E72: Eoghan McCabe on San Francisco, Tech Leadership, and Optimistic Media

In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg sits down with Eoghan McCabe who opens up about his journey entering Silicon Valley, leading Intercom, shifting company culture, and becoming politically engaged. This episode offers a frank look at the complexities of building and scaling a tech company, coming back from personal and professional defeat, and what it will take — politically — to empower the next generation of techno-optimist builders. — 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast — SPONSORS: Get first-party targeting with Brave's private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. 🛠️ Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-TCR  — FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg @eoghan — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:48) San Francisco's tech scene  (02:11) Moving to San Francisco (03:32) Challenges and changes in San Francisco  (06:57) Political dynamics and tech's role  (11:43) Sponsors: WorkOS | Brave (14:08) Intercom's journey and leadership challenges  (20:02) Reinventing Intercom (22:10) Resetting company culture and values (24:49) Implementing performance management systems (28:33) Sponsors: Babbel | Squad (30:54) Dealing with setbacks and personal growth (32:49) The importance of therapy and self-care (35:55) Reflections on failure and growth (38:58) Eoghan's journey from apolitical to politically engaged (40:45) Views on capitalism, freedom, and the Western world (48:11) Navigating political discussions in the tech industry (50:27) Eoghan’s Vision for more positive tech media (51:02) Importance of inspiring young builders and innovators (53:16) Wrap