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How Twitter Hype Helps Startups

The Horizons Tracker

Twitter plays an increasingly potent role in spreading the word about all manner of things, from politics to Covid (miss)information. It’s perhaps no surprise, therefore, that it can also play a crucial role in the growth of startups. Despite this, Twitter activity did influence the VC investments.

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African Lessons for the City-State of Facebook

Harvard Business Review

The heady winds of Facebook's IPO have left in their wake gnawing questions about the durability of the social network behemoth's brand, as critics point to declining revenue growth and a less-than-spectacular earnings outlook. But the troubled IPO should direct attention to more fundamental elements of the company's strategy.

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The JOBS Act, Groupon, and Gullible Investors

Harvard Business Review

For one, it temporarily healed the deep political divide in Washington, bringing together overwhelming bipartisan majorities of 380 votes in the House of Representatives and 73 in the Senate. Individual investors should be disabused of the notion that investing in IPOs like Groupon's is a safe and responsible path to financial security.

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A Few Unicorns Are No Substitute for a Competitive, Innovative Economy

Harvard Business Review

For instance, Snapchat’s recent IPO filing revealed that the company grew revenues by 600% (to $404 million) in 2016. Many of these mergers, like the proposed tie-up of AT&T and Time Warner , seem designed to counter new competitive threats (like YouTube and Netflix), or to bulk up the acquirer’s political clout.

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Boardroom Lessons from a Social Media Misstep

Harvard Business Review

Economics, politics, and sector shifts are all vital issues on the agenda in the boardroom. It is not just about political uprisings any more. Board members need to understand the factors that impact their businesses. 1, I woke up to a Groupon offer in my mailbox. Social media is a frontline service.

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Welcome to the Age of Dilemma

Harvard Business Review

It's likely to ignite even more political instability and social turmoil — in layman's terms, that's riots, panics, protests, and violence. Another week, another potentially destabilizing global mini-crisis. Should we raise interest rates so there's less hot money sloshing around to fuel the bubble, bringing down food prices?

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What Uber’s China Deal Says About the Limits of Platforms

Harvard Business Review

The $1 billion burn rate in China was reportedly holding up its IPO, not just its expansion in other parts of the world. Winner-take-all outcomes tend to prompt social and political backlashes, though apparently not in the case of ride-hailing in China. And misconceptions in this regard are not new.