Executive Briefing

How ‘canceled’ was Away this Christmas?

Also: The SoftBank slump, Sweetgreen’s year ahead, and weekend reading for ‘Parasite’ fans.

Hello! Situational awareness, as they say: Casper’s IPO filing is now online as of Friday afternoon. I’ll be back on Monday with my analysis.

Also on Monday: Away’s new CEO, former Lululemon executive Stuart Haselden, is supposed to start, per last month’s emergency announcement.

Haselden, if you recall, is joining the direct to consumer luggage company after a bit of a PR crisis. A month ago, The Verge published leaked embarrassing company Slack screenshots, claiming Away had a “toxic work environment,” which reportedly accelerated Haselden’s path to the CEO job at Away.

One of the questions I had was whether the story — which dominated social media and holiday party conversations for a couple of weeks, at least in New York’s media and startup circles, including many Away early adopters — would be enough to affect consumer purchasing decisions.

Was Away “canceled,” based on a few bad Slack performances?

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Dan Frommer

Hi, I’m Dan Frommer and this is The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.

I’m a longtime tech and business journalist, and I’m excited to focus my attention on how technology continues to profoundly change how things are created, experienced, bought, and sold. The New Consumer is supported entirely by your membership — join now to receive my reporting, analysis, and commentary directly in your inbox, via my twice-weekly, member-exclusive newsletter. Thanks in advance.

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