Musk's yes-men: 5 experts break down why it's difficult to 'speak truth to power.'
Top of the morning, tech readers! I'm Jordan Parker Erb, worn out from a long weekend of holiday fun.
Like yesterday, we're continuing with some of the year's best stories from our VC and startups team. In addition to the day's top stories, we'll be talking about the best early-stage investors of 2022, as well as dozens of the most promising tech startups of the year.
We've got lots to look back on today, so let's get into it.
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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue
1. Elon Musk is surrounded by yes-men, and experts say it's a recipe for disaster. "It's the classic scenario where the emperor has no clothes but everybody's too afraid to tell him," a management professor said. Why it's difficult to "speak truth to power."
2. If you buy an EV by March, you'll have a better chance of saving the full $7,500 on your taxes. That's because the Treasury Department recently delayed the implementation of a rule that could make many cars ineligible for the full credit. Here's what you want to know.
3. Meet social-media's new generation of leaders. After another record year for the creator economy, the industry is brimming with new talent. From power players at Meta, Discord, and LinkedIn, to founders and cofounders of innovative new companies, check out Insider's list of rising stars.
4. Founders shared how they survived this year's bursting VC funding bubble. After an era of record venture capital funding and new unicorns minted by the dozen each week, this year brought a harsh reality to startups. Insider spoke with six founders about how they've handled the abrupt switch from market exuberance to economic caution. Here's what they said.
5. Tired of seeing the same photo of Caroline Ellison? We asked a robot to make some new ones for the holidays. Images of the former Alameda Research CEO — who pleaded guilty to charges that carry up to 110 years in prison — are hard to find. So here's a robot's vision of the fallen crypto queen.
The top VC and startups stories of 2022:
Union Square Ventures; 645 Ventures; Race Capital; Mindset Ventures; Marianne Ayala/Insider
6. Former Amazon leaders have infiltrated the tech industry. Leadership coaches say that's not always a good thing. With over 650 startups founded by former Amazon employees and swaths of alumni joining C-suites, Amazon-trained leaders — known as "Jeff Bots" — are bringing founder Jeff Bezos' metrics-focused style to businesses across the globe. Inside the rise of the "Jeff Bots."
7. We outlined the best early-stage investors of 2022. Thanks to data analysis from Tribe Capital, we were able to identify the seed-stage investors who have the skills it takes to succeed year after year. Meet the Seed 100.
8. After dominating the VC industry last year, crossover funds spent 2022 pulling back. Firms like Tiger Global and Coatue, which whipped the venture-capital industry into a dealmaking frenzy in 2021, slammed on the brakes this year. Traditional VCs argue that these funds misunderstood the true nature of venture investment — and now they're "licking their wounds."
9. It's time for Apple to talk to Android. For years, customers have been complaining about iPhone/Android texting problems — but when asked to fix iPhone's issues texting Android, Tim Cook brushed it off with a flippant comment. Here's how Apple could fix texting.
10. These are 460 of the most promising startups of 2022. We asked VCs to share their top picks for startups in edtech, fintech, crypto, cloud, proptech and more. They came back with an exciting list of dozens of startups that are destined for success. See their top picks here.
Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com) Edited by Hallam Bullock in London.