In this episode, we trace the rise of unchecked founder power in Silicon Valley, beginning in the summer of 2004, when Sean Parker taught Mark Zuckerberg how to secure venture capital funding without relinquishing control. It marked the end of “adult supervision” in tech and the beginning of a new era of aggressive, founder-led empires.
We follow that legacy through the story of Uber—Travis Kalanick’s rise to power and the toxic culture he created as a founder-king with total control over his startup. We also talk about Susan Fowler, the 25-year-old engineer who dared to speak up and expose the misogyny, harassment, and dysfunction inside one of the world’s most valuable startups. Her viral blog post brought down a CEO and offered a rare window into Silicon Valley’s sexism and toxic culture.