last Thursday on @CNBC (without credit :)) Glad you liked it guys. Here's the source.
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For @wsj to say flat out that SVB could have failed because they added non-white men to their board shows how far behind the times (and certifiably stupid) this publication really is. It makes me so angry and very sad. WSJ readers and staff deserve better.
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Equally surprised by the idiocy of the statement as the chauvinism. Implies that to get a woman or black person on a board you have to be so distracted that you can’t appropriately manage interest rates??? Sure. Yeah.
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It's not every day you see a new media company launched by two smart women. Congrats. @bariweiss and @NellieBowles. Can't wait to see what you do with it.
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The Facebook whistleblower says she doesn’t need financial support because she bought “crypto at the right time.” She is in Puerto Rico in part to join her crypto friends, who are there seeking a tax shelter. Now I’m entertained.
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Can someone explain to me why the idea of charging power users is so bad? LinkedIn charges power users. Amazon charges power users.
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So, @elonmusk tells world that he will be on Clubhouse tonight but many reporters can’t listen because Marc Andreessen (Clubhouse’s biggest investor) blocks them. So, yeah, reallly time to think abt power powerful people have to shape narrative exactly as they want. #propaganda.
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The only plausible explanation for why this person wrote that is that he was playing to audience somehow, which is super distressing. He thought it would get a laugh or a non from people who think the press has gone too "woke." Gosh, when did everyone stop thinking?.
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1/Some special news today! It's been a very sad and crazy times for newsrooms and journalism internships are suffering. So, a bunch of us editors are working together to provide a "virtual" summer school for any young person who wants to pursue a career in the business.
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@TaylorLorenz I don't fully agree with @stephkorey on the media but this this totally coherent. I don't think she's saying that every reporter just wants to drive clicks. She's talking about a very real dynamic in the news business. What did you think showed 0 understanding?.
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95% fake!!!. IRL raised $200 million from Softbank, Founders Fund and others. And a probe found, 95% of its users were fake. Following a series of pieces from @theinformation, it is shutting down. Great reporting @matousekmark .
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@streiffredstate @WSJ The owner and founder of a large digital media publication who spent 8 years as a reporter at the wall street journal. And you?.
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The legacy of today’s Apple news will be that AI is a feature not a product.
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Silicon Valley has long been perceived as of one of the most liberal, Left-leaning places in the world. And now, key Valley figures have boosted Vance into a Republican VP candidate and will play a very big role in trying to get Trump reelected. I think the lesson here is that.
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People say SF is bad but I just entered a Duane Reade in NY where the only things not locked up were the bandaids. Shampoo. Hair ties. Locked. Insane. Was never like this. What is happening?.
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@agustingonz9 @WSJ But that's a different point. That proxy statement did not cause a bank run.
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OpenAI’s first investor @vkhosla shares his views on what happened and what is next exclusively in @theinformation Opinion.
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Scoop: Sam Altman NOT returning as CEO of OpenAI. On The Information.
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Bob Iger is an incredible CEO but the fact there is literally one person in the world the board thinks is capable of running Disney is a head scratcher and a failure of some sort of internal system there over the past decade.
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It is worth noting the interview was on CBS and, not um, say Clubhouse. And it is perhaps possible some of us (looks sheepishly) have been spending too much time worried about the impact of these new platforms when nothing drives attention like the old.
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OH on @joinClubhouse . "@chamath wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Newsom was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and it says French Laundry." - @DavidSacks. Fighting words.
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Founders: These are the startup coaches who help the most well-connected entrepreneurs. We published the list and told you a little about each.
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10 years ago this week I left @wsj to start @theinformation. @lessin can attest to the fact I was a nervous wreck. Thanks to him, especially, and everyone who cheered me on and challenged me. I'm a little spent right now for more reflection. That to come soon!.
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New: Microsoft and OpenAI plotting new "Stargate" supercomputer that could cost $100 billion. An incredible look at what it will take to build the next generation of AI and at this consequential relationship between Microsoft and OpenAI. @anissagardizy8 @amir.
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Killer reporting from @WIRED. Hopefully this is a wake-up call to publishers about AI companies not being into the business of news.
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@balajis @stephkorey .@balajis - I love a good debate about the future of journalism, with you, @TaylorLorenz or anyone. But honestly, please back off. What are you trying to do with these personal attacks?.
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@benyt @nichcarlson @cbudoffbrown @lpolgreen @pkafka @delaney @stephaniemehta @evanasmith You can learn more and sign up (it's free) here. Please spread the word. Our industry won't survive if young people don't find career paths. We need their passion right now.
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I’m shocked that all these people who say the US should ban Chinese apps because China bans US apps are failing to mention China has a closed Internet that severely restricts what its citizens can access. Open Internet worth preserving.
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.@elonmusk Wondering what you think about the quality of reader-supported news businesses versus advertising ones? Do paying readers in effect judge quality/reputation based on their willingness to pay?.
