Radical Candor: Communication at Work

While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

Office culture is a fascinating topic.  It can be the special sauce that helps bring together team members to achieve excellence.  But what happens when the company culture becomes a toxic mess?  What happens when a very charismatic CEO becomes obsessed with both cataloging people’s weaknesses and then broadcasting them to the entire company?  What happens when that same CEO mandates “internal reporting” on fellow co-workers, techniques that appear to be drawn directly from the playbook of the Stasi (the former East German secret police force, famous for deep surveillance to control and punish their citizens)?  What happens when the CEO steadfastly refuses to hear criticism about himself?Why would people join and then remain at such an organization? 

Kim welcomes New York Times’ business reporter and author, Rob Copland, to talk about his fascinating, deeply researched, and best-selling book, The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and The Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend.  Rob’s book dives deep on Ray Dalio, the iconic founder and leader of Bridgewater Associates and the culture he created there.  Under Dalio, there is no disputing that Bridgewater Associates became one of the largest and most successful hedge funds in history.  At the same time, Dalio appeared to use promises of vast riches to control and intimidate his employees.  Rob shares some incredible stories to illustrate these points.  When someone dared to push back on any of Dalio’s techniques or vision, he famously would shut them down with, “If you’re so smart, why aren’t you rich?!”  Rob talks about what he learned in the years of research he did for this book.  This conversation presents a cautionary tale of what can happen when a charismatic leader, flush with vast wealth decides his mission is also to dictate how people should live.Background on Rob Copeland: Rob Copeland is a New York Times finance reporter covering Wall Street, banks, and corporate power. He was previously the longtime hedge-fund beat reporter at The Wall Street Journal.  He is best known for investigative, narrative-driven stories and is the author of the bestselling book, "The Fund: Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates and the Unraveling of a Wall Street Legend".

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Introduction to Rob Copland

(01:04) The Pissing Anecdote: A Lesson in Self-Awareness

(05:11) Investigating the Absurd: Culture of Petty Conflicts

(09:59) The Dark Side of Radical Transparency

(12:04) The Pain of Reflection: A Closer Look at Confrontation

(16:24) The Cost of Self-Improvement: Why People Endure

(18:48) The Allure of Success: How Ray Dalio Captivates Minds

(22:43) The Challenge of Self-Awareness

(23:58) The Power Dynamics of Self-Knowledge

(24:46) Cult Dynamics and Personal Freedom

(25:52) The Role of Powerful Figures in Toxic Environments

(26:38) Radical Transparency and Its Pitfalls

(31:05) The Importance of External Tethers

(33:28) Navigating Career Choices and Exit Strategies

(37:38) The Journey of Self-Discovery and Feedback

Connect with the Radical Candor team:


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠

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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

Again we discuss the topic of wealth inequality and the accompanying concentration of political power.  It is tempting to think that we live in an unprecedented era, and yet there are lessons to be learned from the past.  Today, Kim talks to Professor John Witt of Yale Law School about his recent book, The Radical Fund.  It is a fascinating story of The Garland Fund, established by Charles Garland in the early 1920s.  The book takes us on a journey showing how the Garland Fund was able to lay the foundation for much less powerful groups in society to fight for their rights such as safe working conditions, free speech, and equal rights.  And how those movements help drive the economic successes later in the 20th century.  Kim and John discuss these lessons learned and how we can apply those lessons in our communities today. 

Background on John Watt: John Witt is the Allen H. Duffy class of 1960 professor of law at Yale Law School and a professor in the Yale history department. He is the author of a number of books, including Lincoln’s Code, which was awarded the Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Nation, and The New Republic, among other publications. He lives with his family in Connecticut where he tends an orchard, watches baseball, and fishes in the Long Island Sound.

Resources: 

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Introduction to the Radical Fund and Its Impact

(03:04) Historical Context of Civil Rights and Labor Movements

(06:12) The Role of the Foundation in Landmark Cases

(09:09) Sidney Hillman's Vision for Industrial Democracy

(12:04) The Evolution of Worker Participation in Capitalism

(15:07) Building Solidarity Across Demographics

(18:10) Lessons from History: The Importance of Unity

(21:05) James Weldon Johnson and the Quest for Democracy

(23:45) The Rise of W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP

(24:33) Collaboration Between Black Leaders and White Labor Unions

(26:02) The Power of Propaganda in Social Change

(30:24) The Role of Money and Foundations in Social Justice

(31:43) The Origins of the Garland Fund

(35:15) The Debate on Philanthropy and the 'Dead Hand' Problem

(37:27) Lessons from History: Economic Inequality and Social Change

(40:09) The Future of Democracy and Social Justice
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While the podcast team is taking a Radical Sabbatical, Kim is interviewing authors of the books that have had a big impact on her in the past two years.

