What is the Mobile World Congress?

The Mobile World Congress is an event organized by GSMA, an association that represents the interests of over 750 operators plus nearly 400 companies (from the mobile industry and the development community). The event had its origins back in 1987 as the GSM World Congress and was held in Cannes up until 2006. Today, it is the largest mobile industry exhibition in the world and is held in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Barcelona every year. The Barcelona congress usually takes place in February or March, while the Los Angeles event is quite new, having had its first edition in September 2018 (with a previous MWC Americas edition having been held in San Francisco in 2017). However, this year’s Shanghai event was held back in February, the Barcelona congress was held just a few weeks ago (from June 28 to July 1) and you can expect the Los Angeles event in October 2021. Attendees to the conference include representatives from mobile operators, content owners, tech providers, vendors and manufacturers.

What is SpaceX?

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., more commonly known as SpaceX, is an aerospace manufacturer founded in 2002 in Hawthrone, a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, by Elon Musk. It was created with the goal to make life multi-planetary.

The Los Angeles company developed the first private liquid fuel rocket to reach orbit on Earth back in 2008 and hasn’t stopped innovating in aerospace technology since then. Today, it is working on Starship, a rocket that is meant to establish a base on the Moon and a city on Mars.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is a plan to provide the world with “high-speed, low latency broadband internet” via satellite and it is powered by SpaceX. SpaceX has already delivered two-thirds of all required satellites to orbit and will continue to work on expanding the network this year. Starlink should have near-global coverage of populated areas sometime in 2021. Its broadband service is ideally suited to reach rural and remote communities, providing them with reliable access to the internet.

Why did SpaceX choose Los Angeles as headquarters?

Los Angeles is known around the globe as the home of the entertainment industry. It houses all the major studios and some of the biggest stars. However, in recent years, as companies have expanded away from Silicon Valley, Los Angeles has become quite the entrepreneurial hub. Major companies such as Google, Buzzfeed and Facebook have opened offices in L.A.’s Silicon Beach region and there are countless tech companies in this area of Los Angeles. Moreover, the city also houses quite a few incubators and accelerators like Disney Accelerator and Amplify L.A.

Though the Los Angeles industry is still quite diversified (with tourism and finances also heavily involved), the area is buzzing with tech development activity and is a great place to visit, particularly if you are also a fan of the Hollywood life.

Talk highlights

Elon Musk’s interview was moderated by Justin Springham, a Publisher for Mobile World Live. The entrepreneur discussed both his work with Starlink and the latest developments with the SpaceX program. Let’s take a look at the most relevant news for both of these projects.

About Starlink Los Angeles

When it comes to Starlink, Musk stated that he was driven by the need for connectivity in places currently lacking it or where it is very limited or expensive. Therefore, Starlink is meant to fill up the gaps between 5G and fiber. Here are the current developments and the ones expected for the next year.

• Starlink has launched over 1500 satellites that are currently active. Their combined power is over 5 megawatts, capable of outputting 30 terabits per second of data.
• Starlink is currently operational in 12 countries with over 69,000 users and expects to expand to 500,000 users over the next year.
• Elon estimated that sometime in August 2021, Starlink should have global connectivity everywhere except the poles (since this interview, this plan had to go on hiatus due to unforeseen circumstances, however, they seem to be back on track now).
• Starlink expects to get latency down to under 20 milliseconds, getting virtually no lag. Moreover, there is no latency when changing from one satellite to another due to all of them functioning based on a phased array.
• Musk was also asked about the investment on Starlink, responding that before there is an actual positive cash flow the investment will amount to at least $5 million and it might reach $10 million.
• A Starlink satellite dish is extremely easy to connect and will cost $500 and then there will be a $100/month for the service.
• Starlink is also currently working on deals with several telecommunication companies to provide the service through them, particularly focusing on rural customers.

About SpaceX Los Angeles

According to Musk, SpaceX is trying to extend consciousness beyond Earth. Let’s see what’s new with this extremely ambitious project.

• Having already put 1500 Starlink satellites into orbit, SpaceX is getting ready to launch satellite 1.5, which has laser inter-satellite links. This model will be used to achieve continuous connectivity over the arctic and antarctic regions.
• Musk states that the Falcon 9 rocket has the most efficient reusability to date, with some boosters having already flown 10 times. Reusing this rocket translates into 70% in savings with every launch.
• SpaceX is currently developing Starship, which will be the biggest rocket ever developed and will also have twice the thrust of the Saturn Moon rocket. This rocket is designed for full and rapid reusability. Musk also expects Starship to be able to build a base on the moon and a city on Mars. Its first orbital launch attempt is expected to happen in the next few months.

