Reporter's Notebook

Below is a collection of every Reporter's Notebook article by The Information.
Art by Mike Sullivan
Reporter's Notebook

War Doesn’t Belong to U.S. Weapons Startups Yet

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 16, 2026 10:10am PDT
War focuses attention on the present. That was very clear from a week’s worth of conversations in Washington with leaders at defense tech startups, traditional military contractors and people close to the Pentagon. Until the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, buzz was building around startups such as Anduril and Saronic that promised to deliver... War focuses attention on the present. That was very clear from a week’s worth of conversations in...
SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell at MWC Barcelona 2026. Photo by Angel Garcia/ Getty Images
Reporter's Notebook

SpaceX Pitches Starlink to Wary Telecom Firms in Barcelona

By Theo Wayt · Mar 4, 2026 9:30am PST · 1 comment
SpaceX staffers have been out in force this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to pitch its Starlink satellite internet and cell services to the thousands of telecom executives and regulators assembled here. But in my conversations at an event overshadowed by a new war in the Middle East, many attendees expressed concerns about tying... SpaceX staffers have been out in force this week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to pitch...
Thomas Lee, chairman of BitMine and CIO of Fundstrat, speaks on stage during the Consensus Hong Kong at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on February 11, 2026 in Hong Kong, China. Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty
Reporter's Notebook

Downbeat Crypto Sector Looks to AI for Rescue

By Yueqi Yang · Feb 12, 2026 8:17am PST · 1 comment
Crypto’s market crash has prompted much soul-searching within the industry, I learned at this week’s annual crypto Consensus conference in Hong Kong. The answer: To stay relevant, the industry must tie its fate with the AI boom. I find the crypto industry’s hopes for an AI rescue somewhat ironic, given that AI has siphoned capital and talent... Crypto’s market crash has prompted much soul-searching within the industry, I learned at this...
Beauty influencer Debasree Banerjee doing her makeup live on YouTube. Photo via Sujit Jaiswal/AFP via Getty Images.
A Reality Check for Beauty Startups
By Ann Gehan · Jun 19, 2024 9:00am PDT · 3 comments
Beauty influencer Debasree Banerjee doing her makeup live on YouTube. Photo via Sujit Jaiswal/AFP via Getty Images.
Reporter's Notebook

A Reality Check for Beauty Startups

By Ann Gehan · Jun 19, 2024 9:00am PDT · 3 comments
Beauty startup investors began this year with high hopes. In December, personal care giant Unilever said it was buying hair care brand K18, a star on TikTok since its 2020 launch. The industry took that as a sign that trendy brands had a fresh shot at selling to big conglomerates, which had mostly paused acquisitions after a deal binge in 2021.... Beauty startup investors began this year with high hopes. In December, personal care giant...
Melanie Perkins, CEO of Canva. Photo by Bloomberg via Getty.
Reporter's Notebook

Canva’s Coming-Out Party at Goldman’s Private Tech Confab

By Cory Weinberg · Nov 22, 2023 6:48am PST · 5 comments
Down rounds, lackluster initial public offerings and growth slowdowns aside, an unlikely new star appeared in the startup world last week. Canva—an Australian design startup that has kept a relatively low profile despite a $25 billion–plus valuation—was the central focus of Goldman Sachs’ wooing at its annual private... Down rounds, lackluster initial public offerings and growth slowdowns aside, an unlikely new star...
Bytedance's live video streaming app Xigua Video. Photo: Associated Press
Reporter's Notebook

Three Hot Startups to Watch in China

By Yunan Zhang · Feb 26, 2018 10:01am PST · 1 comment
I recently spent time meeting with startup founders, employees and investors in Beijing and Shanghai to get a better sense of what the tech community has been talking about. It’s a great time of year to take the pulse. Friends and co-workers gather for lavish parties for the Chinese New Year, which was celebrated Feb. 16 and marks the... I recently spent time meeting with startup founders, employees and investors in Beijing and...
Amazon's book store in Seattle. Photo by Steve Nellis.
Reporter's Notebook

What I Learned Visiting Amazon’s Store

By Steve Nellis · Feb 25, 2016 10:02am PST · 12 comments
I recently braved the rain in Seattle to visit Amazon’s first physical retail store, Amazon Books. At first blush, it didn’t seem all that different from the Borders or Barnes & Noble stores that Amazon maimed: It’s a mid-sized corporate bookstore in a generic outdoor shopping mall surrounded by national chains.But on... I recently braved the rain in Seattle to visit Amazon’s first physical retail store, Amazon...