All tagged Careers in Tech
Arguably the first ever “thought leader” to make a tangible impact on the business world, Tom Peters burst onto the scene with the immensely-influential book he co-wrote in 1981: In Search of Excellence. A purveyor of what he calls “extreme humanism,” Tom’s career journey has given him a vantage point few can equal. In this episode, Tom returns to discuss life—and his new book, Tom Peters’ Compact Guide to Excellence, a collection of quotes he developed in collaboration with iconic designer Nancye Green.
When Linden Lab’s Second Life debuted in 2003, few anticipated just how much it would popularize the concept of the metaverse. That’s certainly true for James Au, a freelance tech writer who was hired by the company to report on the platform and its users shortly after its launch—by becoming an avatar within the virtual world himself. Listen as he recounts the early days of the platform, how it foreshadowed many of today’s toxic social media issues, and why so many have returned to it during the pandemic.
When Heidi Williams entered the tech world in the 90s, she was mostly focused on developing the latest offerings from a major software company. If only things would’ve remained that simple. In this episode, Heidi recounts her experiences learning the industry’s business side in the most difficult circumstances, what it’s like to have a flagship product killed off practically overnight, and tips on navigating through substantial changes in a tech company.
While the ability to send data across the earth in seconds has completely changed our civilization, it’s also had some profound consequences that are nowhere near being settled. In this second of two episodes, Bob Alberti continues an enlightening conversation about the progression of the internet he himself had a key role in shaping and where it stands today. Listen as Bob discusses the difficulties of data security and combatting disinformation and closes by offering a helpful bit of career advice.
Ever wonder what the internet was like before it was, you know, the internet? It was actually more similar to today than you may think. Chat rooms, emails, multiplayer network games, search queries—those all existed in the 1970s. And Bob Alberti was right there in the middle of it all, helping to craft it into the version we all use now. In the first of two episodes, hear Bob talk about what computer tech was like during the earliest internet days, and how Minnesota was home to the original Silicon Valley.
Lack of diversity and representation has always been an issue in the world of tech—which led Michigan-based entrepreneur Jenifer Daniels to create Colorstock, a hub for original stock photos featuring people of color. Jenifer discusses launching her business and how its immediate success eventually created some unforeseen dilemmas. She also offers advice and encouragement to women and people of color entering any industry still struggling with inclusivity.
What if your plan for 2020 included launching a new (very cool) Audience Intelligence platform, just as the world unexpectedly changed under a pandemic? In this Season 4 opening episode, we welcome back Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and co-founder of the new SparkToro, to discuss how SparkToro found innovative ways to not only launch a new product during 2020 but also help people and other businesses on a variety of levels in the process. Bonus: hear Rand’s top 3 ideas for what marketers should be doing right now during this crisis.
While this podcast is normally focused on the history of tech, this pandemic is truly history in the making. Listen as we welcome back Tom Peters, management guru and business author, who emphasizes the one and only thing managers should be focusing on now: people. Whether a business is facing layoffs, breakdowns, or just anxiety among its workers, Tom hammers home that our decisions right now will be etched in history—whether we like it or not.
We’re normally all about the history of tech. But today we invited our friend Howard Rheingold back onto the podcast to get his unique perspective on the coronavirus pandemic—an historical moment in itself. As the man who coined the term “virtual community” long ago, he shares his thoughts on online socializing and learning, and predicts how this virus might change the future of work and learning for good.
We honor Women's History Month in our newest clips episode. On the lookout for inspiration and strength during this uncertain time, this episode shares clips from 9 of our women and non-binary guests, sharing their experiences entering the workforce, times they’ve encountered bias, and their moments of uncertainty as well as resolve.
Is the hype surrounding the "Learn to Code" movement worth it? Let's look at this academically. Dr. Kate Miltner is a technology and society researcher examining the ways that tech, identity, and structural power intersect. Coming from a background in tech and advertising, Dr. Miltner conducts ethnographic research that digs into things we’re so close to, we may not even take notice. She’s taken a closer look at memes as cultural artifacts, and is now examining coding boot camps and whether the hype around learning to code is really the solution many think it is.
Listen in on this compilation of stories from the five brilliant black women in tech who have been guests on the podcast. We have welcomed scientists, developers, founders, researchers, and authors. In this, our first clips show, hear our favorite cuts from Jacqueline Harper, Sian Morson, Dr. Tiffani Bright, Paula Buchanan, and Dr. Roshawnna Novellus.
April Wensel has a powerful message for engineers about how to improve your own lives as well as the lives of your coworkers and the users you serve. April is the founder of Compassionate Coding, an organization that teaches emotional intelligence to software dev teams. If you’re already nodding, you’ll love this episode. If you don’t think it’s a problem, just listen to April’s perspective. She tells us two reasons why people resist becoming more compassionate—and one thing she sees that gives her hope.
Dr. Roshawnna Novellus is the founder and CEO of EnrichHER, a platform that allows investors to lend directly to any woman-led business across the country. EnrichHER is built off of Roshawnna’s desire to equip women with the financing, confidence, and community support they need as business-owners. Hear how Roshawnna fights the biases that surround women in a way that earns her this empowering song for her episode title.
John Levisay joins us as CEO of Bluprint, the “Maker’s subscription service,” an educational library for crafters and hobbyists of all kinds. His own career has been a creative journey in itself, from GE and eBay to founding and later selling Craftsy, to continuing on as CEO of its current iteration, Bluprint. He describes the flourishing startup scene in Denver and tells us how to create a culture of creativity and safety that brings out the brightest ideas from your team.
Elisa Camahort Page was in the trenches as blogging and social influence unfolded in the early ‘00s. As one of the co-founders of women’s media company BlogHer, one of the first places for women to spread their wings online, Elisa shares what makes for an ideal team of founders and advice for how to reach the next level in your career.
Our next guest is considered one of the leading customer analytics and digital measurement experts in the world. Gary Angel tells us about his first brush with data analytics in the days of direct mail marketing, to pulling the industry away from measuring website “hits,” to the intensity of being an entrepreneur. Gary Angel is currently the CEO and Founder of Digital Mortar, which provides collection and measurement of the customer journey in retail stores.
Aurélie Pols is an expert on ethical data uses. In this episode, we explore the historical precedents that have brought us to a turning point where companies need to decide whether to prioritize protecting the individual’s rights or skirt data privacy laws for the sake of convenience and cash. Listen to her thoughts on GDPR and CCPA, and how the EU and America approach data protection differently.
Some people have a gift for seeing things from a higher perspective—noticing how factors intercept to create trends, waves of public thought, and society-altering changes. Howard is one of these people. We could call him a prophet, a thinker, certainly a writer, but we’ll call him what he calls himself: an independent instigator and observer. This is a must-listen episode that explores how the human mind, belief in the future, technology—and yes, psychedelics—all connect.
Jacqueline Harper has the kind of story that is rarely told and exactly what we’re trying to bring to light with this podcast. A black female programmer in the 1970s, she was asked to go home from her IBM job when she became pregnant with her first child. She then pushed herself to learn programming while also raising her family. Hear this remarkable woman’s story from the world of mid-century tech.
