Careless People

Introduction: Joining the Tech Giant

Sarah Wynn-Williams's path to the heart of Silicon Valley was shaped by a traumatic childhood event in New Zealand. At thirteen, she survived a brutal shark attack that left her with severe internal injuries and a fierce sense of independence. After recovering from a coma and realizing she had fought her own way back to life, she pursued a career in international relations. She initially worked as a diplomat for New Zealand at the United Nations, but she quickly grew frustrated by the slow pace of global bureaucracy. Recognizing that technology companies were becoming the new centers of global power, she set her sights on joining Facebook to help navigate the coming wave of international regulation.

Securing a role at the famously insulated tech company required immense persistence and strategic thinking. Wynn-Williams tracked down the vice president of global public policy, Marne Levine, and managed to secure an introductory meeting in Washington. During the interview, Levine was highly skeptical, arguing that the company was strictly an American entity that only needed to focus on domestic politics. Wynn-Williams realized that appealing to moral missions would not work in Silicon Valley. She successfully reframed her proposed role in global policy as a necessary strategy for international business growth, eventually securing the job after highlighting how the platform functioned during a devastating earthquake in New Zealand.

The transition from formal diplomacy to the high-speed tech industry was immediate and jarring. On her first day, Wynn-Williams assumed her company laptop was a gift for home use, highlighting the vast cultural gap between traditional government security protocols and tech startup norms. This culture shock deepened when she organized a visit from the Prime Minister of New Zealand to the California headquarters. Mark Zuckerberg, who focused strictly on engineering, expressed a proud disregard for politics and only offered a brief, pained greeting to the visiting head of state. The ensuing meeting with executives lacked any substantive policy discussion, focusing instead on small talk and celebrity perks.

This early disregard for international statesmanship foreshadowed the chaotic reality of Wynn-Williams's seven-year tenure at the company. Her role often involved bridging the gap between socially awkward tech executives and traditional world leaders. During a 2015 state dinner in Panama, she had to physically lead Zuckerberg and his team in a sprint through a dark tunnel to escape the awkwardness of formal diplomatic mingling. What began as a hopeful attempt to connect the world eventually transitioned into a period of deep regret. She witnessed the company’s leadership navigate complex moral terrain with the recklessness of well-funded novices struggling to manage immense global power.