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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:

Who Should Run Facebook? (Guest: Kara Swisher, Journalist, Co-Founder of Recode, New York Times Contributor) Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

Kara Swisher needs no introduction. She is one of the top business journalists, and covers technology for various outlets. More recently, Swisher became a contributor for the New York Times Opinion section - and she has a lot to say about Facebook.

In this episode, we learn a lot about Swisher's background, where she grew up, and what her thoughts are on San Francisco. Swisher provides us with her perspective on Facebook's problems, and whether one individual can even solve them at this point. We have an extensive discussion with Kara about ethics and technology.

We talk about the next wave of big innovation, and/or the lack thereof. We talk to Kara about whether she likes Scooters or not. And who her favorite social media follows are. We discuss Chrissy Teigen and why she's a great follow.

You don't want to miss this episode - Kara is a living legend, is candid, and opens up to us about a wide variety of subects.

Do you Really Need to be 'Passionate' to Start a Company? (Guest, Christina Stembel, Founder of Farmgirl Flowers) Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

Christina Stembel is from a small town in Indiana. She's now the CEO and Founder of Farmgirl Flowers - a popular flower company that gained notoriety as part of the 'Instagram generation' of brands. But Christina's story isn't very typical of Silicon Valley - she completely debunks typical Founder mythology.

We talk to Christina about the start to her career, which was in the hospitality industry. If you've ever stayed at a hotel, or plan on doing it in the future, you'll want to know the inner-workings from Christina. We talk about staying at hotels versus staying at Airbnbs, and what the nicest places to stay in San Francisco are.

Christina talks about why she originally moved to San Francisco (for love), but what made her stay. She spends some time debunking Founder mythology in Silicon Valley - that you need to be passionate in order to start a company.

Christina shares some shocking facts about flowers that you weren't aware of. This is a great episode.

Which Company is Causing the Most Harm to San Francisco? (Guest, Dennis Herrera, City Attorney - San Francisco) Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

Dennis Herrera is the elected City Attorney of San Francisco. He's also a straight shooter. In this can't-miss episode, we talk to Dennis about which company is the most harmful to San Francisco (we get a surprisingly candid answer). We also ask him about the growing divide between tech and government.

Herrera spends some time talking about the perceptions tech may have about government and vice versa, and how to fix them. He talks about what CEO is a force for good within the city and spends time recounting his journey from the East Coast to San Francisco.

Herrera talks about his mayoral bid in one of the most famous San Francisco elections of all time. We spend time talking to Dennis about public transportation in San Francisco - and what issues are specific to the city, and which issues are more overarching.

Did Steve Jobs Really Get Turned Away at Flour + Water (Guest: David White, CEO of Ne Timeas Restaurant Group - owners of Flour + Water)? Nov 26, 2018

Show notes

David White is a San Francisco legend. He is the CEO of Ne Timeas Restaurant Group, which owns Flour + Water, Central Kitchen and Trick Dog. He also has a knack for telling it how it is. In the latest episode of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley', we sat down with David to ask him about the restaurant industry in San Francisco, social media, and... did Steve Jobs really get turned away at Flour + Water?

David talks about his long, roundabout journey to San Francisco involving boats and international adventure. He fills us in on some of the latest difficulties running a San Francisco restaurant - most notably the labor shortage and its potentially crippling effect on owning an operating a restaurant in San Francisco.

We hear David his thoughts on tech cafeterias, and why he wishes more local workers would stop to enjoy the local eating scene. David fills us in on some of his political perspectives, being a longtime resident of San Francisco, and of course the infamour Steve Jobs Flour + Water incident. Did Jobs really get turned away? You'll have to listen to know the answer, but it was certainly great press for the restaurant.

How Hard is It to be an Immigrant in the Silicon Valley (Guests: DJ Patil, Suhas Patil)? Sep 17, 2018

Show notes

Suhas Patil is a Silicon Valley legend, and an immigrant. He is a multiple-time successful Founder, and created the largest networking organization in the Valley - The Indus Entrepreneurs. Like father, like son - DJ - Suhas' son, is one of the most influential figures in technology today. We learn a bit more about Suhas' legacy, and how he paved the way for the success for generations to come.

We learn in this interview how hard it was for Suhas to make it as an immigrant. The perceptions that came with being an immigrant in the late 60s, and the nuances of his journey. It was not easy.

DJ in turn gained an appreciation of what it took to replicate the success of his father. DJ went on to become the first ever Chief Data Scientist of the United States. But the path wasn't a straight line for DJ - what did his father teach him along the way, and what was it like to witness the creation of TiE?

This podcast was originally piloted with NPR - we are releasing today on This is Your Life in Silicon Valley. It's a must-listen for anyone who is interested in immigration, technology, entrepreneurship, and the slow/arduous journey to success. We even get the opportunity to ask DJ some fun questions in the end.

