Category: UNCATEGORIZED

At a time when immigration and border issues are foremost on Americans’ minds, the integrity of the men and women who enforce those policies is similarly important. Unfortunately, a private Facebook group for Border Patrol officers shows extremely troubling conduct — and shows the limits of such groups for those wishing to engage in bad behavior online.

Documented in a report by ProPublica, which was sent screenshots of a variety of posts and comments from it, the group is known as “I’m 10-15.” That’s code in the Border Patrol agency for “aliens in custody,” i.e. that someone attempting to cross the border illegally has been apprehended.

The group has some 9,500 members; recent reports put the total number of CBP officers at about twice that, so this would seem to be a popular group — but a secret one, visible only if you are invited. ProPublica verified that some of the postings they were sent were associated with accounts owned by officers.

The content apparently posted to the group (again, this can’t be verified without joining) is pretty vile. There’s dehumanization of detained migrant children — “oh well,” commented one member on a story about the death of one Guatemalan teen.

There’s incitement to violence — suggesting some agent “throw a 10-15 burrito at one of these bitches,” referring to Representatives Escobar (D-TX) and Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). “Fuck the hoes,” concurred another.

There’s conspiracy — one post suggests the now-famous image of the father and daughter drowned in the Rio Grande is falsified, saying “We’ve all seen the dems and liberal parties doing some pretty sick things.”

One user posted a manipulated image showing President Trump forcing Ocasio-Cortez to perform oral sex on him. Like I said, pretty vile. Here as elsewhere, the outspoken Congresswoman is a favored target for gendered abuse.

I’ve asked CBP for comment and have not yet heard back from the agency. But it seems unlikely that, with potentially half the force members of the group, that they could be completely ignorant of it or the type of content that’s being posted there.

This isn’t the only law enforcement group with hateful content out there by a long shot. The Plain View Project just posted a large database of posts it had collected from police department groups and accounts, and what’s visible there is more than a little troubling. Smaller exposures of concerning posts from individual departments or officers are commonplace.

It would be unfair to hold Facebook directly accountable for these ugly collections of xenophobic and sexist content. While objectionable they are nevertheless both protected speech and at least in some cases not prohibited by Facebook’s terms of service. Furthermore as a secret group they are unlikely to be reported by a random user, so even violating content will remain up for longer than it might if it were posted publicly.

At the same time it’s also obvious that Facebook and other online platforms provide a venue for this kind of behavior and, especially with the suddenly rediscovered focus on privacy, it is difficult to prevent or detect. The same things that make it possible for an oppressed group to communicate undetected in a totalitarian country allows a totalitarian force to communicate undetected about that oppressed group.

But it only takes one dissenter or security flub to expose the whole operation or bring down the apparatus of oversight on it, as hopefully will be the case with this CBP group. No one begrudges an industry or group the ability to grouse privately about its unique challenges, and maybe even in a way others would find grating or inappropriate. Standards differ. But when it reaches a certain level, especially among a group which we would like to hold to a higher standard of behavior, exposure and condemnation seems not only desirable but inevitable.

It was more than 10 years ago when Freada Kapor Klein published her book “Giving Notice” about hidden biases. Fast forward to today, and it’s sometimes hard to say that anything has changed.

Kapor Klein, a long-time advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the tech industry, is the co-founding partner at Kapor Capital and co-founder of Project Include . TechCrunch had the privilege of chatting with her about diversity and inclusion over the last several years.

“I would characterize where we are now is a leap forward over the last ten years and several steps sideways and a few steps backwards,” Kapor Klein says. “And so I think it’s a very noisy time to be looking at D&I. Because any point you can make in a positive direction, there’s a countervailing negative. And similarly, any time you can raise a criticism, somebody can point to something hopeful. So, we’re still in the middle of it — I hope — although I worry about diversity fatigue, which people are talking about and writing about these days.”

What’s clear is that a comprehensive approach is needed, and in order for that to be successful, there needs to be unequivocal commitment from the top.

