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Hello, and welcome to your…checks the top right of the screen…Wednesday. Several of our TechCrunch colleagues headed to Miami today for the TC Sessions: Crypto event tomorrow. Given the past week, it will no doubt be an interesting event. There’s still time to get tickets. Now, let’s get to some news! — Christine
The TechCrunch Top 3
- Even Amazon is not immune: Instead of “no shave November,” we need a “no layoff November.” Who’s with me? Brian writes that following rumors of layoffs, Amazon started making them this week. He also has information from the company’s hardware head, who was able to provide further details.
- Productivity nerds, assemble!: SigmaOS raised $4 million to develop a Mac browser where you can put your tabs in groups on the left side of the screen, Ivan writes.
- Ultimatums never work, right?: I guess we’ll see. In Elon Musk’s case, he reportedly sent a late-night email to Twitter workers posing sort of an “Eat Me,” “Drink Me” situation related to their future employment at the social media giant, Amanda writes. One makes you larger and one makes you smaller, but it’s not clear which is the right choice. See also Alex’s story in the TC+ section.
Startups and VC
Venture capital firms continue to close new funds as they decide their next moves. I wrote about Fiat Ventures, which has a new $25 million fund focused on fintechs, while Connie has details about Bling Capital’s $212 million that will be essentially split between seed-stage and follow-on opportunities and two coasts.
And now here’s four more for you:
How to turn user data into your next pitch deck
Image Credits: James Neil (opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Investors might enjoy listening to a well-rehearsed founder’s story, but sharing the right customer data “can definitively power up a pitch deck,” says David Smith, VP of data and analytics at TheVentureCity.
“Investors need to see that you’re not being blindsided by easy wins that can go up in smoke within weeks, but are using hard data to build a sustainable company that will endure, and thrive, with time.”
Three more from the TC+ team:
TechCrunch+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!
Big Tech Inc.
Having been married for 20 years, I’ve completely avoided the whole online dating scene, but I have heard from friends that it’s tough out there. Most people are looking for commitment, but hey it’s 2022, and not everyone is ready for that. Hinge, which touts itself as “the dating app designed to be deleted,” recognizes this and has added a new feature that makes it easier for those seeking non-monogamous relationships. Lauren has more.
It is indeed the end of an era: Evernote, the note-taking and task management app, has agreed to be acquired by Bending Spoons, a company you probably just opened up a new tab to do a Google search on. Kyle has the details.
And we have four more for you: