On today's episode, we discuss what happens next now that the newsletter boom has faded, Uber getting serious about grocery, how Starbucks is defying inflation, whether Spotify can revolutionize podcast ads, robots doing all of our housework, an unpopular opinion about TikTok's hype, why so many baseballs are used during a game, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of reports editing Rahul Chadha and analysts Suzy Davidkhanian and Blake Droesch.

Consumer spending on travel soars in Q2: That’s why companies like Airbnb and American Airlines are far more bullish than retailers about their outlooks for the rest of the year.

On today's episode, we discuss the actual viability of the sharing economy: What should we make of Uber's diversification efforts and are Airbnb's latest changes enough to power the company up and to the right? "In Other News," we talk about the travel industry's optimism in the face of inflation and ad spending's positive outlook in the face of recessionary fears. Tune in to the discussion with our Briefings director Jeremy Goldman.

Subscription models are driving customer loyalty in online sales of groceries and other essential goods, but fatigue among consumers threatens long-term growth.

Shared electric vehicle company Lime builds brand awareness by demonstrating the value of car alternatives in cities. Hear from Lime’s Carolyn Rosebrough, global head of communications and brand, to learn how its localized marketing approach encourages a greener way to get around.

The US labor market is a tale of two halves: While retailers with a strong brick-and-mortar presence are intensifying their hiring efforts, startups are taking a more cautious approach to recruitment as VC funding dries up.

Cost-cutting and layoffs could hurt employer branding: Companies risk losing their employer reputations as they scale back to protect profitability.

A wave of cost-cutting layoffs is coming: GoPuff, Thrasio, and Reef are among the companies rethinking their staffing levels as they shift focus to profitability.

Add robotaxis to the list of upcoming Tesla products: Struggles with fully autonomous driving, delivering on schedule, and safety are huge roadblocks to Tesla’s robotaxi flex.

Amazon flexes its market power with seller surcharges, anti-union stance: Despite rapid growth during the pandemic, the ecommerce giant is passing fuel and inflation costs onto its sellers while resisting calls to improve working conditions.

Retail media advertising sits at the intersection of two major digital disruptions unfolding in Latin America: the meteoric rise of ecommerce and reallocation of ad dollars toward digital formats. While still nascent, retail media will play a larger part of brands’ marketing strategies in 2022.

Uber will call you a cab: Driver shortages and rising ride prices drive Uber to embrace the cab industry. The shift into localized services could accelerate Uber’s transformation into a super app.

Green Dot strikes open banking deal with Plaid: Green Dot’s neobank customers gain data-sharing capabilities for 6,000-plus outside apps. Are its banking as a service (BaaS) clients next?

Is it time to rethink the gig worker-based business model?: Amazon alters jobs for grocery-picking gig workers to help meet growing demand for online orders.

Big Tech faces dilemma in Russia-Ukraine conflict: While rushing to get refugees to safety, companies debate remaining neutral, which would seem like compliance with Russia, or leveling sanctions and risking retribution from the Kremlin.

On today's episode, we discuss whether Donald Trump's new "Truth Social" platform can make some noise, Facebook rebranding the News Feed, whether LinkedIn is the best social network, Uber and Lyft's rebound, how Apple changed Facebook, an unpopular opinion about Disney, where Valentine's Day came from, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco and analysts Blake Droesch and Peter Vahle.

Gopuff’s labor challenges underscore the dark side of rapid delivery: The company is likely trying to cut costs ahead of a potential IPO but must contend with increased government scrutiny and worker activism.

The instant grocery delivery market is headed toward consolidation: The extremely high cost of 15-minute delivery in the US has startups built on the promise pivoting to longer delivery times and other services.

AirAsia, one of the world’s largest budget airlines, is on a mission to build a regional super app. While it follows in the footsteps of titans like WeChat in China and Gojek in Southeast Asia, if AirAsia succeeds, it will blaze a path for travel and other industries not endemic to the mobile space.

Online grocery startups face fierce competition and other growing pains: Venture capitalists have poured billions into these fast-delivery companies, but their success is far from guaranteed.