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

Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I identified personally with the author and his story. Dan Lyons was a 53-year-old laid off Newsweek writer who made a significant career change by working for a tech startup. He experiences a vastly different business culture and management style from what he experienced at Newsweek. Lyons found out quickly that his ideas, expertise and knowledge were not as valued as he expected them to be. Lyons was working for a boss about half his age and he was surrounded by other twenty somethings whose worth ethics were significantly different than his own. He was also met with skepticism and condescension due to his age.

Lyons struggles to fit in both with his coworkers, his boss and upper management. He finds it to be a losing battle. Allies become enemies and he can no longer trust those around him. He sympathizes with the plights of the salespeople who face enormous odds in meeting quotas and quickly understands that upper management are more concerned about making money than developing a useful and user friendly product.

This is a cautionary tale for workers over age 40 entering new jobs. The older you are, the less serious you will be taken. You may think that your experience can be useful but your employer and management may find it antiquated.

There is some intrigue at the end of the story as certain corporate forces are concerned about the publishing of the book and the FBI is called in...


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Company by Max Barry

This business satire may be the best book I've enjoyed this summer. At minimum, it's the funniest.

Barry satirizes a company which has no customers or real business purpose. The CEO masquerades as a janitor. The receptionist is not who you think she is. The entire IT department gets fired. There are constant cliffhangers involving people and entire departments that are outsourced and fired.

You'll recognize similar people and situations that you can relate within your own company or business experience.

Bad bosses, greedy senior management, a creepy HR department, watercooler gossip and the complications from office romance are chronicled.

The book is very well written and moves fast...