Scan barcode
khornstein1's review
3.0
Where do I begin?
There is Hubspot itself...someone recommended their newsletters, e-books, etc. to me and I read them and downloaded them and thought, "wow I know all of this stuff already and even if I didn't, I could read about it online without people trying to upsell me." Lyons reveals that what Hubspot wants to sell you just isn't that good. Then again, some people need hand-holding and HubSpot works for them. I dunno--it's a toss-up.
Hubspot: can I also say is the dumbest name for a company ever? I was aware of them because they are always rated as the best place to work in Boston. And I always thought, "that's interesting. I wonder what they do? What's the spot? And then there's the mystery of why Boston is always called "the Hub" but I digress...
The book starts out entertainingly enough...Lyons is funny, and I was sympathetic to his being an out-of-work journalist, and an older out-of-work guy: it's hard! Can I also say I like his author pic? He looks kind and sympathetic and smart. And the book starts off that way (kind and smart)..taking a stab at working at a (kind of) start-up at a later age, working with millenials: the exclamation points, the earnestness, etc.
And I was fascinated by how some of these companies work: keep increasing revenue, but never turn a profit. What? And how the venture capitalists can have failure baked into their funding and come out ahead. Wow.
Then the book went completely off the rails...Lyons seems like he's going to be an advocate for women but then he spends time making fun of the women he works with, denigrates them, and talks about how he feels way more comfortable with guy culture where you can tell sexist non p.c. jokes about vaginas. What happened??
Lyons is arrogant. He has this Thurston Howell III attitude of "Don't these people know who I am Lovey?" No they don't. You're on a new island! This company is about sales and marketing, not journalism.
Lyons also makes the classic mistake of older workers...I don't understand the technology so I'm not even going to try or if I do, I'm going to make fun of it. Oy, I've been there, but adjust: use that digital calendar or online task system: maybe you'll learn something. Aren't you a technology journalist?
Lyons is given a podcast to produce...but constantly complains the job is beneath him. Ahem...go back and read "A Thousand Naked Strangers" about another out-of-work journalist helping people throwing up in his van! If you need a job, your job is keeping your job, not sitting and stewing and doing a lousy job.
Entertaining but ultimately disappointing.
There is Hubspot itself...someone recommended their newsletters, e-books, etc. to me and I read them and downloaded them and thought, "wow I know all of this stuff already and even if I didn't, I could read about it online without people trying to upsell me." Lyons reveals that what Hubspot wants to sell you just isn't that good. Then again, some people need hand-holding and HubSpot works for them. I dunno--it's a toss-up.
Hubspot: can I also say is the dumbest name for a company ever? I was aware of them because they are always rated as the best place to work in Boston. And I always thought, "that's interesting. I wonder what they do? What's the spot? And then there's the mystery of why Boston is always called "the Hub" but I digress...
The book starts out entertainingly enough...Lyons is funny, and I was sympathetic to his being an out-of-work journalist, and an older out-of-work guy: it's hard! Can I also say I like his author pic? He looks kind and sympathetic and smart. And the book starts off that way (kind and smart)..taking a stab at working at a (kind of) start-up at a later age, working with millenials: the exclamation points, the earnestness, etc.
And I was fascinated by how some of these companies work: keep increasing revenue, but never turn a profit. What? And how the venture capitalists can have failure baked into their funding and come out ahead. Wow.
Then the book went completely off the rails...Lyons seems like he's going to be an advocate for women but then he spends time making fun of the women he works with, denigrates them, and talks about how he feels way more comfortable with guy culture where you can tell sexist non p.c. jokes about vaginas. What happened??
Lyons is arrogant. He has this Thurston Howell III attitude of "Don't these people know who I am Lovey?" No they don't. You're on a new island! This company is about sales and marketing, not journalism.
Lyons also makes the classic mistake of older workers...I don't understand the technology so I'm not even going to try or if I do, I'm going to make fun of it. Oy, I've been there, but adjust: use that digital calendar or online task system: maybe you'll learn something. Aren't you a technology journalist?
Lyons is given a podcast to produce...but constantly complains the job is beneath him. Ahem...go back and read "A Thousand Naked Strangers" about another out-of-work journalist helping people throwing up in his van! If you need a job, your job is keeping your job, not sitting and stewing and doing a lousy job.
Entertaining but ultimately disappointing.
kivt's review
4.0
Strongly recommended. My biggest frustration with the show Silicon Valley is that it makes the characters seem remotely heroic or sympathetic. This book makes Lyons' influence on SV clear, but he doesn't pull any punches in the non-fiction version.
Lyons himself comes across as kind of an obnoxious sexist, but the "author lectures about life" parts of the book are short and sparing. He really shines in his descriptions of the insane events he lived through at HubSpot, and the contextual information about how investors in Silicon Valley work, presumably borrowed from his work as a tech journalist.
Lyons himself comes across as kind of an obnoxious sexist, but the "author lectures about life" parts of the book are short and sparing. He really shines in his descriptions of the insane events he lived through at HubSpot, and the contextual information about how investors in Silicon Valley work, presumably borrowed from his work as a tech journalist.
agarocks's review
1.0
The authors spends chapters and chapters criticizing start-up culture for being racist and ageist and then gleefully talks about his time in Hollywood - how amazing it was to work with a bunch of other white old dudes and make big dicks jokes, sexist jokes, and non-politically correct jokes all day! The chapter about his time working on Silicon Valley (the TV show) puts the entire book in a very unflattering perspective.
robhood's review
4.0
The first third of this book was a wonderful sleep aid! Too much time was spent on detailing the incompetents that were running the startup. I stayed with it because of it's high ratings and I'm glad that I did! The rest of the book was really great and I learned a lot!
luismiguelferrao's review
5.0
5.0 estrelas. (E-book)
Um livro brutal sobre as (des)venturas de um jornalista nos seus 50 que sendo demitido da reputada Newsweek se vê na necessidade de dar um novo rumo à sua vida profissional.
