Radical Candor: Communication at Work From Optimism to Reckoning: Reflections on Silicon Valley with Steven Levy 7|43
Dec 10, 2025
Join veteran tech journalist Steven Levy as he reflects on Silicon Valley’s evolution from ideals of openness to corporate power. Levy discusses how tech transformed from counterculture to transactions, dissecting the impact of political pressures on CEOs like Tim Cook and the moral complexities they face. The conversation also touches on the pitfalls of AI promises, platform degradation, and the essence of corporate values. It's a candid look at how concentrated power has shaped and corrupted the original vision of technology.
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Early Tech Idealism Turned Real
- Steven Levy came to tech coverage from rock journalism and saw early hackers as transformative, idealistic figures.
- He initially believed the technology world shared his values of doing good for the world but later saw that change as companies grew.
Scale Corrupted Early Idealism
- As companies scaled, Silicon Valley became more transactional and less idealistic before Trump amplified the shift.
- Big tech's deference to employees early on shifted toward seeking political advantage when administrations changed.
Algorithms Broke The Internet Promise
- Social media's algorithms favored toxic content, undermining the peer-to-peer promise of the internet.
- Platforms pulled levers that amplified horrible stuff, breaking the original vision of open connection.