We also discuss the rebound effect for harassers, why heads don’t roll when companies don’t fulfill their diversity goals and where there’s hope in the push for more diversity, inclusion and equity in tech.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

MRD: I wanted to chat with you specifically, just because you’ve been working on this issue for more than a decade at this point. And I figured you would have some good perspective to add. So far, I’ve chatted with a handful of people and my plan is to try to see what the common themes and then go from there.

Freada Kapor Klein: Are there some, some emerging hypotheses or some emerging consensus or too early to tell?

MRD: So far, I’ve had some conversations that have centered around the heads of diversity and inclusion. And while the idea of them is great, often times, they’re not truly empowered within these companies. Looking at Google as an example, and some of the turnover they’ve seen throughout that role.

Also, I’m looking at how one of the changes has been that it’s become more acceptable to be vocal about this issue and speak out against it. But that doesn’t always translate into real work and actions, and progress being made.

And then also, of course, there are more worker-led initiatives, also using Google as an example. But then what may be the next step actually needs to be like, okay, well, you’re speaking out, you’re walking out, but now maybe it’s actually a matter of leaving these companies because the workers are the most important part of these companies. But it’s not always an option for some people who don’t come from wealth and really need these jobs. Those are kind of the high-level takeaways so far.

Freada Kapor Klein: That’s interesting, but maybe there is a call to action for those who are — I once long ago heard the term post economic.  And so maybe there is a call to action for those who are going to be the beneficiaries of the 2019 IPOs and who are in a position to vote with their feet.

MRD: Yeah, that’s a good point.

Freada Kapor Klein: So, great. Where would you like to start?

MRD: Looking back over the last ten years of your work in Silicon Valley across diversity and inclusion, what gives you hope that we’re moving in the right direction? Or, do you think we’re moving in the right direction?

Freada Kapor Klein: I would characterize where we are now is a leap forward over the last ten years and several steps sideways and a few steps backwards. And so I think it’s a very noisy time to be looking at D&I. Because any point you can make in a positive direction, there’s a countervailing negative. And similarly, any time you can raise a criticism, somebody can point to something hopeful. So, we’re still in the middle of it — I hope — although I worry about diversity fatigue, which people are talking about and writing about these days.

But I do remain hopeful for very specific reasons. And one of those is quite simply changing demographics in the US. The march of demographics is unstoppable. And we know the K 12 school-age population in the US, which has been majority kids of color for five years now. And so that is the future workforce. Changing demographics is certainly one cause for hope. And critical mass, which has been a concept around a long time in social science, has some real legitimacy.

Sony’s PlayStation Vue live TV streaming service is joining its rivals with the roll out another price increase. The company announced today it will be upping the price for all its plans by $5 per month each. The change is live as of today for new subscribers, and will kick in for current customers with the beginning of the first billing cycle on or after July 31.

The company says the decision was made due to the rising costs of content — the same reason it raised prices by $5 just around a year ago. That made Vue’s cheapest plan $45/month; now its cheapest plan is $50/month.

Its most expensive “Ultra” plan is a whopping $85/month.

However, the company also said today it’s soon adding NHL Network and ACC Network to its plans. These additions, along with its optional Sports Pack for $10/month, makes Vue a compelling choice for sports viewers, as they gain access to NFL Network, NBC Sports, Fox Sports Networks, Stadium, beIN, and regional networks, among others.

The company, we should note, is not alone in citing rising content costs as the reason for its price hike. Its competitors have all done the same at some point in recent months.

For example, YouTube TV raised its prices in April — and that one was a pretty substantial $10 to $15 per month increase, depending on when you signed up. (And this time, it didn’t grandfather in existing customers into old pricing like the last increase did.) Dish-owned Sling TV also raised prices last year as did AT&T’s DirecTV Now — the latter which raised them again in 2019.

Hulu in early 2019 also raised its prices for Live TV, while dropping the price for its on-demand service.

For Vue, price increases have become something of an annual occurrence. In addition to last year’s $5/month increase, the service rolled out a $10/month increase in 2017, as well.

This latest price increase follows Vue’s recent addition of beIN Sports last week and a hefty set of June renegotiations with NBCU, Turner, AMC and Discovery/Scripps. 