San Francisco: Where You Can Be Gainfully Employed With Tattoos (Guest: Veronica Belmont, Host of the IRL Podcast) Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

Veronica Belmont is an Internet superstar and San Francisco resident. She also just got a tattoo. We talk to Veronica about everything San Francisco - from scooters to philanthropy to who our benevolent dictator should be.

Veronica is a true Internet native. She was podcasting before it was a thing, and she was one of the first social media superstars. We talk to Veronica about virtual connections vs. 'real' connections and if it's even possible to draw a distinction anymore. What's it like to make friends online, and meet someone in real life after years? Are those relationships any less authentic?

We talk about a wide variety of civic issues, including the amount of money big tech has. And everyone's favorite discussion - the 'scooter' problem, and what we should do with them. Veronica spends some time talking about the mayoral race (this was recorded just prior to the mayoral election), and gives her vote as to who would could fix San Francisco.

We hear about Veronica's new tattoo, and her favorite social media follows. Enjoy this lighthearted episode of 'This is Your Life'!

Tech Billionaires are Just Like Regular People.... Right? (Guest: Molly Wood, Host of 'Marketplace') Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

Molly Wood is one of the top journalists in the Bay Area. We talk to Molly about her journey here from Montana, who it's absolutely impossible to cover, and whether tech billionaires are just like 'regular people'.

Molly has covered some of the top personalities, and the top companies in technology. She knows just about everyone in the world of tech, and has seen some pretty interesting things. Molly talks about why it's hard to cover Apple, Jeff Bezos, and why Elon Musk is the 'white whale' for most journalists. We even talk to Molly about running afoul of Apple's PR and what it's like when someone who keeps secrets from her 'switches sides'.

Molly provides her perspective on Montana, which has changed quite a bit since when she grew up. We talk about the infamous lawmaker who body slammed a reporter - and his own roots being a technology billionaire, and entrepreneur.

Molly is trying to sell her car. We also an invent a new business term with her, which we are hoping to patent at some point. You don't want to miss this episode - Molly is engaging, charismatic, and no subjects are off limits.

Your True Love May be at Another SoulCycle (Guest: Patti Stanger, The Millionaire Matchmaker) Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

Patti Stanger is internationally famous - she is Bravo's 'Millionaire Matchmaker'. In part 2 of our series on 'matchmaking' in Silicon Valley, Patti explains why it's so hard to find love in the Bay Area.

Patti didn't just turn into The Millionaire Matchmaker overnight. She talks about her background, her roots, and what caused her to end up in the cutthroat world of matchmaking. She did not always have millionaire clients, and it took work to get up to that point.

Patti talks about why the Clinton years were great, and why the first tech boom was a boon for her business. She even talks about how hackers make her feel. Patti gets into the nitty gritty of why there are so many 'fake' matchmakers in the game, and how to sort the real from the unreal.

The Silicon Valley has some work to do to fix the difficult trials and tribulations that come with dating here. Patti explains why your next match could be at another SoulCycle, and why you need to commit to driving if you want to find true love. This is a blockbuster episode that you won't want to miss.

Is San Francisco more like Paris, or New York? (Guest: Sam Lessin, Serial Entrepreneur) Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

Sam Lessin is one of the top minds in the technology world. He was VP of Product at Facebook, where he was instrumental in building the Facebook timeline. He's now working on a new company called Fin. But Sam is also a San Francisco resident, and has given a lot of thought as to whether the city can be fixed (and where it's headed). .

A common question people have inside of, and outside of San Francisco is: why don't people in technology use their talents toward civic responsibility and fixing some of the problems that ail San Francisco? Why is it not easy to fix homelessness, the housing crisis, transportation, and other issues that everyone talks about daily (given that the city's residents have virtually unlimited resources)?

Sam puts together some pretty compelling thoughts on San Francisco's infrastructure, down to when the city was chartered, to make an argument on how things can be fixed. A lot of what Sam describes in San Francisco is applicable to many cities in the country. Sam describes why half of the residents of San Francisco want it to be Paris, and the other half New York.

If you want to go out and make a difference and fix San Francisco - or wherever you live - consider listening to this episode first.

Do Not Date Anyone from San Francisco (Guest: Amy Andersen, Founder of Linx Dating) Jul 24, 2018

Show notes

Amy Andersen is the Founder of Linx dating and a legend in Silicon Valley lore. Amy was profiled in Vanity Fair Magazine in a now-famous article about 'Cougar Night' at The Rosewood Hotel. What you don't know about Amy is that she is one of the smartest entrepreneurs you will ever meet.

In this episode, we explore the beginnings of Amy's entrepreneurial career, and how she grew to become the most famous matchmaker in the area. We learn from Amy a bit about some of the 'quirks' of the San Francisco dating scene, and why you may be better off dating someone from the Peninsula.

Amy talks about the now infamous article in Vanity Fair, and how it affected her business. We gain insight into how a matchmaker actually works, what they charge, and everything in between.

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