Facebook Down: DNS Outage Causes Global Social Network Disruption
Daily Tech Roundup: October 4, 2021
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Greetings, and welcome to today’s Daily Crunch for October 4, 2021. Numerous developments are unfolding within the realm of leading technology corporations, as has likely been observed. However, rest assured, we also have extensive coverage of startup news to ensure you remain informed.
Perhaps assistance could be offered to Facebook in addressing its infrastructural challenges.
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We anticipate a highly productive and engaging experience for all participants.
TechCrunch's Leading Stories
Today's most significant developments in the technology sector are summarized below. A major outage has impacted Facebook's services, and Informatica's return to the public market is under scrutiny. Additionally, the release date for the latest Apple Watch has been confirmed.
Facebook Experiences Extensive Outage
A widespread disruption occurred today, rendering Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp inaccessible for a prolonged period. This outage has resulted in substantial financial losses for both the social media conglomerate and its user base, considering the immense scale of these platforms.
Further complicating matters for Facebook, the European Parliament has expressed strong disapproval regarding the company’s practices, as detailed in a recent TechCrunch report.
Informatica's IPO Filing Examined
Amidst a challenging day for technology stocks, TechCrunch conducted a thorough analysis of Informatica’s S-1 filing. The company initially transitioned to private ownership in 2015, subsequently focusing on cloud-based solutions over the following five years.
Now, as Informatica prepares for a return to the public market, its financial status reveals a significant level of debt.
Apple Watch Series 7 Release Date Announced
For those anticipating the arrival of a new Apple Watch, the wait is almost over. The Series 7 model is scheduled for release on October 15th.
A key feature of the new Watch is its 20% larger screen, enabling the display of more text. This enhancement caters to users who prefer to read notifications and information directly from their wrist.
Startups and Venture Capital
Prior to examining numerous venture capital investments, consider this article by Mary Ann Azevedo, which explores guidance from Index and Sequoia regarding securing initial funding. The advice provided is exceptionally valuable.
NFTs and Virtual Avatars
The premise for a rather weak joke involves an NFT and a virtual avatar entering a bar. (The bartender might ask, “Do you believe this is the metaverse?”) However, in genuine news, Dapper Labs, a prominent figure in the NFT space, is acquiring Brud, a virtual avatar startup.
According to TechCrunch, Brud’s entire team of 32 employees will transition to Dapper Labs. Given Dapper Labs’ previous valuation of $7.5 billion, the company possesses substantial resources for such acquisitions.
Insurtech Funding
Today featured two noteworthy funding rounds within the insurtech sector. The first comes from Stable, a company developing an insurance solution focused on commodity price fluctuations.
The prices of commodities like oil, soybeans, and even pig bellies – alongside materials such as copper, silicon metal, and corn – can experience significant volatility. Stable has secured over $46 million to offer increased price stability to producers, mitigating the risks faced by those previously unable to effectively hedge against market changes.
Ladder's Life Insurance Innovation
The second round is from Ladder, which recently completed a $100 million funding round aimed at revolutionizing the life insurance industry.
The simultaneous occurrence of these two substantial insurtech rounds suggests that investor confidence in startups within this area remains strong, despite recent public market corrections impacting the valuations of several publicly traded neoinsurance companies.
Wasp's Web App Development Tool
Wasp, a recent graduate of Y Combinator, has successfully raised $1.5 million for its technology designed to accelerate the development of the business logic layer of web applications, as reported by TechCrunch.
This smaller funding round serves as a welcome reminder that not all companies are seeking, or securing, nine-figure investments in a single funding cycle.
The Evolving Landscape of Growth Marketing in 2021: Navigating Apple's Privacy Changes
Apple's recent modifications to data tracking protocols are significantly impacting the field of growth marketing. Introduced in April, the App Tracking Transparency feature empowers iPhone users to restrict data sharing regarding their app usage.
Further adjustments within iOS 15 allow users to activate Mail Privacy Protection and manage app permissions with increased granularity.
While these developments are beneficial for user privacy, they present considerable challenges for startups reliant on accurate measurement of growth and user engagement, leading to widespread ambiguity and concern.
To gain insights into how growth marketers are adapting their data collection strategies, TechCrunch’s Managing Editor Danny Crichton spoke with three industry professionals at TechCrunch Disrupt:
- Jenifer Ho, Vice President of Marketing at Elation Health
- Shoji Ueki, Head of Marketing and Analytics at Point
- Nik Sharma, Founder of Sharma Brands
These experts shared their perspectives on the shifting dynamics of data-driven marketing.
(TechCrunch+ is a membership program designed to support founders and startup teams in achieving their goals. Registration is available here.)
Understanding the Impact of Apple's Changes
The core of the issue lies in the reduced visibility into user behavior across platforms. Previously, marketers could leverage identifiers like the IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) to track campaign performance and attribute conversions.
Now, with a significant portion of users opting out of tracking, this level of precision is diminishing. This necessitates a reevaluation of traditional marketing metrics and a focus on alternative data sources.
Strategies for Adapting to a Privacy-Focused Future
The interviewed experts highlighted several key strategies for navigating this new environment. A shift towards first-party data collection, where companies gather information directly from their customers, is paramount.
First-party data provides a more reliable and privacy-compliant foundation for marketing efforts. Furthermore, marketers are exploring aggregated and anonymized data solutions to gain broader insights without compromising individual user privacy.
The Importance of Incremental Measurement
Attribution modeling is becoming increasingly complex. Instead of relying on single-touch attribution, marketers are adopting more sophisticated approaches that consider the entire customer journey.
Incremental lift testing, which measures the impact of marketing campaigns by comparing results with and without exposure, is gaining prominence as a way to demonstrate value in a privacy-constrained world.
Big Tech Inc.
Users now have a role in combating fraudulent applications. Apple is requesting assistance from its user base to identify and report spam, scams, and other malicious activity within its App Store.
A new reporting feature was integrated into iOS 15, allowing direct app submissions to Apple for review. However, responsiveness from Apple following submissions remains a concern for some users.
Qualcomm's Acquisition of Veoneer
Qualcomm has announced its intention to acquire Veoneer for a sum of $4.5 billion. This acquisition effectively terminates Veoneer’s existing agreement with Magna.
Veoneer, described as a Swedish automotive technology company, specializes in advanced driver-assistance systems. The deal highlights the increasing importance of semiconductor technology within the automotive industry, as noted by TechCrunch.
Qualcomm, primarily known for its chip manufacturing, is expanding its presence in the automotive sector, recognizing the growing demand for semiconductors in modern vehicles.
The acquisition underscores the critical role of technology in the evolution of the automotive landscape.
TechCrunch Insights: Identifying Leading Growth Marketing Professionals
Image Credits: SEAN GLADWELL / Getty ImagesDid you have a chance to review last week’s analysis of growth marketing strategies? You can find the previous coverage at this link.
TechCrunch is currently seeking recommendations for exceptional growth marketers. We are looking for professionals demonstrating proficiency in areas like SEO, social media marketing, and content creation.
Growth marketers are encouraged to share this survey with their clients. We aim to gather feedback detailing the positive experiences clients have had with their services.
Seeking Client Testimonials
The survey is designed to highlight the value provided by growth marketing experts. Client perspectives are crucial in identifying top performers in the field.
- We are interested in hearing about successes achieved through SEO implementation.
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Your participation will help TechCrunch compile a comprehensive list of leading growth marketing professionals. This resource will be valuable for businesses seeking to expand their reach and optimize their marketing efforts.
Please share the survey link with clients who have benefited from your expertise. Their insights are essential to this initiative.