Saindo de um meio altamente estruturado, um pouco até sectarista, o autor começa por entrar em modo pânico e arrisca ir trabalhar para a costa oeste apesar de ser de Boston.
A experiência dura pouco pois era muito limitada no escopo profissional e acaba por ter a oportunidade, fruto da carreira e alguma notoriedade que tem, de ingressar numa startup em franco crescimento na sua zona de residência. Essa startup é a Hubspot.
Começam então uma série de peripécias é um brutal choque cultural entre o rígido, metódico e baby boomer Dan e toda uma cultura virada para a Geração Z.
Sem qualquer viés acho que alguma da responsabilidade estará no autor mas, efectivamente, muito do que se passou na empresa durante pouco mais de 1 ano é surreal. Desde o processo de onbording, ao culto do líder, à mol massiva de seguidores histerónicos… Talvez por eu próprio ter 44 anos e estar mais próximo dessa geração, estou em parte solidário com o autor.
Efectivamente algo de errado se passou pois aconteceram muitas saídas de cargos C level na Hubspot durante, mas sobretudo, quando se soube que iria sair um livro relatando as experiências de um colaborador.
Embora Dan use uma série de pseudónimos efectivamente não é difícil chegar aos elementos que estiveram na berlinda pela sua incompetência, egomania, bullying e até perseguição para além dos limites da lei.
Muito mau…
Sobretudo os capítulos finais onde se relatam factos, semi comprovados, de abuso de poder, desrespeito pela propriedade privada, intimidação e outros modus operandi mais ao estilo da máfia do que de uma empresa.
Notar que o silverline de toda a obra prende-se com a dificuldade do autor, que é a minha, em compreender toda uma nova economia assente em modelos de negócio onde o que importa é crescer desmesuradamente, muitas vezes com uma intangibilidade de produtos ou serviços ou, existindo, assentes em entregas alinhadas pelo mínimo de performance (minimum value products) com o objectivo único de engordar um porco, vendê-lo pelo maior valor possível e capitalizar com as ações que se possuem aquando da entrada em bolsa via IPO.
Recomendo totalmente está obra que, sendo escrita num tom maioritariamente ligeiro e caricatural, leva a reflexões bastante sérias sobre a economia do século XXI e todos os modelos de negócio das bolhas e das startups
Um livro brutal sobre as (des)venturas de um jornalista nos seus 50 que sendo demitido da reputada Newsweek se vê na necessidade de dar um novo rumo à sua vida profissional.
Saindo de um meio altamente estruturado, um pouco até sectarista, o autor começa por entrar em modo pânico e arrisca ir trabalhar para a costa oeste apesar de ser de Boston.
A experiência dura pouco pois era muito limitada no escopo profissional e acaba por ter a oportunidade, fruto da carreira e alguma notoriedade que tem, de ingressar numa startup em franco crescimento na sua zona de residência. Essa startup é a Hubspot.
Começam então uma série de peripécias é um brutal choque cultural entre o rígido, metódico e baby boomer Dan e toda uma cultura virada para a Geração Z.
Sem qualquer viés acho que alguma da responsabilidade estará no autor mas, efectivamente, muito do que se passou na empresa durante pouco mais de 1 ano é surreal. Desde o processo de onbording, ao culto do líder, à mol massiva de seguidores histerónicos… Talvez por eu próprio ter 44 anos e estar mais próximo dessa geração, estou em parte solidário com o autor.
Efectivamente algo de errado se passou pois aconteceram muitas saídas de cargos C level na Hubspot durante, mas sobretudo, quando se soube que iria sair um livro relatando as experiências de um colaborador.
Embora Dan use uma série de pseudónimos efectivamente não é difícil chegar aos elementos que estiveram na berlinda pela sua incompetência, egomania, bullying e até perseguição para além dos limites da lei.
Muito mau…
Sobretudo os capítulos finais onde se relatam factos, semi comprovados, de abuso de poder, desrespeito pela propriedade privada, intimidação e outros modus operandi mais ao estilo da máfia do que de uma empresa.
Notar que o silverline de toda a obra prende-se com a dificuldade do autor, que é a minha, em compreender toda uma nova economia assente em modelos de negócio onde o que importa é crescer desmesuradamente, muitas vezes com uma intangibilidade de produtos ou serviços ou, existindo, assentes em entregas alinhadas pelo mínimo de performance (minimum value products) com o objectivo único de engordar um porco, vendê-lo pelo maior valor possível e capitalizar com as ações que se possuem aquando da entrada em bolsa via IPO.
Recomendo totalmente está obra que, sendo escrita num tom maioritariamente ligeiro e caricatural, leva a reflexões bastante sérias sobre a economia do século XXI e todos os modelos de negócio das bolhas e das startups
alexandrabjarg's review
3.0
Að lesa þessa bók verandi viðskiptavinur HubSpot er einstaklega óþægileg upplifun