Zulily’s downfall: How the Seattle online retailer soared, sank, and shut down

SCOTUS won’t take up Washington capital gains tax case | Microsoft vs. OpenAI? ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots, AI and automation are impacting our work and lives: [Read more.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Zulily’s downfall is a story of a brand that lost its identity and struggled to maintain a competitive moat, years after the company attracted millions of customers with an innovative e-commerce model aimed at moms. It also raises questions about Regent, the little-known Los Angeles private equity firm that acquired Zulily in May and said it planned to grow the retailer in new markets — but then put the company in liquidation last month. [Read more](. Capital gains tax stands in Washington: The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a state ruling that found the new tax to be lawful. Opponents of the tax argued that it amounted to a state income tax, and it sparked controversy within the tech industry because it targets stocks, a key part of compensation for many startup founders and their employees. [Read more.]( Microsoft vs. OpenAI? Microsoft's new $20/month AI chatbot subscription, Copilot Pro, is priced the same as OpenAI's existing ChatGPT Plus subscription, with similar capabilities — illustrating the potential for the partners to compete over the long run. [Read more](. Kent, Wash.-based PowerLight Technologies says it’s joined a team headed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture to design a power beaming system that might someday charge up robots on the moon. [Read more](. Rover acquisition clears regulatory hurdle: The $2.3 billion deal between Blackstone and the Seattle-based pet sitting giant still needs approval from its stockholders and adoption of the merger agreement. [Read more.]( Meet the six women featured in Pacific Science Center’s STEM exhibit: The orange statues are an eye-catching way to learn about the contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and math as part of a “Science for Everyone” display. [Read more.]( Hot Links: - “Quiet firing” at Amazon: Some employees fear the tactic, in which workers are pushed out in a variety of ways, is increasing at the company. ([Business Insider]( - Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told the World Economic Forum that the tech industry must simultaneously consider the unintended consequences of new technologies alongside any benefits. ([X]( - Bellevue, Wash.-based nutpods, maker of a non-dairy coffee creamer, has been acquired by MPearlRock, a strategic partnership between MidOcean Partners and PearlRock Partners. ([Business Wire]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great week. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Register for the 50th Bellevue Downtown Association Annual Celebration]( You’re invited to the Bellevue Downtown Association’s 50th Annual Celebration! Join us as we honor the people, projects, and partnerships that continue to shape our thriving Downtown community. Together with hundreds of other city builders and community leaders, we’ll celebrate the making of a great place and toast the exciting opportunities that lie ahead. Receive the early registration price until January 22. [Register today.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Copilot Pro vs. ChatGPT Plus: Microsoft’s new paid service offers alternative to OpenAI subscription]( [Washington state’s capital gains tax stands as U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of law]( [Seattle startup Parse Biosciences acquires data analysis software company Biomage]( [Blackstone’s $2.3B acquisition of Rover clears regulatory hurdle]( [Zulily’s downfall: How the high-flying online retailer soared, sank, and shut down]( [PowerLight joins Blue Origin to study power beaming system for the moon]( [Meet the 6 women innovators featured in a new STEM exhibit at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center]( [Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Jan. 7, 2024]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Full-Stack Software Engineer]( - [City of Redlands: IT Security Analyst]( - [Submittable: Director of Engineering]( - [BRINC: Senior HR Generalist]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator I or II]( - [City of Redlands: Network Engineer]( - [BRINC: Senior Computer Vision Engineer]( - [INRIX: Lead Software Engineer, Big Data]( - [INRIX: Chief Revenue Office]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2024 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](