Final thoughts

We believe Starlink is an outstanding project that can close the connectivity gap in remote or poorly serviced areas. We are also looking forward to seeing the Los Angeles-based company’s progress in making life multi-planetary. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Elon Musk!

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The Startup Battlefield competition is one of the most popular and exciting events of TechCrunch’s Disrupt San Francisco conference. It brings together some of the most exciting startups of the year to help them grow and gain funding for their projects. In this article, we’ll focus on all you need to know about Startup Battlefield, from what it entails, to how it works, how to sign up and what you can get out of participating in it. But, first, let’s give you some context.

What is TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco?

TechCrunch is an online publisher whose main focus is on the tech industry. It is also behind the Disrupt conference, which was held for the first time in Beijing back in 2011. Since then, the event has expanded to San Francisco and Europe, and has carried out online events over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The San Francisco event gathers more than 10,000 attendees and includes over 400 media outlets. The conference includes the Startup Alley—where exhibitors raise dozens of millions of dollars each year—as well as talks, workshops, Q&As and book signings. There is also a variety of networking events, as well as a networking app called CrunchMatch available that helps you connect with other attendees to make the most of the experience.

The 2021 edition will not be held in San Francisco, but remotely just as the 2020 one. The date has already been set for September 21-23 and, although there are still a few months ahead, a few wheels have started turning on Startup Battlefield, our topic of choice. Moreover, you can already buy your tickets for the conference here. They range from $49 to $199 depending on the type of access you want. 

What is Startup Battlefield?

Startup Battlefield makes up a large chunk of the TechCrunch Disrupt conferences. This exciting competition features startups that go through an 8-week mini accelerator before pitching their projects to judges at the Disrupt conference.

Dropbox, Trello and Mint are just three of the big names that started on the Battlefield stage, which has hosted 922 companies, 115 of which have been acquired or gone public. In total, Battlefield companies have raised 9 billion dollars to date. San Francisco-based startup Canix won the 2020 edition taking home the $100,000 prize, as well as the Disrupt Cup. Just to give you an idea, the company currently has locations all over the US, as well as Australia and Canada. Of course, the competition not only gives startups the chance to win the prize, but also provides a platform to show off their service or product and raise even more funding.

How does it work?

Applications for Startup Battlefield usually open several times each year for different locations all over the globe and there are no costs involved. The selection process is based on team, product and market potential, and the current application round is open until May 13.

Those selected undergo several rehearsals (at least three) with the TechCrunch team as well as other industry experts to make sure they are prepared to pitch their projects and face their on-stage Q&A. These rehearsals are usually hosted in San Francisco, New York and Berlin if it is possible to carry them out in person.

During the Disrupt San Francisco conference, Startup Battlefield contestants have six minutes to pitch a live demo, as well as another six minutes to answer judges’ questions, and the whole process is live-streamed. The judges and TechCrunch editors then select a group of finalists (about 4-6 startups) that will get the chance to do a second pitch before a new set of judges. These judges then select a runner-up and, of course, a winner, who takes home the prize money and the Disrupt Cup.

Why should you apply to Startup Battlefield?

In addition to the chance of winning the competition and taking home some cash to invest in your project, your pitch will be watched by quite a few potential investors. Meanwhile, the only investment you need to make is your time. There are no application fees and no equity required if you win. And, if you are selected to participate in the competition, you will receive several weeks of training that will help your startup regardless of whether you win or not. You also get the chance to exhibit in the Startup Alley area and get to meet the existing alumni community, giving you first-class networking opportunities. Moreover, Startup Battlefield alumni can attend future TechCrunch events free of charge.

Final thoughts on Startup Battlefield

If you are a startup looking to show off your hard work and earn some funding, Startup Battlefield is the perfect place to do it. Not to mention, TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco offers once-in-a-lifetime investment and learning opportunities for everyone in the tech industry. If you are looking to sign up, remember you have time until May 13th to register right here and can find more information about the 2021 edition here.

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Industry events are key when it comes to networking and keeping up to date with the development world. There are countless development events in San Francisco and all around the globe and, in this article, we’ll focus on a major one: DeveloperWeek San Francisco. This is one of the largest conferences out there and this year’s virtual event will be no different. Let’s take a look at DeveloperWeek San Francisco and the many reasons you should be a part of it.

