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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 who you are on Twitter = who you are IRL? (Guest: Austen Allred, Founder/CEO of Lambda School) May 11, 2020

Show notes

Austen Allred is the Founder/CEO of Lambda School - a company pioneering the ISA model (Income Share Agreement) wherein students only pay for their education after they successfully land employment. Austen is also a prolific Tweeter and thought leader in Silicon Valley. We discuss the future of Lambda, the future of journalism and more in this wide ranging interview.

Austen is spending quarantine in Southern Utah - we talk to him a bit about his perspective on how long things will last, and how life is in Utah, away from Silicon Valley. We talk to Austen about differences between peoples' online personalities and offline personalities. Notably, Austen does throw in a controversial tweet here and there - we ask him about his thought process before tweeting and what his expected responses generally are.

Austen share his perspective on the future of education, shares his thoughts on why some consider the model of Lambda to be controversial, and the potential unbundling of education.

We talk to Austen about the growing rift between technology and technology journalism and whether there is a 'path' to resolve conflict amongst both sides. We ask Austen about journalists he respects and follows on a regular basis.

All in all this is an incredibly lively interview with lots of fun tidbits about education, tech, VC and everything in-between. Enjoy the latest episode and apologies for audio issues - we recorded this remotely with two people joining via phone.

Why is There Tension Between Tech and Journalism? (Guest: David Pierce, Protocol) Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

David Pierce is the Editor-at-Large of Protocol - a new publication covering technology in a similar way Politico covers politics (with the same owner). We recorded this episode in January pre-COVID-19 - and asked David at the time - why was there increasing tension between technologists and journalists?

David was clearly highly concerned about COVID-19 a couple of months ago - we dig in on why at the time he was concerned, which is a unique snapshot in time as to what we were all thinking just a few weeks ago.

David talks about tension between founders and journalists. And how both sides can continue to do better. In an authentic moment, David recounts some of his own mistakes in covering companies and individuals and what he might have done differently.

We talk about Protocol - the new publication David is working on and what it's like working on a publication during what many perceive to be a time where media is dying. David talks about the investment in great people and great content as a competitive advantage.

David talks about life in the Bay, including his horrendous commute. We cover a wide range of topics in this very interesting, and constantly engaging interview with David Pierce - enjoy!

What's the Best Way to Manage Anxiety? (Guest: Tony Hale, Emmy Award Winning Actor in Veep, Arrested Development) Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

Tony Hale is a world-famous actor known for his roles in Arrested Development (Buster Bluth) and Veep (Gary Walsh). You would think someone who has won numerous awards and performs in front of people for a living would feel comfortable in crowds. You might be wrong. We talk to Tony about his struggles with anxiety, and a bunch of other subjects in this can't miss edition of TIYLISV.

Tony talks about his temporary move to San Francisco for a play with the American Conservatory Theater and what it was like to adjust to life up here. We learn about what Tony did for outings, how he passed the time, and most important - his motivation behind doing the play to begin with (which might surprise you).

We talk about Arrested Development and how it was one of the first shows everyone 'binge watched'.

Tony talks about growing up in Florida and how that affected his view of the world. Tony currently resides in LA, so we talked about his Instagram and social media usage, and what people usually do when they recognize him on the street. Overall - if you're looking to limit social media use, you should take a page out of Tony's book.

We ask Tony about fame, anxiety, technology and what apps he'd recommend to people. You'll love this episode if you're into pop culture.

Will Coronavirus (COVID-19) delay the AirBnB IPO? (Guest, Cory Weinberg, Reporter, The Information) Mar 06, 2020

Show notes

Cory Weinberg is a reporter for The Information, covering the intersection of tech and cities. We wanted to bring Cory on the show to talk about San Franicsco housing policy, Coronavirus, and of course AirBnb. You won't want to miss this one if you're thinking about the housing crisis, or the looming AirBnb IPO.

We learn a bit about Cory's background and why he emigrated to San Francisco. Cory talks a bit about his status as possibly one of the foremost experts in the Bay Area on the housing crisis. We ask Cory whether he's going to use the reporting platform he has to write a book an AirBnB (not to dissimilar to what Eliot Brown did with WeWork, or Mike Isaac with Uber). Cory plays it cool.

We ask about the affect of Coronavirus on Airbnb business and whether it's decimating enough to actually postpone their projected IPO. Cory explains some technical dynamics which may explain why they have to IPO soon despite having a (presumably) bad quarter post COVID-19.

We ask Cory about his favorite social follows and who some of his favorite local reporters are. This is an awesome episode you won't want to miss.

What is Life Like After Being a Professional Athlete? (Guest: Justin Forsett, Former NFL Pro Bowler) Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Justin Forsett is a former NFL Running Back who hailed from a small town in Florida. Justin's NFL career hit its pinnacle when he made the Pro Bowl. Prior to the NFL, Justin shared the backfield at Cal with Marshawn 'Beast Mode' Lynch. But what is life like after hitting the absolute pinnacle of professional sports? Justin talks about his second act as an entrepreneur.

Justin talks about his days at Cal, and what it was like moving from Florida to Berkeley and the culture shock that ensued. Justin talked about his experience as a student athlete at Cal, which commands both high performance in academia, and high performance on the field. Justin came from abject poverty, and he talks about life in FL, where he was homeless for parts of his childhood.

We talk to Justin about his second act post NFL as an entrepreneur and the Founder of Hustle and Clean - a direct to consumer brand. Justin talks about his motivation behind starting the company while he was still in the NFL.

We hear Justin's take on life in the NFL and what it's like to travel with a team full of athletes who have to keep a curfew. We ask Justin his honest take on whether Jimmy G can help the 49ers win a Super Bowl, and who the toughest guys in the NFL are.

