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Simply after we thought issues couldn’t get extra surprising than a pandemic that shut down the world in 2020, 2021 entered the chat.
As we began to navigate a “new regular,” we additionally began difficult the techniques round us with developments in crypto, web3, the metaverse and a lot extra.
When taking a look at our top-performing tales of the 12 months, rather a lot stood out. Some tales have been to be anticipated, like product launches and main outages (ahem, Fb). Others have been deep analyses and interviews on totally different sectors of the trade. It was exhausting to slim down a prime 10.
As an alternative of spitting out an inventory of TechCrunch’s top-performing tales, we requested our employees to vote on their favourite tales of the 12 months, added evergreen content material and our prime TC+ articles for a well-rounded 2021 listing. Take pleasure in!
Workers picks
What began as a small Twitter Areas interview with about 180 listeners rapidly (and really unexpectedly) become certainly one of TechCrunch’s top-read tales of 2021. Danny’s guide critiques gained traction this 12 months, however nothing piqued readers’ pursuits (see the feedback for proof) fairly like unpacking the modern-day air conditioner. Danny’s Areas interview with Eric Dean Wilson targeted on his guide “After Cooling: On Freon, World Warming, and the Horrible Price of Consolation,” exploring the earlier than, throughout and after story of A/C — and the way damaging the comforts of chilly, clear indoor air can really be.
2. OnlyFans’ porn ban is crypto’s alternative of a lifetime
Twitter erupted when OnlyFans introduced its ban on “sexually specific content material” in mid-August in an try and adjust to its traders and banks. On the time, the choice left creators feeling betrayed, and specialists questioned if OnlyFans may even survive the transition. Though the choice has since been suspended, the tech group’s fast answer to the continuing regulatory points the porn trade faces was easy: crypto. For these of you new to the world of crypto, this real-world antidote will aid you perceive the “why” behind the push for cryptocurrencies. And for these of you well-versed on the subject, Lucas weighs each the alternatives and potential challenges crypto and porn face.
3. Elon Musk mentioned it was ‘Not a Flamethrower’
That is in all probability our “most 2021” headline. Many people are — possibly a little bit an excessive amount of — accustomed to the Tesla CEO’s identify in headlines for wacky, meme-like conduct or commentary. However what makes this story fascinating is the real-life risks behind Musk’s money-spinning gag merchandise. Musk offered a restricted run of flamethrowers again in 2017 in an effort to boost consciousness and funds for his startup, The Boring Firm, which launched in 2016. Nonetheless, Musk knew varied international locations had a ban on flamethrowers and thus labeled the product “Not a Flamethrower.” Drawback solved? Not even shut. TechCrunch contributor Mark Harris highlights an American who was incarcerated in Italy for the possession of Not a Flamethrower.
4. Medium sees extra worker exits after CEO publishes ‘tradition memo’
It’s protected to say this 12 months introduced a lot disruption to at the moment’s company ecosystem. Not solely are staff difficult work-life steadiness, the wealth hole and firm tradition, however they’re additionally taking a stance on social and political initiatives. Natasha spoke with varied former and present staff at Medium after CEO Ev Williams posted a “tradition memo,” which ended up tripling churn on the firm. Nonetheless, after talking to 1 engineer, Natasha discovered that there was a long-standing “historical past of problematic points at Medium, with a wave of exits that appear to be clearly triggered by the memo.” This text not solely explores the downfall of Medium’s firm tradition but additionally the way it pertains to firms who despatched out related memos, like Coinbase and Basecamp.
TikTok took off within the thick of the pandemic as many individuals in 2020 turned to the platform for his or her every day dose of viral movies, dances and developments whereas in quarantine. Nonetheless, now greater than ever, social media customers are conscious of knowledge assortment as rising considerations of privateness rights emerge. TikTok modified its privateness coverage in June to permit the seize of customers’ biometric information, which incorporates faceprints and voiceprints. At first look, the brand new privateness coverage is on par with many different social networks’ use of knowledge assortment. However Sarah breaks down why the brand new coverage is alarming, TikTok’s historical past with the U.S. authorities, previous biometric privateness violation lawsuits and the coverage replace’s buggy rollout. This text is an effective start line for the continuing data-privacy points social media customers face.
Greatest evergreen
With only some days left in 2021, we seemed again to see what we lined this 12 months that we will proceed to study from sooner or later. NFTs aren’t going wherever, but, in order that was on the prime of our evergreen listing, together with privateness legal guidelines, how Zoom results your mind and the way classes in progress advertising and marketing from Cam Sinclair director of Ammo, a Perth-based progress advertising and marketing company.
