Abolishing Silicon Valley With Wendy Liu

Radical Science

In this episode we chat to Wendy Liu author of the brilliant book, Abolish Silicon Valley!

We talk about the myth of the meritocracy, reclaiming entrepreneurship, and what innovation looks like beyond capitalism.

Relevant Links

1. Abolish Silicon Valley (2020)
2. Wendy's Twitter

Our quick review From inspiring early experiences in open-source software development, to crushing disappointment in the search for startup funding, Wendy Liu writes a refreshingly candid account of how she fell in, and then out, of love with the tech industry. Liu shows how the inhabitants of Silicon Valley - from the funders, to the founders - have abdicated their responsibility to society; that beneath the veneer of global connectivity and community-building, they have driven immense socio-economic inequality. But all is not lost as Liu argues: inequities borne from tech can be resolved if we're willing to hold up a mirror and address their causes, regardless of how close to home these may be.