2020 is almost over (finally).
But before we close the book on this difficult and eventful year, it's worth reviewing some of the big developments in tech that defined 2020 and will shape the months and years to come.
Readers of the Insider Tech newsletter have followed all the industry's twists and turns in this weekly report ($4). Highlighted below, in this special edition of this newsletter, are some of the top stories reported by Business Insider's crew of intrepid journalists this past year.
Note: Insider Tech will be back to its regular schedule on Wednesday, January 6. Happy New Year!
$4 By Melia Russell
In May, Melia reported that Chamath Palihapitiya's Social Capital had found a new investment vehicle maybe better suited to his ambitions: a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. The rest of the year saw $4 - with $4 and Palihapitiya as major players.
$4
$4 By Eugene Kim
After having spent the past few years almost exclusively focused on long-term initiatives, the Amazon CEO is responding to a plethora of disruptions caused by COVID-19, including supply-chain lockdowns and shipment delays. as well as new competition from Shopify.
$4 By Julie Bort and Taylor Nicole Rogers
Eleven former Pinterest employees told Business Insider that despite the company's upbeat product, it was a toxic and difficult place to work, especially for Black employees. Julie and Taylor's reporting oo Pinterest's workplace culture caused CEO Ben Silbermann to $4: "I'm embarrassed."
$4 By Rob Price, Meghan Morris, and Becky Peterson
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman merged Hollywood and Silicon Valley connections, but it wasn't enough to save Quibi. They missed warning signs and took costly missteps in the leadup to and after its debut, and the short-form video app died after only six months.
>$4
$4 By Hugh Langley
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped away from Alphabet last year, they struck a deal with CEO Sundar Pichai: you can call us, but we won't call you. It's propelled Pichai into a tough job: Google has been in a midlife crisis for some time. Now it's faced with an antitrust lawsuit and renewed criticism, and Pichai is at the center of the mess.
$4 By Meghan Morris and Berber Jin
Silicon Valley's mix of startup-friendly features made it the world's tech capital. As tech CEOs and VCs move away, the region faces difficult questions.
$4 By Becky Peterson
Becky spoke with more than two dozen of Hyman's colleagues and former coworkers - and spent hours talking to Hyman - to see firsthand what it looks like when a talented entrepreneur confronts an unprecedented challenge.
$4 By Meghan Hernbroth
Alex Garden founded Zume Pizza with a bold vision of harnessing a robot army and upending an industry. But the revolution didn't go according to plan.
$4 By Meghan Morris and Connor Perrett
Meghan and Connor's thoughtful exploration into Tony Hsieh's tragic final months show an eccentric entrepreneur who gave generously, isolated himself from longtime friends, and developed a fascination with fire and nitrous oxide.
$4 By Rob Price
Yelp insiders detailed the company's hyper-aggressive approach to sales and its high-pressure corporate culture. Some said they knowingly sold to small business owners who they didn't think understood what they were buying and regularly heard complaints from business owners about unexpected bills.
$4 By Alex Davies
Together, Anthony Levandowski and Chris Urmson launched the self-driving car industry. Their rivalry threatened to tear it apart. Alex dives even deeper into the rivalry in his book, "$4," which hits shelves January 5.
Thanks for reading, and if you like this newsletter, $4.
See you in 2021!
- Alexei
