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This is Your Life in Silicon Valley — Society & Culture
This is Your Life in Silicon Valley

Do you love HBO’s Silicon Valley? Do you like reading about the latest technology trends? Then you’ll love this show. Think of us as the real world/explain-it-how-it-is podcast for anyone with a Silicon Valley fetish. The Bay Area, San Francisco, and California in general are undergoing massive political and social change. We tackle issues like homelessness, the housing crisis, dating in the age of technology, startups, and other things you care about. How will it affect your life? It doesn’t matter whether you live in New York, Texas, Arkansas, Bulgaria or Latvia – you will find something applicable to your day-to-day life from this show.

And love it, or hate it the Silicon Valley/The Bay Area/California are the center of the technology universe right now. Insiders, and Valley apologists liken the Silicon Valley to Rome during the Renaissance. Others are more skeptical of the people in the Valley and their intentions. We examine life in the Valley by interviewing some of its most prominent insiders – both apologists and skeptics. We discuss the cultural quirks of living here, what to legitimately fear, what to feel excited about, and what is just plain weird.

(Image credit: Irina Blok, Producer: Max Savage (noisysavage.com).

Latest Episodes:

Is Silicon Valley Going to be a Template for the Rest of the World? (Guest: Rishi Kumar, US Congressional Candidate) Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Rishi Kumar is a successful technology executive turned politician. Kumar has been in the local political scene for a long time now and is running for Congress. We ask Kumar about what he wants to bring from Silicon Valley to DC. Is Silicon Valley ultimately the template the rest of the country will emulate?

We ask Kumar about Saratoga, CA where he has been a city council member. We talk about the pressures high school students face in the area, and the STEM focused curriculum of the Bay Area. We spend time talking about the evolution of the Bay, and how things have changed since the 1980s.

Kumar talks about the national political scene, and what he's seeing and interpreting as a California Democrat. He describes his vision for the future and the parts of Silicon Valley he wants to emulate and get DC to buy into.

Ultimately, listeners are left with a really important question - is Silicon Valley the template we want to take to the rest of the world - why or why not? It's an important question, with far reaching implications. Kumar provides thoughtful responses. If you're into politics ,you don't want to miss today's episode of TIYLISV.

Is 'Indian Matchmaking' Like Actual Indian Culture? (Guest, Srinivas Rao, 'Contestant' on 'Indian Matchmaking'/Author/Speaker/Podcaster) Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

'Indian Matchmaking' has captured the attention of America. It's one of the top-ten most popular shows on Netflix in the month of July. How did 'Indian Matchmaking' turn into such a cultural phenomenon? We talked to Srinivas Rao - one of the shows 'contestants' about the show and what it tell us about Indian culture.

Srinivas recounts his days in the Bay Area at Cal Berkeley, and reminisces about his connections with one of our show's co-hosts. We talk about the oft-discussed and true stereotype that many Indians in America are either directly connected, or only one degree away from each other. Srinivas talks about what he does for a living, and how he possibly undersold it during the making of the show.

We talk to Srinivas about why he decided to take part in the show and how it all came about. We discuss social media bullying and how it's played a factor after the shows release. And the fate of the contestants' love lives.

Srinivas talks about the shows after-effects on his own life, his business, and whether the show perpetuates untrue stereotypes about the Indian community. The conversation takes some fantastic twists and turns. You don't want to miss the 50th episode of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley'!

Is the Fate of all Social Media Negativity and Despair? (Guest: Charles Hudson, Managing Partner - Precursor Ventures) Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

Charles Hudson is a Silicon Valley-based investor. He is part of a small percentage of Black Managing Partners of Venture funds here in the Bay Area. In this incredibly insightful interview, we talk to Charles about investing in Underrepresented Founders, Media, and his take on the fate of social media.

We talk to Charles about his career in the Valley, which he has seen through multiple boom and bust cycles (from his time at Excite @ Home, to Google, to his early days as a venture investor). Charles provides his take on the events surrounding BLM and national recognition of racial inequality, and whether society can continue the momentum around some of the progress that's been made in the past several weeks.

