In this era of subtweets, subtext has seemingly become paramount in our culture. Whether it’s athletes subtweeting their teammates, or musicians lashing out at their competitors, the delicate dance with language of what’s really being said has never been more forefront in our society.
HBO’s Silicon Valley is a hilarious and true-to-life version of many of the issues young companies face when trying to take a product to market that uses advanced technology. While anyone who has seen the show recognizes that many of the situations are exaggerated for comic effect, much of the journey that the show’s main character, Richard Hendricks, and his company, Pied Piper, go through, are accurate depictions of the lifecycle of startups.
There’s an iconic scene in Mike Judge’s deservedly renowned film Office Space, where an employee of a company is asked, “What would you say…you do here?” The question results in the employee stammering through a justification of his position, but his answer reveals he’s as confused about his role as his superiors.
