Gene Munster, Rebecca MulbergBattery 101: What’s Next in Batteries?The bottom line: While tech followers await in anticipation of the next battery tech breakthrough, it’s likely that the rate of improvement will prove to be incremental and continuous. We will still refer to the batteries in EVs as lithium-ion…6-Minute Read Redwood Materials , TeslaGene Munster, Rebecca MulbergThe Apple Car’s Long and Winding RoadTalk related to Project Titan (Apple’s car ambitions) had been quiet for the past four months, until Bloomberg published a story detailing that the autonomous vehicle will be delayed, again. The Bloomberg reporting—which we believe to be accurate—begs the question:…7-Minute Read AppleGene Munster, Rebecca MulbergElon Musk Will Always Be Tesla’s Technoking. So, Who Will Be Its Next CEO?Testimony at Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation trial revealed that the Tesla board has identified a potential successor for the role of CEO. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because it’s good corporate governance. Avoiding the discussion of succession plans would…3-Minute Read Tesla Companies of Note Gene MunsterTikTok’s Challenges Are Bigger Than TikTokOn the surface, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew's testimony in front of the US Committee on Energy and Commerce showcased an unprecedented level of bipartisan opposition to TikTok. Below the surface lies two realities that are bigger than TikTok; First US-China tensions are increasing, and second, short-form video platforms including TikTok appear to be addictive and dangerous to the youth.Read More TikTokGene MunsterBig Tech’s AI Economic Benefit CurveThis was a big week for AI. OpenAI showed off GPT-4, a measurable step forward in terms of accuracy and creative output compared to GPT-3; Baidu announced its chatbot Ernie to mixed reviews; and Microsoft announced AI integration into the Microsoft 365 suite including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel will be available later this year. Big tech is racing to capitalize, and the economic benefit of AI will be spread across a handful of the biggest companies. Read More ThemesGene MunsterZuckerberg Is on a Mission to Save the MetaverseOn the slim chance you haven’t heard it, this is Meta’s year of efficiency. Based on recent comments, it appears Zuckerberg has made the goal personal. I believe one of the driving reasons is for him to continue the pursuit of the metaverse he needs to improve Meta’s profitably, which will give him breathing room to invest in tech to build the metaverse and keep investors happy at the same time. Historically, it pays to bet on Zuckerberg’s mission. Read More ThemesGene MunsterApple Shareholder Meeting: Two Observations and One QuestionAhead of the Apple annual shareholder meeting, I've taken an inventory of recent analyst and investor commentary. There are two things that I feel are missing. First, Apple's strength of product demand and favorable economics despite the macro. Second, Apple's wide diversity across product lines, sectors, geographies, and currencies, which affords investors the safety of a consumer staples company. I also have one question to ask management at the meeting: Will Apple Car see the light of day?Read More AppleTesla’s Master Plan 3: Details Are Vague, Leadership Is ClearTesla’s investor day ended up being mostly about illuminating the wide lead Tesla has on other car makers. The much-anticipated topic of a Master Plan 3 outline left me with more questions than answers. We do know it will include at least two new models that are, at the earliest, a couple of years away. Big picture; investor day gave me confidence Tesla remains comfortably ahead of other automakers and has a plan for how to significantly ramp deliveries. Read More TeslaGene Munster, Rebecca MulbergRedwood Materials Adds DOE Loan to Accelerate GrowthRedwood Materials announced conditional commitment for a $2 billion loan from the US Department of Energy, an important milestone for the company to accelerate and expand its US-based battery cell production. While still early, it appears JB Straubel is on track to build a generational company.Read More Redwood MaterialsGene Munster, Rebecca MulbergApple’s Results Foretell Sunnier Environment Will ReturnIt's rare that I write about Apple missing a quarter. For the twenty years I've been following the company, I now count three times results have come in below expectations. As I peeled back the layers of the results along with the company's guidance, the big picture became more clear. Even though Apple's business is being negatively impacted by the supply chain and the macro, the company is maintaining innovation excellence with its core products, optionality with potential new products (AR and auto) and most importantly a loyal, engaged and growing customer base. All signs suggest sunnier days will return for Apple. Read More AppleLoad More Go Deeper Philosophy Learn how we think. From time to time, we find it helpful to articulate our investment philosophies in writing. Read The Newsletter Our work sent directly to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter for a regular summary of our work, along with links to stuff we’re reading. Subscribe Deepwater TV Insights, interviews, and debates on topics we find relevant to growth investing. Watch