About DeveloperWeek San Francisco

DeveloperWeek is held in San Francisco every year and attended by over 8,000 industry actors (developers, engineers, managers, executives, etc.) from dozens of countries. The event revolves around the latest technologies and serves as an opportunity for developers to network and tech companies to exhibit their work. DeveloperWeek is usually held in February each year in the San Francisco Bay Area, but will be held virtually on Hopin this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is produced by Data 2.0, a company co-founded by Geoff Domoracki and Jonathan Pasky.

Why should you attend?

⦁ With thousands of attendees, DeveloperWeek San Francisco gives you the chance to network not only with peers but also with decision-makers of the development industry.
⦁ You can take part in around 30 workshops and learn from dozens of talks on a variety of topics, including the internet of things, machine learning and DevOps.
⦁ If you are part of a company, the Hiring Expo gives you the opportunity to pick top talent, and, if you are a designer, data scientist, engineer or developer looking for work, you’ll have the chance to show yourself off.
⦁ With attendees from over 90 countries, you will get to meet industry actors from all across the globe.
⦁ You can also gain access to dozens of partner events happening in the same week, like ProductWorld 2021 and CloudWorld 2021.

What should you expect this year?

The 2021 conference will take place on February 17-19, with the hackathon starting a couple of days earlier on February 15. Here’s everything you need to know:

Topics and speakers

This year’s event has 15 tracks including API & Microservices, AI & Machine Learning, JavaScript, Containers & Kubernetes, DevOps, IoT & Hardware, and New Development Technologies. Keynote speakers include Twilio CEO and Co-founder, Jeff Lawson; Microsoft Principal Cloud Advocate, Emily Freeman; and Director of IBM’s Digital Technology Lab & API Economy, Soumitra Limaye. Moreover, sponsors include Microsoft Azure, IBM and Elastic.

Passes and registration

When it comes to registration, there are three types of passes available:
⦁ The OPEN pass is aimed at developers and engineers. It costs $100 and grants access to the OPEN talks, keynotes and featured speakers, the virtual expo and the 1:1 networking sessions.
⦁ The PRO pass costs $595 at full price and, in addition to the OPEN pass features, it includes access to the workshops, PRO sessions and six extra conferences on the different tracks.
⦁ The PREMIUM pass costs $995 at full price and, in addition to what’s included with the PRO pass, it will give you access to the ProductWorld 2021 and CloudWorld 2021 conferences, private and VIP networking events and the VIP party, and includes two lunches delivered to your doorstep.

Substantial discounts are available for students, government employees and groups of more than 3 people. You can register for passes here. Keep in mind that access to the Hackathon is free of charge, but requires separate registration through here.

Events

⦁ Hackathon

This year’s DeveloperWeek San Francisco’s hackathon will be launched on February 8, workshops will take place on February 15 and submissions will be due on the 17. Sponsors will judge the project on submission day and winners will be announced on February 18. The online hackathon will be hosted on Devpost and its sponsors are Anvil, Contrast Security and TypingDNA. There are three challenges in place with prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 in worth. You can learn more about the event here.

⦁ Hiring Expo

Hundreds of people have been taking part in the Hiring Expo for the last 9 years. The expo provides a space for designers, data scientists, engineers and developers to connect with companies that are currently hiring. This year, it will take place via private chat rooms. You can learn more about it here.

⦁ Workshops

There will be 18 workshops on the DeveloperWeek stages and another 12 if you also attend ProductWorld and CloudWorld. The workshops last 50 minutes each and cover a wide variety of topics on the different conference tracks. Some of the highlights include NodeJS, ML, K8s and Unethical Face Recognition by Joel Lord, Performance as a Culture – Not Another Survival Kit by William Mendes, and Safe to Fail Agile Culture by Sylvia Lobo. You can find the full workshop schedule here.

⦁ Talks

The conference includes dozens of talks covering a wide variety of topics. There will be 15 keynote talks and three featured speakers, which you can check out in detail here. There will also be another 40+ OPEN talks by industry experts which you can check out here. Some of the topics you can expect are IT and performance management, security and continuous integration.

⦁ Networking

There are a variety of networking events during the conference. There will be topic-focused networking breaks around breakfast and lunchtime on February 18 and 19. Here, attendees will be paired randomly for 3-5-minute intervals to discuss a specific topic. Moreover, there will be a VIP Networking Lounge for PREMIUM and PRO pass holders, as well as event speakers and sponsors. Finally, there will also be a VIP Networking After Party.