Wealth concentration in the United States is top of mind these days. While it’s tempting to see this as a recent trend, it is instructive to look at what was happening in American politics decades ago and see how many of these forces were set in motion in the 1970’s. 

Kim talks with Prof. David Gibbs about his book, Revolt of the Rich, How the Politics of the 1970s Widened America's Class Divide. Prof. Gibbs reviews decisions that were made during the Nixon and Carter administrations that continue to reverberate in our world today.  For example, during the first oil shock in the early 1970s, President Nixon actively worked to keep oil prices high to support the Shah of Iran and to prop up the dollar.  The result was financialization and deindustrialization. Later in the decade, President Carter was central to the trend of deregulation.  The net effect of these decisions was an erosion of the foundations of the American middle class. 

Technical note: we had an issue with one of the microphones on this interview that affected the sound quality.  Sorry if this affects your enjoyment of this episode.

Background on David Gibbs: David N. Gibbs is professor of history at the University of Arizona, whose past research has emphasized political conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and Afghanistan. He has published extensively in academic journals as well as the London Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, Le Monde Diplomatique, Salon, and Jacobin. His third and most recent book is entitled: Revolt of the Rich: How the Politics of the 1970s Widened America’s Class Divide. His detailed personal website is at: https://dgibbs.arizona.edu/

Resources: Buy Revolt of the Rich on Bookshop.org 

(00:00) Introduction to the Radical Sabbatical Podcast

(01:33) The Oil Crisis of the 1970s

(04:46) Nixon's Role in the Oil Price Increase

(09:59) Petrodollars and U.S. Economic Power

(12:37) Financialization and Deindustrialization

(15:05) Impact on Ordinary Americans

(18:28) The Revolt of the Rich

(21:34) The Shift in Economic Power

(24:41) Political and Economic Alternatives

(26:01) The Evolution of Taxation and Economic Policies

(27:48) The Shift in Political Ideologies

(30:18) Coalitions and the Rise of the Christian Right

(32:30) Economic Conservatism and Social Issues

(36:00 )Navigating Economic Uncertainty

(40:43) Building Inclusive Economies

(46:30) The Consequences of Inequality and Austerity
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We all love the convenience of our digital devices and connected services.  But what about our ever expanding pile of digital breadcrumbs we leave behind as we go about our day? These breadcrumbs can be swept up by private companies to learn quite about us and target us with specific goods and services.  They can also be collected by government agencies who might use this information for legitimate police work or in some instances, political repression.  So, many people are asking themselves, should I be doing more to protect my personal privacy and how should I go about this.   

Tech evangelist and prolific author Guy Kawasaki had asked that same question about a year ago. It started him on a journey to learn more about how to use some of the latest communications tools built from the ground up with personal privacy as its primary goal.  This led Guy to install and use Signal, one of the most popular tools today for personal privacy protection.  But as he started to put Signal into his communications work flow, he realized it was not obvious how to use Signal to its full potential. So, Guy collaborated with Madisun Nuismer to publish a “how to” book for using Signal, “Everybody Has Something to Hide” in January of 2026.  

In this episode of the Radical Candor Podcast, Kim and Guy have a wide ranging conversation about Guy’s concerns about privacy that inspired him to start using Signal and then to write the book.  They discuss the centrality of privacy in a free and democratic society and how tools like Signal can enhance privacy. Kim also shares her experiences with privacy and censorship in her years working in the Soviet Union (and later Russia) in the early 1990s.  They also debate how much we should all trust so much of our personal data with these large tech companies.  As Guy mentions the old saying, “If you aren’t paying for the product, you ARE the product!”.  

