WashingTECH wants to be your weekly fix of tech policy

Joe Miller was feeling bogged down by the heft of policy research around tech.

As an advisor to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Miller at times felt overwhelmed by a constant stream of policy developments, with only a limited amount of time available to catch up on the incoming news. That’s why, in 2015, he started WashingTECH: a podcast to help others keep up  with the tech policy.

With the weekly podcast, Miller aims to keep his audience as effective on their job as possible, which is why each of his episodes features career and networking insights from his guests. But just because the focus is policy doesn’t mean that it has to be boring.

“They’re not just a bunch of suits,” Miller said of his audience. “They’re diverse, they’re interesting and fun. “This isn’t about some boring CLE event with dry speakers and stale bagels, so I don’t see a need to talk to them like they’re just a bunch of robots or cogs in the wheel.”

To keep things fresh, Miller tackles topics that are trending in media coverage. Think privacy issues around social media, online surveillance by police forces or ISIS’ digital footprint. Other episodes have broached subjects like integrating robotics into K-12 education and the impact of autonomous vehicles in the job market, particularly for people of color.

It’s not going to stop there, Miller said. WashingTECH is working to “develop products and services that address policymaking as a lifestyle more so than a job,” according to Miller.

While the interest continues to rise nationally, there are still only a few tech centered podcasts that call Washington D.C. home. But Miller is hopeful that in the future this will change. “Anyone thinking about starting a podcast should realize that no one has ever, or will ever, do it from [your] unique point of view,”

WashingTECH is updated weekly through its website as well as several podcast streaming services.