Jobs in silicon valley

In Silicon Valley, devices are an essential part of daily life. But many of the tech titans creating these products choose to power down when they leave the office, following industry giants like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who restricted their own kids' access to technology at home. "Truth About Tech" campaign takes on tech addiction Pierre Laurent, who has worked for companies including Microsoft and Intel, said he and his family typically leave their phones at a table to charge when at home. He says the tech industry designs products to hook users, reports CBS News' Jamie Yuccas.  "I don't think the parents are aware of that. They don't see the consequences because nobody's told them, you know, there's no warning on the product," Laurent said. Pierre and his wife Monica became concerned that their three children would miss out on real-life experiences while on their devices so they decided to limit their screen time. Researchers are still learning more about how … [Read more...] about Why many Silicon Valley parents are raising their kids tech-free

A massive influx of funding is a boon to any nonprofit. But it can come with challenges, as well, including: how to swiftly scale the organization to put that money to use; how to maximize the efficiency of every dollar; and how to plan more ambitiously and strategically than before. Shortly after raising more than $24 million in a single weekend—more than six times an entire year’s typical donations—the American Civil Liberties Union sought answers to those questions by enrolling in the Y Combinator startup accelerator. The Mountain View, California-based company’s accelerator program runs for three intensive months. Y Combinator is best known for launching startups such as Airbnb, Reddit and Uber. The ACLU is no startup, of course. It was founded in 1920. But there’s no question that support for and interest in the civil liberties nonprofit has surged since the election.“When we put the word out that we’d be including the ACLU in our winter … [Read more...] about ACLU looks to Silicon Valley in managing funding surge

Episode 20 of Silicon Valley explores numerous classic conflicts: consumer-oriented v. enterprise business model; engineers v. sales; revolutionary vs. safe; long-term goals v. short-term profits; Erlich v. Jian-Yang … Richard’s plan has been to transform the world by giving away the basic version of Pied Piper’s revolutionary compression technology, rapidly building a huge user base, and hoping to charge for premium features one day (the consumer, “freemium” business model). However, CEO “Action” Jack Barker and his new sales team—preoccupied with implementing his “Conjoined Triangles of Success”—want an immediate focus on revenue and insist that Pied Piper make enterprise software they can immediately sell to big business customers. Worried even that won’t be easy enough to sell, Jack’s team strips away every cool and revolutionary feature until they’ve transformed Pied Piper into a business-facing … [Read more...] about Jack’s Box (Silicon Valley – Episode 20)

A partner in a Silicon Valley law firm who works with startup companies has written something of a primer on the popular “catchphrases, clichés and buzzwords” he learned during countless hours in board meetings.Writing at Under the Radar, lawyer Ivan Gaviria of Gunderson Dettmer lists 10 “classic Valley clichés.” They include:• Open the kimono. The phrase means to reveal sensitive or confidential information, especially in negotiations. “I’m frankly amazed that this one is still in heavy circulation with the politically incorrect overtones, but I think I hear it at least once a week,” Gaviria says.• Is it the horse or the jockey? Gaviria heard the phrase used in a debate about why a highly recruited salesman wasn’t getting the job done.• We gave up the sleeves off our vest. The phrase means a concession that doesn’t cost anything. “Its corollary among sartorial metaphors is the ‘belt and … [Read more...] about Startup Lawyer Defines Silicon Valley Clichés

This season’s finale of Silicon Valley provided Richard with only the briefest moment of victory before he once again faces losing Pied Piper.  First, the arbitrator rules that because Richard used a Hooli computer while developing Pied Piper, under the invention assignment provision of Richard’s employment agreement with Hooli, Hooli would have the right to Pied Piper’s technology.  However, because the employment agreement also contained unlawful non-compete provisions, the arbitrator held that the entire employment agreement was unenforceable, including the invention assignment portion.  Therefore, Hooli had no right to Pied Piper’s technology, and Richard won!  In the meantime, the Pied Piper team triumphs by successfully livestreaming the condor cam video to 200,000 viewers—including Laurie, the head of Raviga Capital.  Laurie is so impressed with the technology that once Hooli loses the arbitration, Raviga buys out … [Read more...] about The Days of the Vultures (Silicon Valley – Season 2 Finale)