Margaret O'Mara, a historian focused on the development of technology's societal impact, joins journalist Brody Mullins to explore the tech industry's lobby power in Washington, DC. They discuss how Silicon Valley's lobbying tactics evolved over the past decade. The duo highlights grassroots mobilization's importance amid bipartisan skepticism towards big tech. Listeners learn about historical parallels in corporate influence on legislation and the pressing need for consumer advocacy to balance power dynamics between tech giants and the public.

The US economy may not be in a recession, but Silicon Valley, which had a mega-boom throughout the 2010s, is in a downturn. Tech stocks have tanked and almost every day there are new reports about industry layoffs. So what happens next? What happens to its unique corporate culture? What happens to management and employees? On this episode, we speak with Margaret O'Mara, a professor at the University of Washington and the author of the book The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. We talk about the history of Silicon Valley's upside-down moments and how the industries that have dominated the region have changed over time, particularly as government money comes in and out of the picture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret O'Mara, a history professor at the University of Washington and author known for her insights on Silicon Valley, dives into the fascinating tales of its early tech leaders like Adam Osborne and Jerry Sanders. The conversation explores how their bold innovations shaped personal computing and the tech culture we know today. O'Mara reflects on past predictions versus modern realities, connecting early insights on technology's impact to current discussions around artificial intelligence and emphasizes the importance of understanding its societal implications.

Margaret O'Mara, an expert on the high-tech economy, joins Lizza Dwoskin from The Washington Post and Louise Matsakis from Wired to discuss the bustling tech landscape of 2024. They dive into how generative AI transformed everyday life and impacted the job market, while social media under Elon Musk shifted political dynamics. The conversation also highlights significant tech developments, employee activism in tech, and the industry's role in addressing societal challenges, making it clear that technology is both a powerful tool and a complex player in politics.

Today on the flagship podcast of zombie kisses: 02:02 - The Verge’s managing editor Alex Cranz chats with film & TV reporter Charles Pulliam-Moore about HBO’s The Last of Us and how it handles the video game adaptation. [Spoilers for episode 1 + 2] 22:40 - Historian and author of the book The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America Margaret O'Mara talks about how the lack of non-compete clauses shaped Silicon Valley. 38:30 - We answer your questions left on our Vergecast Hotline! Thunderbolt docks, end-to-end encryption, and smart assistants. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we'd love to hear from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices