Startup
By Doree Shafrir
Mack McAllister is the next Steve Jobs, or so he thinks, and his app is at the top of every venture capitalists’ hit list in the NYC tech scene. Katya Pasternack is a hungry journalist at tech editorial, TechScene, looking for the next scoop to catapult her into journalism fame. Sabrina Blum is a mother of two working at Mack’s startup where she feels painfully old compared to the hip kids running this million dollar idea. As their paths overlap in a flurry of sexting, post-work drinks and emoji’s the curtain is pulled back on the NYC tech scene, exposing its ugly and ridiculous side.
“People didn’t used to take pole-dancing classes with their coworkers; they maybe got drunk with their coworkers, and that was the extent of it. But now you were expected to engage in forced, organized fun with people you worked with, and it seemed to her that the definition of fun had been majorly stretched.”
Thoughts
A funny, witty and at times painfully accurate depiction of life at a tech company, Startup is a lighthearted page turner any millennial will appreciate. I was looking for something that was less serious than some of the other stuff I had read recently and this fit the bill. Since I have only really worked in tech in my “adult” life I could relate to every single scene in this book. Now usually that is a good thing when reading. You feel connected to the author and if it is written well you are even more connected to yourself. However, reading Startup made me realize how ridiculous some of the things us tech employees do are. For example, pretending every single person you work with is your best friend. Or how about onesie day? What about complaining about the free food in the kitchen? It really made me feel like an idiot because I have been guilty of all of these things. Which is a good thing. Sometimes looking at a mirror and being humbled is good for you. As far as the story goes it was solid, but nothing crazy. I think the plot helped to shepherd along the absurdity, but you could see the ending coming from a mile away with only a few surprises. All in all a solid, light read that will make you smile and at times *face palm emoji* (#sorrynotsorry).
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