Plain English with Derek Thompson Elon Musk's Reign of Chaos and Mark Zuckerberg's Metaverse Madness
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Nov 7, 2022 
Kevin Roose, a New York Times reporter and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast, and Casey Newton, author of the Platformer newsletter, dive into the chaos at Twitter under Elon Musk's regime. They discuss drastic layoffs and plummeting ad revenue, contrasting Musk's chaotic approach with Zuckerberg's audacious $100 billion metaverse vision. The conversation highlights broader social media trends, the evolving relationship between tech and media, and the precarious future of TikTok amidst regulatory scrutiny.
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Chaos at Twitter
- Twitter employees are facing extreme demands, including sleeping at the office.
- Some were even asked to print and then shred their code.
Unusual Takeover
- Elon Musk's Twitter takeover is not a typical private equity deal.
- It involves the world's richest man overpaying for a crucial communication platform, potentially out of spite.
Subscription Pivot
- Elon Musk's Twitter strategy involves diversifying revenue with subscriptions.
- This is partly driven by a collapsing ad market and advertiser skittishness.