The company at the time warned that changes could be in store, saying:

Most of the programming/content you watch on PlayStation Vue is licensed from programmers for the right to air their networks/channels. Once these agreements near expiration, we enter into renewal discussions where we work hard to try and obtain the best value for our customers. Though infrequent, sometimes certain licenses will not be renewed, in which case PlayStation Vue would no longer carry the affected channels or networks. This section will be updated periodically to list channels and networks coming up for renewal. Please note that the dates listed below are subject to change.

With the ongoing price increases, these live TV streaming services are no longer as much of a bargain over traditional cable or satellite subscriptions — they’re merely an alternative, albeit ones with better cross-platform support in some cases, or tools to better customize your lineup.

And while they don’t directly compete with on-demand services, they do in the sense that consumers only have so much they’re willing to spend on their TV entertainment. On that front, these services will be looking for customers who will soon have a lot more choice. On the horizon are new services like Disney+, Apple TV+, NBCU’s streaming service, and something from WarnerMedia (whose plans keep changing.) That may lead to services that offer a bundled discount — like Hulu with Live TV combined with Disney+ — to fare better.

Lucid Motors, the electric vehicle startup backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has hired Peter Hochholdinger to head up manufacturing operations just a week after news leaked the automotive executive had left a similar post at Tesla.

Hochholdinger, was an executive at Audi for more than two decades before joining Tesla as its top production executive in 2016. He oversaw Tesla’s vehicle factory in Fremont, Calif., its castings site in Lathrop, Calif., as well as its Tilburg facility in The Netherlands. Hochholdinger was senior director of production for Audi A4, A5 and Q5 when he left for Tesla.

The automotive veteran will lead Lucid’s global manufacturing operations, starting with its planned factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. He will also oversee manufacturing engineering, according to Lucid.

Hochholdinger’s departure at Tesla and his arrival at Lucid comes as a crucial time for both companies. Tesla has struggled in the past two years to remove bottlenecks in the production of the Model 3. While it has smoothed out much of those issues, it’s about to embark on its next vehicle, the Model Y.

Meanwhile, Lucid, which aims to be a competitor to Tesla, is on the verge of producing its first electric vehicle, the Lucid Air.

Lucid will need the kind of institutional knowledge at Hochholdinger gained over his career as it moves towards its first production vehicle, the Lucid Air as well as future models.

Lucid Motors was founded 10 years ago with a different name and mission. The company, called Atieva at the time, was focused on developing electric car battery technology. It then shifted to producing electric cars and changed its name in 2016.

Since its pivot, the company has unveiled the Air, announced plans to build a $700 million factory in Arizona and signed a deal with Samsung SDI to supply it with lithium-ion batteries and moved into spacious new digs. Lucid entered a quiet period as it sought funding to build its factory, eventually landing a $1 billion investment from Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund.

Lucid said at the time that the $1 billion in funding would be used to complete engineering development and testing of the Lucid Air, construct its factory in Arizona and begin the global rollout of its retail strategy starting in North America and enter production.

Just as the bluetooth headset ushered in an era of hands-free calling, AR startups are trying to convince manufacturing startups that AR headsets will bring new efficiencies with hands-free computing.

As Magic Leap and Microsoft have dropped hundreds of millions trying to spend their way into new tech modalities for enterprise customers, smaller players are relying on less ground-breaking hardware and hoping that easy-to-use software can drive new customers into their arms. One player using this approach is an AR startup based just outside of Portland called RealWear. They aren’t promising digital holograms and floating whales, but they’ve received over $100 million from investors that seem to believe in a more “conservative” approach to enterprise AR.

RealWear’s HMT-1 hardware is akin to the form factor of yesteryear’s Google Glass, but the tech is even more straightforward, it’s not a transparent display just a small screen in a worker’s line-of-site that can be pushed out of the way when not needed. When it comes to differentiating a hardware startup that isn’t relying on its own hardware advances, there are definitely risks that another deep pocketed player can replicate what they’ve done, though RealWear certainly isn’t short on investor cash for the time being.