Charles provides his take on the media vs. tech issues that are coming to a head, and what they mean for both the tech industry and the media industry. His take is extremely objective, and anyone who cares about this issue should listen to his narrative.

We talk to Charles about Clubhouse and what it means for social media. And whether social media platforms can ultimately grow if they build moderation tools early. Is the fate of social media bifurcated - where if you moderate too early you can't grow? And if you grow too much, it naturally turns into a cesspool? We talk about this topic extensively.

If you're looking for a sober, level-headed explanation on hot topics, you don't want to miss this episode. One of the best we've ever recorded.

How Do You Fix Tech's Diversity Problem? (Guest: Kobie Fuller, General Partner - Upfront Ventures) Jul 09, 2020

Show notes

Kobie Fuller is a General Partner at Upfront Ventures in Los Angeles. He also started Valence Community - a Los Angeles-based online professional network for Black talent. Kobie might have the *actual* answers as to how to fix tech's long standing diversity problem.

Kobie talks about his journey into Venture Capital and his perspectives and feelings on San Francisco. We get into a good discussion about LA vs. San Francisco as a tech hub, and whether Los Angeles is long-term viable as a tech community (and the differences between LA and San Francisco startups).

We talk to Kobie about his perspective - as one of the few black GPs in venture capital - on how to fix tech's long standing diversity problem. Beyond just talking about it, Kobie built Valence Community, which is creating a pipeline of Black talent and founders for tech companies to hire and fund.

You don't want to miss today's episode of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley - everyone in business who cares at all about increasing diversity at their companies will want to listen.

Can We Restore Faith in Our Institutions? (Guest: Dave Pell, Founder of NextDraft) Jun 25, 2020

Show notes

Dave Pell is the Founder of NextDraft - one of the most popular newsletters on the Internet. He also has an opinion or two on tech, politics, and the current state of our country. We deep-dive with Dave on numerous subjects, including BLM, the state of media, and what we can be optimistic about at the moment.

We recorded this interview shortly after the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests. Dave talks about the protests that took place in Marin County (where he lives) and what his take was on how effective they were. We ask Dave about Marin in general, and the perception that it is not a 'safe place' for minorities.

Dave provides his take on the destruction of media and our lack of faith in it as an institution. And how Trump played a role, but was one part of the destruction of media. We ask Dave about NextDraft - his popular newsletter - and some of the hate mail he's received over the years.

We learn a bit about Dave's ancestors and their perception of Trump. We have an extensive conversation with Dave about the future and the election, and how things could potentially play out. This is a 'heavy', but pithy episode of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley, which we hope you enjoy. Dave is one of the smartest and strongest voices on the Internet.

What Does Tech Think of the Media? (Guest: Semil Shah, Founder/GP Haystack) Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

Semil Shah is the Founder of Haystack - an early-stage venture fund. He's also one of Silicon Valley's most interesting personalities - he's been a chef, a media maven, and just about everything in-between. In a wide-ranging interview, we ask Semil about the future of media and the future of tech.

We talk about quarantine life with Semil, and what he enjoys cooking most while sheltered in place (and what it's like to be sheltered in place with a full house). We talk about the gradual opening up of the economy and taking more risks like meetings with friends - and the overall sustainability of remaining in closed quarters constantly.

Semil is a Twitter celebrity of sorts, so we talk about the role of Twitter in breaking news about the pandemic. Particularly the role of Balaji Srinivasan (@balajis) in sharing early news about the pandemic with people on Twitter. And whether he deserves an award for doing so.

Semil provides candid feedback to people in the media world about what the industry will need to do to survive. Semil has written for Techcrunch, run a show for them, and written for various other outlets so he has a unique take on the subject. You don't want to miss today's episode of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley.

