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Most Driving Jobs Will Go Away. What Happens Next? Aug 24, 2017

Show notes

More than five million people in the U.S. make a living driving taxis, buses, vans, trucks Uber's and Lyft's. Some drive for money part-time, while others do so full-time. But some self-driving car companies are predicting their technology will be on the open roads, en masse, as early as 2020. That means that millions of people could be out of work in less than three years. In this episode, Caroline and Chip speak with more than a dozen drivers about how they are thinking about their career prospects as we headed toward a driverless future. Padmasree Warrior, the CEO of self-driving car startup NIO, also joins them to bring the perspective of an executive who's helping bring this technology to market.

Artificial Intelligence Will Change Our Careers. Could it Create More Jobs Than it Will Destroy? Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

Tech titans Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg sparred recently about how artificial intelligence and automation will impact the future of work. Musk says the robots are coming for everything — not just our jobs — and Zuckerberg says that type of thinking is "pretty irresponsible." How can two leaders arguably more at the forefront of this technology see its real world implications so differently? In this episode, Caroline and Chip get out of the theoretical and into the practical on what the next tech revolution will really mean for work across industries. Box CEO and Co-Founder Aaron Levie joins them to share why he thinks tech will always create more jobs than they will destroy. Meanwhile, Chip talks with workers and employers across the country to see how exactly automation is impact the workplace today.

America's Opioid Crisis Is Destroying Local Economies Jul 13, 2017

Show notes

As America's opioid epidemic ravages cities large and small, a new problem is emerging: while jobs exist, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find applicants willing or able to pass the drug tests needed to get them, employers and public officials say. In this episode, Caroline and Chip explore the economic side of America's devastating addiction to prescription painkillers, heroin and synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and how it's playing out in workplaces. Sam Quinones, the author of "Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic," explains the link between jobs and addiction. Then, Jeff DeFlavio, the co-founder of treatment provider Groups, talks to us about ways he thinks employers can be less impacted by the drug crisis across America.

The Immigration Debate Is About To Get Worse Jun 21, 2017

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Over half of American startups valued at $1 billion or more have at least one immigrant founder. When it comes to the Fortune 500, 40% were founded by either immigrants or the children of immigrants. The tech community argues that certain immigration policies proposed by President Donald Trump could hurt their ability to compete by closing down their access to international talent. Yet Americans workers across the country remain fearful that with so many people coming from outside the U.S. to work, there won't be enough jobs for them as a result. In this episode, Chip and Caroline sit down Cloudera co-founder and CTO Amr Awadallah to unpack the giant chasm between how the middle of the country views immigrants and the coasts and the tech community do. Awadallah, an immigrant from Egypt, discusses his own rise in Silicon Valley, the tech talent crunch and how this whole discussion is about to get a lot more heated as automation continues to take over more jobs.

What Does Walmart See in Retail that the Rest of the Industry is Missing? Jun 08, 2017

Show notes

As the retail industry loses more jobs than during the depths of the Great Recession, Walmart is investing $2.7 billion in higher wages, education and training for employees. Doomsdayers are predicting the end of retail work as we know it. Does the world's largest private employer see something that the rest of the industry is missing? In this episode, Chip and Caroline head down to Northwest Arkansas to speak with both Walmart executives and employees about what's really going on in the retail industry. Judith McKenna, Walmart's COO, explains why the nation's largest employer is focused on training soft skills as the retail landscape becomes more technologically advanced. Paco Underhill, a retail analyst with more than 30 years of experience, also brings his perspective to the seemingly surprise move by Walmart.

Is Universal Basic Income Anti-American? May 25, 2017

Show notes

With some 57% of jobs around the world at risk of being displaced by automation, some members of the tech community and beyond think giving people money, for free, no strings attached, might be the only way to keep the economy moving forward. But what do the workers who are at risk of losing their jobs actually think? In this episode, Chip and Caroline connect universal basic income experts with workers across the country to discuss a future where fewer and fewer of us have jobs. Michael Faye, the co-founder of GiveDirectly, discusses his non-profit's experiments with universal basic income in Africa and Elizabeth Rhodes, the head of universal basic income research for Y Combinator, reveals some details from pilots the startup accelerator is conducting in Oakland, Calif. Caroline and Chip ask Michael and Elizabeth to respond to the strong opinions against universal basic income that they are hearing from workers across industries.

Hosts: Caroline Fairchild and Chip Cutter.

Producers: Dave Pond and Florencia Iriondo

How Silicon Valley Can Really Get Out Of Its Own Bubble May 11, 2017

Show notes

Last year, venture capitalists invested nearly $70 billion dollars in startups across the country, but close to 80% of that capital went to founders in just three states: California, New York and Massachusetts. In this episode, AOL Co-Founder and Revolution CEO Steve Case joins to talk about how VCs can support entrepreneurs across the country. The man behind "Rise of the Rest," a nationwide effort to work closely with entrepreneurs in emerging startup ecosystems, Case has been working on this issue for quite sometime. So why do the numbers refuse to budge? Caroline and Chip ask Steve to dissect the issues by connecting him to founders who are trying to start companies in the middle of the country.

Are Robots Really Coming For Your Job? Apr 26, 2017

Show notes

Silicon Valley investors pummeled some $188 million last year in voice enabled bot technology. This growing trend threatens to replace some of the most common jobs in America, including cashiers and administrative assistants. In this episode, General Catalyst Managing Partner Phil Libin joins to talk about the issues behind the investments. The founder and former CEO of Evernote, Libin has already invested in several chat bot startups and thinks the technology will revolutionize the way we work moving forward. But what does that mean for today's frontline workers? Caroline and Chip ask Phil to weigh in by connecting him to several cashiers and personal assistants working today across America.

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