Disrupted

4 stars, but I do have some criticism. First of all, I wish Dan Lyons had actually worked in Silicon Valley, because I think the book would've been even more on-the-nose. As it is, his startup is located way out on the east coast, which leads to a version of Silicon Valley culture that's cartoonishly exaggerated -- perhaps because HubSpot is trying to make up for being so far removed from the real thing. That being said, I've worked in SF and Silicon Valley for almost my entire career (since Tech Bubble v. 1.0) and so much of his book rang hilariously true: The made-up acronyms, forced cheer, money wasted on silly perks, online "culture" surveys, office as a playground, and a lot of lip service played to "heart" and mission that doesn't actually translate into treating employees or customers well.

I wish Lyons had better resisted the temptation of taking a "get off my lawn, you kids" attitude. I'm 42, so I know how easy it is to fall into that trap, but it detracted from his message. For example, he is absolutely apoplectic about people coming to work in their Halloween costumes. On Halloween. Really? That even happened at my old law firm. It's Halloween! In another passage, he describes someone's arms as "covered in full-sleeve tattoos, like a carny." I kept flashing back to the joke headline from the Simpsons: OLD MAN YELLS AT CLOUD.

Lyons also falls into a trap common to older white men: Casting himself as the victim. He does admit some amount of fault in how his HubSpot experience turned out, but generally, his thesis is that the majority of the blame falls on HubSpot's executives, his direct bosses, his co-workers, and VC-backed companies in general. There are plenty of issues with all of them -- don't get me wrong! -- but when you live in a world where everyone else is the problem, chances are, (spoiler alert) YOU are the problem. What bugged me most was his use of his children as props to emphasize his victimhood. He often harps on choosing to spend time with his own kids over work obligations, which reads as an attempt to cast this as a morally virtuous position that makes him automatically superior to the non-breeders, as if his co-workers' lives are by necessity more frivolous because they don't have children. He even focuses on his boss' cruelty on making him take a difficult call "in front of" his children -- even though he CHOSE to take the call with his kids in the car.

I was glad that he pointed out the inordinate focus on alcohol-centered social events, which has been an issue at my own company (and most startups). I appreciate that the trend is turning toward using group volunteer opportunities as "bonding events," which are fun for everyone -- including those of us who don't drink -- and also make a contribution to the community (and may, perhaps, inspire some of the younger employees to try volunteering on their off-time).

I also appreciate that he called out the popular Silicon Valley hiring phrase "culture fit," for what it is: a euphemism for racism, ageism, and sexism, by which young, white tech bros are encouraged to hire other young, white tech bros with the excuse that they would presumably "fit in" better.

If Lyons had come across as less of an acerbic old man and approached his experience with more of an open, yet critical, attitude, it would have been tougher to dismiss his entirely legitimate critiques. But despite my complaints, please note that I have this book a 4-star rating! It's 100% worth reading. Highly recommended.