Jeff Bezos’ move sparks questions about wealth taxes

Seattle startups facing fewer down rounds than Bay Area, NYC counterparts ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Explore our immersive expo: [Meet and learn from hundreds of AWS Partners all in one place.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES What should we make of Jeff Bezos' decision to [move from Seattle to Miami]( It's tempting to see the Amazon founder's departure as a blow to the Seattle region. But like many of us, he was a transplant, and different from Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and the late Paul Allen in that way, in his reasons for being here and ultimately in his long-term commitment to the place. That said, Bezos did as much as anyone to change this city and region, indirectly and directly, for better and worse, over three decades. At least symbolically,[it's the end of an era.]( Regardless of his professed reasons for leaving, there are important questions to be asked about what this says about [the state’s wealth taxes]( and what it will mean to have one of the region’s longtime business leaders and biggest philanthropists living in another state. - Related: [Washington state senator behind wealth tax proposal responds to Bezos’ departure]( That's our first topic on a new episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Also this week: - Convoy reaches its [final destination](. - A [new AI feature from Seattle startup Yoodli]( helps founders hone their pitches. - Amazon [tests Bluetooth earplugs for warehouse workers](. [Listen here]( or subscribe to GeekWire in [Apple Podcasts]( [Google Podcasts]( [Spotify]( or wherever you listen. Pictured above, Amazon recreated Jeff Bezos' early workspace at a recent event. Seattle startups weather the tech downturn better than Bay Area and New York peers: A new report shows that Seattle startups had fewer down rounds (funding rounds at lower valuations) than those in the Bay Area and New York City through the first nine months of 2023. - Investors say Seattle founders are more focused on revenue and profitability than chasing big funding rounds, which helps them avoid inflated valuations and risky spending. - Seattle also has a strong talent pool in areas such as cloud infrastructure and business process automation, which are more resilient to market fluctuations. - Still, there’s no shortage of challenges. Some startups have resorted to [layoffs]( to cut costs. Nationwide, more than 540 U.S. startups have folded this year, up from 467 in 2022. [Read more.]( Hot Links: - WeWork’s likely bankruptcy filing is the latest sign of upheaval for the tech office market in Seattle and elsewhere around the country. ([Wall Street Journal]( - “The drones feel more like a toy than anything — a toy that wastes a huge amount of paper and cardboard.” — an Amazon customer quoted in a first-hand look at the company’s drone initiatives by journalist David Streitfeld. ([New York Times]( - Product review: The new Echo Show 8 is “the first Amazon smart display that’s a fully fledged smart home hub,” with features including the ability to adjust the text size based on the user’s distance from the screen. ([The Verge]( - Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer saved the day by preserving an employee perk that was about to be killed: free Game Pass ultimate subscriptions. ([Yahoo News]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Putting AI-driven insights, productivity tools,and security in the hands of businesses]( We’re all experiencing a real-time revolution with the rise of generative AI. The opportunity is huge—but it requires a new approach to cloud computing. Organizations are already leveraging Google Cloud’s AI capabilities to unlock data, lower costs, embrace hybrid work, and protect against threats. Learn how they’re succeeding at [Transform with Google Cloud](. LATEST HEADLINES [Washington state senator behind wealth tax proposal responds to Bezos’ departure]( [GeekWire Podcast: Bezos’ big move, Convoy’s last stop, AI meets VC, and more news of the week]( [Jeff Bezos’ move out of Washington state sparks questions about wealth taxes]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [City of Portland Water Bureau: Technology Manager]( - [GeekWork: Senior Backend Engineer]( - [City of Redlands: Network Engineer]( - [Seattle Sounders FC: Director of Lifecycle Marketing]( - [City of Redlands: IT Systems Supervisor]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2023 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](