Matt McIlwain in the KIRO Radio studios. (Photo: Erynn Rose.)
Madrona’s Matt McIlwain in the KIRO Radio studios. (Photo: Erynn Rose.)

Our guest on this week’s GeekWire Radio show is Matt McIlwain, managing director at Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group and a mainstay of the Pacific Northwest tech community. His experience investing in a wide variety of technology startups gives him unique insights into the tech landscape and the regional economy.

Topic No. 1: That wacky-yet-provocative column this past week on Forbes.com, suggesting that Microsoft needs to move to San Francisco if it really wants to make something of itself.

As you can imagine, we have lots of opinions on the piece, and we use it as a jumping-off point for a larger discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the Seattle region’s tech industry — including the perennial question of whether investors and startups in this neck of the woods are taking enough risks and making enough big bets.

We also get McIlwain’s take on Microsoft’s new era (he knows new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella), the emerging cloud-computing battle between Microsoft and Amazon, and the most interesting technologies and trends he’s seeing these days.

That conversation begins in the second segment of the show, starting at the 8:15 mark, following our “Week in Geek” news roundup. Listen to the show using the audio player below or directly via this MP3 file.

We start the show with a recap of Tesla’s battle against proposed legislation in Washington state (and elsewhere) that would prevent the company from opening new showrooms here.

It’s another example of new technologies and approaches running head-on into traditional industries and politics. The debate over ride-sharing in Seattle is another prime example. See our latest coverage of the ride-sharing by GeekWire’s Taylor Soper, along with GeekWire columnist Monica Guzman’s broader take on the topic of regulations and innovation.

App of the Week: Mynd smart calendar and meeting scheduler.

Name that Tech Tune: What is this sound? Send your answer to contest@geekwire.com for a chance to win tickets to our next GeekWire event, our Ping Pong & Anniversary Bash, March 20.

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