Reviews

Startup by Doree Shafrir

purrfectpages's review against another edition

2.0

Have you ever read a book before and thought why was this written? As a third grade teacher, I spend a lot of time helping kids understand the purpose of text. After reading this book, however, I find I'm still uncertain what the purpose was. Technically Startup is a bird's eye view into the world of tech, but when you strip away the surface description, you quickly realize that's not really the case. It wasn't a satirical take at all. The tone itself was actually rather uneven. It's not a particularly telling commentary on tech or even on human relationships in general. In fact all of the characters were just unlikeable, period. I had a hard time finishing this one. It just goes to show not every startup is worth investing in.

loy127's review against another edition

informative lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

hmonkeyreads's review against another edition

3.0

Fast paced story about young start up employees in NYC who get involved in a scandal. It's easy reading, somewhat funny and a real page turner - a good choice for reading during a holiday with lots of distractions. The author is a woman and it's nice to have the female POV for most of the story. It wrapped up a little abruptly but otherwise an enjoyable ride. More of a 3.5 but not quite a 4.

lindsayclaire's review against another edition

3.0

Fun, fast and entertaining.

wrenl's review against another edition

DNF but I refuse to continue reading this book because I don’t want to sympathize with the basic tech bro

mindfullibrarian's review against another edition

3.0

Startup is an engaging tech-y read that sucked me in and kept me glued to the page. As a geek who reads a lot about startups and the tech world, I really enjoyed the storyline. I especially liked the discussion of women in tech and lack of minority representation - this is all real, and there are numerous reports out showing what an issue it is. All of that led to my 3 stars, but what kept me from adding more is the "now" of it - given the speed at which tech moves, this book will be outdated in less than a year. An example of an excellent book that is tech-y about social media, etc, is [b:The Circle|18302455|The Circle|Dave Eggers|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1376419833s/18302455.jpg|25791820] by Dave Eggers - by NOT naming company/app names, you can keep a book relevant for much longer. I liked the "older"-in-tech view from Sabrina, which was reminiscent of the movie "The Intern" (which I loved) and is also something I have seen elsewhere. As a 36-year-old mom, I also could relate to Sabrina's storyline more than anyone else's in the book.

I appreciate that Safrir is writing from a place she knows dearly, and do not question the authenticity of her experiences - I just wish she could have made the story more timeless. And writing about this story online is actually making me feel incredibly meta ;-)

I received a digital ARC of this title for review - all opinions are my own.

gimchi's review against another edition

2.0

interesting comparison of women's lives affected by sexual harassment in the tech world, but i'm not sure what i'm supposed to have gotten out of this. i went in completely blind and maybe that's why? without a compass of a summary or book blurb, on its own, the book didn't really grab me (not that you should need that in order to find a book enjoyable, a book should be able to speak to you on its own).

i'm not big into the tech industry, though i do work in IT, and i didn't find the desciptions of the tech world interesting/funny/witty/pithy.

eh.

dcmr's review against another edition

3.0

An engaging page-turner. Very on-topic, with similarities to Silicon Valley (tv show) and Disrupted (memoir).

mhoffrob's review against another edition

2.0

With thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of this title.

I won't say I didn't enjoy Startup by Doree Shafrir, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Perhaps because I am not a tech world insider, I didn't find it "hilarious" as the description stated. It was interesting, but not really humorous. The characters were sporadically developed, and several (notably the men) felt surprisingly thin for the roles they played. Perhaps that was the joke - that they were just that shallow as people. It's a quick read, not at all challenging. While other reviewers referred to it as biting satire, I didn't care enough about the players or the stage to see any redeeming value to the satire on offer. Maybe I'm just not the right demographic (tech world workers in NYC?)?

alliepeduto's review against another edition

2.0

This certainly wasn’t the most revolutionary book I’ve ever read, but I appreciated the overall message. I (thankfully) have never worked for a startup, but I have dealt with far too many “startup bros” as they are referred to, and can definitely attest to the accuracy of their portrayal in this book. Overall, I liked it for what it was: a bit of satire directed both at the tech world and millennials in the workplace. And even though I’m a millennial, I can laugh at how ridiculous the workplace has become in some industries with us in it. I guess we will see in 10+ years what people are saying about Gen Z!