⦁ 2021 DEVIES Awards Ceremony

The Devies Awards are granted in over 30 DevTech categories including API Infrastructure, Robotics, Development Platforms and Mobile Development. Nomination closed on January 19 and, though the winners will be announced prior to that, the ceremony will take place on February 18. Past winners include GitLab, Angular and Varick.
You can take a look at the full DeveloperWeek schedule here.

Final thoughts

DeveloperWeek San Francisco is always an event to watch for. It is jam-packed with exciting talks and useful workshops, not to mention quite a few networking and hiring opportunities. We know this year’s online edition will be no exception and hope you are looking forward to it as much as we are.

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San Francisco is filled with conferences and events for every type of developer and tech company. But, when it comes to startups, meetups might be the best way to go. Instead of getting lost in the crowd, meetups give you the chance to network and learn in a controlled environment, usually for free or at a low cost. There are different types of meetups depending on what you are looking for or what you need to get your startup going. In this article, we’ll recommend various San Francisco startup meetups you should definitely take a look at.

106 Miles

106 Miles is “a network of startup founders, engineers, and friends” with the mission to “educate and empower entrepreneurial engineers.” 106 Miles started holding meetups in San Francisco in 2005 and hasn’t stopped since, rounding about 9,000 members to date. They also hold events in Palo Alto and Redwood City in various bars, and occasionally through Zoom. Their San Francisco startup meetups take place during the evening on the fourth Wednesday of every month and are mainly focused on socializing and networking. The events are free, except for whatever you’d like to eat or drink, of course. You can take a look at their upcoming events here.

Lean Culture

The Lean Culture meetups stem from the Lean Startup Circle, a community devoted to sharing peer-to-peer startup know-how. The Lean Startup Circle emerged in 2009 in San Francisco and has developed dozens of chapters all across the globe since then. There are four chapters in San Francisco alone, each with a different approach. Lean Culture focuses on fostering lean culture and has a diverse schedule that includes workshops, talks and networking events, both free and paid. Past talk and workshop topics include innovation, machine learning, and how to expand your startup. Their networking events, called “Will Work for Equity”, are usually structured: attendees are divided into small groups and hold roundtable discussions. You can check out their upcoming events here.

Bootstrappers Breakfast for San Francisco Startups meetups

Bootstrappers Breakfast meetings are aimed at entrepreneurs in the early stages of creating their startups. Their meetups take on a different approach by creating a space for small groups of entrepreneurs to compare notes, find partners, exchange ideas, and learn from each other’s mistakes. Only founders working on their startups are allowed to attend. Bootstrappers Breakfast has chapters all across the US and their San Francisco one holds an event bright and early one Friday each month. The meetups are free and usually at a cafe, but have been organized online for most of 2020. You can take a look at their upcoming events here.

Startup Grind

Startup Grind dubs itself the “largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting entrepreneurs globally in partnership with Google for Startups.” They connect over 2 million entrepreneurs in 600 cities all across the globe. Their San Francisco chapter has over 4,000 members and usually holds an event every month with different industry speakers (from founders and innovators to educators and investors). It has a mix of free and paid events, with paid events tickets reasonably priced. Past speakers have included Kickstarter founder Yancey Strickler, Adobe’s CPO and Executive Vice-President Scott Belsky, and NFX’s CEO and Trulia founder Pete Flint. You can check out their events here.

Tech in Motion

Tech in Motion is known for its variety of tech events. Their goal is “to create a community where technology enthusiasts can learn from other professionals, have questions answered in real-time, discover new tech, and hear stories that inspire.” Their San Francisco startup meetups include a wide range of tech talks on industry-related topics as well as networking events, and even trivia nights. Tech in Motion meetup events are free; you can take a look at them here.

Final thoughts on San Francisco startup meetups

As you can see, there is a wide variety of San Francisco startup meetups you can attend depending on your needs. Whether you are looking for a place to relax and connect with fellow entrepreneurs, want to keep up with the latest industry developments or are in need of some support and guidance from your peers, you are sure to find the right meetup for you. We hope this article has given you an idea of where to look.

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About the Timmy Awards

The Timmy Awards were created in 2015 by Tech in Motion. They celebrate the best tech companies, both regionally and nationally, based on their excellence in different categories such as tech startups, managers and workplace diversity, among others.

About HomeLight San Francisco

Finding the right real estate agent can be a daunting task, as there are many factors to take into consideration, from experience and location to credentials and transaction history. HomeLight San Franicsco was born with this in mind and it “…aims to provide a solution by becoming a sort of Match.com for homebuyers and real estate agents. Using its proprietary algorithms, the platform creates personalized recommendations for both buyers and sellers by analyzing transactional data and licensing records of more than two million real estate agents” (Source: TechCrunch).

