🔍 What Caused Friday's IT Chaos?

Hey everybody.

A huge global IT outage caused chaos on Friday, sending over 8.5 million computers into a boot loop. Additionally, the cloud security startup Wiz backed out of a $23 billion deal with Google.

Before we get into today’s edition, I want to hear from you.

GLOBAL OUTAGE

On Friday, a faulty update from CrowdStrike’s Falcon system caused chaos for 8.5 million Windows computers, leading to widespread boot loops.

Delta Airlines was severely impacted, canceling over 4,000 flights since Friday, including 800 on Monday. Delta reported that more than half of its IT systems were Windows-based and required manual repair, far outpacing any other airline's disruptions.

Patrick Wardle's technical thread on Twitter pinpointed the issue early, revealing that the problem stemmed from .sys files in channel updates causing the top-level CS driver to crash due to invalid formatting.

One surprising element was that these updates bypassed client staging controls, affecting all users indiscriminately.

It’s also reported that even with policies set to ignore the latest versions, the update still deployed because it was classified as a "content" update rather than a version update.

I highly recommend you read the full thread below if you’re interested (warning: it’s pretty technical).

Quick Links

🎨 CSS Stuff I’m Excited For 
From June 11–13, the CSS Working Group had a jam-packed meeting, discussing an extensive list of new features and enhancements. Here’s a quick look at some of the coolest and most impactful changes on the horizon for CSS.

😴 How to Optimize Next.js App Performance With Lazy Loading
People hate slow apps, especially when it comes to initial load times. This article looks into lazy loading techniques in Next.js for optimizing client component loading. Plus, it explores some edge cases you should consider.

☀️ How not to use box shadows
Think you know box shadows? If you're searching for a guide to nail them, this isn't it. Instead, brace yourself for a showcase of the worst possible box shadow usages, all in a single div.

😱 Panic! at the Job Market 
With the end of "free money" as interest rates skyrocketed from near-zero to over 5%, how has compensation changed across companies of various sizes?

Tech Acquisitions

Wiz walks away from $23 billion deal with Google
Wiz has backed out of a $23 billion acquisition deal with Google, which would have been Google's largest-ever purchase. Instead, the cloud security company plans to pursue an IPO.

"Saying no to such humbling offers is tough," wrote Wiz co-founder Assaf Rappaport in a memo to employees. Concerns over antitrust issues and investor feedback were cited as reasons for the decision.

Wiz will now focus on hitting its next milestones: an IPO and achieving $1 billion in annual recurring revenue. The company, which already serves 40% of Fortune 100 companies, currently makes $350 million in annual recurring revenue.

This decision positions Wiz to continue growing independently while avoiding potential regulatory hurdles faced by Big Tech acquisitions.

If You Can’t Find a Job, Why Not Create One!

Thousands of developers are out of work, frantically applying to countless jobs, and stacking their resumes in piles of hundreds, hoping to be the one who gets noticed.

Many developers are exhausted, giving up, or accepting lower salaries.

But here's the question: why aren't alternatives being considered? Why not entertain a long-term strategy?

When laid off, the race to find a new employer becomes our sole focus, even if it takes longer than expected.

So, why not consider creating your own job?

In my latest video, we'll explore numerous examples of people who have successfully created their own jobs, why now is the best time EVER to take this leap, and share some tips on how to get started.

Until next week,

Travis.