You don't want to miss this special episode of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley. If your'e an entrepreneur, a sports fan, or just a fan of hearing stories about people 'making it' after huge amounts of adversity, this one is for you.

Is Tech Helping or Hurting American Communities? (Guest: Prakash Janakiraman, Co-Founder, Nextdoor) Feb 10, 2020

Show notes

Prakash Janakiraman is the Co-Founder and CTO of Nextdoor - the 'other' social network that we all use, but rarely discuss publicly. Nextdoor has quietly amassed a huge userbase across multiple countries and is growing in influence. But are people using Nextdoor for more than just crime alerts? We explore this and more on today's episode of TIYLISV.

We talk to Prakash about his time growing up in Hayward, CA and his HS mascot. Prakash talks about his time at Berkeley during Jason Kidd's tenure in Cal Sports, and the influence tech had on his life from a young age. He talks about living at home in college and joining Cal as a 16 year old.

Prakash talks about his early career, and the first dot com boom. Prakash talks about the original idea that pivoted into Nextdoor - focused on sports. And how it morphed into ND based on the power of a NYT column from Charles Blow.

We learn what people use Nextdoor for, and whether people use it for just crime alerts or more. It turns out the number one use case is not what you'd expect. We talk about competition in the space, and how FB and Amazon may be thinking about communities.

We discuss Bay Area sports and whether Andrew Wiggins would make a great Warrior. Or whether Kyle Shanahan should have just run the ball in the 4th quarter. You'll enjoy this fun episode of the pod.

Are Journalists Anti-Tech? (Guest: Kate Clark, Reporter, The Information) Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

Kate Clark is a technology reporter for The Information - a well-reputed publication read by tech industry insiders. In our first solo episode in a while - Sunil sits down with Kate to ask her about the state of journalism and tech. Are reporters inherently biased against tech companies?

We talk to Kate about her transition from Techcrunch to The Information, and she dives deep into her first story - about Lambda School. Kate explains what Lambda is, and explains the concept of ISAs (Income Share Agreements).

Kate talks about her beat - Venture Capital - and what about VC makes it worth covering. We ask Kate whether she thinks things have veered too far in an 'anti tech' direction, to which she provides a thoughtful response.

Kate talks about Philz Coffee vs. Starbucks, what the future holds for her, and does a great job in her 2nd appearance on the show. If you're interested in tech companies and venture capital, this episode is for you.

What's the Most Important Job in the World? (Guest: Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram) Jan 14, 2020

Show notes

Adam Mosseri is the CEO of Instagram - which is arguably the most important social network on the planet at the moment. Adam also ran Facebook's News Feed product. In short, Adam has been influential in your life without you even knowing it - the decisions he's made have influenced how you've viewed your social media feeds over the past decade.

We talk to Adam about how he wound up in San Francisco from New York - and what role a bad relationship my have planed. We ask him about his outlook on San Francisco overall - and whether government can fix the problems that ail the city at the moment. Adam voted for Mayor Breed over other choices and talks about that for a bit.

We asked Adam about big product decisions he may have coming up over the next year, and he talks about the potential for election interference perhaps even over Instagram. This is a must-listen interview that covers a great deal of ground.

We even asked Adam what his favorite startups are, and Lambda School made an appearance.

Special Episode - Silicon Valley Decade In Review (Guests: Antonio Garcia Martinez, Molly Wood) Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

How will the 2010s be remembered in Silicon Valley? So much happened - between the rise of Instagram, Facebook's dominance, Teslas everywhere, tech going from beloved to reviled... And the 2020s should bring even more fun. We have the return of two previous podcast guests - Molly Wood and Antonio Garcia Martinez - to discuss some of the decade's biggest milestones.

We discuss whether the 2010s will be the decade that will be remembered for killing off love through dating apps. AGM and Molly talk about their own experiences both with dating apps and covering the whole concept of 'swipe dating' as journalists.

We discuss some of YouTube's most popular videos - including the streams of cabs from Russia. And Rebecca Black's Friday. We talk about the whole concept of celebrity in general in the 2010s and the short and long term effects on media.

We make some predictions on what the largest companies in the world will be 10 years from now, and speculate on Facebook's position over that period. We talk about cultural artifacts of San Francisco and some popular trends.

It was a short amount of time, but we did our best to cover as much ground as we could.

What the Hell Happened at WeWork? (Guest: Eliot Brown, Wall Street Journal) Dec 23, 2019

Show notes

When you look back on the decade in tech, one of the biggest stories will be the rise and fall of WeWork. And while the company is still around, it has shed around $40B in valuation in the past few months. At the forefront of the story is the mercurial Founder of WeWork - Adam Neumann. And a Wall Street Journal Reporter named Eliot Brown - who broke some of the now-infamous stories about the company. Today, we hosted Eliot as a guest on This is Your Life in Silicon Valley.

We talked to Eliot about numerous topics, including why WeWork was valued like a high flying tech company even though the core of its product was basic real estate. We ask Eliot to explain WeWork's basic business model, and what Adam did in order to sell the vision of the company to employees and investors. Eliot recalls his first meeting with Adam and what it was like to be at WeWork HQ in 2013.

Eliot goes on to talk about corporate governance (or lack thereof) at the company, explaining the amount of power Adam had over the board. We get into escalation of committment, and how it played a major part in how the story unfolded. We dig into the myths and realities around whether Adam really wants to live forever, whether he really had Run DMC in the office after a layoff, and some of the other nuances of the story.

Eliot talks about his perspective on Silicon Valley valuations, whether he wants to stick around here, and how he approaches reporting in the Bay Area. You do not want to miss this special holiday edition of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley.

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