Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons

Not gonna lie - I was shocked that I hadn't heard of Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble until recently. After spending the last decade working in technology, this book is right up my alley. Luckily, some new coworkers recommended it to me.

Loved it.

Lyons, a career journalist focusing on tech, got laid off from his magazine job shortly after the Great Recession. He parlayed his experience into a marketing role at Hubspot, an up-and-coming marketing platform. Lyons thought he could go in and help, get stock options, and help the company go through the IPO process. I promise it's not a spoiler to say he did that, but what he experienced while at Hubspot is jaw-dropping if you've never worked in tech.

Lyons experienced both subtle and overt ageism (he was twice the average employee's age). He had to deal with cliques in the office, clicks as a metric, and a culture that emphasizes "cult." I wish I felt shocked or disbelief at Lyons' story, but the Hubspot fanaticism is commonplace across tech startups of many sizes. Several coworkers' actions and personalities aligned with people I've worked with in my previous startup, so the behaviors aren't limited to Hubspot or unicorn startups. I particularly loved the epilogue, which detailed some of the darker and more sinister experiences that went along with publishing Disrupted.

If you have worked, currently work, or want to work in tech, this book is a must-read. It's funny, well-written, well-researched, and painfully accurate. The portrayal of Silicon Valley as an attitude rather than a location resonates.