1. In case you haven’t adopted NFTs, right here’s why it is best to begin
This new(ish) wave of crypto has grown exponentially over the previous 12 months. When Cooper Turley wrote this text in February 2021, he mentioned, “The estimated complete worth of crypto artwork has now handed $100 million in line with cryptoart.io/information — only one vertical of a rising ecosystem of NFTs.” The estimated complete worth now, December 2021, is over $2 billion. In case you don’t know a lot about NFT’s, this text is a superb start line.
2. This software tells you if NSO’s Pegasus spy ware focused your telephone
Are you involved that your telephone was focused by NSO’s spy ware? You in all probability shouldn’t be, however in July of 2021, an inventory was leaked that contained, “50,000 telephone numbers of potential surveillance targets was obtained by Paris-based journalism nonprofit Forbidden Tales and Amnesty Worldwide and shared with the reporting consortium, together with The Washington Submit and The Guardian.” Zack writes about how Pegasus will be delivered and how one can inform in case your telephone has been focused.
3. New York Metropolis’s new biometrics privateness regulation takes impact
In July of 2021, Zack additionally reported on a brand new biometric regulation taking impact in New York Metropolis. This regulation limits what companies can do with the biometric information they acquire. Zack says, “The transfer will give New Yorkers — and its tens of millions of tourists every year — better protections over how their biometric information is collected and used, whereas additionally serving to dissuade companies from utilizing expertise that critics say is discriminatory and infrequently doesn’t work.”
We’ve all been working from dwelling, faces seen by colleagues on limitless video chats, so it was nice to learn Devin Coldewey’s breakdown of a examine Microsoft performed about how your mind wants a break. When discussing the examine, Devin says, “In the course of the assembly block with no breaks, individuals confirmed increased ranges of beta waves, that are related to stress, nervousness and focus.” Right here’s to scheduling assembly breaks in 2022!
5. Australian progress advertising and marketing company Ammo helps startups calibrate their efforts
TechCrunch Specialists launched this 12 months with the primary focus being progress advertising and marketing. Anna Heim interviewed Cam Sinclair, Ammo’s director, and so they talked about when firms are prepared for progress advertising and marketing, errors to keep away from when branding and extra. Sinclair says, “At Ammo, we don’t measure time, we measure outcomes. At first of each venture we outline what success appears like with the shopper. Each shopper is totally different, and we’re conscious of that.”
TC+ Favorites
1. Subscription-based pricing is lifeless: Good SaaS firms are shifting to usage-based fashions
Kyle Poyar, companion at OpenView, contributed this text about usage-based pricing fashions in January of 2021. Poyar says, “Utilization-based pricing would be the key to profitable monetization sooner or later.” The article continues with 4 ideas to assist firms with this mannequin. Whereas we don’t need to give the entire ideas away on this abstract, one of many ideas that Poyar writes about is selecting the correct utilization metric.
2. Nubank’s IPO submitting provides us a peek into neobank economics
In November, Alex and Natasha wrote about Nubank’s IPO submitting, specializing in the economics of neobanking and Nubank’s monetary well being. If you wish to take a deeper dive into Nubank, you may learn Marcella McCarthy and Danny Crichton’s TC-1 right here.
3. How does former Higher.com CEO Vishal Garg nonetheless have a job?
Mary Ann was busy within the month of December, with certainly one of her focuses being information from Higher.com (like after they laid off 9% of their employees). Whereas it could take rather a lot to shock Mary Ann and Alex, particularly after this, they have been stunned that Garg hadn’t been requested to utterly step down. They mentioned, “Some surmised that he had super-voting shares and thus may vote to maintain himself within the position of CEO regardless of what others voted. However after digging into the S-4 filed by Higher.com’s SPAC companion, Aurora Acquisition Corp., in November, we realized that isn’t the case.”
4. How ought to SaaS firms ship and value skilled providers?
Roger Hurwitz, a founding companion at Volition Capital, contributed an article about the right way to cost for skilled providers and why that pricing could also be totally different from different SaaS methods. Hurwitz compares a three-year impression of two pricing methods on this article.
5. 5 essential pitch deck slides most founders get improper
Jose Cayasso, co-founder and CEO of Slidebean, critiques “250 to 300 investor decks each single month” and makes use of this expertise to show others what the must-haves are for a slide deck. His first suggestion is a go-to-market slide, and he contains why and the place within the deck it ought to seem with an instance of 1 within the full article.
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