Uncanny Valley: A Memoir

Wiener’s memoir opens with a playfully grandiose description of the tech industry’s attitude at the time of her arrival: “It was a year of new optimism: the optimism of no hurdles, no limits, no bad ideas. The optimism of capital, power, and opportunity” (3-4). Her story reveals this optimism as both a fuel for growth and an excuse for reckless and unethical behavior, both individually and organizationally. At the beginning of the narrative, Wiener feels pessimistic about her career prospects, facing a narrow path to success in a shrinking industry. It is an optimistic article depicting an e-reading startup as “the future of publishing” (9-10) that convinces her to make the move into tech. Notably, the positive attitude driving Wiener’s early choices originates not with Wiener herself but in the speech, actions, and character of others. The startup’s founders radiate an optimism that she admires and longs for: “They were generous with their unsolicited business advice […] They were aspirational. I wanted, so much, to be like—and be liked by—them” (14). Though her stint there is short, their sense of “entitlement to the future” makes an impression.

When Wiener moves to San Francisco, she continues to emulate the optimism of others and is initially seduced by the industry’s bright, playful aesthetics.