Heidi Williams: “History Repeating”

In the mid-1990s, when Heidi Williams got her first job in Silicon Valley coding and developing software, she was not unlike most anyone else starting their career: she simply wanted to put her skills to work. But this is the world of tech, where evolution is rapid and industry-shifting changes can occur in the middle of your lunch hour. As you’ll hear, Heidi would end up “riding the wave from CD-ROMs to the web, to mobile, and to live video streaming” while working at some of the biggest and most prolific tech companies in the world.  This journey has given Heidi a profound experience with shifting sands after years of stability—whether it’s your company being acquired by a competitor, foundational technology behind most of your company’s products suddenly rendered obsolete, or dealing with the complexities of a company going from 500 employees to over 5,000 practically overnight.  LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:   MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR THIS EPISODE ON SPOTIFY: “History Repeating” by Shirley Bassey  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.

Om Podcasten

The tech industry is great at talking about the future, especially on podcasts. What we're not so great at is taking the time to understand our past. And that's what this podcast is all about. From the Noyce and Fairchild Semiconductor generation through the founding of social media, the history of Silicon Valley has many lessons for us. And we'll be interviewing the people who lived through these experiences to bring their knowledge to you. You'll get explanations for how we got where we are, which can also suggest where the future might be; along with a few laughs and inside stories from those who lived through it. So pull up a seat and listen to the tales of the past, in which may lie seeds for our future. New Episodes twice a month on Thursdays.