California Sun Podcast

jeff@jeffschechtman.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Booking Overview

A California-focused platform for in-depth conversations with authors and tech/policy insiders analyzing how the state’s myths, politics, and innovation ecosystems shape real-world outcomes. It’s a strong pitch for thought-leadership guests who can connect California themes (tech, power, extraction, cities) to broader trends in society and governance.

Metrics

Episodes: 334

Frequency: Irregular

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Male

Location: USA

Instagram: 2.3k followers

Contact Information

jeff@jeffschechtman.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

medium
Typical Credentials:  
Authors and journalists with California/tech/urban history expertise; industry insiders with credible experience (e.g., major tech companies) who can offer a historical or ethical/political lens
Required Achievements:  
Published journalism/essays (e.g., major outlets), Authored books or major long-form histories, Credible on-the-ground experience within Silicon Valley/major tech organizations

Recent Guest Discussions

Mark Arax - California Extraction Ethos; Historical Myths Vs. Realities; Technology Boom; Contradictions And Self-deception

Matthew Stepka - Silicon Valley Values Over Time; Anxiety Around Current Era; Hopes For Artificial Intelligence Aligning With Older California Values

Jonathan Weber - Tech’s Impact On San Francisco; Politics And Job Growth; AI Wave Reshaping The Industry; Concerns About Wealth And City Identity

Recent Topics

California, Technology, Journalism, Urbanism, Politics

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
California Sun Podcast
:

Mark Arax on California's extraction ethos

July 09, 2026

The author and journalist Mark Arax joins us to discuss his recent sweeping essay in the Guardian, published under the headline "California: Land of Plunder and Hypocrisy." From the Gold Rush to the artificial intelligence boom, Arax explores how California's myths, ambitions, and repeated reinventions have often concealed a far more complicated history of extraction, contradiction, and self-deception.    

Matthew Stepka and the Silicon Valley that once was

June 26, 2026

Matthew Stepka is a product of Silicon Valley — a teenager who built worlds on an Atari, a founder of one of the first internet cafés, and a Google insider shepherding its mission projects. He offers a deeply personal account of a place that once believed companies should do good, the anxiety shadowing it now, and why he hopes artificial intelligence might yet honor those older California values.

Jonathan Weber on what the tech boom cost San Francisco

June 18, 2026

Jonathan Weber, a longtime San Francisco journalist, is the author of the new history "City on the Edge: Technology, Politics, and the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco." He explains how the internet took root in the city, how local politics transformed as tech grew from 2% of jobs to 35%, and how the artificial intelligence wave has finally made the industry indigenous to San Francisco. He worries the wealth is turning a misfit city into a money town.

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