The company announced today that they’ve pulled in about $81 million in funding since they announced their Series A early last year. About $56 million of that was Series B equity funding, while they also raised $25 million in debt. The latest round was led by Teradyne, with Bose Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Kopin Corporation and JPMorgan Chase Co. also participating. If that last investor draws your attention, the company tells TechCrunch they are closely eying an IPO, a unique move in an industry focused that has proven heavily reliant on VC cash.

Investors have seen major potential in the enterprise AR space, but major players have flared out in the past 12 months leaving some wary of making another bet in the space. Earlier this year, we reported that ODG, which had raised $58 million for its AR glasses, was in the midst of a fire sale or its IP. The same fate came to Meta months later, which raised $73 million. All-the-while Magic Leap has continued to dominate AR venture capital deals, but it isn’t clear what progress they are making with enterprise customers relative to their $2.6 billion raised.

RealWear has raised tens of millions yet most of that cash is going to sales rather than R&D, a benefit the company has from licensing other firms’ tech rather than trying to solve the unsolved AR optics issues. The approach has worked, at least in terms of quickly building a business on its way to being cash flow positive. The company said it had about $12 million in revenue last year, and was estimating $25-30 million this year.

For now, the name of the game for RealWear is converting pilots into paid rollouts. CEO Andy Lowery tells me that about 95% of the company’s 2018 revenue came from paid pilots but that there have already been some big conversions. The company tells TechCrunch that they have shipped 15,000 units in the past 18 months, though a recent major deal with Turkish telecom company UROS will force them to scale much more quickly. The firm announced in April that they are ordering 10,000 of RealWear’s devices as part of a major tech push in Kazakhstan.

RealWear is also working with customers like Colgate, BMW, Walmart and Coca-Cola.

The Daily Crunch is TechCrunch’s roundup of our biggest and most important stories. If you’d like to get this delivered to your inbox every day at around 9am Pacific, you can subscribe here.

1. Facebook civil rights audit says white supremacy policy is ‘too narrow’

Over the last six months, Facebook has made changes around enforcing rules against hate speech, fighting discrimination in ads and protecting against misinformation and suppression, according to a new progress report on an audit led by former ACLU Washington Director Laura Murphy.

However, the report says Facebook’s policy is still “too narrow.” That’s because it solely prohibits explicit praise, support or representation of the terms “white nationalism” or “white separatism,” but does not technically prohibit references to those terms and ideologies.

2. Rocket Lab successfully launches seventh Electron rocket for ‘Make It Rain’ mission

The private rocket launch startup’s latest mission took off yesterday from the company’s private Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand.

3. Analysts think global 5G smartphone shipments will overtake 4G in 2023

A new report from Canalys suggests that 2023 will be the true pivot point for 5G.

4. China silences podcast and music apps as online crackdown widens

On Friday, a total of 26 audio-focused apps were ordered to terminate, suspend services or have talks with regulators as they were investigated and deemed to have spread “historical nihilism” and “pornography,” according to a notice posted by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

5. Samsung launched an app store for Bixby

Now vendors can make their Bixby-integrated services (or “capsules”) available to users. The store opens today in the U.S. and Spain, launching with a handful of key apps, including Google Maps, Spotify, iHeartRadio, NPR and Yelp.

6. Assistive technologies will be a $26 billion-dollar market, and investors are only now addressing it

Organizations like Not Impossible Labs, a Los Angeles-based company, and startups like OrCam Technologies, eSight, B-Temia, Kinova Robotics, Open Bionics, Voiceitt and Whill are harnessing technology to bring solutions to people with disabilities across the world. (Extra Crunch membership required.)

7. This week’s TechCrunch podcasts

The Equity team has some thoughts about reports of internal drama at Brandless, while Original Content reviews the Netflix sketch comedy “I Think You Should Leave.”

Girlboss, the multi-media brand for women founded by serial entrepreneur Sophia Amoruso, whose last company, Nasty Gal presaged the direct to consumer trend before collapsing under the weight of its own ambition.

Now, Amoruso is back with yet another iteration on Girlboss, the media site launched off of the strength of her podcast . In what it’s labeling as professional networking 2.0.

