Byte Size #10: Spiegel Works Magic, Uber Makes Friends, Apple Lets You Send and Receive Money Instantly

Saving Snapchat with Spiegel’s Algorithmic Feed

• Triggered by an underwhelming third quarter where revenue and user growth dropped below expectations, Evan Spiegel announced a dramatic redesign of Snapchat’s user experience.
• Instead of reverse-chronological Stories, Spiegel envisions an algorithmically sorted feed to provide each of the 178 million Daily Active Users with a truly personalized Stories feed. Combining premium video with search-based content, Snapchat hopes to grow engagement and monetization.
• The second half of the plan is redeveloping its infamous Android app to improve usability and appeal to older users. While Spiegel sees disruption as necessary, he is uncertain about how the Snapchat community will react to these new changes.

Less Toe-Stepping, More Friends for Uber

• CEO Dara Khosrowshahi released Uber’s new “cultural norms” which aim to distance the company from its murky history of sexual and cultural improprieties.
• The company’s old values of “toe-stepping” intended to encourage people to share ideas regardless of their position. Instead, they became “an excuse for being an asshole” and led to sexual harassment issues complemented by a generally unfriendly work environment.
• Boasting phrases like “We build globally, we live locally,” Uber’s new approach to building culture focuses on ideas such as diversity, perseverance, integrity, and ultimately, the customer experience.

Sending Cash Through iMessage? Apple Pay Cash Beta is Catching Up

• Apple recently launched an iOS public beta program that enables iPhone users to send direct, person-to-person payments through iMessage.
• iPhones with the program will see Apple Pay pop up in the Messages app and be able to use it to make payments. Furthermore, by simply asking for money in a message or tapping on someone’s request, money will be transferred directly.
• While available only to U.S. customers with iOS 11.2 devices or later, Apple Pay Cash is catching up to existing payment systems, such as Venmo. With features including in-store usability, superior security, and an integrated user experience, Apple casts clouds over Venmo’s otherwise sunny outlook.