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After @jtoonkel published this story, I have been inundated with notes from people listing EVEN MORE MTV alumni running digital media companies. Love the graphic.
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Trying a new policy. When a PR firms misleads or tries to play us, we will report that and name them. A benefit of having built a truly independent publication over the last decade is we aren't beholden to people. We can and will tell readers the truth.
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Thank you to @TheAtlantic for publishing my op-ed on why these AI licensing deals represent a fatal error for publishers. Once a week someone in publishing tells me “this time will be different.” I don’t see it and here is why:
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The opportunity in tech reporting has never been greater and more important. Which is why I asked @amir to be @theinformation's new Executive Editor to bring his reporting and sourcing to our broader team. Congrats @amir!.
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Silicon Valley is taking a step BACKWARDS on diversity. The percentage of African American and Hispanic VCs has fallen over the past year. Our annual study (a 6-month effort from our team with help from @AllRaise).
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One thing to really keep in mind about the SVB story is you really have to understand the incentives of everyone speaking out. Some of those urging to leave SVB are invested in their competitors. Others who are supporting SVB have taken sponsorship from them.
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Our video call was just attacked by someone who kept sharing pornography + switching between different user accounts so we could not block them. Stay tuned for next steps. And I am sorry to everyone who experienced. We shut down as soon as we could.
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Always fun to interview @patrickc (even if he apologizes for his comments not being “retweetable” enough :)) We discuss the future of San Francisco, remote work, taxes, Amazon, Twitter and more.
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If you are Stripe or Stripe investor right now, you gotta be saying go, baby, go on that IPO. In these markets, hard to argue that staying private makes sense. More thoughts coming soon. .
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Um. Anyone had an Apple App Store update rejected because Apple didnt like their pricing strategy? I cannot believe this just happened to @theinformation! Trying to fix but lets say this takes Apple’s power over the entire tech ecosystem to a new level. More to come….
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Netflix reinvented TV. Now trying to do the same for TV marketing — but some of its show runners aren’t pleased with the approach. Important media story from @beejoli
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Exclusive: Slack's projected revenue growth of 76% last year and 64% this year is quite impressive in SaaS. @zoeSaintBernard got her hands on a very illuminating presentation ahead of the company's direct listing.
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Not a day goes by without a conversation in SF about this. Definitely accelerated this summer.
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Excited to announce that @MarkDiStef and @parismartineau — two amazing reporters—will be joining @theinformation in a few weeks. Paris will be reporting on Amazon from New York and Mark will report on Amazon and Big Tech’s European battles from London— our first hire in UK/Europe.
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Another thing on Founder Mode and the Jobs analogy. He had Tim Cook. Founders do need managers to help them especially because founder are usually pretty annoying to work for and others can be better at keeping the culture the founder sets going and translating and smoothing out.
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Excellent story from @mattdrange and @ReedAlbergotti about how connected doorbell company Ring was sending unencrypted video of people's homes to the Ukraine for analysis. Raises of host of new privacy questions.
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Hey @chamath @Jason @DavidSacks @friedberg . Wondering why you didn’t include a citation when you directly screenshotted paragraphs from two @theinformation pieces back-to-back?. Love the pod. Just wondering why no citation.
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Tomorrow we launch one of the biggest reporting projects we have ever attempted at @theinformation. Based on undisclosed financial information we are publishing + profiling the 50 startups we think will be the biggest businesses. I’m excited to share it with you all! #ti50.
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The moment @nytimes sees you not as a startup any more but a publication that the startups are emulating. Look, ma, we're all grown up! . "Instead of trying to reach everybody on the internet, they have kept more narrow lanes of coverage and targeted high-income readers,.
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Just saw in my Google calendar that I incorporated @theinformation five years ago today. Time flies.
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I can't recommend @restofworld highly enough. Every time I go to the site, I find a ton of things I want to read. Also, this book list is great.
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Happy 7th bday @theinformation! It's a curse of a founder that you always look ahead, not back. But when I do, I'm proud of the team we are building and our impact on many corners of the tech + media businesses. Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far.
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@soledadobrien @elonmusk Can you explain why you think I'm dumb? Genuinely interested in a discussion on my observations about Elon's business strategy. Would be nice to have an actual discussion instead of shooting barbs.
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So sad to see @latimes gut their tech and business desk. @theinformation is hiring for several new roles. Please reach out.
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The is a big problem in how the press covers female founders and it has to change. My column.
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When I went to Beijing two years ago, Ofo was widely hailed as the next Uber. Its downfall is an important story for all entrepreneurs and investors to understand. .
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Andreessen and Horowitz tell staff they are going to donate to Trump. Scoop from @coryweinberg and @KateClarkTweets .
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Interesting in-depth look at how Netflix makes TV shows—and how other networks are following.
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A look at how Disney is reinventing is organization structure to prepare for launching its new streaming service. Org chart included. $dis.