Over 50,000 people have signed up for early access including — Jen Rubio, the co-founder of Away; Elaine Welteroth, the former editor in chief of Teen Vogue; celebrity hair stylist Jen Atkin, and other women from the media and entertainment world.

With their free membership women who sign up get access to other entrepreneurial women and the ability to ask and answer questions from their peer group.

“Existing professional networks were built for another era. The resume is such an outdated way to represent ourselves. Girlboss is a place where our members can bring their whole self — and share not just what they do but who they are. In a time where most of us have more than one ambition, and are trading on our personalities as much as we are our experience, it’s clear that there’s a need for a platform that allows us to experience ourselves and one another in this capacity,” wrote Amoruso in an email. “Our goal is to drive as much intention as possible among members, from their profile creation, to user-generated content, to how users connect with one another.”

The profiles take LinkedIn one step further, according to the company, by including accomplishments, “life moments” and other elements to make the social network more personal — like a daily horoscope and a Meyers-Briggs type.

Other content like fireside chats, community questions and thought leaders, and access to a full member directory will also be part of the community.

“Women are congregating to support one another more than ever. We make less money than men, we live longer, and we have institutionally been denied ‘the keys to the castle.’ For so long, women were encouraged to shy away from discussing the topics that have the greatest impact on our livelihood — from negotiating to pricing our services, to having difficult conversations to the state of our finances,’ Amoruso wrote in an email. “Our community has shown up and proven they are hungry to connect on all of these things and more. Because real power comes through communal efforts—and through transparency at scale.”

Girlboss has raised over $6 million from Initialized Capital, Gary Vaynerchuk, Slow Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Atom Factory, and Jaws Ventures.

Berlin-based Spark Networks, the owner of niche dating app brands like Christian Mingle, Jdate, LDSsingles, Silver Singles, Jswipe, and others, today announced it has acquired Match.com competitor Zoosk for a combination of cash and stock. The deal values Zoosk at approximately $258 million.

Spark says it will issue 12,980,000 American Depositary Shares (ADS) to former Zoosk shareholders valued at $153 million based on the closing price of Spark ADSs of $11.78 on June 28, 2019. The deal also provides for cash consideration of $105 million, subject to adjustment, which will be funded by a new $125 million senior secured credit facility, the company says in a release.

Jeronimo Folgueira (right), CEO of Spark Networks, confirms the acquisition with Steven McArthur (left), outgoing CEO of Zoosk, Inc.

Plans for the deal were previously announced.

Following the closing of the merger, Spark has 2,601,037 ordinary shares issued and outstanding underlying 26,010,365 ADSs, with former Zoosk shareholders collectively owning 49.9% of the combined company.

The Zoosk app, available in over 80 countries, is a free download but charges users who want to send messages and chat with other subscribers, similar to Match.

Zoosk has for a long time struggled to compete against Match Group and its top-ranking dating apps in the U.S., led by Tinder. A few years ago, the company laid off a third of its staff and even had to call off its IPO, as Tinder decimated its business.

Today, it lists itself in the App Store’s “Social Networking” category instead of “Lifestyle,” where Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and others rank, in an effort to gain more visibility.

According to data from Sensor Tower, Zoosk has generated worldwide in-app revenue of $250 million and has seen 38 million downloads since January 2014. Half of those downloads (19M) are from the U.S., which also accounts for $165 million (66%) of the revenue.

In Q1 2019, Zoosk revenue was flat at $13 million, the firm also says. Tinder revenue, by comparison, grew 43%. And in Match Group’s latest earnings, it said its total quarterly revenue grew 14% year-over-year to $465 million.

Similarly, Spark Networks has also fought to gain footing as Match Group became an ever-larger force in the online dating market over the years. However, in the last year, the company saw its revenue grow 22%. But it still operates at a loss.

As a result of the deal, Spark says its global monthly paying subscribers will increase to over 1 million. It also says it expects to achieve over $50 million of Adjusted EBITDA in 2020.

