That’s capitalism, baby

• Deals of the Week: Layoffs at Cameo, where fintech valuations are today and where they are going, and Egnyte’s slow-burn path to an IPO.
• The end of VanMoof: Raising a lot of money doesn’t necessitate a startup’s success. Such is the case with VanMoof, which raised nine-figures and built and sold e-bikes. Now it is no more, and we have questions.
• CEO turnover: As the CEO of OnlyFans steps down, the gang dug into when a CEO can or should step down. Certainly some companies do best, for example, with long-term leadership by a founder. But not all.
• Generative AI and the writer’s strike: It turns out that we’re bigger South Park fans than we knew as a group, but that’s not really the point. What matters is that a recently released ‘AI-generated’ episode of the show is driving a conversation today concerning how critical — or not — humans are to the creative process. Google is also busy here.