Getting fired sucks...

Unless it means you get a massive severance package plus unvested stock. In that case, you might just try and get the boot. [The Hustle]( Mon, Feb 13 Why Yahoo employees are trying to get fired When Yahoo’s executive team negotiated its $4.8B acquisition by Verizon, they “[tucked in a little something for themselves]( as Business Insider puts it. It’s a provision called a “double trigger,” and it means that they receive a handsome payout (in both cash and stock)... but only if they get fired. More details on double triggers Most companies offer executives a “single trigger” provision, which awards them a payout when the company gets acquired. A double trigger, on the other hand, adds a whole separate element: fire me after the acquisition, and you owe me severance plus unvested stock. What’s the point? To discourage the acquiring company from “stiffing acquired employees out of upcoming stock payments by quickly dismissing them,” while also discouraging employees from leaving the company the second it decides to sell itself. Okay, so back to Yahoo… This double trigger provision is common for founders and top-level executives, but in Yahoo’s case, it covers every employee at the company. That means that Jenny from accounting and Doug from sales -- and not just CEO Marissa Mayer -- all have an incentive to get the boot. And, while double triggers don’t cover employees who are fired for cause (aka. cussing everybody out isn’t going to work), they do cover layoffs and “sneaky tactics” companies use to force workers to quit (like relocating them 35+ miles away). Are people really trying to get fired? Or are you exaggerating? Not exaggerating. According to someone close to the company, multiple Yahoo executives are “consulting with lawyers about what kinds of things would get them fired.” And, considering some of the payouts (Yahoo’s CFO, for instance, would get [$1.2m in cash]( plus millions in stock, while [Mayer would get $44m]( plus the fact that working at Yahoo for the past few years must have been exhausting -- it’s hard to blame them. [“How ‘bout a triple trigger?”]( Later, FICO Float is the latest in a string of startup lenders (including Affirm, Avant, Earnest, and SoFi) to [ditch old-school credit scores, like FICO]( in favor of new methods for evaluating loan applicants. Float, in particular, is [designed for lending small amounts]( of cash from $50-$1k. Repayment is then due in full the following month, including a 5% transfer fee. Wait, why not just use a credit card? With minimum monthly payments and no transfer fees, using a credit card to manage expenses seems like a reasonable solution. However, according to the Federal Reserve, millennials aren’t sold -- one-third of them have never applied for a credit card, and prefer cash and debit cards compared with older consumers. And, while this means that the percentage of Americans under 35 who have credit debt is at its lowest in decades, it also makes it harder to do things that require traditional credit (like buying a washing machine or taking out a home mortgage). Which is where Float comes in Instead of FICO, Float looks at 2 years of the applicant’s transaction history. Its algorithm then pulls in the data and identifies various indicators of good and poor borrowers -- for example users who come through Instagram are better borrowers than through Facebook. (Companies like [SoFi]( also take your monthly expenses and savings into consideration to determine cash flow) These systems cost less than traditional credit reports and may even be more effective, but as it stands, Float’s delinquency rates in beta were high. Provided they can perfect this system, Float still has to win over users -- And they’re making a big bet that speed and convenience will be enough to encourage millennials to start borrowing money. [Where’s my money, man?]( Wireless charging: coming to an iPhone near you? According to a new report released this morning, Apple has [officially joined the Wireless Power Consortium]( an industry group that develops a wireless charging standard called Qi. How’s Qi work? When using a Qi charger, you simply drop your device on a compatible charging pad, and it begins drawing power “wirelessly” (even though the pad needs to be connected to the wall). This charging standard is found on numerous devices (Samsung, Lenovo, Nokia, and Canon are all members of the WPC), and this report suggests that [the rumors]( about the iPhone 8 coming with wireless charging are legitimate. That’s the news. But while we’re on the topic of wireless charging… Remember that company [uBeam]( that was making a device to wirelessly charge electronics from several meters away? Back in May, it was accused of “being unable to fulfill promises made about its technology,” and critics labeled the company “[the next Theranos]( However, earlier this month, uBeam [finally showed off its wireless charging technology]( and at least according to those in attendance, it worked great. Bottom line: super cool stuff going on in this space. Which is great because my go-to charging cord has been M.I.A. for 3 weeks now… and my backup cord doesn’t reach me in bed. [Rumors: confirmed]( A look inside the ‘book At a meeting with the board of the Association of National Advertisers, representatives from Facebook announced that it will let people peek behind the blue curtain to [evaluate their ad measurement]( practices. They’ll now be submitting audits performed by third-parties to the Media Rating Council to make sure everything adds up. Which is great news, because they’ve been having a little trouble getting their numbers right. Let’s review: Last fall, Facebook uncovered a slew of errors in their advertising metrics, including its “referral” numbers (site traffic generated from an ad), which were reportedly overstated by 6% on average by including traffic from some people who never actually visited the sites. It had also been inadvertently [exaggerating how long people watched]( its Instant Articles by about 7-8% for over 2 years, after using an incorrect formula to calculate the average and not factoring in video views under 3 seconds. The accumulating “[measurement discrepancies]( have led to increased pressure from ad-buyers for the company to show their work. “Pass your papers to the person on your right” Until now, Facebook has basically been grading its own homework when it comes to ad performance, and without third-party review, the responsibility has fallen on them to report accurately and transparently. Unfortunately, they dropped the ball. And, while the company says the calculation errors shouldn’t affect billing for advertisers, businesses base entire marketing strategies and multi-million dollar budgets around Facebook ad performance, so it’s worthwhile to make sure nothing slips through the cracks. [“Is this answer close enough?”]( monday morning review You did it again... Last week we asked you about your favorite documentaries and you gave us some absolute gems. For those of you who missed it, here are 10 must-watch documentaries (nn no particular order) for your next movie night based on your suggestions. So grab the popcorn, party people, and get ready to laugh, cry, and impress your next date with your knowledge of the Enron trial. - [Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room]( - [Exit Through the Gift Shop]( - [Jiro Dreams of Sushi]( - [Waiting for Superman]( - [Searching for Sugar Man]( - [Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief]( - [Mile, Mile and a Half]( - [The Imposter]( - [Dear Zachary]( - [Cowspiracy]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by So you’ve got a million dollar product… Or at least you think it’s worth a million. Maybe $2m over a 3-year period? Not factoring in overhead of course… Ok so you’ve got a $978k idea. But with the right pricing structure, it could be worth a lot more. Honestly you’re more of an idea person. And, if you want to nail that investor meeting next month, you’re gonna have to put your monetization plan where your mouth is. Time to bring in the big guns [Toptal Finance]( gives you access to the top 3% of freelance financial experts… the kind typically only available to Fortune 500s. Their talent includes MBAs from MIT and Wharton, with deep experience at the world’s top investment banks and consultancies (think Goldman Sachs status). [Toptal’s]( expansive network of financial experts can help you build 5-year financial models, prep for an upcoming fundraising round, map out your budget, or price your products to make sure your competitors are struggling to keep up. Working with a [team of financial experts]( can help drive revenue, save on overhead, or streamline processes -- in other words, make more money. Who doesn’t want to make more money? Give [Toptal Finance]( a try and start cashing in. 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