Marketplace Tech

The world of private equity — the hedge funds, the venture capital, the people pouring a ton of money into startups — comes with a huge risk. The reward can be huge too. But if you want a piece of this world, you have to be what’s known as an accredited investor, which means you need to be rich. The idea, historically, was to protect people from getting swindled into throwing their life savings into some sketchy investment. But as time has gone on, people have criticized the rule as a wall that’s shut a lot of people out from opportunities to gain wealth. Now, the Securities and Exchange Commission is changing the rules. Molly speaks with Arlan Hamilton, founder of the venture capital firm Backstage Capital, who has been pushing for changes that could reduce the racial wealth gap. She says anyone old enough can make a bet and lose it all in Vegas, so why not in the casino of private equity?

The world of private equity — the hedge funds, the venture capital, the people pouring a ton of money into startups — comes with a huge risk. The reward can be huge too. But if you want a piece of this world, you have to be what’s known as an accredited investor, which means you need to be rich. The idea, historically, was to protect people from getting swindled into throwing their life savings into some sketchy investment. But as time has gone on, people have criticized the rule as a wall that’s shut a lot of people out from opportunities to gain wealth. Now, the Securities and Exchange Commission is changing the rules. Molly speaks with Arlan Hamilton, founder of the venture capital firm Backstage Capital, who has been pushing for changes that could reduce the racial wealth gap. She says anyone old enough can make a bet and lose it all in Vegas, so why not in the casino of private equity?

The U.S. needs a 5G network. But it turns out there are a couple big questions not fully resolved in Washington. Like who’s responsible for divvying up the airwaves it would run on? We point this out because the FCC is looking at auctioning off some of the government-owned spectrum so companies can use it for 5G. And at the same time, the Department of Defense is looking at leasing out some of that same spectrum. So, Sabri Ben-Achour asked telecom analyst Craig Moffett, who’s in charge here?

The U.S. needs a 5G network. But it turns out there are a couple big questions not fully resolved in Washington. Like who’s responsible for divvying up the airwaves it would run on? We point this out because the FCC is looking at auctioning off some of the government-owned spectrum so companies can use it for 5G. And at the same time, the Department of Defense is looking at leasing out some of that same spectrum. So, Sabri Ben-Achour asked telecom analyst Craig Moffett, who’s in charge here?

Every Monday this fall, we’re taking a look at how schools are using technology during the pandemic. And for some, it’s an opportunity to make changes to teaching and learning that have been in the works for a long time. Specifically, personalized learning — the idea that kids all learn at different paces and in different ways, and that curriculums can be tailored to a child’s learning style using artificial intelligence to monitor their progress and modify lessons on the fly. Molly speaks with Sheldon H. Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He says it’s a good time for an experiment, but we don’t know for sure if it works.

Every Monday this fall, we’re taking a look at how schools are using technology during the pandemic. And for some, it’s an opportunity to make changes to teaching and learning that have been in the works for a long time. Specifically, personalized learning — the idea that kids all learn at different paces and in different ways, and that curriculums can be tailored to a child’s learning style using artificial intelligence to monitor their progress and modify lessons on the fly. Molly speaks with Sheldon H. Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He says it’s a good time for an experiment, but we don’t know for sure if it works.

Proposition 22 is a California initiative sponsored by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig work platforms that would exempt app-based ride-hailing companies and food delivery companies from a new state law that requires them to classify drivers as employees instead of independent contractors. Gig companies have poured nearly $200 million into the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign, making it the most expensive ballot initiative in state history. They’ve threatened to leave California or dramatically raise prices if it doesn’t pass, and a loss could embolden other states to insist that app companies hire their drivers. Molly Wood speaks with Sam Harnett, a reporter for KQED in San Francisco.

Proposition 22 is a California initiative sponsored by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other gig work platforms that would exempt app-based ride-hailing companies and food delivery companies from a new state law that requires them to classify drivers as employees instead of independent contractors. Gig companies have poured nearly $200 million into the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign, making it the most expensive ballot initiative in state history. They’ve threatened to leave California or dramatically raise prices if it doesn’t pass, and a loss could embolden other states to insist that app companies hire their drivers. Molly Wood speaks with Sam Harnett, a reporter for KQED in San Francisco.

Big Tech monopolies are in the news this week. The Department of Justice sued Google over how it maintains its search dominance, and its search dominance is the key to its business model, which is that it makes 80% of its revenue from digital advertising. Facebook makes 99% of its revenue from advertising. The profitability of targeted ads is also a big reason why tech companies are constantly collecting so much data about us. And there’s a multibillion-dollar ad tech industry that exists because all of this makes so much money. But what if these ads didn’t work all that well? Molly Wood speaks with Tim Hwang, a former public policy exec at Google, where he worked on artificial intelligence and machine learning. He’s the author of the new book “Subprime Attention Crisis.”

Big Tech monopolies are in the news this week. The Department of Justice sued Google over how it maintains its search dominance, and its search dominance is the key to its business model, which is that it makes 80% of its revenue from digital advertising. Facebook makes 99% of its revenue from advertising. The profitability of targeted ads is also a big reason why tech companies are constantly collecting so much data about us. And there’s a multibillion-dollar ad tech industry that exists because all of this makes so much money. But what if these ads didn’t work all that well? Molly Wood speaks with Tim Hwang, a former public policy exec at Google, where he worked on artificial intelligence and machine learning. He’s the author of the new book “Subprime Attention Crisis.”