WIRED Hosts Live Podcast Event on Women in Silicon Valley and Tech Gender Dynamics
WIRED brought together journalists, editors, and critics for a live recording of its Uncanny Valley podcast in San Francisco, focusing on the state of women in Silicon Valley and broader gender dynamics in the tech industry. The event, part of WIRED@Night, featured discussions with tech journalist Paulina Borsook and WIRED’s editorial leadership, along with a panel of editors and correspondents.
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30 SEC SUMMARY
- WIRED hosted a live event in San Francisco for a special recording of its Uncanny Valley podcast, focusing on women in Silicon Valley and gender dynamics in tech.
- The event featured tech journalist Paulina Borsook and WIRED’s global editorial director Katie Drummond discussing the state of women in the tech industry.
- A panel discussion included WIRED editors Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer, and senior correspondent Lauren Goode.
- Borsook’s book Cyberselfish, a critique of Silicon Valley culture, is being rereleased this fall.
- The event was livestreamed as part of WIRED@Night, a series of live discussions and recordings.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- WIRED hosted a live event in San Francisco on October 8, 2026, for a special recording of its Uncanny Valley podcast, centering on women in Silicon Valley and gender dynamics in tech.
- The event featured a conversation between tech journalist Paulina Borsook and WIRED’s global editorial director Katie Drummond.
- A panel discussion included WIRED’s executive editor Brian Barrett, contributing editor Zoë Schiffer, and senior correspondent Lauren Goode.
- Paulina Borsook’s book Cyberselfish, originally published in 2000, is being rereleased this fall.
- The event was part of WIRED@Night and was livestreamed for remote audiences.
Event Focuses on Women in Tech and Gender Power Dynamics
On October 8, 2026, WIRED hosted a live event in San Francisco for a special recording of its Uncanny Valley podcast. The discussion centered on the state of women in Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry’s gender and power dynamics.
According to WIRED, the event aimed to explore whether the position of women in tech has improved or remained stagnant, describing the current state as "shaky." The conversation also tied into a special issue WIRED published this fall, devoted to gender and power.
Key Speakers and Discussions
The event featured a conversation between Paulina Borsook, a tech journalist and former WIRED writer, and Katie Drummond, WIRED’s global editorial director. Borsook, known for her skepticism of Silicon Valley culture, authored the book Cyberselfish in 2000, which is being rereleased this fall.
A panel discussion followed, including WIRED’s executive editor Brian Barrett, contributing editor Zoë Schiffer, and senior correspondent Lauren Goode. Goode, who has been investigating the most powerful woman in Silicon Valley, brought her reporting into the conversation.
The event was part of WIRED@Night, a series of live discussions and recordings, and was livestreamed for remote audiences.
Borsook’s Critique of Tech Culture Resurfaces
Paulina Borsook’s Cyberselfish, originally published in 2000, has been a pointed critique of Silicon Valley’s libertarian and often exclusionary culture. The book’s rerelease this fall coincides with renewed discussions about gender and power in tech, adding historical context to current debates.
Borsook’s participation in the event highlights WIRED’s approach of revisiting and amplifying critical perspectives on the tech industry’s evolution.
What this means
Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.
WIRED’s live podcast event underscores how media companies can use editorial events to foster meaningful conversations about industry challenges. For founders and operators, this model shows the value of leveraging existing intellectual property—like Borsook’s Cyberselfish—to spark dialogue and reinforce brand authority.
The focus on gender dynamics also reflects a broader trend in tech media: audiences are hungry for critical, nuanced discussions about power structures, not just celebratory narratives. For startups, this signals an opportunity to engage thoughtfully with these topics, whether through internal initiatives or public-facing content.
Finally, the event’s hybrid format (live and livestreamed) demonstrates how to maximize reach and accessibility, a strategy startups can adapt for their own community-building efforts.
Key takeaways
- Live events and podcasts can be powerful tools for media companies to engage audiences in critical conversations about industry dynamics, particularly around gender and power.
- Rereleasing older works—like Borsook’s Cyberselfish—can resurface valuable critiques of tech culture, especially when paired with current discussions.
- For founders and operators, WIRED’s event model demonstrates how to leverage editorial expertise and live formats to strengthen community and brand authority.
FAQ
What was the focus of WIRED’s live Uncanny Valley podcast event?
The event centered on the state of women in Silicon Valley and gender dynamics in the tech industry, featuring discussions with journalist Paulina Borsook and WIRED editors.
Who participated in the event?
The event included a conversation between tech journalist Paulina Borsook and WIRED’s global editorial director Katie Drummond, followed by a panel with WIRED editors Brian Barrett, Zoë Schiffer, and senior correspondent Lauren Goode.
Why is Paulina Borsook’s book Cyberselfish relevant to the discussion?
Borsook’s Cyberselfish, originally published in 2000, critiques Silicon Valley’s culture and is being rereleased this fall. Its themes align with the event’s focus on gender and power in tech.
Related on Lazyfounder
Sources
- WIRED · 2026-09-15
Live: Watch ‘Uncanny Valley’ on Women, Tech, and Power
This story is an original summary drafted with AI by Lazyfounder from the reporting listed above and checked by automated validation. Facts are attributed to their original publishers; sections marked as analysis are Lazyfounder's. Where a source is in another language, facts were machine-translated and quotations are reported, not reproduced. Read the original coverage via the links, and see our AI policy and corrections policy.
About the author
Editor, Lazyfounder
Tarun Mottlia edits LazyFounders, covering Indian startups, funding rounds, AI and product launches. Every story on the site is AI-assisted and checked against its cited sources before publication.
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