“Today’s closing represents a remarkable milestone in Spark’s continued evolution. Four years ago, we were a small German startup with no presence in North America. Our efforts over the last few years have created an NYSE-listed business with over $300 million in total revenue that is also the second largest player in North America. We are extremely proud of the company we have built, and are also excited by the future potential of our new portfolio,” said Jeronimo Folgueira, CEO of Spark, in a statement.

Zoosk’s current CEO Steven McArthur is departing Zoosk following the deal, but will join Spark’s Board of Directors.

“I have been very impressed by Jeronimo and his team during this process and I am very confident in their ability to execute the integration plan we prepared together, and make the new combined company even more successful, driving substantial value creation for all shareholders over the next 12 to 18 months,” said McArthur.

Spark Networks SE was formed by the merger of Affinitas GmbH and Spark Networks Inc. in 2017. It’s listed on the NYSE under “LOV,” and is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York, Utah, and San Francisco.

Its full list of dating app brands tends to be more faith-focused or targets particular niches. These apps include EliteSingles, Jdate, Christian Mingle, eDarling, JSwipe, SilverSingles, Attractive World, eDarling, LDSsingles, Adventist Singles, Crosspaths, and Weekly Dating Insider, in addition to now Zoosk.

In terms of other exec changes, Spark CFO Rob O’Hare is relocating to Zoosk’s HQ in San Francisco to smooth the transition. Herbert Sablotny, Spark’s former Chief Strategy Officer, will also rejoin the company to assist in the Zoosk integration efforts, having previously done the same with the integrations of Attractive World and Spark Networks, Inc. Other key members of the Zoosk team are staying on as well, for the time being.

Piper Jaffray & Co. acted as the financial advisor to Zoosk on the proposed transaction and Fenwick & West LLP served as legal counsel to Zoosk. Piper Jaffray & Co. also arranged for staple financing for Zoosk. And Morrison & Foerster LLP served as legal counsel to Spark.

Match Group and Spark Networks SE aren’t the only dating app businesses that have taken a portfolio approach. Bumble’s owner in June said it was revamping its structure with the creation of Magic Lab, a holding company that includes its dating apps Bumble, Badoo, Chappy, and Lumen. It also plans to boost spending to $100 million to better compete with Match Group and soon, Facebook Dating.

Welcome to this transcribed edition of The Operators. TechCrunch is beginning to publish podcasts from industry experts, with transcriptions available for Extra Crunch members so you can read the conversation wherever you are.

The Operators highlights the experts building the products and companies that drive the tech industry. Speaking from experience at companies like Google, Brex, Slack, Docsend, Facebook, Edmodo, WeWork, Mint, etc., these experts share insider tips on how to break into fields like product management and enterprise sales. They also share best practices for entrepreneurs to hire and manage experts in fields outside their own.

This week’s edition features Lorilyn McCue, product manager at Slack, the fastest growing enterprise software company ever that recently skipped its IPO to do a direct listing (like Spotify), and Jamal Eason, a senior product manager at Google, a company recognized as a training ground for the best product managers. Lorilyn and Jamal share their experiences and explain what product management is and isn’t, how to get good at it, and how entrepreneurs should think about product management as a discipline.

Lorilyn and Jamal are also both West Point graduates and military veterans who have deployed overseas. They are experienced operators in not just Silicon Valley but also from their days serving in uniform.

Neil Devani and Tim Hsia created The Operators after seeing and hearing too many heady, philosophical podcasts about the future of the world and the tech industry, and not enough attention on the practical day-to-day work that makes it all happen.

Tim is the CEO & Founder of Media Mobilize, a media company and ad network, and a Venture Partner at Digital Garage. Tim is an early-stage investor in Workflow (acquired by Apple), Lime, FabFitFun, Oh My Green, Morning Brew, Girls Night In, The Hustle, Bright Cellars, and others. Neil is an early-stage investor based in San Francisco with a focus on companies solving serious problems, including Andela, Clearbit, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Vicarious Surgical, and Kudi.

If you’re interested in becoming a product manager, furthering your career in that field, or starting a company and don’t know when to hire your first PM, you can’t miss this episode.

