A debate over Silicon Valley's true nature: whether the industry's current embrace of military technology represents a genuine shift from 1980s–90s counterculture idealism, or merely exposes that profit-seeking always drove the sector. The author argues idealism was real and transformative, while critic Sharon Weinberger contends it was opportunistic marketing masking consistent greed.
A journalist attends SlutCon, a three-day seduction retreat in Berkeley hosted at Lighthaven, a venue associated with the rationalist subculture. The event recruits "flirt girls" to help male attendees practice seduction techniques through structured exercises like "circling," where participants narrate their inner states to the group.
Travis Kalanick, ousted as Uber CEO in 2017 amid scandals including sexism allegations, has returned to prominence with a robotics venture backed by major VCs like Andreessen Horowitz. He remains unrepentant about his tenure, framing his removal as 'cancel culture,' and has gained legendary status among young founders who view him as a visionary unfairly constrained by Silicon Valley's cultural shift.
A 62-year-old programmer reflects on fifty years in computing, from discovering the TRS-80 in 1978 through a career at major tech companies like Netflix and Elasticsearch. He expresses dismay that AI has rendered his skills obsolete, with the industry experiencing mass layoffs, and laments losing the work he loved while acknowledging junior programmers face worse prospects.
Developers should learn design disciplines to differentiate themselves in an AI-dominated job market. The author argues that combining coding with design skills—user experience, typography, and visual aesthetics—creates unique value that LLMs cannot replicate, offering both job security and creative fulfillment.
An essay argues Silicon Valley's current embrace of military technology reveals the industry always prioritized profit over its professed counterculture ideals, but the author contends that idealism genuinely drove innovation from the late 1970s onward, and today's defense pivot represents a departure rather than exposure of unchanging values.
October 2026 roundup of bootstrapper events including online and in-person meetings in Chicago, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Eight events offer networking, mastermind sessions, and talks on topics like AI implementation, with $10 registration and opportunities for entrepreneurs to share lessons learned.
Paulina Borsook, a tech critic whose 2000 book Cyberselfish warned against Silicon Valley's libertarian culture and misogyny, faced career obscurity for 25 years after publication, unable to secure work or book deals. In 2025, social media posts by prominent critics revived interest in her prescient work, leading to major media attention and a new publisher deal with Tin House.