This is Your Life in Silicon Valley

Keith Wasserman is a bona fide real estate mogul. He runs a billion dollar real estate portfolio for Gelt, and is a serial entrepreneur. We asked Keith a number of questions about the current real estate environment - and we ultimately ask whether real estate will ever be affordable again. If you are in the market for a single family home in the Bay Area, or any other city for that matter, you won't want to miss this episode. 

We dig into Keith's beginnings in Fresno, where he purchased his first unit. And how things have changed since then both in California and the broader real estate market. We ask Keith about California politics and how they've affected real estate here. And whether San Francisco real estate is a good investment.

We talk about Miami, Austin and other trendy areas of the country - and whether they are going to continue on a tear, or cool down at all in the future. Keith talks about tech and companies he's interested in following/investing in. And we ask Keith about his favorite social media follows.

Ultimately, if you care at all about the real estate market, this episode is for you. Keith's a real estate OG and knows what he's talking about - we hope you enjoy! 

Crypto is having its moment (again) in 2021. But why does it matter to the average person, what is it, and how will it affect your life? We spend time talking to Matt Taylor - the Head of Growth at Solana (one of the hottest crypto projects on the planet right now) to discuss these subjects and more. 

 LISTENER NOTE  - we apologize for audio choppiness during this episode - nevertheless there is a ton of good content in here if you can bear with us. We will record all our episodes IRL going forward.

Matt Taylor is the Head of Growth at Solana and a pioneer in the cryptocurrency space. We asked Matt what cryptocurrency is - he spent a good deal of time discussing the promise and its potential applications. But what about the differences between Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and others? Matt makes an attempt at explaining the complexity and nuances of the different ecosystems - including their different philosophies.

We discuss NFTs, DeFi and some of the terms you've always wanted to learn about. This is such an expansive topic that we're likely to invite others on to discuss at some point. But you don't want to miss this episode with Matt - one of our best and most in depth yet. 

Eilot Brown is a Wall Street Journal Reporter who covers startups and venture capital. For the past year, much of his focus has been on completing his book on WeWork. We interviewed Eliot pre-pandemic, and invited him back for our first in-person interview in over 16 months. It was epic. 

We talked to Eliot about the book and the (possible?) resurgence of WeWork because of the pandemic/hybrid work in general. We dig into more of the details as to what went wrong at the company, and Eliot provides some juicy details. 

Eliot talks about his views on the current market environment and just how things have changed in the past 16 months of covering startups. We talk extensively about crypto, the market, and just how crazy and unpredictable things have been post pandemic. 

Eliot covers a bunch of ground here with us, and this is a great 'return' for us to in person podcasting post pandemic. If you're a longtime fan of the show, or new to 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley' - this is a great place to start. 

We hope you enjoy! 

Sarah Frier is a technology journalist for Bloomberg News, and an author. Her book - 'No Filter' - released late last year highlighted the 'insider story' of Instagram. We spoke to Frier about the book, about social media in general, and covered a number of other topics for this wide-ranging interview. 

The episode was recorded late last year, around the time of the California wildfires and near the actual release date of the book. We spoke to Frier about the role of Instagram in modern social media relative to the other platforms. And how Instagram plays its own unique roll in how we communicate to others.

Frier, Jascha and I spoke at length about the potential for misinformation on Instagram due to - at the time - the upcoming presidential election. And of course we spoke at length about 'No Filter', her reporting process, and how she was able to gain so much access to Instagram.

We spoke about the power of Facebook and the way in which Facebook exerts control over Instagram. And how decisions are made at the organization. We speculate on whether Facebook is in the drivers seat for the next decade as it relates to social media and how/if things will change at all.

If you're at all into social media - particularly in light of the recent release of 'fake famous' on Netflix, you'll enjoy this interview. 

SPECIAL EDITION: We recorded several conversations with people from around the world at the start of the pandemic. They were originally released as part of a separate podcast called 'Distanced', but we are releasing those conversations as part of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley' over the next few weeks. Sumit Shah is a Doctor at Stanford, where he treats cancer patients. Sumit is atop his field and is highly concerned about the effect COVID can have on the vulnerable population - which is literally everyone he treats. 

I talk to Sumit about testing and why it is important. We get a detailed glimpse into what life is like in the hospital. Eerily, it's quieter than usual. But is it the calm before the storm? Many are waiting for an influx of patients that may or may not come.

And strangely - the normal patient population - people who would have otherwise showed up to the hospital are not there anymore. What has happened to that group of people? We ask Sumit this and more.

Sumit describes the day to day risks frontline workers have to take in this environment - and their outlook and attitude on potentially catching COVID and exposing their families.

We ask Sumit about day to day life - including questions around food delivery and quarantine.  Don't miss this informative episode of distanced. 