The show:

The Operators, hosted by Neil Devani and Tim Hsia, highlights the experts building the products and companies that drive the tech industry. Speaking from experience at companies like Google, Brex, Slack, Docsend, Facebook, Edmodo, WeWork, Mint, etc., these experts share insider tips on how to break into fields like product management and enterprise sales. They also share best practices for entrepreneurs to hire and manage experts in fields outside their own.

In this episode:

In Episode 2, we’re talking about product management. Neil interviews Lorilyn McCue, PM at Slack, and Jamal Eason, a senior PM at Google.

Neil Devani: Hi and welcome to the second episode of The Operators where we learn about people building the companies of tomorrow. We publish every other Monday and you can find this online at operators.co.

I’m your host Neil Devani and we’re coming to you today from Digital Garage here in sunny San Francisco. Today’s episode is sponsored by Four Sigmatic. Four Sigmatic’s Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee has all the coffee’s focusing bark with none of the jittery bite. Lion’s Mane promotes productivity, focus, and creativity all while being a healthy alternative to that daily cup of coffee. Go to foursigmatic.com/operators-special to try out Four Sigmatic.

Joining me today we have Jamal Eason, a senior product manager at Google . Google is one of the top companies in the world when it comes to product management.

Also joining us is Lorilyn McCue, a product manager at Slack . Slack is one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies ever and just recently filed for its IPO. Lorilyn and Jamal, thank you for joining us. It’s a pleasure to have you both.

Just to start, it would be great if you could give us a little bit of your background, where you’re from, where you went to school, and how you got into becoming a PM.

Lorilyn McCue: Sure. I’m from Orlando, Florida originally. This story will sound very similar in a little bit because Jamal and I have similar backgrounds.

I went to West Point, the United States Military Academy for undergrad. I studied computer science there. I served for 10 years in the Army. I flew Apache helicopters for six years and I taught back at West Point for three years.

After that I really had no idea what to do. Jamal was actually helpful in that process. In that I said, “I was thinking about going to school using the GI Bill.” I was considering business school, and he helped me narrow it down to some schools that made sense.

I ended up going to Stanford’s Graduate School of Business on the West Coast. I guess a fun fact about that decision is I was thinking East Coast versus West Coast schools. And when he mentioned Stanford I said no, because there’s a lot of traffic California. And he said, “No, don’t worry, you can bike around campus.”

This was a very convincing explanation for me. That is why I am here today, is because Jamal knows me well enough to say, “No Lorilyn, you can bike.” (To Jamal) I did bike around campus by the way. It was great. Thank you.

And then I did an internship at Google in product management. The summer between my first and second year I really loved product management. I wanted to be at a little bit smaller of a company so I ended up going to Slack.

I’ve been there for about two and a half years now. I started off as a product manager on the new user experience team and recently changed to platform.

Devani: Awesome, great!

Jamal Eason: Myself, I grew up in Los Angeles, California.

Devani: The land of traffic.

Eason: Yea, the land of traffic.

McCue: You probably didn’t bike there though.

Eason: No biking. Similar story, I also went to West Point for undergrad and studied computer science. Lorilyn and I shared multiple classes together there at West Point.

But instead I actually went to the Signal Corps, basically the branch of the military that does satellites and data communications.

Fintech startup Revolut wants to make it easier to donate to charities with a new feature. You can now round up card payments to the nearest whole number and donate a tiny little amount to a charity. Over time, those donations might add up.

The startup already has some features to put some money aside and save over time using vaults. Essentially, Revolut is giving you the same tools. But instead of putting money in a vault, you donate that money.

In addition to rounding up transactions, you can multiply spare change by a factor of 2x, 3x, 4x, etc. You can also set up recurring donations to donate a fixed amount every day, week or month.

There’s no minimum on donations. So even if you only rarely use your card, Revolut doesn’t keep anything. There’s also no fees for charity partners. When clients donate $100, charities receive $100.

You can tap on a cause and see how much money you’ve donated overall. Revolut will also display how much money they’ve handed out to each charity from the entire customer base. And of course, you can stop donations in one tap.

Revolut has partnered with three charities for now. You can donate to Save the Children, WWF and ILGA-Europe. There will be more charities in the future.