This is the section of That Was The Week where I comment on the week’s content and often state opinions. Opinions are, of course, just that. And it is fair for readers to disagree. So, fair warning 🙂 – this week is going to be full of opinions.

My focus is the growing attacks on TikTok. These attacks come from many places. Elected officials, regulators of course. But increasingly from its competitors.

Her full title reads

Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

She is no more. And much of what she stood for is also in decline

A lot to digest this week. China’s global economic leadership in sustainable tech, @garrytan has a new role heading Y Combinator, @OM exposes Apple’s AI weakness, @VitalikButerin has a new book, @Cloudflare defends the freedom to publish, @ttunguz thinks about web3 apps and @SamirKaji tweets about what makes a good VC.

Silicon Valley is struggling to adjust to the post-2021 correction. Some signals are way up, like Snowflakes revenues and stock price. Others are down, like funding rounds. Venture is always a few steps behind on both the downside and the up. But today is sunny, and so is the near future.

$350m for @AdamWeWork. The world has not gone mad. Read why Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) did it. Plus @ReidHoffman on AI, Josh Nicholson on Science and AI, @BrianSolis on Web3 marketing @Alexoppenheimer on valuing companies, and much more. TOTW @matt_gray_

This week @bhorowitz and David Weiden of @KhoslaVentures talk about culture as a catalyst for a healthy company. @SamirKaji talks about the importance of emerging seed investors, and @HunterWalk discusses the importance of angels with operating experience to a CEO. @Om Malik and @BGurley talk about survival techniques during downturns. How is a Unicorn Born? That is the common theme.

This week I contrast the views of Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie and Vox’s Peter Kafka. And I couldn’t resist a few suggestions to Hamish. The Future of the Newsletter is the future of the network, whatever the outcome, so this is important.

Deep in the heart of summer and @Om links to the 200 best dance songs of all time. I’m passing it on as a gift. And DeepMind figured out the structure of 200m human proteins. Now that really is a gift. Data and Science are crucial to humanity’s future. Deep Minds think alike is this week’s theme.

In a week where the public markets rebounded, private market talked was all about downside. Content from @ttunguz @jasonlk @geneteare and @crunchbase is startup of the week.

A @bgurley tweet pointed to an essay written by Isaac Saul (@Ike_Saul), founder of Tangle. His essay challenges the idea that misinformation is a problem. He argues that nothing we humans think we know is actually true. Rather it is our provisional understanding. Of course, he is right. Truth is overrated