The solution entails a web-based real estate search engine, which focuses on matching potential buyers or sellers with the right agent for them. To do this, the buyer or seller can add different filters to aid their search. HomeLight also offers an app for agents, so they can manage listings, referrals, offers and escrow properties, among other services, much more efficiently on the go. 

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company boasts a human capital of over 200 employees and $164.5 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. It has gone through 7 rounds of funding since 2012, with a total of 23 investors and 8 years of activity.

Let’s take a look at some of the company’s key features and figures:

• Data and objective-driven

40M transactions and 1.2M agents analyzed

• Unparalleled network

118,000 agents and 150+ cash buyers

• Operating at scale

Over 746,000+ happy clients and counting

Even though it’s based in San Francisco, the company has worked in a variety of markets from the very beginning, including LA, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Boston.

The people behind HomeLight San Francisco

Growing a real estate business in today’s climate can be challenging, which is why the company runs a weekly podcast called The Walkthrough in which members of the team conduct interviews that provide vital information. In their words: “On The Walkthrough, you’ll learn what’s working right now to grow your real estate business. Every episode delivers critical information to help agents like you take your business from good to great to amazing.”

Caroline Feeney, Managing Editor at HomeLight, oversees the Seller Resource Center and writes relevant articles for their blog. She often features in the podcast where she conducts interviews, answers questions, and discusses topics of interest.

Not only does HomeLight run a podcast and blog, they also occasionally livestream talks and interviews. Recently, Sumant Sridharan, the COO of HomeLight, appeared on a Facebook livestream to discuss “what agents need to know to advise their clients heading into 2021.”

Other members of the team include CEO Drew Uher, who was named one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders by Inman News. With an MBA from Stanford University, Uher worked as an Investment Analyst and as an Associate at Morgan Stanley and he co-founded Gameyola (a distribution and monetization platform for Flash games). Currently, he is also an Angel Investor and Venture Partner in 1984 Ventures.

VP of Engineering Mike Abner (previously Senior Engineer at Giftly, an electronic gift card startup) has worked as a Software Developer since 2001. After climbing through the ranks in different companies he became HomeLight’s VP thanks to his drive and experience.

VP of Growth John Van Slyke who previously worked at Amazon has vast experience in the marketing sector. This gave him the tools to lead the team responsible for customer acquisition and retention.

HomeLight digital platform

HomeLight San Francisco was born to provide a solution. The digitalization of businesses is essential in today’s tech-driven world, especially given the recent global pandemic which has brought on even more hurdles for the real estate business. Therefore, by using both web and mobile app platforms as the main link between agents and buyers/sellers, the company has stayed relevant and has managed to adapt to all its clients’ needs.

The HomeLight digital platform includes many services such as loans, closing services, cash offers, market trends, listing management, trade-ins, a down payment calculator, and a commissions calculator.

Final Thoughts on Homelight San Francisco

This real estate startup in San Francisco winner has definitely shown it has a lot to offer. You can take a look at some of the other Timmy Awards winners here.

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Takeaways from Disrupt 2020 Live – San Francisco

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to limit our face-to-face interactions, tech conferences turn increasingly to remote sessions to avoid losing momentum. In fact, TechCrunch is no stranger to remote sessions and has already hosted several over the past few months. Moreover, it has fully embraced the advantages of hosting an online conference and created a global event that expands well beyond San Francisco into Europe and Asia. In this article, we’ll share our highlights from the Disrupt 2020 Live edition, but first, let’s offer some context.

What is TechCrunch Disrupt?

TechCrunch—an online publisher that focuses on the tech industry—held the first Disrupt conference in Beijing back in 2011 and has since expanded its borders with events in tech hubs like San Francisco and Berlin. Traditionally, the San Francisco event gathers over 10,000 attendees and includes more than 400 media outlets. On top of its impressive attendance, the event also has a big economic impact, with its Startup Alley exhibitors having raised over $37 million in funding shortly after the 2018 event. In addition to talks, workshops, and Q&As, Disrupt 2020 includes a hackathon and a networking app called CrunchMatch that helps you connect with other attendees and make the most of the experience.

Another big part of the event is Startup Battlefield, an exciting competition that features startups. The startups go through an 8-week mini accelerator before pitching their projects before judges at the conference. Dropbox and Trello are just a couple of the big names that started on the Battlefield stage and this year’s winner, Canix, raised $1.5 million.

