Sunday, March 8
Hey everyone, I’m doing something special for people who preorder Always Day One, my new book, releasing on 4/7/2020. If you forward your preorder receipt to alwaysdayonebook@penguinrandomhouse.com I will send you a readers’ guide PDF with key things to look out for as you go. The guide will come along with access to a conference call with me and your fellow preorder crew. You can preorder here: www.alexkantrowitz.com
Coronavirus Hits Tech
For tech companies scrambling to orchestrate a response to the spread of the novel coronavirus, the past week has been a tough one. Employees at Amazon, Google, and Microsoft tested positive for COVID-19. As did a contractor at Facebook. And an employee at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The outbreak is hitting Seattle especially hard, and has now appeared in the Bay Area as well, disrupting the tech giants and many other companies.
Here’s a quick roundup of some stories worth reading if you’re trying to make sense of how the the coronavirus is impacting the tech industry:
The Coronavirus Is Forcing Techies To Work From Home. Some May Never Go Back To The Office.
“We’ll never probably be the same,” Jennifer Christie, Twitter’s head of human resources, told me this week. The company is now effectively a remote workplace. It’s not alone. And it may never go back.
Google Cancels I/O, Its Biggest Annual Event, Following Coronavirus Fears
It’s not just Google either. At this point, it seems like if you had a conference scheduled anytime within the next four months, you’ve already cancelled it, unless you’re Apple
Uber Finally Told Its Drivers What To Do About Coronavirus: Wash Their Hands
“It would be cool if they could do more, but I honestly don't know what else they can do,” one driver told BuzzFeed News.
How the coronavirus is changing Big Tech
The Verge’s Casey Newton commends the tech giants’ response in his newsletter, The Interface.
The Last Word
That’s all for this week. Hope you stay healthy and safe. Let me know what else you’d like me to cover by replying directly to this email. Have a great week.
Best,
Alex
