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In the corporate tug-of-war over remote work, CEOs like Andy Jassy and Elon Musk are the old-school gym teachers, insisting that everyone get back on the field even though the stands are perfectly fine. They argue that remote work is tantamount to slacking off, but studies and employee sentiment suggest the opposite, emphasizing that flexibility may be the secret to productivity and happiness.
In the meantime, we’re all watching this play out like a tennis match and wondering whether these leaders will ever reconcile their strategies with the reality of modern work preferences. Ron has worked from home as a writer for almost as long as I’ve been alive. No wonder we call him Daddy Ron (we honestly don’t, even though that would be hilarious). In any case, Ron argues that working from home isn’t going away, and I can’t say I disagree in any way – even though I’m writing this from my local pizzeria. To work from home. Working in the pizzeria. Whatever, as long as it’s not the office, amirite?
The most interesting startup stories of the week
Mahbod Moghadam, whose rollercoaster career spanned from legal eagle to rap lyric commentator to blockchain enthusiast, died in March at the age of 41. He leaves behind a legacy as colorful and controversial as a graffiti-covered back alley. Moghadam was known for his outlandish escapades and idea projects like Genius and the Wikipedia-but-on-blockchain Everipedia. He was an outsider who tried to shake up the paid digital content scene with ventures like HellaDoge, and even in his final acts he remained a thorn in the side of the establishment he helped create. As the tributes roll in, the tech community remembers a figure who was both a provocateur and a pioneer, proving that in the startup world, being memorable is sometimes more powerful than being untouchable.
Moar Transpo
Look, I try my best to strike a balance between everything here at Startups Weekly. It’s not my fault that the transport team constantly overachieves. Just read all her stuff, okay, it’s all good.
In a twist that’s less surprising and more Muskian, Elon Musk debunked claims that Tesla replaced a low-cost electric vehicle with a robotaxi, only to turn around and exaggerate an upcoming one Robotaxi reveal (Even if Tesla throws in the towel on its entry-level car). criticism replied that he has been promising this since 2016, but Full Self-Driving (FSD) continues to be a thorn in Tesla’s side.
Here are some highlights from last week:
More must-read TechCrunch stories…
Every week there are always a few stories I want to share with you that somehow don’t fit into the categories above. It would be a shame if you missed them. Here is a random selection of goodies for you: