Too big to laugh: how tech lost its sense of humor

The tech industry used to be way funnier; there was a whole HBO show about it! Now the timeline is earnest, angry or self-righteous, and rarely self-aware. Comedian Alexis Gay, who spent seven years working in tech and startups, joins the chat to diagnose what happened: tech got too big to be a cottage industry, too powerful to poke fun at itself, and too fragmented to share an inside joke. She also makes the case for why now is exactly the moment for a new Silicon Valley-style show. Plus: the Brian Chesky hack that nobody believes, why buying tech merch hits different than earning it, and the "directionally very bad" mug we all need ASAP. Mercury is back as the headline sponsor for year two of Great Chat. Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC. This podcast is edited by Eric Johnson from ⁠⁠LightningPod