Let's welcome the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative – while calling for broader change

As CEO of a tech startup and a former adviser to David Cameron, I've seen efforts to 'change the world' from two sides. It's time to encourage Silicon Valley to expand its problem-solving approach

Try to put aside any hostility you may feel for the way in which Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan chose to announce their massive philanthropic commitment this week. Using the birth of their first child to focus attention on the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative this week, the couple were met with praise and criticism in equal measure.

My perspective comes from both sides of the equation: I'm the co-founder and CEO of a Silicon Valley tech startup, Crowdpac, but was for a number of years senior adviser to British prime minister David Cameron. One of the phrases you hear most in the tech industry is: "We want to work on big problems." Well, I've done that in government, and I'm now doing it in tech. And I can tell you: the HBO show Silicon Valley hits the nail on the head with its parodic portrayal of every last startup founder and app developer claiming that they're going to "change the world".