SPECIAL EDITION: We recorded several conversations with people from around the world at the start of the pandemic. They were originally released as part of a separate podcast called 'Distanced', but we are releasing those conversations as part of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley' over the next few weeks. Rohan Rangaraj is a Miami-based investment professional. Rohan started his career at Cascade Investments LLC, which is an investment holding company controlled by Bill Gates and managed by various investment professionals. He also started his own hedge fund. I ask Rohan - what the hell is going on with the stock market?

Rohan is currently based in Miami, where he sets the scene of how things are in the Brickell neighborhood of the city. We talk about the notorious videos circulated during Spring Break in Florida, and what the mentality of people is right now in the Miami area. Rohan provides some of his own personal views of when he thinks things will end, and potentially get (somewhat) back to normal.

We spend most of the episode talking about what is going on with the economy and the stock market. Are you curious what negative interest rates are and how they arise? We talk about that, the misnomer of stimulus and what the government is doing right now to preserve the economy. You will walk away way smarter from this episode. Enjoy! 

*Nothing in this episode should be construed as financial advice of any sort. Invest in the stock market, or anywhere else for that matter, at your own risk. 

SPECIAL EDITION: We recorded several conversations with people from around the world at the start of the pandemic. They were originally released as part of a separate podcast called 'Distanced', but we are releasing those conversations as part of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley' over the next few weeks. Americans are just getting used to life in quarantine during the age of the Coronavirus. But China has an 8-week head start. The first episode of 'distanced./ explores what our future holds through a lengthy interview with an American expat in China. What will life look like for us in the future?  

Austin Sheppard works in the software industry and has been in China for many years. He recounts the moment he first knew COVID-19 was going to be a big deal. And what the immediate ramifications were after.

Austin talks about how life immediately changed. And the American media's misperception that China's lockdown measures were 'draconian'. Austin talks about what a return to normalcy may look like, and how many years it may take til things get back to the way they were. 

We learn about the effect of COVID on small businesses in China. And Austin talks about his love for Orangetheory and Taco Bell. 

What does the future hold for all of us? The first episode if distanced explores this and more. 

SPECIAL EDITION: We recorded several conversations with people from around the world at the start of the pandemic. They were originally released as part of a separate podcast called 'Distanced', but we are releasing those conversations as part of 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley' over the next few weeks. Ryan Panchadsaram was Deputy CTO at the Obama White House, where he helped launch Healthcare.gov. He has an opinion or two on how we can react better to the next pandemic, and what we can to do stave off the worst effects of the current one. 

Ryan talks about the different agencies involved in pandemic response, and explains to the layperson how agencies potentially respond in a pandemic. He talks about data and why it varies from place to place, and whether it means anything or not as it relates to our response in the United States to COVID-19. 

We talk about the potential short and long term effects the Coronavirus will have on our economy, on the future of tech, and on the future of our social interactions. Ryan spends some time talking about how he is volunteering his time toward a project spearheaded by journalist Alexis Madrigal.

Ryan talks about his own life experience as a new father, and what his hopes/fears are for life in a post-COVID era. 

The pandemic has closed schools and massively affected the way we think of traditional education. How will future generations be affected by the sudden change in how we learn? We asked the CEO of Primer, Ryan Delk about this and more. 

Many parents are struggling with how to cope with the sudden changes surrounding the pandemic. Kids are at home all the time, and most public school districts in the state of CA (and many other states) are fully remote.  This is causing parents to rethink education choices in general - public vs. private, homeschooling vs online learning, and numerous other logistics considerations.

Ryan Delk is an expert on this subject. His startup - Primer is making the process of transitioning to homeschooling easier for parents. We hear Ryan's perspective on homeschool vs 'traditional' school, state by state regulations, and what it takes to raise kids during the age of the pandemic.

We talk to Ryan about colleges, sports, building a sense of collegiality with classmates and the effect of constant Zoom on kids. We ask about social skills for kids and how they might change, the importance of STEM and numerous other topics.

If you're a parent and you're wading through this period, you don't want to miss this episode of TIYLISV. 

Jessica Alter is the Founder/CEO of Tech For Campaigns. She was also one fo the first guests we hosted on 'This is Your Life in Silicon Valley'. A lot has changed in the three years since we interviewed Jessica - the organization she built grew massively. We ask Jessica why democrats are still way behind on technology, and why we should be worried about state elections. 

We ask Jessica about why Democrats are perceived to be tech-savvy, yet spend very little money on digital tactics to help boost their campaigns. Jessica shares some shocking anecdotes of just how behind the Democratic party is when it comes to digital strategy, and why that's concerning for the long term future of the party (unless something is done now). 

We dig into the importance of state elections, and why in many cases they ultimately determine the entire fate of the country. And how Republicans understood this early and invested accordingly. We ask how Tech For Campaigns is potentially turning the tide in this regard. 

The podcast covers a lot of heavy subject matter, including the future of the country, climate change, and the current political environment. If you are a politics buff, and want to know more about the dynamics of elections, you won't want to miss this episode of This is Your Life in Silicon Valley. 

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. 

'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'!

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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! 

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.