📎 Paypal may buy Pinterest, plus an AMA up our sleeve
📌 PS... Expect to see new DRF faces in the next issue!
Fall break is here, which means Christmas is nearrrr (ish)! Time to go out and stock up on those presents super early, you all. One can never be too into the holiday spirit.
You know what’s also near? Meeting the newest members of the team! DRF regional teams are welcoming folks on board as we write this. A large family gathering, anyone?
☄️ an ask me anything!
Ever wanted to learn how to effectively build and engage a community of customers? Or foster a strong culture & community within your teams? Then this AMA with alum Tom Guthrie, Founder of Propel, is for you! Today - Tuesday 10/26, from 8-8:45pm ET.
Take it from us - Tom KNOWS community, having built a gamechanging community for current and future founders in tech and consumer. Boy, are we proud of our alums! We’ll be covering your questions on everything from member acquisition to product feedback loops.
See you today, 10/26! But first, register here.
📎 your latest tech news
And we’re back at it with you-know-who: Former president Trump may launch “TRUTH Social,” a Twitter clone, to rival Silicon Valley. The app, set for a beta launch in November, stands up to big tech, Trump said. Trump plans to merge his new company, Trump Media and Technology Group, with a SPAC – shell companies that get listed on exchanges like Nasdaq only for merging – so the media company can publicly trade on Nasdaq.
“We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable," Trump said in a written statement included in the release.
P 💗 P: Paypal said they may buy Pinterest for $45 billion. If enacted, the deal would be the largest consumer internet deal of the past decade, The New York Times wrote. Buying Pinterest will help Paypal move into e-commerce. This 2021 proposal by Paypal adds on to its 2019 purchase of Honey, which shows discounts while people shop online. The potential Paypal + Pinterest deal also trumps Microsoft’s $26 billion purchase of LinkedIn in 2016 and Salesforce’s $27.7 billion purchase of Slack.
Bookface … anyone? Facebook reportedly will change its name under a company rebrand. The company, which owns Instagram, Whatsapp, and virtual reality brand Oculus, is facing a PR crisis after former employee Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of documents saying that Facebook prioritized profits before people.
Dun dun dun … Microsoft plans to shut down LinkedIn in China after hardships complying with Chinese government rules.
💡updates from the DRF family
Lura Health, which develops a wearable sensor for salivary diagnostics, launched a new website: www.lurahealth.com
Aurie received a Safer Technology Designation from FDA for its Reusable Intermittent Catheter System
📂 new startup + VC jobs
Slope: lead recruiter (full-time) and senior marketing manager (full time)
Presently: senior full stack engineer / head of engineering / CTO (full time)
Poparazzi: chief of staff (contact Shawn Xu at shawn@floodgate.com)
Floodgate: associate under Ann Miura-Ko (contact Shawn Xu at shawn@floodgate.com)
Swift Ventures: analyst (open to non-California applicants)
Vercel: director of product (full time)
Candor: product designer, founding team
📌 an opportunity for all you founders!
From our friends at AWS Startups:
Enter your startup into the AWS US University Startup Competition, for the opportunity to win an equity-free cash prize to help fund your venture!
The top 10 finalists will pitch their startups to a panel of investors and AWS Startup Team members at a virtual event, and three winners will be chosen for up to $20,000 in cash prizes and $100,000 in AWS Activate credits. Apply before November 1st, 2021.
Email aws-us-university-startup-competition@amazon.com with any questions.
📌 and if you missed it the first time round…
Levro: first business hire (SF)
Arthur: frontend engineer (NY)
letterdrop.com: customer success/ops (NY, SF, remote)
DigitalBrain, unified workspace: product design member (NY, SF, remote)
Robust Intelligence: engineering, sales, product, people operations (SF)
Datavant: entry software engineer, software intern (remote)
Amazon: pre-VC startup business development manager (SF), strategic engagement (US), community lead (NY)
First Round: community manager (SF)
Floodgate: platform intern to support the Reactor program + Outliers technical community, fall 2021 to summer 2022 (remote, menlo park)
Mayfield Ventures: chief of staff (menlo park)
Torch Capital: associates (NY)
📖 reads from the DRF community
Female Investor Track participant reflects on her summer in venture capital
😂 meme 😂
By the DRF team, in honor of the DRF recruiting season
More fun: Twitter + website + company app. Send jokes, criticisms, and hot takes to info@dormroomfund.com + annewen@dormroomfund.com (content feedback) + melissa@dormroomfund.com (community updates). 🚀