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I still don't understand why raising money is more headline-worthy than making it. Part of my latest column.
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The scooter king speaks. to @coryweinberg. Very revealing interview with Uber and Lyft veteran and the CEO of Bird Travis VanderZanden.
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This week's column: . "Last year everyone thought Uber needed a Sheryl Sandberg. Now, some wonder if Facebook needs a Dara.".
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This is absurd and should not be covered by a reputable business outlet as a reputable business story.
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I must say: This week, I saved at least three hours by using AI to cut transcripts, do research and identify clips. I'm really excited about how AI can make all reporters and editors more efficient. I wish there was more discussion about that side of the relationship instead of.
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An SF dinner with 50 tech M&A chiefs on Union Street at Blue Whale. Living my best 2008 life. This is a boom and bust town and really starting to feel like a boom again….
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I founded @theinformation for two reasons. The first was that I couldn’t stand by and watch tech upend journalism just as we needed great journalism about the tech industry more urgently than ever. The second was that I was firmly convinced I would learn a lot more in my career.
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“He told me that I owed it to him to let him see me naked." My latest.
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20 years ago, Cathy called me with an offer to join @WSJ as an intern. I thanked her and asked if I could have a week to wait to hear from NYT to compare. She laughed and said I could have 60 seconds. I joined @wsj and am so grateful for her call. (And if someone did that to me.
Cathy Panagoulias, a highly respected, former top editor at the WSJ and mentor to a generation of journalists, has died at 70. Colleagues have set up a memorial fund. Contributions can be made to the Journalism Refugees Education Fund.
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This is by far the most insane experience if my professional life. In real-time helping the team lead and serve readers while staying up at night moving money, setting up accounts and more. So extraordinarily grateful to the amazing tech platforms who made that straightforward.
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After more than a decade reporting on Apple, I launched an iOS app this week and the whole process was so crazy and not what I expected that I had to write about it.
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Netflix is spending a lot on content -- but a makes a lot per customer too. Interesting graphic.
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Ah, I get it now. Everything that was once an “app” is now a “metaverse” service. Of course.
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A great @kmclaughlinSF profile of Amazon's Andy Jassy and his non-Amazon approach to running AWS. Among the most important execs for any business in tech to understand these days.
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.@elonmusk is recruiting a team to build an "anti-woke" AI and competitor to ChatGPT. Scoop with @jon_victor_ .
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Exclusive: Google execs want to be no 1 or 2 in cloud by 2023 or may pullback. $goog. Great detail in important read about the state of google cloud. Echoes of the search wars but the tables have turned.
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“I don’t need the external validation. I don’t need the fees. Why do people run funds? They run funds so that they can pay themselves three, four, five million dollars a year.” @chamath comes out firing.
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Beware of all the chatter of a post-subscription news economy. It will lead news orgs right into the hands of tech companies and kill them all. What’s happening is that everyone realizes subscriptions aren’t easy. Neither is quality journalism. Dismayed that smart news leaders.
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My NY Uber driver is a serial entrepreneur who founded Hopstop, sold it to Apple and is researching a new startup. #2015.
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5.2 million email opens of @theinformation in the last 72 hours. Never thought I would be typing that. Incredible.
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This is one of the most telling things I've ever seen about how investing works in Silicon Valley. And I was going to ask if there was conflict review with his board seats. Ha!.
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Punching above our weight :) 2021 Best in Business awards relative to edit staff. Go team, go! . WSJ: 14 / 1,800 journalists.NYT: 13 / 1,700 journalists.Bloomberg: 12 / 2700+ journalists.The Information: 6 / 36 journalists.FT: 4 / 700 journalists.
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1/ Today @theinformation turns 6 and we're launching a new product. It's a news app called the Tech Top 10 and you can download it now for free.
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As a mom thinking a lot about preschool right now, I think @JeffBezos's Day One fund's support for free Montessori preschool education for the underserved is just fabulous.
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I completely agree with Founder Mode for great founders and have enjoyed covering many who take this approach. But not all founders are great by definition and because scaling a company is beyond hard. Now, I think it is going to be used by less than great founders to justify.
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We tried to fact-check Elon Musk's claims abt autopilot safety + spoke to government agencies + researchers who have tried to do the same. The verdict: no one had verified them yet and Tesla wouldn't point to any research that does. Story by @mattdrange .
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Wow. The crossovers say they aren’t crossing over. “Tiger Global Management told its investors in a webinar earlier this month that it would no longer focus on backing large, late-stage startups preparing to go public.” @berber_jin1.
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Should I be nervous that @karaswisher just texted me “ready to rumble” for our interview this evening at sxsw? Can’t wait to put HER in the hot seat!.
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If you want to understand how @elonmusk might take Tesla private, you MUST understand the unusual way SpaceX operates as a private company. Great piece by @alfredjlee $tsla
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