In the media rollercoaster, tech’s reputation is at a low point right now. It’s worth remembering that there are a lot of idealistic people in tech who are working hard to solve problems with the goal of making the world a better place. That is part of why we want to highlight Guy’s messages and what Meredith Whitaker, Brian Acton, Moxie Marlinspike, and the whole team at Signal are doing.

Background on Guy Kawasaki:

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and the creator of Guy Kawasaki’s Remarkable People podcast. He is an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley), and adjunct professor of the University of New South Wales. He was the chief evangelist of Apple and a trustee of the Wikimedia Foundation. He has written Wise Guy, The Art of the Start 2.0, The Art of Social Media, Enchantment, and eleven other books. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Resources: 


Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) information on how to use Signal.  


Interviews with Meredith Whittaker is the President of The Signal Foundation.  


Guy’s interview with Meredith Whittaker on his Remarkable People Podcast.


Also an informative interview with Meredith on Scott Galloway’s Podcast.  

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Exploring the New Book: Everybody Has Something to Hide

(00:51) The Importance of Signal and Privacy

(06:46) Personal Experiences with Privacy and Censorship

(11:57) Trust in Tech Companies and Data Privacy

(14:27) The Idealistic Problem Solvers in Tech

(15:01) Philanthropy vs. Government Aid

(15:38) Universal Basic Income as an Experiment

(17:02) The Importance of Privacy in Democracy

(19:09) The Role of Technology in Privacy

(21:04) Evangelizing Signal for Privacy Protection

Connect with the Radical Candor team:


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠

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When tech is at its best, it is a group of people working together to solve hard problems in a way that makes the world a better place. That goal is what motivated so many folks in Silicon Valley to come here. How then did we cede the microphone to a small number of people who espouse an authoritarian, rich get richer algorithm? How can people working inside tech companies grab the bullhorn away from the authoritarians to describe the world we want to create? How we can take action to advocate for our vision of a better future?

One recent manifestation of this is the ⁠ICEout.tech⁠ movement. In this episode, Kim speaks with Lisa Conn, founder of Gatheround and former Meta employee, and Anne Wootton, co-founder of Pop Up Archive and current senior engineering manager at Apple, about why they signed the pledge and what they hope it can accomplish.

Kim, Lisa and Anne also discuss more generally ideas for people who are frustrated with the state of affairs at their companies or in tech more broadly, but are not sure where to start and how to find a community of similarly civic-minded people to take action. They discuss ways to host meetups for your like-minded co-workers while still working hard at your day job and staying within your company’s policies.  

They also talk about how important it is to speak respectfully with people who disagree with you. A good goal is to deepen your own thinking, not to change a person's mind. You probably won’t change their mind, and you probably won’t change yours. That doesn’t mean you’re wasting your breath. When you invite discussion about your beliefs with people who disagree, two good things can happen. One, you get to know them a bit better. Two, you challenge yourself to think more deeply. JS Mill said that belief without discussion can give way to prejudice.

Background on ICEout.tech:

⁠⁠ICEout.tech⁠⁠, started by and for people in tech, wants the tech industry to use its influential position in our economy to stop ICE. The pledge, which was started after Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis, has more than 2,000 verified signatures from people across major companies including NVIDIA, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and dozens more. The call to speak up against ICE in tech gained momentum after Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, and has drawn public support from leaders like Dario and Daniela Amodei (Anthropic), Reid Hoffman, and Vinod Khosla. Tech professionals want their CEOs to join them in this effort, to protect our neighbors and communities and stop ICE's terror.

Resources: 


⁠⁠ICEout.tech⁠⁠ information and how to get involved.


Resist and Unsubscribe Resist and Unsubscribe - movement by Prof. Scott Galloway to encourage individuals to use their economic power by unsubscribing from big tech web services as a way to press these leaders to push for government reforms.  

CHAPTERS:

(00:00) Introduction to iceOut.tech Movement

(02:00) Understanding the Pledge and Its Impact

(04:59) Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Tech

(10:02) The Role of Affluence and Courage

(15:20) Building Solidarity and Taking Action

(20:04) Employee Power and Organizing for Change

(22:53) The Role of Technology in Society

(26:10) Tactics for Influencing Corporate Decisions

(29:51) Building Internal Solidarity and Communication

(34:04) Navigating Polarization and Finding Common Ground

(39:03) Self-Care and Community Engagement

Connect with the Radical Candor team:


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠

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