As it could not be held on-site in San Francisco (or anywhere else, for that matter), this year’s edition became a virtual worldwide event. The sessions took place online on September 14-18 with stages in the US, the EU and Asia. Passes ranged from $75 for the Disrupt Digital Pass to $545 for the Disrupt Digital Pass Pro for investors, with several categories in between. Talk topics included cybersecurity, SaaS and CleanTech, among others. Some of this year’s sponsors were Verizon, Adobe and Toyota, while speakers included Andy Fang, Co-founder and CEO of DoorDash; Christine Tsai, CEO and Founding Partner of 500 Startups; and Drew Houston, Co-founder and CEO of Dropbox.

Highlights

Disrupt 2020 included many talks and panels on a diversity of topics. We’ve curated a selection of highlights we think you should definitely have a look at.

Building a Low Code Unicorn

San Francisco-based company Airtable hit unicorn status in 2018 by reaching a $1 billion value in 2018. Since then, the company has just kept growing. Co-founder and CEO, Howie Lue, discussed how the company aims at democratizing software creation and their journey from the spreadsheet business to an application platform that creates software builders.

Lue discussed how Airtable raised $185 million in Series D funding and announced the launch of new low-code and automation features. Regarding funding, he remarked this was the first time the company had turned to remote funding and added that they chose to work mostly with existing investors.

What’s next for Atlassian?

As expected, a popular topic among speakers at the Disrupt 2020 conference was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Atlassian’s co-founder and co-CEO, Mike Cannon-Brookes, discussed how they are facing the current challenges internally with agility and resilience.

When it comes to their work mode, the company made the decision early not to force their employees to go back to the office. Cannon-Brookes mentioned that, as a highly-distributed company with 5000 employees across the globe, a lot of meetings were being held remotely even before the pandemic, so their staff was already generally used to working online. Because of this, their transition to remote work was easier than for other companies (the company has offices in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Manila, Sydney and many other cities).

As for how they plan to make it work in the long run, Atlassian is focusing on human elements such as connectivity and social bonds. They are currently working on finding the correct blend of company culture to help both its employees and customers navigate these difficult times. As a last comment on this topic, Cannon-Brookes stated that he believes that, in the future, work will most likely consist of a hybrid of remote and on-site work.

Cannon-Brookes also discussed the company’s $50M investment in its ecosystem to further their mission in a broader space. He stated that Atlassian doesn’t have all the answers and can’t do everything internally, so feeding its ecosystem is a way to help other products that will help grow theirs.

You can check out the full talk here.

Hitting Send

Stan Chudnovsky, FB Messenger’s Head of Product, discussed FB Messenger’s new feature, Watch Together, which lets users watch content together while on video chat. Several streaming services have launched various co-viewing experiences over the past few months as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Facebook’s had actually been announced a couple of years ago.

Chudnovsky was asked how user trends have changed for the app over the last few months and he explained that usage of video calls and messages has increased considerably given the current situation. He also mentioned that remote communication has taken us one step further than “in real life” communication, as we can now get feedback on our communication experiences that help improve it.

Lastly, Chudnovsky discussed the possible benefits of remote work. He highlighted how people can set up their workspace in a more convenient way and use their commute time more productively. Once the pandemic passes, he expects a hybrid work mode will be set in place (just like Atlassian’s Mike Cannon-Brookes). That said, this is the work mode he believes will be more challenging to implement.

Building a Company from a Bold Idea

Cloudflare co-founder Michelle Zatlyn discussed how she built a business from the bold idea of making the internet safer, faster and more reliable. Cloudflare was founded in San Francisco 11 years ago. Back then, the company started working with data centers in just 5 cities and has now expanded to 200. It serves over 25 million internet properties and stops more than 72 billion cyberattacks every day.

Zatlyn talked about how, in hindsight, a lot of people have mentioned that they should have built their data centers on a cloud infrastructure provider like AWS. However, she stresses that offering this service is the point of the company; their job is to build the infrastructure so that any company can access cybersecurity global performance reliability services. Not to mention, when Cloudflare started out, cloud infrastructure providers were quite a new concept and using them was not necessarily an option.

Final thoughts

Although we look forward to the next edition to be held physically in San Francisco, Disrupt 2020 Live has given us a chance to experience a more comprehensive view of the global tech landscape. We hope our highlights have given you some insight into the tech world in 2020. You can find videos from this year’s edition here and learn about user retention and monetization from the MGS San Francisco Summit 2020 here.

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