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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
A scathing indictment of the hyped-up "buzzworthy" startup frenzy of the last decade and a half. Lyons writes with humor and insight.
Quick-witted, comical and intelligent, [b:Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble|26030703|Disrupted My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble|Dan Lyons|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454285548s/26030703.jpg|45931891] manages to capture the essence of the start-up culture with the wisdom of a veteran. An entertaining and insightful read for industry veterans and newbies.
I'm split — this is a book written by a douche chastising a douchey culture.
I think living and working in San Francisco for the past several years might take some of the edge and surprise off of what's written here, so maybe that's why it was less effective to me as some sort of critique of the area.
While a lot of this subject matter is true and deserves to be condemned (a hilarious lack of diversity, rampant sexism + ageism, cult-like start-ups, the bizarre way people make money out here), this was rant-y and for me was less enjoyable because I couldn't stand anyone in this book.
I think living and working in San Francisco for the past several years might take some of the edge and surprise off of what's written here, so maybe that's why it was less effective to me as some sort of critique of the area.
While a lot of this subject matter is true and deserves to be condemned (a hilarious lack of diversity, rampant sexism + ageism, cult-like start-ups, the bizarre way people make money out here), this was rant-y and for me was less enjoyable because I couldn't stand anyone in this book.
funny
informative
fast-paced
dark
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
A lot of the negative reviews quibble with this book and the author--that he seems like a jerk who sees his co-workers as bozos and dipshits, that he's not really saying anything new by pointing out agism, sexism, and racism in Silicon Valley (as if this didn't need to be continually pointed out)--these reviews miss the point of the book entirely. Which is that this is a book about how Silicon Valley's lip service to making work fun and changing the world and giving meaning to people's lives is a crock that exists to maximize value for investors and founders at the expense of workers.
Or to quote the book itself: "This is the New Work, but really it is just a new twist on an old story, the one about labor being exploited by capital. The difference is that this time the exploitation is done with a big smiley face. Everything about this new workplace, from the crazy décor to the change-the-world rhetoric to the hero's journey mythology and the perks that are not really perks--all of these things exist for one reason, which is to drive down the cost of labor so that investors can maximize their return."
And that's why the book deserves 5 stars.
Or to quote the book itself: "This is the New Work, but really it is just a new twist on an old story, the one about labor being exploited by capital. The difference is that this time the exploitation is done with a big smiley face. Everything about this new workplace, from the crazy décor to the change-the-world rhetoric to the hero's journey mythology and the perks that are not really perks--all of these things exist for one reason, which is to drive down the cost of labor so that investors can maximize their return."
And that's why the book deserves 5 stars.
I suspect some of the bad reviews are from "Spinner and Co" in an attempt to counter the good reviews for this book, as anyone who read it will know these people will stop at no end to keep HubSpot's image pure and utterly (laughably) transparent. This is what the industry needed - a kick in the pants story of the means at which startups will go to achieve "success." You thought that the show 'Silicon Valley' is outrageous and hilarious - meet the real story and the people behind it.
*editorial update: the irony that I'm posting this review on an app, made in Silicon Valley and posted on social media is not lost on this reader.
*editorial update: the irony that I'm posting this review on an app, made in Silicon Valley and posted on social media is not lost on this reader.