Rachel Chalmers: "Three Horses"

Stayin' Alive in Tech

This podcast typically focuses on the history of tech and where it is today, so what better guest to have on than a woman who learned to code when floppy discs were still a thing, became one of the first tech industry analysts to write about companies like VMware and Cloudera, and has since served as an advisor to some of the most innovative tech platforms in the world? These all describe Rachel Chalmers, a tech industry analyst, investor, and advisor for well over 20 years.

A native Australian whose love for tech was cultivated at an early age, Rachel left her home country to earn a master’s degree from a university in Ireland before eventually making her way to Silicon Valley, where she’s now been for the past 25+ years. And she’s learned some things.

In our ninth episode of season four, you’ll enjoy some truly brilliant metaphors and unique anecdotes, followed by an honest assessment of the ingrained cultural problems that are far from being rectified in an industry that has always struggled with inclusion and discrimination.

Rachel also talks about the need for “human-centered innovation,” how to address burnout when it inevitably arises, what tech CEO she refers to as a “monster” (but in an endearing way), and why life is not really about trying to fit in where you are, but more about finding others who are like you.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Feminist Survival Project—hosted by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, authors of BURNOUT: the Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.
• Faces of COVID—NPR piece about the Twitter account that tells the stories of those who have died of COVID-19
• Project Include—Non-profit devoted to giving everyone a fair chance to succeed in tech by using data and advocacy to accelerate diversity and inclusion solutions in the tech industry.
• Usenet—A worldwide distributed discussion system used via dial-up modems in the 1980s
• Osborne 1—Article on the history of the Osborne 1, the first commercially successful portable computer.
• AWA Building—The famous Sydney building Rachel’s father worked in, now included in the New South Wales State Heritage Register
• Keep Calm and Log On—Book by Gus Andrews
• “She was demoted, doubted and rejected. Now, her work is the basis of the Covid-19 vaccine”—Leah Asmelash and AJ Willingham, CNN
• AlchemistX: Innovators Inside—Rachel’s podcast featuring interviews with thought leaders and high achievers in Corporate Innovation.

MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS EPISODE ON SPOTIFY:

”Three Horses,” by Joan Baez

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Stayin' Alive in Tech is an oral history of Silicon Valley and technology. Melinda Byerley, the host, is a 20-year veteran of Silicon Valley and the founder of Fiddlehead, a digital marketing intelligence firm based in San Francisco.

We really appreciate your reviews, shares on social media, and your recommendations for future guests. And check out our Spotify playlist for all the songs we refer to on our show.