GeekWire

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week. Despite the pandemic, funding for Seattle tech startups remains robust in the first half of 2020. In fact, funding is ahead of last year. What gives? We consider whether COVID-19 is accelerating some companies into the new economy of remote working, online shopping and more. Check out our list of startup funding to see how companies are doing.  Health benefits platform Accolade became Seattle's first IPO of the year, with an initial valuation of $1.2 billion. Headed by Raj Singh, a veteran Seattle startup entrepreneur, Accolade uses a variety of technologies to help employees at its client companies navigate their health benefits, with a goal of improving health and reducing costs. GeekWire's events are back! Up next week is a new event, Geeks Gaming for Good, where eight company-sponsored teams will compete in a Rocket League tournament. A portion of the entry fees will go to a prize pool benefiting Seattle-area non-profits. On July 16, we'll be hosting GeekWire Roundtable: The Future of Sports. We'll discuss how sports can safely return in a post-pandemic world, the role of tech and the economics of sports in this challenging environment. And the GeekWire Awards are back on July 23 and they're going virtual. We'll be revealing the winners of the Pacific Northwest's annual technology and startup awards ... and there will be some special guests. To register, go to the Events page at GeekWire.com. With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s what we’re talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week. Microsoft shocked the tech world Friday morning by announcing it would be closing all of its retail stores. What does this tell us about Microsoft's business strategy and what might it portend for the future of physical retail stores? Amazon made a bold move in a new direction by acquiring robotaxi startup Zoox. Why would Jeff Bezos want to get into autonomous vehicles? And which fellow tech billionaire called him a copycat? President Trump shuts the door on employment-based visas for foreign workers, and tech leaders are ticked off. We’ll explain what he did, and why they’re not happy. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella laid out an ambitious plan to address racial injustice at the company and across society. Can Microsoft save the world? We’ll assess its chances. Amazon bought the naming rights to Seattle's basketball and hockey arena ... and you won't believe what they're going to call it. So, of course, we have to crash Amazon's party by coming up with nicknames for the venue. With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, John Cook, Monica Nickelsburg, Taylor Soper and Kurt Schlosser. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's what we're talking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week. Not everyone loves Apple's App Store, it seems. This week, it become a target of criticism for its arcane rules and business practices. Even Microsoft President Brad Smith got into it when he said in an interview that he wants more scrutiny on app store policies imposed by its competitors, such as Apple and Google. What is everyone so ticked off about? Microsoft president calls for antitrust scrutiny of app stores: ‘The time has come’ Apple’s App Store Draws Antitrust Scrutiny in European Union 1 big thing: Tech giants' life cycles shape their crisis responses The pandemic has shown that Amazon is essential—but vulnerable Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s attempt to rescind DACA is a win for Dreamers and Microsoft A pandemic seems like a crazy time for companies to be pricing their stock and going public, but that's precisely what several tech firms are doing. We talk about why they're doing it right now (and why they might be in a hurry) and what this IPO rush might mean for several Seattle-area firms. The Tech I.P.O. Comes Roaring Back in the Pandemic It's no secret that Todd struggles to keep up with the email pouring into his inbox. He is looking forward to trying HEY, a new email management program offered by Basecamp, but John isn't sure it's going to make much of a difference. Discuss! Listen above, and subscribe in any podcast app. With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Racism is a pandemic. Whether it's tech, or whether it's any other form of business, we have the need for a vaccine that's going to stop it. And I think that can take many forms."  Those are the words of Adriane Brown, an Axon and eBay board member, former Intellectual Ventures president, and venture partner at Flying Fish Partners. She was speaking during a conversation about race and the tech industry, organized by GeekWire as protests across the country demand racial equity and justice following the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans at the hands of white police officers. The conversation was hosted by Former Tacoma Mayor and past Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO Marilyn Strickland, a candidate for U.S. Congress. Also participating were Leafly Chief Product Officer and longtime Seattle entrepreneur Dave Cotter, and Remitly CEO and co-founder Matt Oppenheimer. In recognition of Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, we’re presenting Part 2 of the conversation in this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Listen above and continue reading for highlights. You can also catch up with Part 1.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty-five years ago, more than a decade before the debut of the iPhone, a different piece of technology had people lining up outside stores around the world: Microsoft's Windows 95. "Everything was mayhem," recalls Brad Chase, the former Microsoft executive who was in charge of marketing the operating system. "This was the product that ended up ushering computers and Microsoft and arguably Bill Gates into the mainstream. Everybody wanted to know everything about it." "One time I even went on press tour and tried to calm everybody down because I wanted them to know Windows 95 would not solve world hunger," he jokes. But beyond the sheer hype, Windows 95 was the culmination of Microsoft’s strategy -- the company’s bet that there would be a market for a computer on every desk and in every home (and running Microsoft software, executives would add privately.) Chase explores the ingredients of successful business strategies in his new book, "Strategy First: How Businesses Win Big, published today, with examples from across the world of business and technology. