I had so much fun talking with Sanjana Friedman from YC about the future of California and everything from SF politics to homelessness, AI, biotech, and the need for greater techno-optimism in the media. We dug into the gap between political narratives and real-world outcomes, the rise of PirateWires, and why emerging technologies could drive a new California technological renaissance. Enjoy!

Sanjana on X: https://x.com/metaversehell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

07:30 The Craft of Writing and Starting to Cover San Francisco

10:38 Major Themes in Her Work at PirateWires

15:30 The Disconnect Between Nonprofits and Outcomes

17:49 Why PirateWires' Tone Resonates

27:02 The Power of Narrative in Tech

29:34 How Tech Industries Should Shape Public Narratives

30:57 Strategies for Telling Positive Tech Stories

36:34 Political Implications of AI

44:18 Biotech and Emerging Technologies Impact

50:41 Optimism for California’s Tech Renaissance

Keywords

Sanjana Friedman, California politics, San Francisco, Y Combinator, tech writing, PirateWires, homelessness, nonprofit effectiveness, techno-optimism, AI, biotech, media narratives