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Seattle investor and business leader Tom Alberg, who died last week at the age of 82, was a key figure in the e-commerce and wireless industries, and in the Seattle startup community, through his roles as an early Amazon investor and longtime board member, executive at McCaw Cellular, and co-founder of Madrona Venture group.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Todd Bishop and John Cook share their own insights from Alberg's life. See our earlier coverage for more on Alberg’s legacy; read tributes from his friends and colleagues; and see Madrona’s LinkedIn post for more remembrances from those who worked with and knew Alberg during his life and career.
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This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we play highlights and share takeaways from the recent earnings calls of Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet, seeking a clearer understanding of what's next for the tech economy. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook; audio editing and production by Curt Milton. 

Related headlines and links:


Microsoft earnings come up short, hit by global economic trends and cutbacks
Amazon stock rises 10% as tech giant beats revenue expectations amid ‘inflationary pressures’
CNBC: Alphabet misses on earnings and revenue for second quarter
The Verge: Facebook reports drop in revenue for the first time
Marketwatch: Apple raises $5.5 billion in debt after upbeat earnings, iPhone sales offset fears of a consumer pullback

 
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Tributes and memories have been pouring in from longtime friends and colleagues of Cranium creator Richard Tait since the Seattle entrepreneur's death on July 25 the age of 58 from complications due to COVID-19.

A passionate and visionary entrepreneur known for being tough, Tait had a generous spirit, effusive personality, and rare ability to connect with people he encountered.

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're listening back to a conversation that Tait recorded with Fuel Talent CEO and founder Shauna Swerland in 2018 for her podcast, What Fuels You. It's inspiring, insightful, and bittersweet, and we're grateful to Shauna for allowing us to share it with you here.

Read our earlier coverage for more on Tait's life and career, and memories from friends and colleagues.
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Amazon's head of global corporate affairs, Jay Carney, the former White House press secretary under President Obama, made some news of his own this week, announcing that he's leaving the Seattle-based tech giant after more than seven years to join Airbnb. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, in light of the news, we're listening back to highlights from our 2019 interview with Carney at the GeekWire Summit.

RELATED COVERAGE: Jay Carney checks out of Amazon, lands at Airbnb: Inside ex-White House press secretary’s tech career
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Do people on your team multitask in meetings, or focus intently on the person speaking? The answer to that question will help to how much your organization prioritizes attention, which is one of the "7 Forms of Respect" in the framework and book of that name by Julie Pham.

Don't worry, this isn't about setting rules. Pham is not giving advice on having laptops open or closed in meetings, for example. Instead, she's providing a way to establish and communicate the priorities of different people, teams, and companies — defining organizational culture not by abstract concepts but by desired behaviors.

That insight is key to understanding and benefiting from the new book by Pham, a Seattle-based entrepreneur, marketer, consultant, journalist, historian, and former non-profit executive. It's called 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work.

On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, Pham discusses the practical applications and benefits of the "7 Forms of Respect" with GeekWire co-founder John Cook.

Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.  
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“Astro is our first consumer robot. It’s not going to be our last.”

Ken Washington, the executive in charge of Amazon’s first home robot, speaks confidently about the future despite mixed reviews and early skepticism about Astro’s usefulness. A nuclear engineer by training, Washington was chief technology officer at Ford Motor Co., overseeing initiatives including autonomous vehicles, before joining Amazon as VP of consumer robotics last year.

He sat down with us at Amazon re:MARS in Las Vegas.
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