Startup

Millennials drinking green juice teetering between cushy benefits and Adderall addictions. The frantic pace, open office, the witty repartee, the keg parties. The mission! The stock options! Having worked at start-ups and in online culture for more than a decade, I’ve seen it all. And, based on my experiences at least, Startup captures the vibe perfectly. Â

A satirical and intensely entertaining debut, Startup is an amusing story of the absurdity of tech culture and modern romance gone awry. Even if you secretly lament the good ol' days when people used the telephone instead of Snapchat, anyone who’s ever held an office job will find something to identify within.

The story begins with Mack McAllister, the founder of TakeOff, a wellness app valued at $600 million. He is untouchable, cocky, and setting the pace in Silicon Alley (New York’s answer to California’s Silicon Valley). His ultimate goal: To get the business to $1 billion, no matter how empty the product might be.

Like Mack, the female characters in Startup are smart, unpredictable and display a level of brashness to be feared and admired. There’s Isabel, whose official title at TakeOff is Engagement Ninja. She’s young, beautiful, and seemingly careless with her life choices. There’s Sabrina, a working mom who, at the ripe old age of 36, is one of TakeOff’s older employees. Then there’s Katya, a fierce young reporter hungry for her big break at online magazine TechScene. Together these women develop an unexpected bond and might even have each other’s backs in a cutthroat industry. Trust me, they’ll need it.

Startup is full of humor and scathing office drama: Risqué text messages. Tech bros. An influx of viral mishaps. Doree Shafrir perfectly captures the absurdity of our internet obsessions -- all the useless apps that navigate our day-to-day existence. I found myself laughing (and occasionally cringing) at her vivid and scathing observations. I encourage you to read _Startup_ and see how their digital worlds collide. You won't be disappointed!Â