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Chase analyzes the strategies of today’s tech giants, explains the components of effective strategies, and talks about the role of strategy in addressing challenges facing the world (a topic he also explores in this column on how companies can advance racial justice.) As a bonus, he tells the inside story of how he struck the deal with the Rolling Stones to supply the iconic track for the Windows 95 advertising campaign.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's what we're talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast: As protests over police violence continue across the country, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft all announce they won’t sell their controversial facial recognition software to law enforcement. But Amazon says it will only stop for a year. That earned the company some good will, but racial justice and civil rights groups called it a trivial concession. Is Amazon’s facial recognition moratorium a victory for police reformers or just good PR? Microsoft promises not to sell facial recognition tech to police before Congress passes regulations Amazon bans police use of its Rekognition facial recognition software for one year amid protests Non-compete agreements are back in the news as Amazon sues one of its former executives for taking a job at Google Cloud. We take a look at what's behind this always-controversial contract provision and whether its days may be numbered. Amazon is worried that Brian Hall, a former Amazon Web Services marketing vice president, might spill secrets to his new employer, Google Cloud. The company is in court trying to prevent Hall from working on speeches and slides for the upcoming Google Cloud Next event. And the return of the Random Channel! GeekWire Producer Curt Milton gets his first haircut in months as COVID-19 restrictions begin to life in Seattle, but finds things are far from back to normal. Monica Nickelsburg weighs in on a new startup that lets you rent a piece of an indoor, vertical farm. It's a cool idea but a pricey way to get your salad. And GeekWire Editor Todd Bishop talks about the life affirming nature of researching and writing obituaries, including a recent one on a towering figure in Seattle tech, Manny Vellon. Listen above, and subscribe in any podcast app. With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop and Monica Nickelsburg. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A special GeekWire Podcast discussion hosted by Marilyn Strickland, former CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; with Dave Cotter, Leafly chief product officer; Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer; and Adriane Brown, Flying Fish Partners venture partner, Axon and eBay board member and former Intellectual Ventures president. Read more: ‘It’s on us to dismantle racism.’ 10 steps tech and business leaders can take toward equitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As thousands of Americans protest police aggression night after night, technology is giving millions at home their first window into scenes that are all too familiar to people of color. On this week's episode of GeekWire, civic editor Monica Nickelsburg explains how the cameras in our pockets are shaping the revolution in the streets. Although the demonstrations this week are rooted in history, technology sets this moment apart from civil rights movements of the past. Recording has become a powerful tool in the debate over racial justice and law enforcement, but its impact depends on who wields the camera. The ability to record and share what’s happening on the ground with a largely captive audience due to the pandemic allows the experience of black Americans to be witnessed more broadly than ever before. Hosted by Todd Bishop, produced by Curt Milton, with music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Cheryl Ingram has seen the statements from tech companies this week, expressing outrage over the death of George Floyd and speaking out against the racial inequities in our society. Now is the time for leaders to go beyond talk and take action, she says. Actually, the time was long ago. But now would work. "Tech has a huge responsibility," Ingram says, not only due to the prevalence of bias in the industry against women, people of color and people with disabilities, but because of the potential for tech companies to have a positive impact. "If the tech industry comes together and really starts to fight for change, we're going to see change happen much faster in our country." Ingram is the CEO and founder of consulting firm Diverse City and tech startup Inclusology, which is developing a tech platform for diversity, equity and inclusion assessments inside companies. Ingram shifted Diverse City's operations to LA in 2018 but remains engaged with the Seattle community. We're featuring her story on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, including a conversation from last fall and a follow-up discussion this week in which she addressed the tech industry's role in the racial inequities in society. As part of our discussion, Ingram presented several concrete steps for tech leaders to take to start to solve the problem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Amazon and critics wage a PR war in the company’s first virtual annual meeting. One employee said working at an Amazon warehouse is like getting the "golden ticket," but a former employee and critic talked of "toxicity" in the company's culture. We watched, and cringed, and we’ll tell you all about it. Former employee and activist Maren Costa said: “Toxicity is embedded in our operations as pollution causes stunted lung development, asthma, and higher death rates from COVID-19 concentrated in black and brown communities. This is environmental racism.” The meeting started with vignettes from front-line workers highlighting the company’s investment in fighting COVID-19, expected to cost $4 billion this quarter alone. HBO Max, the new streaming service engineered in Seattle, launches without support from its tech neighbor, Amazon -- and there’s an interesting backstory. The service costs $14.99 a month and includes access to 10,000 hours of content, including original HBO shows, popular movies and classic television. But you won't find it on Amazon's Fire TV. The company contends HBO Max should be part of the current HBO subscription service it offers through Prime. And some iconic entertainment and tech destinations in Seattle -- the Cinerama and Living Computers Museum -- suddenly face an uncertain future and possible demise. We’ll explain why. And we'll discuss why it might make good business sense for Amazon to buy the Cinerama. Vulcan plans to close Vulcan Arts + Entertainment and Vulcan Productions by the end of the year, calling into question whether some of its organizations will ever return. With GeekWire’s Todd Bishop, Monica Nickelsburg and John Cook. Produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.