How an $18-an-hour Amazon warehouse job cured one former tech exec's burnout
Happy Friday! It's been a wild week in tech, made even more wild by Elon Musk's Twitter deal closing last night.
Before we get into it, I wanted to say thanks for reading with me this week! Your regular host, Jordan Parker Erb, returns on Monday.
We've got a ton of news this morning, including an account from a longtime tech exec who took a job at an Amazon fulfillment center to help cure his burnout. He says the role's rigid structure and intense physical demands helped pull him out of his depressive episodes.
Let's get started.
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Philip Su
1. How an $18-an-hour Amazon warehouse job cured one tech exec's burnout. Philip Su worked in tech for 23 years, including stints in executive roles at Facebook and Microsoft. But he was feeling "paralyzed" by depression and burnout, he says. He decided to quit his CEO job and, eventually, take on a seasonal role at an Amazon fulfillment center.
- Su spent seven weeks working in a Seattle-area warehouse making $18.55 an hour. He worked during peak shopping season, the period between Black Friday and Christmas.
- He describes a strict environment that didn't allow even team leads to sit down during their shift. Su estimates he lifted six tons of packages and a doctor told him he had developed carpal tunnel syndrome.
- But he says the role's grueling pace helped lift him out of his depression.
Read more about his experience at Amazon.
In other news:
Neal Mohan, Susan Wojciki, Scott Silver, Mary Ellen Coe, Lyor Cohen, Tyler Le/Insider
2. YouTube's most powerful execs. Even as YouTube dukes it out with TikTok for Gen Z's attention, the video platform remains the most popular video site among teens. These days, it's working to extend its reach in gaming, podcasting, and TV, and it has a stacked roster of executives to help make that happen. Meet the 15 power players leading YouTube.
3. Elon Musk is firing top Twitter execs already. According to sources, Musk ousted CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal on Thursday, the very same evening he acquired Twitter. Musk marked the moment with a short tweet, of course. Other executives are expected to leave as well, and between them, they stand to make a total of $88 million.
4. Who stays and who goes in Amazon cuts. Amazon is "looking for areas where we can save money," CFO Brian Olsavsky said during a conference call Thursday. For employees, that most likely means job cuts. Which divisions are probably safe and which are likely to get the ax.
5. Young tech workers are in for a rude awakening. At Silicon Valley's top companies, the days of endless employee perks — from free laundry to company swag — are coming to an end. Tech firms once used those perks to lure top talent, but these days, it's all about cutting back. Why "winter is coming" in the tech world.
6. How Elon Musk's "autocratic leadership" will change Twitter. Employees should expect a major vibe shift once Musk takes over Twitter, experts say. That's because the laid-back, flexible culture honed by former CEO Jack Dorsey may not mesh well with Musk's hands-on style and penchant for 20-hour workdays. Here's what may change under Musk.
7. Mark Zuckerberg's metaverse bet is about control. Zuckerberg defended the billions he's spent on the metaverse during a conference call with investors this week, doubling down on his big bet despite Wall Street's concerns. That's because inside the metaverse, the Meta CEO has complete control over the imitation world he created, analysts say. More on that here.
8. Big tech salaries revealed. We combed through job offers made by IBM and Oracle to find out what they pay for roles like software developers, data scientists, and analysts. The findings provide a glimpse into what these companies are paying and how it varies by location. Here's a look inside Oracle salaries and what IBM is paying employees.
Odds and ends:
NASA/Goddard/SwRI
9. Can you spot the moon in this photo? A new photo from NASA's Lucy spacecraft was able to capture a rare sight: the moon and Earth in the same image. It shows the vast distance between the two, a distance so great that the moon is tricky to spot. See if you can find it (without needing a hint).
10. A major change is coming to the iPhone. Apple confirmed that USB-C charging is coming to the iPhone in order to comply with a new European Union law. It's a change that the company doesn't seem too happy about, but it could simplify things for users. This guide explains what it means for you.
The latest people moves in tech:
- Apple's top designer — and Jony Ive's successor — has left the company
- Samsung officially named Jay Y. Lee as executive chairman. The Samsung heir was sentenced to prison twice for embezzlement and bribery but has since been pardoned.
Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here.
Curated by Avery Hartmans in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email ahartmans@insider.com or tweet @averyhartmans.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.
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