How will we remember our loved ones? (Guest, Amelia Lin, Co-Founder/CEO Saga) Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

Amelia Lin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Saga. She's a career technologist and is solving a very timely problem during the age of COVID - how - during a time we can't interact with our loved ones - can we share and preserve their memories?

We talk to Amelia about her journey through the tech world, including her experience in online education (which has obviously seen an enormous boom in the past few months). We ask whether it's really possible for people to receive the same quality of education online, and whether online learning is really the great equalizer. We talk about credentialing and whether the social skills you get from colleges really matter right now.

Amelia talks about her current project, Saga, which exploded overnight. Saga helps our older relatives document their history in a user friendly way, and essentially recreate it in podcast form.

We talk about the products' potential applications. Is there a possible future where AI can recreate how our loved ones interact? What if 50 years from now you could chat with your grandmother or grandfather as if you were having a conversation with them live today? Amelia talks about this and more during this very cool edition of TIYLISV.

Will You Find Love During Shelter in Place? (Guest, Dawoon Kang, Co-CEO - Coffee Meets Bagel) Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Dawoon Kang is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Coffee Meets Bagel. She knows a thing or two about building a successful business, and finding love during the age of COVID. So how have relationships changed as a result of the pandemic? We dig into this and much more during this Zoom-edition of the podcast.

We learn more about the origins of Coffee Meets Bagel, which is one of the most successful dating apps on the planet. We learn how hard it is to start a business with family, but some of the rewards that come alongside it.

We ask Dawoon the magic question - how will dating change during Coronavirus? Will human relationships fundamentally change forever, and if so how? Dawoon provides insightful answers to how she's seeing dating change, and whether if you're looking it's actually a good time.

We talk about video dating, Zoom fatigue and whether it's even possible to build meaningful connections during this time. And what things may be like when we re-open. Enjoy today's episode of the show.

What's it Like to Go Viral? (Guest: Jenn Takahashi, Best of Next Door) May 27, 2020

Show notes

Jenn Takahashi is a San Francisco-based PR and Comms professional. She also started a viral social media account entitled 'Best of Next Door'. We talk to Jenn about how she started Best of Next Door, the future of online dating, and much much more.

Jenn starts off the interview talking a bit about dating during the pandemic. We ask what the future may hold for interpersonal relationships post COVID, and what it's like going on a 'Zoom' date. Jenn provides some pretty good insight and ideas for those looking to continue to remain on the dating pool during shelter-in-place.

We ask Jenn about Best of Next Door, which she is now very famous for. Best of Next Door started as a social media account with a small following, but grew immensely popular. What were the origin stories of Best of Next Door and how does Nextdoor vary by neighborhood (we dig into SOMA specifically).

We ask Jenn about the Seattle cannon, how she sources posts for Best of Next Door, and much much more. If you're looking for a pandemic project and want to start something that goes viral, you definitely do not want to miss this episode of TIYLISV. Enjoy our first Zoom podcast episode!

What is the True Cost of Living in San Francisco? (Guest: Gina Fromer, Children's Council of San Francisco) May 15, 2020

Show notes

Gina Fromer is the CEO of the Children's Council of San Francisco. She is also a 6th generation San Franciscan. She has seen a lot of change over the years to the city and its surrounding environment. What keeps her 'addicted' to San Francisco, and what is the *true* cost of living here these days? We talk about that and more in today's episode of TISLISV.

Gina talks about her childhood in San Francisco and some of the adversity she and her family faced growing up in the city. She talks about her first encounter with the Children's Council of SF. Childcare is expensive and essentially unaffordable for most people in San Francisco. We talk about what Gina and the Children's Council are doing to get women back to work.

Gina talks about the interconnectedness of the city and the importance of community. And how it is important for the tech community to remain engaged in community in order to ultimately make the city a better place. And to keep people in San Francisco.

The city will lose out if we can't figure out how to get middle class families the help they need to afford to live in the Bay Area. Gina makes this point in an incredibly eloquent and poignant way. You don't want to miss today's episode of TISLISV.

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