Hello from the other side

Hey friends. It feels like forever since we last met here. I’ve been traveling and spending time with family. It’s such a blessing to be able to bond with loved ones after 2020, our annus horribilis. As Spring rolls into Summer, I hope your 2021 continues to blossom wherever you are.

The past few weeks have been immense:

1. The FB Oversight board ruled on the decision to ban Trump indefinitely from the platform

2. Crypto prices are crashing, and regulation is looming

3. Apple and Epic are trading blows in the courts to determine whether Apple is a monopoly

4. Instagram is working on an app for Kids. 44 Attorneys-general have asked them to stop

5. Google showed off some truly impressive tech at Google I/O

6. Apple hired and fired Antonio for his sexist depictions of women in a book he published five years ago

7. 33% of Basecamp’s employees quit after their decision to “ban discussion about politics”.

Each of these news items deserves its own article. Beyond the headlines, there are broader implications about what we can expect from tech companies in the future. There are vicious legal battles, unrelenting culture wars, questions about workplace organizing and vies for power. Rather than try to squash multiple hefty essays into one, I’m going to tackle these individually over the coming weeks.

So today, I’m keeping it short and sweet. Instead of a deep dive, I’m giving you access to an article I published for Pinterest (my employer) this week. Titled Knit Con through an employee’s eyes, it shares my experience at our annual employee creativity conference. For two days, we stop working and we teach, we learn, we share, we laugh, and we bond with coworkers across borders, nationalities, and language. At Knit Con, I’ve made arepas, taught a dance class, practiced Tai Chi, done improv, played the drums, learned the history of long-forgotten foods, and watched a man tell dark jokes about how he had to cut his arm off to save his life. It’s one of the best thing about working at Pinterest.

✨☎️ Talk to Tobi

I’m considering some changes to this newsletter to take it to the next level. I’d love your input. Can you share your thoughts on the following:

1. Why do you read this newsletter? What do you enjoy about it?

2. Would you like a “question of the week” format where you can send questions in and I’ll share my thoughts. The format can be audio, written, or video!

3. Would you listen to a podcast version of this newsletter if there were interviews of people working in this space?

4. Do you prefer the focus on the broader tech space vs deep dives on individual topics each week?

Feel free to respond in the comments or message me on Twitter.

See you soon!