[ad_1]
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 programs round us with developments in crypto, web3, the metaverse and a lot extra.
When taking a look at our top-performing tales of the yr, 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 business. It was exhausting to slender down a prime 10.
As an alternative of spitting out an inventory of TechCrunch’s top-performing tales, we requested our workers to vote on their favourite tales of the yr, added evergreen content material and our prime TC+ articles for a well-rounded 2021 checklist. Take pleasure in!
Employees picks
1. Air con is among the best innovations of the twentieth Century. It’s additionally killing the twenty first
What began as a small Twitter Areas interview with about 180 listeners rapidly (and really unexpectedly) became one in every of TechCrunch’s top-read tales of 2021. Danny’s e-book evaluations gained traction this yr, 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 e-book “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 might even survive the transition. Though the choice has since been suspended, the tech neighborhood’s quick resolution to the continued regulatory points the porn business faces was easy: crypto. For these of you new to the world of crypto, this real-world antidote will enable you to 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 stated it was ‘Not a Flamethrower’
That is in all probability our “most 2021” headline. Many people are — possibly just a little 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 attention-grabbing is the real-life risks behind Musk’s money-spinning gag merchandise. Musk bought a restricted run of flamethrowers again in 2017 in an effort to lift consciousness and funds for his startup, The Boring Firm, which launched in 2016. Nevertheless, Musk knew numerous 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 yr introduced a lot disruption to immediately’s company ecosystem. Not solely are staff difficult work-life stability, the wealth hole and firm tradition, however they’re additionally taking a stance on social and political initiatives. Natasha spoke with numerous former and present staff at Medium after CEO Ev Williams posted a “tradition memo,” which ended up tripling churn on the firm. Nevertheless, after talking to at least one 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 corporations who despatched out related memos, like Coinbase and Basecamp.
5. TikTok simply gave itself permission to gather biometric knowledge on US customers, together with ‘faceprints and voiceprints’
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 tendencies whereas in quarantine. Nevertheless, now greater than ever, social media customers are conscious of information assortment as rising issues of privateness rights emerge. TikTok modified its privateness coverage in June to permit the seize of customers’ biometric knowledge, which incorporates faceprints and voiceprints. At first look, the brand new privateness coverage is on par with many different social networks’ use of information 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 efficient place to begin for the continued data-privacy points social media customers face.
Greatest evergreen
With only some days left in 2021, we seemed again to see what we coated this yr 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 checklist, together with privateness legal guidelines, how Zoom results your mind and the way classes in progress advertising from Cam Sinclair director of Ammo, a Perth-based progress advertising company.
1. In case you haven’t adopted NFTs, right here’s why you must begin
This new(ish) wave of crypto has grown exponentially over the previous yr. When Cooper Turley wrote this text in February 2021, he stated, “The estimated complete worth of crypto artwork has now handed $100 million based on cryptoart.io/knowledge — 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 place to begin.
2. This device tells you if NSO’s Pegasus spyware and adware focused your cellphone
Are you involved that your cellphone was focused by NSO’s spyware and adware? You in all probability shouldn’t be, however in July of 2021, an inventory was leaked that contained, “50,000 cellphone 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 Publish and The Guardian.” Zack writes about how Pegasus could be delivered and how one can inform in case your cellphone has been focused.
3. New York Metropolis’s new biometrics privateness legislation takes impact
In July of 2021, Zack additionally reported on a brand new biometric legislation taking impact in New York Metropolis. This legislation limits what companies can do with the biometric knowledge they accumulate. Zack says, “The transfer will give New Yorkers — and its hundreds of thousands of tourists annually — higher protections over how their biometric knowledge is collected and used, whereas additionally serving to dissuade companies from utilizing expertise that critics say is discriminatory and infrequently doesn’t work.”
4. That is your mind on Zoom
We’ve all been working from residence, faces seen by colleagues on infinite video chats, so it was nice to learn Devin Coldewey’s breakdown of a research Microsoft performed about how your mind wants a break. When discussing the research, Devin says, “In the course of the assembly block with no breaks, individuals confirmed greater ranges of beta waves, that are related to stress, anxiousness and focus.” Right here’s to scheduling assembly breaks in 2022!
5. Australian progress advertising company Ammo helps startups calibrate their efforts TechCrunch Consultants launched this yr with the primary focus being progress advertising. Anna Heim interviewed Cam Sinclair, Ammo’s director, they usually talked about when corporations are prepared for progress advertising, errors to keep away from when branding and extra. Sinclair says, “At Ammo, we don’t measure time, we measure outcomes. Initially of each venture we outline what success appears to be like like with the shopper. Each shopper is totally different, and we’re attentive to that.”
TC+ Favorites
1. Subscription-based pricing is lifeless: Sensible SaaS corporations are shifting to usage-based fashions
Kyle Poyar, associate 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 corporations 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 choosing the right 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’ll be able to 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 one in every of her focuses being information from Higher.com (like once they laid off 9% of their workers). Whereas it might 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 stated, “Some surmised that he had super-voting shares and thus might 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 associate, Aurora Acquisition Corp., in November, we realized that isn’t the case.”
4. How ought to SaaS corporations ship and value skilled providers?
Roger Hurwitz, a founding associate at Volition Capital, contributed an article about how one can cost for skilled providers and why that pricing could also be totally different from different SaaS methods. Hurwitz compares a three-year affect of two pricing methods on this article.
5. 5 crucial pitch deck slides most founders get fallacious
Jose Cayasso, co-founder and CEO of Slidebean, evaluations “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.
[ad_2]