In this episode of Culture by Neurodesign, Dr Lisa Colledge explores what happens when culture meets people where they are—not where we think they should be.
Using Steve Silberman’s now-classic Wired article The Geek Syndrome as a starting point, Lisa describes how Silicon Valley became a pioneer in neuro-inclusion—by attracting talented people, with traits that made them well suited to technology and that also happen to be associated with autism. These people created a particular culture in which they could lead with their strengths.
We explore:
• Why autistic talent gravitated towards Silicon Valley—and thrived.
• What cultural features made this possible (hint: clarity, logic, structure, and asynchronous workflows).
• What companies keen to build capabilities in AI team performance can learn from this.
• Why designing for neurodivergence is not about charity—it’s a performance strategy.
Related resources:
• Culture by Neurodesign, Episode 15: Autism, allism, and innovation: a case study with Prof. Laurent Mottron. https://www.lisacolledgeconsulting.com/podcast/autism-allism-and-innovation-a-case-study-with-prof-laurent-mottron
• The classic referenced article: The Geek Syndrome by Steve Silberman (2001, Wired). https://www.wired.com/2001/12/aspergers/
• If you’d like to read an article version of this material: Autism traits and high-performing teams: lessons from Silicon Valley. https://www.lisacolledgeconsulting.com/inside-view/building-high-performing-teams-lessons-from-silicon-valley
I'm Lisa, and I take inspiration from neurodivergence-inclusion to help leaders create cognitively inclusive cultures that connect people with different cognitive styles, empowering everyone to contribute their best.
Learn how my services can transform your team: https://www.lisacolledgeconsulting.com/services
#siliconvalley #siliconvalleylife #SteveSilbermanGeekSyndrome #Geeksyndrome #SteveSilberman #autismatwork #neurodivergence #ai #autisticstrengths #autistictalent #neuroinclusiveteams #neuroinclusive #designingfordifference #inclusion #futureofwork #futureofinclusion #neuroinspiredteams #neuroinclusivedesign #neurodivergence #talentmanagement #innovation #resilience
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.