Iterate Weekly - Issue 100
This week we're celebrating 100 issues with a survey! Paid social media, AI layoffs, Fake meat sales are down, Lit Motors new car, and the Micromobility Podcast!
Welcome to issue 100 of Iterate Weekly!
Yep, we made it, we’ve hit triple digits. How does it feel? It feels pretty good for me. I’m proud to have released a new rundown of important stories for you each and every Tuesday morning for nearly two years.
I’m not one for a lot of fanfare on a milestone like this. 100 may seem like a good round number to celebrate but since I also post content outside of the weekly issue, it’s a fairly arbitrary number.
Two full years of running this publication seems like the bigger event to celebrate and we will be approaching that milestone in just about two months. I’m working on some new things to announce then to liven up the variety of content I put out each week.
But I do think this milestone calls for a favor. Yes, I have a simple request of you my intrepid reader. Can you please take 5 minutes to answer some questions in my survey?
Regular surveys like this help me to better connect with readers and create content that you actually find useful and enjoyable! Plus, I’m even going to randomly give away an Amazon gift card to one of the lucky people who responds.
Thank you so much for reading my work and supporting what I do on this platform. I look forward to hundreds more of these weekly rundowns in addition to plenty of other fun new stuff in the coming months.
Now, let’s jump into this week’s stories.
🤖 Tech
Are you willing to pay for social media?
The golden days of web 2.0 style social media may be well behind us.
These days, companies like Meta (Facebook), Snapchat, and Twitter are scrambling to find some solid recurring revenue. With a looming recession, ad revenue is on the decline for a lot of companies. One viable option is to start charging monthly, yearly, or one-time subscriptions to use social media services.
We pay for plenty of subscriptions these days so it may not come as much of a shock. But the more questionable practice is making the free versions of their product so terrible, that users feel forced to pay for the upgrade. Let’s take a look at what each of these companies has planned to generate subscriber revenue.
Meta Verified - This will be available for both Facebook and Instagram. The price will be $11.99 or $14.99 depending on if you purchase online or through a mobile app store. The big prize here is gaining a “Verified” badge that signifies that you are a real person on the platforms. Note that these badges must be purchased separately for Facebook and Instagram. In addition to that, the cost will get you greater visibility and an upgraded customer support experience.
Twitter Blue - This will get you that ever-so-valuable blue checkmark next to your Twitter handle and will cost $8 on the web or $11 on mobile. Blue subscribers will also early access to new features which is nice. Maybe the most important benefits are the ability to edit or retract published tweets and a much larger 4,000-character limit rather than the non-subscriber 280. You’ll also see 50% fewer ads once you subscribe.
Snap+ - This will cost you just $3.99 and offers extra customization features, like personalized wallpaper and notification sounds. You’ll also be able to see how many people have rewatched your stories.
We’ll see how well these premium options will be received.
Would you be willing to pay for any of these?
🎓 Education/Productivity/Work
AI may decide if you’re laid off
With layoffs happening more frequently across the tech sector lately, it may be even more alarming to know that layoff decisions may not be made by a human.
Yes, some companies are admitting that they’ll use AI to identify potential layoff candidates.
According to a November Capterra survey of 300 US human resources leaders, 98% of respondents plan to use software and algorithms to help them make any layoff decisions in 2023.
That is quite a number. Of course there are various levels of software and algorithms at play here. Technically, checking a spreadsheet to see an employee’s salary or performance ratings would be considered “using software”. Not all of these situations are letting a robot decide who stays and who goes.
It’s interesting to hear some of the parameters that these companies may be using to determine who’s a good candidate for a layoff. Attendance, salary, and performance are one thing but what about "productivity scores" that can measure details as small as how much time workers use their emails or who has their camera on during meetings.
It’s a complicated time to be a knowledge worker isn’t it?
♻️ Health & Environment
Fake Meat Sales are Down
After several years of seeing meat alternatives popping up at fast food restaurants and nearly every aisle of your local supermarket, the trend may be on the way down.
This recent data is looking at fake meat giant Beyond in particular.
They experienced a particularly rough end to 2022 with signs of a slow 2023 to come. With the economy growing stagnant, it seems that many consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for meatless protein sources that can be more expensive than the meat they’re trying to replicate.
Even more concerning is a dip in fast food meatless orders for Beyond from the likes of McDonalds and Pizza Hut. The plant-based meat world is finding itself in a hard place. Many vegetarians seem to be opting for less protein and just focusing on cheaper grains and vegetables. While meat eaters who were originally curious about the plant-based options, may be less inclined to spend more for a taste that they aren’t as familiar with.
Personally, I don’t eat meat and still enjoy Beyond products pretty often.
Any other fans of fake meat out there?
🛍 Grab Bag
Lit Motors Resumes Pre-Orders for 2-wheeled Car
If you’ve been reading my work for a while, you know how interested I am in the future of transportation. New autocycles, NEVs(neighborhood electric vehicles), and various mash-ups of ebikes & cars seem to be announced everyday.
San Francisco-based Lit Motors has just resumed taking pre-orders for their Self-Balancing Gyro-2-wheeled balancing car. It’s tentatively called the C1.
The concept is fairly similar to the Nimbus (which I put a deposit down for last year). But the story here is really the resurrection of the company.
Lit had removed the pre-order feature on their site for several months leading to rumors of the car being scrapped. But it seems as if they’ve sorted out any potential issues and are moving forward with the concept. A $250 deposit will get you a t-shirt and a spot in the queue to purchase the vehicle if and when it becomes available.
I’m certainly rooting hard for companies like Lit to bring these products to market. The design here is really smart and the gyro-balancing act could give it the comfort of driving a car with the speed and maneuverability of a motorcycle. It could be a win-win.
Anyone willing to put down a deposit?
💬 Quote of the Week
"I said that if an alien came to visit, I'd be embarrassed to tell them that we fight wars to pull fossil fuels out of the ground to run our transportation. They'd be like, 'What?'"
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
🎧 Content Recommendation
Micromobility Podcast
Let’s keep the theme of sustainable transportation going shall we?
If you’re looking to learn about companies like Lit Motors (whose CEO was a recent guest on the show) who are redefining the future of transportation, I highly recommend listening to the Micromobility Podcast.
Each week, they conduct interviews with CEOs, regulators, and innovators of all types within the world of Micromobility. While the definition of Micromobility may still be under scrutiny, we’re talking about things like ebikes, electric skateboards, shared scooter networks, tiny electric cars, etc.
Whether you’re interested in cutting back on your car usage or just curious about new forms of transportation tech, I think you’ll learn a ton from this podcast.
POLL
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
Don’t forget to take my reader survey! One lucky responder will be randomly chosen to receive an Amazon Gift card for their time!
Huge milestone. My heartiest congratulations!
Congratulations!